Lots of stuff. So, let's go.

 

Sunday’s race didn’t go quite like many expected. The double-file restarts, while challenging, weren’t as bad as some predicted. Kasey Kahne, who had never finished in the top 20 at Infineon Raceway, won.

 

And he brought Richard Petty back to Victory Lane. It’s the first time since 1999 that Petty has been in Victory Lane for a Cup race.

 

Petty Enterprises shut down after last season with Petty and a few people moving over to join Gillett Evernham Motorsports. The team was renamed Richard Petty Motorsports.

 

"It had been a long time,'' Petty said in Victory Lane. "I can't hardly remember, it's been that far back.''

 

Sunday, Kahne led the final 34 laps to win the race.

 

This was a big deal for NASCAR to get the 71-year-old Petty back in Victory Lane. It was also big for the team to win. Questions abound about an organization that had its CEO leave in May, had a payment from Dodge not sent as Dodge went through bankruptcy (leading to nine employees being laid off) and has even seen the normally quiet Kahne be vocal about getting better (and using the new Dodge engine more often). Let's be honest, winning a race makes everyone with the team feel better for a bit but it doesn't solve questions still looming out there.

 

While seeing Petty in Victory Lane was special for the sport’s older crowd, there were a number of other things to take from a sunny Sunday in wine country.

 

# Did you notice the points? Seventh through 13^th are separated by 95 points. There’s quite a list in this group. Denny Hamlin is seventh with 2,009 points. Greg Biffle is next, just 75 points ahead of 12th. Kyle Busch is ninth, 45 points ahead of 12^th; Matt Kenseth is 10^th, 40 points ahead of 12^th; Mark Martin is 11^th, 9 points ahead of 12^th. Juan Pablo Montoya is 12^th.

 

Kasey Kahne is 13^th, 3 points behind Montoya. David Reutimann fell to 14^th and is 40 points out of 12^th. Jeff Burton dropped to 15^th and is 46 points out of 12^th. Clint Bowyer is next and he’s 65 points from 12^th.

 

That’s quite a group battling for spots in the Chase. Busch is intriguing. He has three wins but has really struggled lately and the series heads to New Hampshire this weekend where he’s been way off in the past. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him fall another notch or so in the points. Daytona follows New Hampshire and while Busch is strong there, if he gets caught up in another incident, he could really be battling to remain in the top 12.

 

Keep an eye on this points race. It should be interesting the next few weeks. 

 

 

 

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JR Motorsports moving to Cup?

 

Car owner Rick Hendrick said before the race that such a move is being examined by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley. Hendrick mentioned that as he discussed possible teams be working with next year through engine programs, chassis programs or technical support.

 

One report has stated that Red Bull could leave Toyota and join Chevrolet and be aligned with Hendrick like Stewart-Haas Racing is. Hendrick also said his organization could handle it if Stewart-Haas expanded to three teams as Tony Stewart said could happen this year.

 

Hendrick also noted it’s possible Keselowski could ended up in the third car at Stewart-Haas. Keselowski is a Hendrick development driver and Hendrick is looking at where to place him for next year since his four-car team is full with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

 

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Hendrick defends Junior

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was involved in a late incident, lost several spots and finished 26^th. He fell two spots to 20^th in the season standings. He’s 277 points out of 12^th.

 

Car owner Rick Hendrick defended Earnhardt before Sunday’s race.

 

“He’s had all his racing career doing things one way,’’ Hendrick said. “Talking to the crew chief and communicating. Now, all of a sudden we’re saying with a new crew chief and working more hands-on with the engineers, this is the way they’d like for you to break it down.

 

“If you heard him on the radio, he’s doing a heck of a job. He’s trying to change to give them better information so they can do a better job. These cars are not like fix it and I’ll drive it. You’ve got to be a part of it.

 

“I couldn’t ask him to work any harder than he’s working. I don’t care what anybody says. He’s committed. He’s dedicated. And he’s showing up and he’s trying. That’s all I can ask him to do. I feel we’ve let him down, maybe I’ve let him down by not probably pulling the trigger (on the crew chief change) earlier for his sake and for Tony Jr.’s sake. I think both of those guys are going to be better off.

 

 

 

NOTES

 

# Juan Pablo Montoya finished sixth and climbed into the top 12 in points. He’s 12^th. He knocked out Jeff Burton, who finished 34^th and fell to 15^th in the points. Montoya is three points ahead of race-winner Kasey Kahne for 12^th.

 

“You’ve got to be in the top 12 after Richmond,’’ Montoya said. “Today, it wouldn’t really matter.’’

 

# Marcos Ambrose tied his career high by finishing third. He had some of the best lines of the day afterward.

 

About how tough things have been for him this week (he started at the rear after blowing an engine Saturday): “I even cut myself shaving this morning. That’s how bad this weekend has gone.’’

 

About the race: “I was hot. I was mad. I was happy. I was sad all together.’’

 

About if he was close enough to notice how Kasey Kahne has improved as road course racer: “I can’t normally get close enough to Kasey because there’s too many girls hanging around.’’

 

# Tony Stewart on his runner-up finish:

 

“I’m happy with it compared to where we were (Saturday) in both the race practices,’’ he said. “We were a little disappointed and discouraged when we left the race track. But man, it makes me so proud of (crew chief) Darian Grubb and (car chief) Jeff Meendering. They worked so hard. I stayed here until the garage closed with them and everybody in every department of the race car had to make changes, basically tore everything apart and … we changed about six major things.’’

 

# Jimmie Johnson apologized to Kurt Busch in the garage after the race for wrecking Busch. Johnson clipped Busch in the latter part of the race as they raced in the top five. The contact sent Busch spinning into the tire barrier all but ruining his day. Busch did make it back to 15^th.

 

# Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith on the team cutting from five teams to four after this season (as mandated by NASCAR to meet its four-car limit): “We’re still messing with the sponsorship pieces,’’ Smith said. “We’re still not sure how it’s going to lay out. We thought we’d be done by now but we’re not.’’

 

One of the teams will move to Yates next year, Smith said.

 

Smith also was asked about the status of signing Jamie McMurray to a contract extension: “Jamie wants to stay. We’d like him to stay. We’re hoping we can have sponsorship around Jamie before he has to decide how much longer he can wait. We’ve been working together. Hopefully we’ll have that worked out pretty quickly before he has to turn his attention to the marketplace.’’