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Well Darlington didn’t disappoint did it? Between the edge-of-your-seat suspense of waiting for the next car to hit the Lady in Black’s turn four exit wall and the plain gorgeousness of the spectacle of Darlington at night - if Saturday didn’t have it all, it sure had most of it.

The popular favorite to win - Greg Biffle - made an early exit. Biffle edged out Elliott Sadler for pickle-boat status. Not at all what Greg’s fans pictured when he was topping 200 mph at the Darlington Speedway tire tests back in March.

The front of the race belonged to Kyle - boo me, throw beer at me, because I don’t care what you think - Busch. Again. NASCAR is better with someone successful to hate, don’t you think?

We’ll find out what you think. This is the Fast Lap after-all and that’s what the Fast Lap is all about. What do you think of the following four fast, made for the internet questions about what’s hot on the Cup Racing scene?

1. Should the Darlington race stay on Mothers Day weekend or move back to Labor Day?

2. Should NASCAR be concerned with Jeff Gordon’s complaint about Carl Edward’s car looking as if it is going down the track sideways?

3. Is Greg Biffle’s frustration with getting 2nd rate equipment a reason for not signing a contract extension yet?

4. Which retro paint scheme looked best at Darlington; Junior’s, Elliott’s or Kvapil’s?

Tell us what you think. Limit each answer to 100 words or less. Then come back often to defend your positions from the slings and arrows of your fellow Fast Lapper’s. This is the Fast Lap ON PIT ROW. We have plans for the best - and silliest - of the comments we get here. You might just get an invitation to defend yourself on the radio - live.

Carl Edwards loves NASCAR’s new car. Can’t say that I blame him. He has three wins out of seven 2008 Sprint Cup races and he could have had at least one more. The best part - for Carl - is that yesterday’s Car of Tomorrow is so in the heads of every other team on the track that Edwards is starting every race with a half lap lead.

Jeff Gordon finished dead last. That statement ought to be followed by exclamations of “liar” or at least “no way”, but the statement is true. The Rainbow Warriors had their asses handed to them and they still don’t have enough answers, apparently, to restore their confidence. Going to Phoenix isn’t likely a remedy as that is not one of Jeffey’s best tracks.

NASCAR moves on and so does the Fast Lap. Check out the four tricky, flat and fast lefties below. Tight in or loose out doesn’t matter - but your opinions do. Be prepared to stick up for yourself though - cause nobody else wiil.

1. More names have been thrown into the Richard Childress Racing fourth car sweepstakes. Who will it be?

2. If you owned a race team, would you hire Kyle Petty as your driver?

3. Who will be the focus of Chip Ganassi’s promised “sweeping changes” if his teams don’t start performing better?

4. Should NASCAR consider making mid-season changes to the new car?

The Fast Lap feature has been a regular part of ON PIT ROW for over seven years now.  The debates and arguments that Steve and I get into during Fast Lap segments are pretty heated more often than not.  Your input would just make it better.  Don’t expect a bunch of Kumbaya agreement though.  That’s not what this blog is all about.  Bring your best and bring it on!

Man, I love races at Martinsville.  I admit that it is often hard for me to maintain my focus for the three and a half hours of most Sprint Cup races.  But it never seems a problem at the little paper clip in Virginia.  Sunday was fun to watch.

I am a bit shocked that Jeff Gordon failed to win the thing.  Both he and Jimmy Johnson had to work back, through the pack, to the front.  The relentless way that they did so showed they ain’t as dead as the haters had hoped.

Nice comeback by Jamie McMurray and ditto for Casey Mears.  There were plenty of short track tempers shown and the carnage within the fleet was a joy to behold.  Too bad it’ll be so long before they go back again.

Next up is something completely different, as they use to say on Monte Python’s Flying Circus.  Heading down to the home of the Thunder Lounge at Texas Motor Speedway.  One of NASCAR’s fastest tracks will be a real change of pace for the cupsters.  Try out TMS with four highly banked Fast Lap questions and you might just be featured ON PIT ROW.

1.  Even without a win at Martinsville, is Hendrick Motorsports back?

2.  In retrospect, should Michael Waltrip Racing have handled the Dale Jarrett/David Reutimann owner’s points swap situation differently?

3.  With the awful weather conditions so far this year - is it time for NASCAR to look at wholesale schedule changes?

4.  Was NASCAR’s in-race penalty sufficient for Matt Kenseth’s retaliation towards David Gilliland or should they levy additional punishment? 

Go to the comments section and give us your best answers to our four Fast Lap questions but remember you are limited to 100 words or less for each.  Then remember to stop back throughout the week to defend yourself from the fender banging of your friends.  While here, feel free to bump draft fellow Fast Lappers too.  We use the best - and sometimes the worst - comments on the radio version of ON PIT ROW.  You can listen live on Tuesdays from 5-7 PM EDT at OnPitRow.com.

Photo credit - Icon Sports Media, Inc.

With Richard Childress Racing taking the top three spots at 2008’s first short tracker at Bristol, do you expect Chevy domination at legendary Martinsville Speedway this week? 

Maybe a better question is, can Jeff Burton actually string together multiple wins - something missing from his career so far - and put some kind of RCR stamp on the early Race to the Chase for the first Sprint Cup Championship?

Last year, the first Martinsville finish was a scene that turned ominous for non-Chevy, non-Hendrick competitors as Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon went one-two in a Car of Tomorrow tour du’force.  Can they do it again - at Martinsville or anywhere - in 2008?

 While we wait for the answer, bang fenders with your fellow internetters through the following flat, drag-strip connected Fast Laps and we might just put your opinions on  a future edition of ON PIT ROW.

1. Which Hendrick Motorsport driver will kick their “slump” quicker - Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon or Casey Mears?

2. Should Aric Almirola get more DEI seat time after his eighth place finish in the Food City 500?

3. Kyle Busch was the biggest positive surprise of the first five races.  Who will shine over the next six, leading to Charlotte?

4. Whose fortunes will turn downward before Memorial Day?

Go fast - you only have a hundred words to use - turn left and slap fenders with your playmates.  The Fast Lap blog is blogging’s version of short track racing.  Play rough.

The new car looked awfully squirrely at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday. The current tire package seemed to keep these cars right on the very edge “whoa Nellie” the whole day.

For the second straight week, Cousin’ Carl Edwards owned the last 100 miles or so and led a relative parade of Fords including teammate Greg Biffle and Yates Racing’s Travis Kvapil. Kvapil’s sponsor-less, all white #28 sure looks strange out there, but after two straight strong runs, the colors ought to start popping soon.

Two nasty, hard crashes by Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon were a reminder that auto racing is still dangerous business. The new car and safety equipment may have prevented tragedy.

There were other issues, in and around the actual race and Steve and I will be fighting about some of them ON PIT ROW this week. Check out these four high banked lefties and show us what you got in the comment section.

1. Did NASCAR make the proper call on the #99 team’s pit infraction?

2. Is it time for Team Red Bull to pull the plug on A J Allmendinger?

3. Should the Coca Cola 600 or the Indy 500 move back to Memorial Day, so more drivers could attempt “the double”, or is that all just a stunt?

4. How can NASCAR inspectors allow the #48, #88 and #17 teams to “fix” minor problems after the cars failed pre-qualifying inspections, then go through inspection again without penalty?

Remember, this is the Fast Lap and your comments are limited to 100 words or less. So be fast and be prepared to come back throughout the week to defend yourself. Some of your fellow commenters just may bump draft you a little hard. We’ll use the best - or worst - stuff on a future broadcast of ON PIT ROW.

Photo credit - Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Well, that sure was fun. Didn’t NASCAR dump Rockingham because of the bad February weather? Once the track at the Auto Club 500 got sufficiently wrung out the racing was decent and Jack Roush’s charges showed that 2007 is in the rear view mirror. The Fords will be there to challenge for the Chase and the Sprint Cup.

Matt Kenseth finished a solid 4th, Greg Biffle and Jamie McMurray hung around up front for most of the race. Even Travis Kvapil showed some strength before falling to mechanical problems in the Yates Racing #28.

But the Fusion that relentlessly ran down the front running Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon was the #99 of Carl Edwards. According to Mr. Excitement, Jimmy Spencer ON PIT ROW tonight, Carl had been the favorite of nearly everyone in the garages all weekend.

The NASCAR caravan is headed to the mile and a half Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the first race for the new car on one of NASCAR’s best tracks. While you wait for a hopefully on-time start to Sunday’s big race, give these four variably banked Fast Lap questions your best shot.

1. In the interest of safety, should NASCAR stop drivers from climbing fences and doing back flips off of cars?

2. Would you have picked Kyle Busch to be leading the points after two races?

3. Did NASCAR handle the rain delays at California properly?

4. Will/should Bobby Labonte move to Richard Childress Racing in 2009?

Go high or go low, but remember to limit your answers to 100 words. This is The Fast Lap and we have big plans for some of the best comments here. Stop back often during the week to defend your position and trade some paint with commenters who don’t necessarily agree with your line through turn two.

Photo credit: Jeff Gross - Getty Images

NASCAR Fantasy Racing

On Pit Row is glad to be a part of such a great NASCAR fantasy racing game like Champs, Chumps & Sleepers. Grand prize is a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. How cool is that?

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