NASCAR drivers remind me of chariot drivers of past times, harnessing the power of wild beasts to power their chariots, as NASCAR drivers control the natural power of a gasoline and oxygen explosion to power their metal steeds.

Kyle Busch beat Carl Edwards to the line again

The yearly competition to see which steed and driver combination is the fastest over a series of races which we call the Nationwide Series championship seems to be a two man race so far this season. Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards have both maneuvered back and forth into the over all championship at times like they were conducting their own personal two-man race.

While it’s certainly too early to hand either of them the trophy, Friday night at the Richmond International Raceway Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards continued their two-man race for the Nationwide Series championship.

Friday night in a five lap race to the line after the 10^th caution of the night, Busch managed to beat Edwards to the finish line by .584 seconds to take the Lipton Tea 250 and increase his points lead in the Nationwide Series by 82 points over his nemesis, Carl Edwards.

The win was Busch’s third of the year in the Nationwide Series, his third at Richmond International Raceway, 24^th victory in the illustrious Nationwide Series, and certainly one of many more to come for a racer who has shown outstanding driving skill and a love for the sport.

The difference in the race seemed to be the difference in the way each driver, car and team handled the restarts, and Busch, his team, and especially his car were just faster off the line. On this day Carl Edwards was just in the unfortunate position of having the second fastest car, but he still managed a pretty good points total and managed to keep Busch from extending his lead with skillful driving and car management.

The field was a few seconds behind the leaders, with Matt Kenseth taking third place, followed by Brad Keselowski in fourth, Kevin Harvick managed fifth, and Joey Logano out-raced Mark Martin for sixth. Rookie driver Michael McDowell had a good showing in eighth place, just ahead of Jason Keller who finished ninth, and Jason Leffler rounded out the top ten places.

The tenth caution of the night turned out to tell the difference, as Kenny Wallace’s unfortunate spin on Lap 243 resulted in a restart and a final race to the line, which Kyle Busch won.

Image: Newscom

Saturday’s running of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal was an historic night for the Nationwide Series, and NASCAR in general. As the rainy weather crept its way onto the tracks, the race was red flagged, and for the first time ever in a NASCAR points race, the teams switched over to grooved tires to run the remainder of the race.

The rain was eventually stopped 26 laps short due to poor visibility, and in the end, it was Canadian native, Ron Fellows, out in front of the pack when the race was officially called. Throughout the majority of the race it appeared as though Marcos Ambrose was going to run away with things, leading a race high 27 laps, but a late pit road speeding penalty cost him, and Fellows was there to take advantage.

For Fellows, who was driving the no. 5 entry for the Dale Earnhardt Jr. owned JR Motorsports, it was his fourth career road course victory in 13 Nationwide Series starts, and he also became the first Canadian to ever win a major NASCAR event in Canada.

Fellows was followed to the line by another Canadian native, Patrick Carpentier, who finished 2nd. Ambrose was able to recover from his earlier mistakes on pit road and came back to finish 3rd. 4th place went to Ron Hornaday, and 5th was Boris Said.

Carl Edwards - now 2nd in points - finished 6th, while the series points leader, Clint Bowyer, crossed the finish line in 9th. Brad Keselowski dropped the 2nd position in the points race to Edwards with a 12th place run, dropping Brad down to 3rd overall.

Jacques Villeneuve and Joey Logano dropped about 10 positions in the running order each when they wrecked into other cars during the final caution period.

“I hit a lapped car with no brake lights. I have no idea who it was,” Logano said. “I couldn’t see 5 feet in front of me down the straightaway, under caution. Somebody stopped. I locked up all four and boom! … It’s just not right.”

They each went onto finish 16th and 17th respectively.

It should be noted, however, that the accidents during the final caution were caused by poor visibility, and were not tire-related. In fact, there were really no tire issues the whole race, which should serve as a huge pick-me-up for Goodyear after the debacle that they went through last week at Indy.

Complete Results of the NAPA Auto Parts 200     /     Current Nationwide Series Points Standings

Earlier in the week NASCAR implimented new rules restricting the horsepower output in the Nationwide Series engines, specifically targeting Toyota, as they were the only manufacturer running the effected engine packages. But, even that couldn’t stop Kyle Busch from dominating Saturday night at O’Reilly Raceway Park.

Busch started the race from the outside pole, and then ran away with the race, leading 197 of the 200 laps. The victory is Busch’s sixth NNS win of the season, and his 15th between NASCAR’s three premier series, surpassing the previous record set by Kevin Harvick. Colin Braun, in search of his first NASCAR victory for Roush-Fenway Racing, settled for 2nd, and Mike Bliss, Scott Wimmer, and Josh Wise completed the top-five.

Following the race, Busch sarcastically commented, “I was kind of disappointed because I feel like that 15 horsepower cost me the pole. I really got to thank my competitors for doing the complaining they did, because we were able to have good traction control all night long. I feel like that was important, to get off the corners a little bit better than everybody.”

Rookies Landon Cassill and Joey Logano continued to impress, as they finished 7th and 8th, respectively. Series points leader, Clint Bowyer, found his struggles throughout the evening, as he finished 18th. Second place, Brad Keselowski, didn’t do any better, though, and he finished 19th. Third place, Carl Edwards, made up a little bit of ground with his 11th place finish. There were no changes with the top-ten in points, though.

Kroger 200 Complete Results

Nationwide Series Standings (from nascar.com):

Image details: Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 served by picapp.com

Even with the Sprint Cup Series taking the week off, it was still a busy weekend for Missouri native, Carl Edwards …. particularly because he decided to commit to a three-day bicycle trip from his hometown of Columbia, MO to the track that lies in Madison, IL - just outside of the St. Louis metro-area.

Edwards made the trip and got to the track in time to qualify third for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway International Raceway, and then passed Jason Leffler with 48 laps remaining en route to picking up the win Saturday night. The win gave Edwards his second Nationwide Series win of the season, and the second of his career at Gateway.

Driving the dominant no. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing in just his fifth NNS start, Joey Logano started the race fourth and finished second, as he was unable to track down Edwards in the closing laps of the race. Jason Keller, Jason Leffler, and Brad Keselowski completed the top-five finishers, with rookie driver, Landon Cassill, running in 6th.

An incident involving David Reutimann and Brad Keselowski brought out the final caution of the day. The restart came on lap 146 with Edwards running third behined Jason Leffler and eventual 7th place finisher, James Buescher. The top two cars, however, took only two tires under the caution period, with Edwards taking four, which ultimately made all the difference in the world, passing Leffler for the lead just six laps later.

Earlier on a lap 116 restart, Landon Cassill got into the back of Scott Wimmer, setting off a chain reaction that eliminated the cars of Mike Bliss, Steve Wallace, and defending race winner, Reed Sorenson. Polesitter, Jamie McMurray, was in the lead at the time, but later retired with engine problems after lap 152.

Points leader, Clint Bowyer, finished 8th; David Ragan was 10th; and Marcos Ambrose ran in 15th. The hometown favorites of Mike, Kenny, and Steve Wallace finished 11th, 18th, and 26th respectively. Kenny was the only one of the three to lead any laps during the race.

Clint Bowyer and Brad Keselowski maintained the top two spots in the Nationwide standings, while Carl Edwards jumped up a spot to #3, where he now sits 201 points out of first.

Complete Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 Results.

Nationwide Series Standings (from nascar.com):

Transactions:
- DEI has picked up the 2009 option on Martin Truex Jr, though Truex disputes the legality of the verbiage in the contract.
- Hendrick Motorsports has announced the release of Casey Mears for next season.
- Richard Childress Racing has extended Clint Bowyer’s contract through 2011.
- Roush-Fenway Racing has extended Greg Biffle’s contract through 2011.
- Gillette-Evernham Motorsports has signed Elliott Sadler through 2010.
- Richard Childress Racing has announced the addition of the #33 car as a fourth Cup team in 2009.
- Petty Enterprises has signed Bobby LaBonte through 2012.
- Roush-Fenway Racing has signed Carl Edwards through 2011.
- Due to a lack of sponsorship, Chip Ganassi Racing is forced to shut down the no. 40 car driven by Dario Franchitti for the remainder of the season.
- Hendrick Motorsports has signed Mark Martin to drive the no. 5 car full-time in 2009 and part-time in 2010.
- Tony Stewart announced his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing to go to Stewart Haas Racing (formerly Haas CNC Racing) as a 50% owner and a full-time driver in 2009.

Teams Without an Assigned 2009 Driver:
- Dale Earnhardt Inc. - No. 01 car
- Penske Racing - No. 12 car
- Dale Earnhardt Inc. - No. 15 car
- Joe Gibbs Racing - No. 20 car
- Wood Brothers Racing - No. 21 car
- Bill Davis Racing - No. 22 car
- Yates Racing - No. 28 car
- Richard Childress Racing - No. 33 car
- Furniture Row Motorsports - No. 34 car
- Chip Ganassi Racing - No. 41 car
- Stewart Haas Racing - No. 66 or No. 70 car

Drivers Without a Definitive 2009 Ride:
- Regan Smith
- Casey Mears
- Ryan Newman
- Paul Menard
- Dave Blaney
- Marcos Ambrose
- Travis Kvapil
- Tony Raines
- Reed Sorenson
- Scott Riggs
- Johnny Sauter
- Jeremy Mayfield
- Brad Keselowski
- David Stremme
- Jacques Villeneuve
- Kenny Wallace
- Ken Schrader
- Ward Burton
- Dario Franchitti

Other Potential Rides & Drivers that Could Become Available
(Pending variable circumstances):
- Dale Earnhardt Inc. - No. 1 Car - Current Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
- Gillette-Evernham Motorsports - No. 10 Car - Current Driver: Patrick Carpentier
- Roush Fenway Racing - No. 26 Car - Current Driver: Jamie McMurray
- Penske Racing - No. 77 Car - Current Driver: Sam Hornish Jr.

Image details: The Meijer 300 served by picapp.com

Good morning, everyone. It’s another Friday here in mid-July, and it’s a hot one out there ….. which is rather fitting, because that’s the only way to describe the NASCAR scene as of late! I welcome you to another edition of our overly-glorified “Loose in Turn Three” segment. Of course you all know me, and with me as usual are my fellow NASCAR Bloggers, Bruce Simmons and Charlie Turner.

Just as we do every week, we have a trio of topics that the three of us are going to be discussing, but before we jump right into that, let’s start with some background on this week’s featured stories just to make sure that we’re all caught up. Over the last two weeks we’ve seen things already begin to shape up for one helluva 2009 season as the two biggest announcements for NASCAR’s Silly Season have taken place within that timeframe.

Last week in Daytona, Mark Martin was announced as the driver-to-be for the #5 car over at Hendrick Motorsports, which at the time was the easily the most coveted available ride on the market, and knocked down what we thought could be the biggest “domino.” Tony Stewart apparently must have had an Ace up his sleeve, though, and decided to trump that announcement with one of his own, as he announced yesterday in Chicago that Joe Gibbs Racing has granted him his release from the organization prior to the expiration of his current contract. Stewart will depart the no. 20 ride to head over to Haas CNC Racing, which will be renamed to Stewart Haas Racing next season with Stewart as a 50% owner of the company.

Stewart’s announcement now sort of realligns the “dominoes,” and sets the no. 20 car atop the pedestal as the best available car on the market, and makes Ryan Newman the marquee name that could be entering free agency this offseason. Whatever Joe Gibbs Racing and Ryan Newman decide to do from here could have a major impact on the rest of the garage area next year. If Newman winds up in the no. 20 car, then that would keep young Joey Logano out of a full-time Cup ride for at least another season. If Newman joins Stewart over at Stewart Haas Racing, then the no. 12 car at Penske Racing becomes available. If he stays at Penske, then the second Stewart Haas seat will remain open.

There are still a lot of drivers out there waiting to see what these guys intend to do. Their actions will play a factor to who Casey Mears is driving for next year, and could determine if guys like David Stremme or Scott Riggs have a job in the Cup Series at all. That said, let’s take a look and see what exactly Joe Gibbs Racing should do from here.

Q: With Tony Stewart’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing, who should they look to fill the #20 seat?

TZ: Of course, the obvious answer is Joey Logano, which is what would most likely happen, but I don’t think that’s the best course of action for them to at least pursue. Imagine this … give Logano a full season racing the Nationwide Series in 2009, and field a fourth team car to get him in a few Cup races late in the year. Instead of rushing him into the #20 seat, take advantage of the driver market while it’s worthwhile. Put a damper on all of the Stewart / Newman to Haas CNC talks, and go after Newman. Ryan’s got nothing to gain at Haas CNC in terms of ownership, so why wouldn’t he want to consider driving one of the most marketable cars in NASCAR? A 2010 lineup of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Ryan Newman would make it a lot easier for that organization to handle losing Smoke.

Bruce:  You already put out the good answer with Joey Logano filling the seat, and my Ryan Newman fan mode likes the idea of him moving to Gibbs rather than Logano filling the seat right away.  But the chemistry of driver and crew chief:  That’s out next concern!

The other aspect to ponder is with the economy in the down slide that it’s in, is fielding a fourth car going to be worth it for Gibbs?  Food for thought.

Charlie:  Joey Logano has been doing most of the CoT testing for Joe Gibbs Racing this year. He won’t be any younger than Kyle Busch was when he started with Hendrick Motorsports. That #20, Home Depot Chevy with Stewart at the wheel was one of NASCAR’s most recognizable brands. That’s gone after 2008. Might as well start building the new #20 right off the bat.

Now, Ryan Newman moving over to Joe Gibbs Racing next season is certainly a possibility - and, probably a dream come true for most Flyin’ Ryan fans - but, the consistent rumors floating around right now would put Newman driving the car opposite of Smoke over at Stewart Haas Racing.

Newman was tearin’ up the track his first couple of seasons in the Sprint Cup Series, but ever since Matt Borland departed as Newman’s crew chief, the road’s been a little rocky for the no. 12 team. He’s shown signs of life this year - particularly with his win at the season opening Daytona 500, but the team has had their struggles as well, and Newman now currently sits outside the top-15 in points with just 8 races remaining until the cutoff for the Chase. Read more on this over at Bruce’s NASCAR Bits ‘n’ Pieces as we answer the question of:

With the rumors of Ryan Newman signing on with Tony Stewart under Haas-CNC, and Jack Daniels as his sponsor, do you think his on-track performance will improve?

Moving down to the Nationwide Series for a moment, rumors have begun to circulate that the Navy may be pulling out of their sponsorship program there with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports. The organization picked up their first two wins earlier this season with both Mark Martin and Brad Keselowski pulling into Victory Lane, but with a lack of backing from the Navy, this could potentially jeopardize the operation as it stands now.

There was some talk earlier in the season as to whether or not Earnhardt would be looking to promote JR Motorsports up to the Sprint Cup level as early as next season, and then most recently there has been rumors (though they’ve already been denied) that DEI could be looking to sell or maybe even grab hold of some financial backing. Head over to On Pit Row to read the rest on this one as we answer the following question:

It has been reported that Dale Earnhardt Jr’s JR Motorsports has lost the Navy sponsorship for the #88 Nationwide Series car for 2009. If you’re Jr, now what?

Image details: Coke Zero 400 Qualifying served by picapp.com

Ever since we learned that Hendrick Motorsports scheduled a press conference this weekend at Daytona, most people believed that they would announce Mark Martin as the driver for their no. 5 car next season, and they were right. What was unclear, however, was whether it would be on a full-time basis, or if Mark would engage in another driver / mentor program to bring the young Brad Keselowski up through the ranks of the Sprint Cup Series … it turns out it may have been both.

With Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both on-hand for Friday’s announcement, team owner Rick Hendrick announced that the team had signed Martin to a two-year deal to drive for the team. Mark will run a full schedule in 2009 in his last-ditch effort to win his elusive first Sprint Cup championship, and then he will run a 26-race schedule in 2010. Mark has finished in the top-five in points a record 12 times, and has finished runner-up on 4 occassions. Even though he will turn the ripe age of 50 years old in January, a run with Hendrick Motorsports may just give him his best shot yet to win the title.

With many moves in NASCAR’s Silly Season still up in the air, the second and third order effects of this announcement could be astronomical. Had Hendrick signed Mark Martin to just a 1-year deal, then the prospect of Tony Stewart taking over the car in 2010 after his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing expires would still be in play. However, as it now looks as though Hendrick will be grooming that seat for the future of Brad Keselowski, the only other GM team out there that could satisfy Stewart solely as a driver would be Richard Childress Racing, but heading there would be a very unlikely scenario for the two-time champ. That means that the potential deal to take over partial ownership of Haas CNC Racing could be back in play as early as next year

While it’s easy for some of us to say that Tony should just ride out the rest of his contract with Gibbs and take another look at the deal with Haas CNC sometime closer to the 2010 season, the fact of the matter is that this could be a “now or never” situation. With both Haas CNC cars currently outside of the top-35 in owner points and the sudden crisis in NASCAR sponsorship, there’s a good chance that without Tony Stewart or a name like Ryan Newman driving their cars, this team might not make it to 2010.

Joe Gibbs has stated that the talks between the team and Stewart are still focused on 2010 - not next year - and, that despite popular belief, GM has not made an offer to buyout the remainder of Tony’s contract. Yet, reports still indicate that Tony has reached an agreement that would make Office Depot the primary sponsor of his car should he make the move over to Haas CNC next season.

Another possibility that we could see play out if Tony is unable to get out of his contract with JGR early would involve either Ryan Newman or Martin Truex Jr. Newman is in his contract year with Penske Racing and has told the team that he will not re-sign unless the team’s performance improves over the next couple of months. Truex, on the other hand, had his 2009 option picked up by DEI, but Martin has since disputed the legality of the contract, which means he, too, could be available in the offseason. Both drivers have been rumored to be involved in the potential Haas CNC deal, so what we could see happen is one of those two drivers head over to Haas in 2009 to keep the team afloat until Stewart arrives in 2010.

Stewart is rumored to possibly be ready to make an announcement a few weeks from now when the series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the running of the Allstate 400. That reace is scheduled for July 27th.

Image details: Pocono 500 Qualifying served by picapp.com

With Aric Almirola now slated to drive the no. 8 car full-time for DEI next season, it appears as though the driver / mentor program that the organization set out to accomplish with veteran driver, Mark Martin, is now coming to a close. With Silly Season already in full effect, rumors are now circulating that Mark could announce his plans for the 2009 Sprint Cup season this weekend at Daytona, as reported by SPEED’s Wendy Venturini.

With the Silly Season talks turning into a chess match - or, even a poker game if you will - do not underestimate the importance of what the perennial Hall of Famer could have to say this weekend. Despite the fact that most people feel that Tony Stewart and Hendrick Motorsports are holding all the face cards in the deck, Mark Martin could very well have a lot to say in who winds up where by the start of the 2009 season.

After all of the early speculation that Stewart could be looking for an early release from his current contract with Joe Gibbs Racing to move to Haas CNC Racing in a deal that would involve Tony gaining partial ownership of the team, many sources have since refuted those rumors, stating that Stewart is now pushing back plans for ownership of a Cup team until after he officially retires. If these latest reports hold true, then that makes Hendrick Motorsports’ no. 5 car - recently made available with the release of Casey Mears - more than likely the only seat with enough drawing power to lure Stewart away from Gibbs prior the conclusion of 2009. Likewise, this could very well take Haas CNC right out of the Silly Season game as a major player, as without Stewart on their immediate lineup, the likelihood of landing a name like Ryan Newman or Martin Truex Jr. in this upcoming offseason is slim to none.

That said, Mark Martin should be looking at one of three possible options for next season: A) Running a part-time schedule on another driver / mentor program; B) Running a full season in an effort to finally win his elusive first Cup championship; or C) Retire altogether. Whichever of those options Martin chooses to pursue, his decision could be directly linked to what the other big names for this off-season decide to do as well. Here’s how each of the three scenarios could play out:

A) Part-Time Schedule:
Should Mark decide that he’s found his beckoning as a mentor to rookie drivers at this stage in his career, then there’s two viable options that immediately stick out - splitting time in the no. 5 car with Brad Keselowski to help bring him through the ranks at Hendrick, or hooking up with Red Bull Racing in an effort to get Scott Speed ready for a career in the Sprint Cup Series. If he does in fact hook up with Hendrick, then what that does is keep Tony Stewart at Gibbs for another year, and also probably keeps Newman with Penske on a short-term deal. Additionally, this would likely give Roush-Fenway Racing a reason to hold onto Jamie McMurray through the ‘09 season because they have a different agenda than the other major players involved. In 2010 they’ll lose one of their five team cars, and they’ve already locked up Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, and Greg Biffle to long-term deals and are working on one with David Ragan. Essentially, even if they were to release McMurray, they still don’t have a long-term ride to offer.

If Martin were to take the path towards Red Bull Racing, however, this would then open the doors for a potential move of Tony Stewart or Ryan Newman to Hendrick, which in turn, would then open a seat at either Penske or Gibbs - possibly both if Stewart went to Hendrick, and Newman took the no. 20 seat at JGR. In this scenario, Casey Mears could then wind up driving the no. 12 car for Roger Penske.

B) Full-Time Schedule:
There’s been talk of Mark possibly coming back next season to run full-time, and again, the early speculation was that he would run for Hendrick. This scenario would pretty much play out in the same manner as if he went there on a driver / mentor program, with the exception being that with the team not investing any time or money into the development of Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart could still wind up with the team in 2010 after Mark retires for good.

But, if Mark’s goal is to run a full-season next year, then I don’t think Hendrick is where he’ll wind up. The possibility that nobody’s talking about, and is actually possibly my favorite, is that Jack Roush releases McMurray at the conclusion of the season, and with the no. 26 car’s final season being 2009 anyway, Mark returns to Roush for one final hoorah. This would give Roush-Fenway an additional bonafide championship contender for ‘09 without forsaking any of their long-term commitments, and would also give Mark the opportunity to retire ‘at home’. This scenario also solves very little in the rest of the Silly Season mele’, as that leaves the slot at Hendrick unresolved, which in turn leaves the decisions for the rest of the teams and drivers unresolved … and, adds McMurray’s name to the list of drivers looking for a ride.

C) Retirement:
Most feel that this is the least likely of the three options for Mark, but it remains an option nonetheless. This scenario wouldn’t play out much differently than if Mark were to run full-time outside of Hendrick, with the exception that McMurray would stay with Roush for one more season, making it one less name in the driver pool to add to the headache.

Regardless which of the three paths Mark Martin should choose to head down, it most directly effects what happens to both Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman. That will then sort out which of the top-tier teams in the sport have rides available for next season, which will then lead to determining who Casey Mears and possibly Martin Truex and Jamie McMurray will drive for … thus, where the “domino theory” stems from.

Even with Mark addressing the media this weekend at Daytona, I wouldn’t expect an outright answer as to where he will be next season, but it should shed some light on which of the three paths he aims to follow. As is always the case, it’s pure speculation at this point, but my gut tells me that we should be looking for a reunion with Jack Roush and I fully expect this to happen, which means we’re likely to spend yet another couple of months playing the guessing game with Hendrick, Stewart, and Newman.

Image details: RVs.com 200 served by picapp.com

Tony Stewart has given the media something else to talk about for a day, as he conquered Camping World RV Sales 200 on Saturday, to become the Nationwide Series’ 22nd winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in just as many races. With Joey Logano sitting out of the no. 20 Joe Gibbs Toyota for the next few weeks, Stewart answered the call this weekend and led his JGR teammates to the finish line.

After leading the most laps on the afternoon, Stewart took the white flag as he tried to hold off teammates, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. (Hamlin was actually racing the no. 32 car for Braun Racing, which included an all-black paint scheme in mourning of the loss of Todd Braun’s mother, Linda Braun). Shortly after taking the white flag on the final lap of the race, Greg Biffle crashed while racing Brad Keselowski for position, ending the race and giving Stewart his fifth Nationwide victory of the season.

Hamlin, who had pulled to within a half a second of the leader, wound up finishing in 2nd, with Kyle Busch in third. Kevin Harvick ended a solid day in 4th with his self-owned Kevin Harvick Inc. no. 33 Chevy. And, Carl Edwards finished 5th, after using some pit strategy with a no-tire stop during the final caution to gain track position with a little more than 30 laps remaining. David Ragan, David Reutimann, Mike Bliss, Clint Bowyer, and Brad Keselowski completed the top-ten.

David Reutimann and Carl Edwards each leap-frogged Brad Keselowski for position to take over 2nd and 3rd in the points standings. Clint Bowyer still holds a 182 point lead in first, though. Check here for the Camping World RV Sales 200 complete results.

Nationwide Series Standings (from nascar.com):

Transactions:
- DEI has picked up the 2009 option on Martin Truex Jr, though Truex disputes the legality of the verbiage in the contract.
- Hendrick Motorsports has announced the release of Casey Mears for next season.
- Richard Childress Racing has extended Clint Bowyer’s contract through 2011.
- Roush-Fenway Racing has extended Greg Biffle’s contract through 2011.
- Gillette-Evernham Motorsports has signed Elliott Sadler through 2010.
- Richard Childress Racing has announced the addition of the #33 car as a fourth Cup team in 2009.
- Petty Enterprises has signed Bobby LaBonte through 2012.
- Roush-Fenway Racing has signed Carl Edwards through 2011.

Teams Without an Assigned 2009 Driver:
- Dale Earnhardt Inc. - No. 01 car
- Hendrick Motorsports - No. 5 car
- Penske Racing - No. 12 car
- Dale Earnhardt Inc. - No. 15 car
- Wood Brothers Racing - No. 21 car
- Bill Davis Racing - No. 22 car
- Yates Racing - No. 28 car
- Richard Childress Racing - No. 33 car
- Furniture Row Motorsports - No. 34 car
- Chip Ganassi Racing - No. 41 car
- Haas CNC Racing - No. 66 car
- Haas CNC Racing - No. 70 car

Drivers Without a Definitive 2009 Ride:
- Regan Smith
- Casey Mears
- Ryan Newman
- Paul Menard
- Dave Blaney
- Marcos Ambrose
- Travis Kvapil
- Tony Raines
- Reed Sorenson
- Scott Riggs
- Johnny Sauter
- Mark Martin
- Jeremy Mayfield
- Brad Keselowski
- David Stremme
- Jacques Villeneuve
- Kenny Wallace
- Ken Schrader
- Ward Burton

Other Potential Rides & Drivers that Could Become Available
(Pending variable circumstances):
- Dale Earnhardt Inc. - No. 1 Car - Current Driver: Martin Truex Jr.
- Gillette-Evernham Motorsports - No. 10 Car - Current Driver: Patrick Carpentier
- Joe Gibbs Racing - No. 20 Car - Current Driver: Tony Stewart
- Roush Fenway Racing - No. 26 Car - Current Driver: Jamie McMurray
- Penske Racing - No. 77 Car - Current Driver: Sam Hornish Jr.