Denny Hamlin

In my opinion, every NASCAR race, or at least every race in the Chase should be run under the lights. The cars look better, faster and Saturday night racing just feels more like racing at the local dirt tracks. As it is, the only night race in the Chase that we have, is Saturday night in Charlotte. "Once night falls during the October race, Charlotte (Motor Speedway) becomes completely different than what we practice on during the day," said Kevin Harvick.  "You can bet on the fact that the track will be really fast as the temperature drops and we'll gain a lot of grip.

So apparently while I have been neck deep in Kansas basketball this weekend, Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing have been doing their best to recreate the quirky 80's Genius hit "Land of Confusion," minus the creepy puppets. Mark Martin is replacing Denny Hamlin until he is healed from his broken vertebra, just kidding, it will be Martin at Martinsville only, then it will be Brian Vickers. Seriously, does anyone know what is really going on? "Obviously having to find someone to fill in for Denny is not an ideal situation to have to be in, and when you start a process like this, you obviously begin to look at the drivers that are not only available but also able to drive for your race team and manufacturer," JGR president J.D. Gibbs said in a statement.

Just when you thought Tony Stewart had become some docile owner type, like manna from heaven...he's back! And as a fan who loves it when people stir the pot, it feels good. Even it you don't get my vague 90's reference (Tony, Toni, Tone', Google them), you had to have loved the fact that the helmet throwing finger wagging Bristol appears to be back, even if it is for one night only. "I saw him lingering, kind of waiting with his gear," said Jimmie Johnson. "I figured something was going to happen.  I heard he had a good toss on it. " Nailed the 17 dead on did Stewart and then vowed to wreck Matt Kenseth ever chance he gets.

After a week off, it's time to round 'em up and head to the Texas Motor Speedway. All the manufactures have enjoyed some success at Texas, but this is a really good track for Roush Fenway Fords. Matt Kenseth won the spring race one year ago. In all Roush has eight times in Texas. “I love racing at Texas and it's been one of our best race tracks. I've got some great memories from that place and it's a fun place to win a race," said Carl Edwards who has three of those wins, including a sweep in 2008.

If you are asking yourself, "weren't we just in Pocono?"  The answer is almost. It was just seven races ago that NASCAR visited Pocono, by far the shortest time between visits to the same race track. And according to Joey Logano that makes coming back to Pocano, that much easier. "When the races are closer, your notes relate a lot better than it is coming to a racetrack a whole year later, because a lot of things can be different a year later," said Logano. "Your general set up of a car usually changes a lot throughout a year.  Your chassis usually changes and your bodies are different.  It's hard to go back on what you have and improve on that.  Usually come with a whole different package.

Denny Hamlin didn't win on Sunday. But his team may have been the biggest winner coming out of New Hampshire. It was almost as if his team knew something everyone else didn't after a mistake in the pits lead to a second place finish. "You're going to have days like this.  It's part of racing," said Hamlin. "That's why it's such a team sport.  It's the pit crew, the driver, the car, the crew chief, all those things put together.  We just had a slight miscommunication, that one little mistake will magnify and take a win away from you. " Slight miscommunication?

This week NASCAR goes from it's biggest track to it's smallest. But don't think for a minute that this week's race at the Martinsville Speedway wont have the excitement that Talladega did. It's just instead of being bogged down and bottled up because of the restrictor plates, this week the tight corners of the track will take care of keeping the cars close. It's anything but a party. ""It's just a tough parking-lot-style of racing," said Brad Keselowski, who is currently third in the points.