View From The Flagstand: Keselowski Best at Bristol

Remember when Bristol had 20 (legit) cautions per race, and no green flag pit stops? Well, since the track's reconfiguration in 2007, that has all gone the way of the COT's rear wing. The half mile track used to be a one groove joint with 35 degree banked turns. Now, with the progressive banking, the track claims that the turns are banked between 24 and 30 degrees. Independent parties have gauged it at 20 degrees.

CHECKERED FLAG

The Blue Deuce is on the loose! Brad Keselowski is having a month of racing that legends are made of. Four races, two wins, a second, and a third all in August. And, all on the fractured ankle. Drivers, teams, and fans are wondering if this guy will be a factor in the Chase. I have to say yes because he seems so underwhelmed by his success. I'll throw it out there, in, and out of the car, he reminds me of Davey Allison.

GREEN FLAGS

Martin Truex Jr held off Jeff Gordon for second place. Jamie McMurray stayed close and brought it home in fifth position. Marcos Ambrose earned his eighth top-10 this year with his 10th place run.

YELLOW FLAG

There was a time when they didn't have to throw "mystery debris" yellow flags at Bristol to tighten up the racing. Fifteen to twenty actual cautions were the norm just a few years ago. The graduated banking has opened up a second, and third, groove on the track, so the bump, pass, and run is not needed now. Add in the hands-off, points racing, approach with the Chase just two races away, and the, one-time, season's most anticipated race has become just another yawner.

RED FLAG

While a handful of drivers appear to be making an effort to go into the Chase at full speed, others are lagging badly. This week Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, and Dale Earnhardt Jr looked like anything but championship contenders. Better step yo game up, boys.

BLACK FLAG

Thanks, Irene! ABC broadcast this race nationwide. But, millions of homes along the eastern seaboard saw nothing but idiotic, local ABC reporters standing in the rain trying to panic the public with non-stop Hurricane Irene reports. Other local markets, such as Nashville, were treated to preseason NFL games on their ABC affiliates instead of racing from Bristol.

View From The Flagstand: Kyle Busch Muscles Michigan

Kyle Busch finished strong on Sunday, and won at Michigan for his first time ever. In route to taking over the points lead, Busch seems to have discovered the key to winning a championship is to go with the flow. He took what was offered and showed a new found patience while working traffic. Of course, that could change as soon as next week at Bristol.

CHECKERED FLAG

Busch now leads all Cup drivers with four wins this season. He also leads the points standings with just three races left before the Chase begins. Busch heads to BMS, where he has won four of the last five, extremely confident.

GREEN FLAGS

Brad Keselowski finished third to go along with a first and second in the three races since suffering serious injuries in a testing accident. Mark Martin (4), Ryan Newman (5), Kasey Kahne (7), and Clint Bowyer (8) all had well deserved top finishes.

YELLOW FLAGS

Chase contenders, Kurt Busch (34), Denny Hamlin (35), and Carl Edwards (36) all had bad days. Better now than later this year.

RED FLAGS

Two races a year at Michigan. Even at 400 miles, they are unwatchable. How about two, 100 lappers, on the same day? Double points day.

BLACK FLAG

I did not want to mention Steven Wallace again this year, but after that display of talent in Montreal on Saturday, I had to include this....

Tweet of the Year by, @SBPopOffValve

That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball. #DEARGODNOTSTEVEWALLACE

Follow @SBPopOffValve for great Indy car and NASCAR tweets.

View From The Flagstand: Ambrose Ambushes the Glen

Rain on Sunday meant racing on Monday at Watkins Glen. Australian, Marcos Ambrose became the fifth first-time winner this year when he bolted to the front on the green-white-checkered finish. Ambrose also became the fourth foreign born driver to win a NASCAR Cup race. Anyone know the other three?

CHECKERED FLAG

Ambrose has shown himself to be the man to beat on NASCAR's road course races. Even more impressive when you consider he's only been in lower echelon equipment during his NASCAR career. It has been a wild season with the five first-timers, and fifteen different winners in all. None of those, however, may have seemed as overdue, yet as welcome as Ambrose's.

GREEN FLAGS

Brad Keselowski backed up last week's win with a strong second place run. We are witnessing the next NASCAR superstar blooming right before our eyes, folks. The speed that Keselowski gets out of his Penske Dodge, his skills, and determination may just cause a stir in the Chase.

YELLOW FLAGS

Not so fast on counting Dale Earnhardt Jr out of the Chase. Three weeks ago, he was nine points from becoming a bystander when the Chase started. Since then, some decent, not great, finishes, along with stumbles by others, have all but assured Junior a Chase place.

RED FLAG

Last week everyone was complaining about the lack of impact absorbing crash barriers at Road Atlanta after Keselowski's wreck during testing there. Now, can we expect the same outrage for the deplorable crash barriers at Watkins Glen? NASCAR owns this track, so there should be no excuse for this 1960's throwback not to be modernized with the latest SAFER barriers.

BLACK FLAG

Boris Said! How come these so-called road race ringers never finish in the top five? How come they are racing, and wrecking, inexperienced regular drivers for 23rd position? How come nothing is ever their fault?

Said deliberately caused the most horrific looking crash of the year on Moday at the Glen when he hooked David Ragan on the last lap. David Reutimann was caught up in the carnage. Two totally destroyed cars, and some collateral damage later, and Said "earns" a grand 22nd place finish.

View From The Flagstand: Keselowski Pounds Pocono

After a head-on wreck, at over 100 mph, while testing on Wednesday, Brad Keselowski could have been excused for sitting out Sunday's Cup race at Pocono. After all, the driver of Penske Dodge #2 suffered a fractured ankle and other injuries when his brakes failed at Road Atlanta. Instead, he turned it on at the end, and won his second race of the year.

CHECKERED FLAG

Keselowski is all but locked into the Chase now with that second win. He earned this win, driving through the pain, and racing hard on the last restart. His Penske Racing teammate, Kurt Busch, was also strong and finished third.

GREEN FLAGS

Kyle Busch looked to have the fastest car at times, before settling for second place. Dale Earnhardt Jr's 9th place run helped solidify his grasp on a Chase spot. In fact, all four HMS Chevys were in the top 13 at the end. Paul Menard backed up last week's Indy win with a nice 10th place finish.

YELLOW FLAG

Jimmie Johnson appears to have displeased both Busch brothers with his late race driving tactics. With the Chase looming, I don't look for this to go any further.

RED FLAG

It just would not be Pocono without a long rain delay, or three. The deluge came with about 65, of the scheduled 200, laps to go. Pole winner, Joey Logano was leading, and had been stout, at that time. The track crew worked hard to dry the triangle shaped surface, leaving Logano to finish 26th.

BLACK FLAG

The lack of short tracks on the Cup schedule while dinosaurs such as Pocono have two races each year. The Nationwide Series has produced exciting events the past two weeks on just such short tracks, before huge crowds, that the Cup Series continues to ignore.