Carl Edwards

With Daytona in the rear view mirror, it's time to race off to Phoenix. This will be the first race that we really get to see who is going to have something for this year's championship. Daytona is fun, but it is what it is, it's own animal. Restrictor plate racing is an x-factor. Starting this week in Phoenix and really more so next week at Vegas, you really start to see who has the chops to run with the big boys. But there is a twist. The new point system, playing catch up is going to be tougher than ever.

You know the saying, "everything is bigger than Texas. " And while it's not the biggest track on the circuit, thanks to restrictor plates, only Atlanta rivals the Texas Motor Speedway when it comes to speed. The first 13 times we raced at Texas, there were different winners until Jeff Burton won for the second time in 2007. Other multiple race winners at Texas include Carl Edwards, who has won three times, and Denny Hamlin, who swept last season. Hamlin and Burton are just a couple of the past Texas winners who could use a good run this weekend.

Tony Stewart made it 2 for 2 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, pulling ahead when Clint Bowyer ran of gas with two laps left to win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. Stewart is on a roll when it matters most, following last week's Chase opening victory with another strong performance at New Hampshire. Both of his victories this season have come in the Chase and have propelled him to the top of the points standings. The outcome was a complete reversal of last fall's race at New Hampshire.

Jimmie Johnson dominated again at Dover International Speedway, winning the second race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship for his sixth victory of the season. Emporia native Clint Bowyer finished 25th after a tumultuous week, where he was docked 150 points by NASCAR officials. Johnson won Sunday for the third time in four races on the 1-mile concrete track. He shook off a rare poor finish in last week's Chase opener at New Hampshire to take the pole, win the race and shoot up to second in the points standings.

Greg Biffle has won an often-delayed NASCAR race at Pocono Raceway to snap a 64-race winless streak and take the checkered flag for injured owner Jack Roush. Biffle hadn't won since he took the first two races in the 2008 Chase for the Cup championship. Biffle won on Sunday with Roush in the Mayo Clinic for injuries sustained in a plane crash in Wisconsin. It was also the first win of the season for Roush Fenway Racing. Tony Stewart was second and Roush driver Carl Edwards was third.

Brad Keselowksi held off Dale Earnhardt Jr to win Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race atKansas Speedway and pick up his first victory of the year. Keselowski led the final nine laps, conserving just enough fuel to stave off Earnhardt and snap a 75-race winless streak. Earnardt finished second for the second week in a row in a fuel mileage race. Earnhardt appeared to have enough to make a late charge on Keselowski. That push never came - though Earnhardt did move up to third in the points standings.

As NASCAR heads to the first break of the season, what have we learned? Well for starters we've learned that it's good to be in a Ford Fusion these days. Ford drivers have one two of the first three races this season. But is Ford ready to finally knock Chevy off as top dog in the sport? Part of the Blue Oval's early success seems to be due to the new engine. It was the rock star at Daytona, far and away the best in the two car draft. But also, no failures for them this season. Impressive when you are talking about a new engine.

To quote the great poet LL Cool J "we're going back to Cali, Cali, Cali, were going back to Cali, but just once this season. " OK maybe the song didn't go exactly that why, but you get the point. NASCAR races to the beautiful edge of the left coast, Fontana, California and the Auto Club speedway. This is the only date for this track in 2011, and honestly unlike what happened in Atlanta, I think this is the right call. There's no rich history at Auto Club speedway and southern Cal does seem all that interested in having to races.

One year ago, racing Daytona was all about having a dance partner. But this season, it is more likely the racing will be closer to a flash mob than Dancing with the Stars. Between the changes to the cars to discourage two by two racing, and the heat this race will get closer to the pack racing that NASCAR wants. Though it's possible you could see both. "One thing about pack racing is that there is a price to be paid. Nothing is for free," said Jeff Burton.  "If you put everyone in a pack, you know what that price is. I've been doing this for almost 20 years and I know the result of pack racing.