View From The Flagstand

Two Monday races in three weeks.... with the same winner. Perhaps Denny Hamlin should go to the club and make it rain before every race. Three weeks ago, at Martinsville, Hamlin had the car to beat, Monday in the Lone Star State he cashed in due to a Texas sized wreck.

CHECKERED FLAG

Denny Hamlin had a fast piece and led the final 12 laps after a massive pile-up took out some stout competition. Last week in Phoenix, Hamlin was criticized for not using a relief driver when he stayed in the car and finished two laps down in 30th. Could Hamlin, and his surgically repaired knee, be bowing up to challenge Mr Four Time?

GREEN FLAGS

Jeff Gordon was the class of the field all day Monday, or at least until the Big One took him out with under 20 laps to go. Second place finisher, Jimmie Johnson was also strong, but came up just short at the end. Nice to see Dale Earnhardt Jr has finally given up on the acting lessons. He led several laps and hung around the top-10 all day in route to an 8th spot. Kyle Busch was third in the Cup race, then decimated the field while winning the NNS event later on Monday afternoon.

YELLOW FLAGS

With less than 20 to go, Tony Stewart got hot, and caused the Big One. Stewart, on old tires, didn't like it when Gordon brushed against him on his way to the front. Smoke turned left into Gordon and all heck broke loose. The Fox TV crew looked at dozens of replays and decide to pin the blame on Carl Edwards who,behind Stewart, had no where to go. During later interviews, both Stewart and Gordon blamed Tony. I don't think I ever heard the Foxheads apologize to Edwards.

RED FLAG

Two races in one day. That makes for a long, wasted weekday. Sure, it'll probably never happen again, but with all the waterlogged races this year you never know. Maybe the spring races in Texas should be on Friday and Saturday nights, so they have an extra day for rainouts?

BLACK FLAG

Should I just rename this category, Fox Flag? When I think they can't possibly get any worse along comes a rain delay that they fill for 10(?) hours with their on-air talent(?). Seeing DW in a rain slicker, then hearing him compare Jimmie Johnson to Taylor Swift (huh?) was just too much. JJ and Swift? One has talent, and will still be relevant in ten years.

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