Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited victory lane at Darlington Raceway for the Hendrick Motorsports 200th win celebration but the last time he drove his own car into any victory lane is approaching four years in June.  Jimmie Johnson has amassed more than 20 wins since Dale Jr. last won a race and Johnson's win in Darlington may be enough to get the No. 88 team off the schnide.

In fact, since Dale Jr. joined Hendrick Motorsports he has only won one race, the Father's Day race at Michigan June 15, 2008.  Being a well-respected NASCAR Sprint Cup driver is one thing but being unable to win a race in four years is beginning to make Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. look like a failed project.

Earnhardt's best season came in 2004 when he won six races but since that incredible season, he has failed to win more than one race in a single season.  Despite the years of failure, Earnhardt is still by far the most popular driver on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit.

This season could be different for the resurgent Dale Earnhardt Jr.   Dale Jr. is third in the points after a less than stellar 17th-place finish at Darlington Raceway.  Next on the agenda for Dale Jr. and the No. 88 team is the Sprint All-Star race but the Coca Cola 600 is a perfect opportunity for the team to take a shot at the top spot in the points. 

Dale Jr. has never won the race but his father and Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have dominated the race in the past.  Another track that could be good for Dale Jr. is Pocono in a few weeks and then the track he last won a race, Michigan International Speedway.

Does Dale Jr. have to win before the NASCAR Chase begins?  No but we have noticed the driver that gets hot in the Chase is the driver who wins the title.  Dale Jr. needs to break his winless streak by September or this will be another long and lonely winter for the most popular driver in NASCAR.

The combination of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve LeTarte is beginning to take the form of a championship team and despite Dale Jr.'s errors in judgments in the past, this season is taking on the look of a championship season.  Don't be surprised if Dale Earnhardt Jr. is standing on top when the checkered flag falls on the last race of the season in Homestead.

Kurt Busch ran a great race in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway until the last third of the race.  Over the course of his last 100 laps Busch was in the wall more than he was off it.  Busch's frustration boiled over and finally he jerked the wheel so hard to the left as he tried to get off the wall that he sent his car spinning down the track and into the infield wall.

Ryan Newman got caught up in the incident and Busch nearly clipped Newman as the two gathered themselves up and returned to pit road.  Apparently Busch still had some bad feelings once the two ended their day and drove down pit road for the final time.   Busch plowed into Newman and later explained that he was taking off his helmet and couldn't see Newman stop. 

Newman's crew and Busch's crew rushed to the scene and the situation escalated when Newman's gas man accosted Busch and claimed he tried to run him over earlier on pit road.  The bottom line?  Kurt Busch is always going to be a lightning rod in NASCAR Sprint Cup but he could help his situation by steering clear of controversy, especially the post race variety.

Newman was especially peeved with Busch when he was asked to give his version of the incident, "It's easy to say that Kurt blew a fuse again," Newman told SI.com. "I'm not sure why he did it and tried to run over our guys and NASCAR officials. And nobody is. I think the chemical imbalance speaks for itself. Kurt drilled me in pit lane and said that he was taking his helmet off, and he didn't see where he was going. I'm pretty sure there were 42 other guys that are taking their helmets off and doing whatever for the last 10 years, and that's the first time that's happened to me."

Kurt Busch has been on his best behavior this season but he has not gone unscathed in the NASCAR media as they analyze his every move.  Busch has not won over many of the NASCAR writers on the circuit and it is hindering his chances for moving up the ladder to a legitimate team in the near future.

Busch's current owner, James Finch of Phoenix Racing, has won in NASCAR Sprint Cup but the team is racing on a shoestring budget and they are struggling to find sponsorship for the controversial Busch.  In a sport where sponsorship obligations are top of mind and driving skill takes a back seat, Busch could soon be relegated to a part-time ride in NASCAR Sprint Cup if he remains with the series at all.

Busch is the last NASCAR Sprint Cup champion to win a title other than Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson, this gives him some added value to a team looking to pair him up with a sponsor but Busch's personality has thrown up roadblocks since his controversial separation from Penske Racing.

Richard Petty said at the time no big NASCAR Sprint Cup team would touch Busch and after this latest incident "The King" may be right.  Petty could not convince STP to come on board with Busch to drive the No. 43.  Petty's relationship with the company that revolutionized  advertising in racing goes back 50 years but they would not sign off on a deal that

Fair or not, Kurt Busch's days as a contending NASCAR superstar are behind him and he has sunk to the lowest point of his racing career.  The good news for Busch?  There is still time to reinvent himself but time is running out and and there are only so many sponsors willing to attach their name to such a controversial figure.

Watching Brad Keselowski make his way through the pit area and garage during a NASCAR Sprint Cup race, no one would never guess this is a man on the verge of contending for a NASCAR Sprint Cup title.

The lanky and awkward Keselowski looks uncomfortable in his driver's suit and even more uncomfortable when he is being interviewed by ESPN, Speed or Fox Sports Network.  "Big Bad Brad " s a kitten under the bright lights of the scrutiny of the media but once he straps in and gets behind the wheel of the No.2 Miller Lite Dodge he is an animal.

Keselowski captured his second Aaron's 499 victory at Talladega Superspeedway in three years on May 6 but he did it in a decidedly different fashion this year.

When Keselowski won at Talladega for his first victory it was spectacular.  As as he and Carl Edwads drover to the start/finish line, Keselowski held his line as Edwards attempted to block him.  The result was amazing and dangerous all at the same time.

Carl Edwards was sent hurtling towards a throng of fans gathered at the starter's stand.  NASCAR was inches away from disaster as Edwards car leveled off and disintegrated along the mesh fence that separates the fans from the 200 mile-per hour fire-breathing dragons.

This year Keselowski played the last lap perfectly.  He sat behind the leader Matt Kenseth and Kenseth's teammate, Greg Biffle.  Keselowski hooked up with his longtime enemy, Kyle Busch and the two made a dash for the cash on the last lap.  Busch pushed Keselowski clear of the Roush Ford teammates and the two battled for the victory.

It wasn't much of a battle for Keselowski.  He and Busch broke free of the pack and the Keselowski separated himself from Busch as the two entered the tri-oval.  Busch had no recourse but to follow Keselowsk to the checkered the flag.

The win gives Keselowski a huge advantage heading into the NASCAR Chase and he should make the Chase no matter how the remainder of the season plays out.

Kesolowski's win was met with thunderous applause from the Talladega fans, which is rare considering 80 percent of the 'Dega" fans are Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans.  With his win in Talladega, Keselowski sealed his place in the Chase and is place in NASCAR as a premier restrictor plate racer.  Keselowski also gave the "Captain," Roger Penske, his first win at Talladega and the first win for Dodge since the early '70s.

So why does everyone like Brad Keselowski?  The answer is simple.  NASCAR fans identify with the awkward and goofy Keselowski.  Beyond that, Big Bad Brad is one great race car driver.  Prepare for the rise of Brad Keslowski, he will win a title in the next two years.

NASCAR tinkers with their restrictor plate races on a consistent basis.  They restrict the air flow to the carburetors, they restrict air flow to the radiators and they find any number of ways to make the cars unstable enough to slow the drivers down.

Nothing NASCAR institutes will ever make restrictor plate racing safe but the more they keep trying, the more they ruin races at Talladega and Daytona.  This year instead of embracing pack racing that the fans are looking forward to at Talladega, this year's race could be long line of follow the leader.

Follow the leader, single file racing has happened at Talladega and Daytona in the past and this year's race already is showing signs that one driver could hold the lead for most of the 188 laps on Sunday. 

One other thing to watch for on Sunday will be bump-drafting.  NASCAR will be keeping a close eye on where and when the drivers bump-draft each other.  Anyone deciding to push and bump-draft through the corners will be under the scrutiny of NASCAR officials who are looking to avoid the big one.

This year most drivers will opt to stay in line during the early stages and then once there are ten laps to go all hell will break loose.  The formula is an old one but the drivers will look to keep their cars in one piece and sacrifice an exciting race to make sure they are there at the end.

Strategy will play the major role in the outcome of this year's race and the aggressive drivers will be few and far between until the race winds down to the last few laps.  In other words, take a nap after the green flag falls and set your alarm for a few hours later to watch the end of this one.

NASCAR officials can go many races without notice but when they do make a ruling it is always controversial, especially when it potentially costs a team a race.  In many stick and ball sports,  referees and umpires are judged based on their ability to go unnoticed.

A boxing or MMA referee is best if he can make limited contact with the fighters and football refs are considered best when they let the players play.  NASCAR is much the same.  When NASCAR officials make too many judgments in one race it leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of the drivers, the fans and the owners.

Richmond was one race where officials jumped to quick judgments and cost many drivers a chance for a win.  The fun started with a restart between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart.   Edwards No. 99 was posted atop the scoring pylon as the leader but the true leader was Tony Stewart.

Edwards spotter asked a NASCAR official on the roof if Edwards was indeed the leader and the official reportedly told Edwards spotter that the No. 99 was the lead car.  A confused Edwards felt he was in a compromised position on the outside and when he approached the start/finish line he jumped to the lead as Stewart spun his tire.

NASCAR threw the black flag on Edwards and forced him to serve a drive through penalty.  The normally calm Bob Osborne, Edwards crew chief, was visibly upset with NASCAR officials after the penalty was obsessed but he could not get them to reverse their decision.

The next incident came with Jimmie Johnson's pit stop.  One of Johnson's tire changers rolled a tire to the pit wall but no one controlled the tire.  The NASCAR official looked like he was going to let the mistake slide until one of Paul Menard's crew pointed out the mistake and forced the official to take action.

Menard's crew member was involved in an argument with Johnson's crew earlier in the night and it was his way of exacting his revenge.  Most crew members from other teams will help their fellow crews on pit road by controlling tires if their neighbors can't get to them.  the penalty was a ticky-tack penalty that probably cost Johnson and his crew the race.

The third incident in which NASCAR officials are coming under fire is their late race caution thrown for a water bottle that was up out of the racing groove.  The yellow flag bunched up the drivers and cost Tony Stewart a victory.  Stewart was hot after the race and did not like the line of questioning by reporters after he exited his car.

Penalties are NASCAR's way of leveling the playing field and the race at Richmond was an obvious example of NASCAR officials playing a role in the outcome of a race.  Next on the docket for NASCAR is Talladega and the officials will be facing plenty of questions from the media if there are any penalties before or during the race.  Stay tuned.  The NASCAR officials are the big story heading into summer.

Jimmy Spencer took to his soap box April 27 before the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond and he made some valid points.  The new point system has led to tighter points races but it is also leading to drivers being less aggressive when racing for positions.

Jimmy Spencer wrote in his Speed.com  post, Why So Green?, that the long green flag runs this are the product of drivers fearing an accident and looking for top tens.  Spencer noted long green flag runs at Bristol and Martinsville, two short tracks notorious for yellow flags and wild restarts.

Spencer has nailed half the story of NASCAR's fading popularity.  Drivers are still point racing from day one of the season but now if a driver finishes last or in the 30's,  they will be behind the eight-ball immediately.  Spencer's best solution is for teams to drop three races, their worst finishes.  This would give the drivers 23 races to show their point totals and they would be allowed three mulligans.

The rule has been bandied about in the past.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted he suffered a concussion after a crash with Kevin Harvick in California back in the 2002 race.  Dale Jr. can be seen slumping over the wheel in the rear view of this YouTube post.  Dale Jr. did not tell anyone he blacked out at the time because he knew it would cost him a run at the championship.

After Earnhardt brought up the subject many drivers and commentators rallied for mulligans before the NASCAR Chase began and one during the Chase.  This would allow drivers to sit out a race if they suffered a concussion or injured a hand or foot.

The movement for mulligans before and during the Chase never gained momentum but now it should be brought back into the light.  The championship race should be constructed to emphasize winning and racing up front.

Another aspect that should be considered is increasing points for leading laps and leading the most laps.  An award for leading a race at the halfway point should be brought back as well. 

What will make races more interesting?  Racing era's run in cycles and this is a lull for NASCAR.  By over reacting, NASCAR and track owners could be making a huge mistake.  Bruton Smith is grinding the progressive banking at Bristol for the late August race but what he and others don't understand is that this will make Bristol a single lane track that leads to parade-type single file racing.

NASCAR officials and NASCAR fans must be patient and survive this period of long green flag racing that the sport is experiencing.  Some tweaking of the points is a good idea but no one should mess with the tradition of the tracks and no NASCAR official should manufacture cautions as NASCAR did with the water bottle yellow flag at Richmond Saturday night that cost Tony Stewart the win.

The summer months will take care of most NASCAR fans boredom.  NASCAR drivers will get hot-headed as the summer heats up and the excitement and drama of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season will bring the fans back just as the Race to the Chase comes to an end.