Memorial Day weekend means many things to many people:   The nation reflects on fallen heroes and the weekend marks the beginning of the summer season.  Racers and fans know Memorial Day weekend as the greatest weekend in racing.

The day starts out in Europe with the Monaco Grand Prix.  The F1 race is the most aesthetically pleasing race on any racing schedule and the event far outweighs the actual race.  The Monaco Grand Prix is a star-studded event in the stands as well as on the track.

Watching Monaco early in the morning starts the racing day and then it only gets better with another tradition laced race, the grandaddy of them all, the Indianapolis 500.  The Indy 500 gets the attention of every racer in the country.  The NASCAR Sprint Cup driver's motorhome lot is a mini Indy 500 party every year as drivers prepare for their own race later that evening.

The Indianapolis 500 has been off-limits for NASCAR drivers the last few years but Kurt Busch is working on making a run at racing both the 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 next season.  Robby Gordon, John Andretti and Tony Stewart are just a few drivers who have run both races in the same day.

Talk of a bonus is once again taking shape for any driver willing to try racing double-duty and another bonus for any driver who could win both races on the same day.  Bruton Smith, owner of Charlotte Motor Speedway,  has offered $5 million in the past for any driver who could win both races and with Busch taking a shot next year the bonus is likely to make a comeback.

Memorial Day is one weekend that racing remembers the military and they also reward their fans with some of the greatest racing traditions of the entire year.  Sit back and enjoy.

Kurt Busch showed he had the dominant car for four segments of the Sprint All-Star Race May 18 but he and his rag-tag team could not close the deal and win the million dollar purse with the race on the line.

Although Busch said all the right things when he emerged from his No. 78 Furniture Row car following the race, he did express his anger over the radio immediately following a slow pit stop.  Busch chastised his crew and crew chief Todd Berrier, "That's a little disappointing," Busch said calmly over the radio. "Third is fine, second is great, first is what we're supposed to do. Fifth?"

Busch kept his cool after the comment but his car lost its handle back in traffic and he trekked around in fifth for the final 10 laps.  Busch remained upbeat despite the disappointing pit stop and he did reflect on the team's success without getting down on his single-car team.

"My guys, I'm not getting down on them. We came out top five. And then we were a little tight that last run in traffic, or we just didn't get aggressive enough with our change. So that kills you. You're a half a click off on the stopwatch on a pit stop, and a half a click off on an adjustment, and so you can go from batting four out of five to going up there and striking out."

The No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy has gone from a 15th place team to a team that contends on a weekly basis with Kurt Busch behind the wheel.  The rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage now knows this single-car team has the ability to compete and win every week and with their confidence gained at the All-Star race, they are a contender for Coca-Cola 600.

The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is NASCAR's chance to throw out the point battle and let the drivers do what they love to do:  Race for the checker flag with no regard for their machine or their well-being.  Checkers or wrecker is the most common phrase used on All-Star weekend and with good reason.

The purse for the All-Star event is over one million  dollars but this year there is an added wrinkle:  Win all five segments of the race and the driver will collect another million.  Bruton Smith, owner of Charlotte Motor Speedway, is tired of drivers and crew chiefs laying back for better starting positions, hence the bonus.   Smith has posted a $1 million bonus as incentive to a driver who wins all five race segments. The overall winner of the Sprint All-Star race gets a $1 million payout. 

This should lead to excitement like the early days of the event when Davey Allison never made it to victory lane after a serious crash landed him in the hospital thanks to Kyle Petty.  The famous "Pass in the Grass" by Dale Earnhardt Sr. may be a distant memory after this year's slug fest for superiority.

Earnhardt's Pass in the Grass

Much is made of Earnhardt's pass of Bill Elliot but in truth the wild move a piece of defensive driving that saved the race for Earnhardt and earned the trophy.

Kyle Petty Wrecks Davey Allison and Loses

Kyle Petty could taste the victory in the first All Star race under the lights in Charlotte but a determined Davey Allison foiled his plan.  Petty responded by balling up the cars as they crossed the finish line.  Allison missed the victory celebration and spent the night in the hospital, the first time a driver ever missed a victory lane celebration.

Darrell Waltrip Gets Booted by Rusty Wallace and Hell Breaks Loose

Darrell Waltrip could smell the money as the checkered flag waved but Rusty Wallace had other plans.  Wallace punted Waltrip out of the way and took home the money but melee set off a wild brawl between pit crews.  Waltrip is famous for his quote, "I hope he chokes on that money!"

Brotherly Love Tested After Busch Brothers Crash Out of Lead

2007 goes down in history as the night Kurt Busch had the car to beat and his little brother Kyle took him out. Kyle dive bombed the corner and couldn't hold on to the car wrecking himself and his brother in the process.  Kurt had the car to beat that night and finally won the event a few years later.

Kurt Busch is one of the most polarizing figures in motor racing.  In NASCAR circles the man is despised by the media and many fans for his ability to say and do the wrong thing at the wrong time on occasion.

Kurt Busch has been miscast as a selfish NASCAR Sprint Cup driver who does not appreciate the history of racing.  Busch is a historian of all racing and the Indianapolis 500 has long been a fascination for the NASCAR star.

Michael Andretti helped Busch realize a small part of his dream to race in the Indianapolis 500 this week by allowing him to take his rookie test behind the wheel of the No. 1 normally driven by last year's champ, Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Andretti's team of engineers and pit crew enjoyed Busch's enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge as he prepared to take his rookie test.  This is no publicity stunt, Kurt Busch is aiming for a start in the 2014 Indianapolis 500. 

Speed analyst Robin Miller, skeptical at first, praised the elder Busch on his desire to take on the challenge of IndyCar racing.  Miller said in his May 11 article ,  "After watching Busch breeze through his rookie test and, more importantly, talking to the 2004 Cup champ and hearing his desire to come back next May and do it properly, it changed my mind."

Busch knows the significance of Indianapolis and the month of May, he explained to Miller,   "It was just an incredible feeling to be able to drive at Indianapolis in May in an Indy car and have the name Andretti on it. It was a dream come true and I'm thankful for the chance."

Busch went on to win the pole and lead 67 laps in Darlington on Saturday night before handling problems relegated him to a disappointing run but one can't help thinking his experience at Indianapolis allowed him to hold the throttle down a little longer to capture the pole.

Now it is time to bring back the bonus for competing in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.  Several drivers could make the trip together including:  Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, Sam Hornish Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Busch.

Are you listening Bruton Smith?  Make these drivers an offer they can't refuse!

NASCAR has a policy when it comes to drivers policing their own actions:  "Boys have at it."  We hear it all the time especially on the short tracks.  Revenge is accepted as long as a car is not destroyed in the process.

When a crew chief and engineers attempt to further technology by pushing the envelope in the design of their cars NASCAR takes the opposite approach.  NASCAR wields a heavy hand for any team who fails to cover up their engineering genius.

All the teams have tried to skirt the stringent rules of NASCAR to get an edge on the competition and usually they succeed but there is a disturbing trend in the garage that reared an ugly head a few weeks ago.

Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 team led by Chad Knaus, has been parked next to last year's champions, the No. 2 Penske Racing team for the first five races this season.  It is interesting that the No. 48 team has developed a reputation to be able to "crab walk" there car for years without being detected.

"Crab walking" is the practice of skewing a cars rear end to enable higher speeds and better handling in the corners.  The practice is getting under NASCAR officials skin but they have not been able to prove wrongdoing on the Hendricks teams.

Rumors flew after Penske Racing's No. 2 and No. 22 teams were inspected and found to tamper with their rear end mechanics.  Conventional wisdom and whispers in the garage lead to the fact that Knaus knew how Penske Racing was getting their cars setup and he ratted them out to NASCAR.

Whether Knaus did the deed or not, NASCAR's over officiating of the rulebook is not a new issue but it is one that drives NASCAR fans crazy.  The spirit of old-school racing was to design a car that could destroy the competition and leave fellow competitors scratching their heads. 

Without any creativity in the garage NASCAR is doomed into becoming a series where all cars are matched evenly and there is no discrepancy from one car to the next.  It is time to take the gloves off for the engineers for a few years and let those boys have it .  NASCAR and the fans will amazed at the hundreds of innovations that will arise from such a move.

Talladega is one of the most dangerous tracks for NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers.  Drivers race side by side at close to 200 miles-per-hour and the drivers that work together are the ones who are in contention to win in the last 10 laps.

Many feel Talladega is a track where enemies put aside their differences and work with the drivers with the best aerodynamic packages.  This has been the case in the past but look for some possible revenge factors playing into the final stages of the race in Talladega Sunday.

No one will intentionally wreck a rival this weekend but you can guarantee several drivers will not play nice when it comes time to team up with their fellow competitors.  Look for drivers to dump their enemies in the last few laps and jump to teammates more in this restrictor plate race than any other.

Bad feelings in Richmond last week may not surface in the early going this week but it is an easy bet that someone is going to get left in the dust late in this race.

Kurt Busch is one of the best restrictor plate drivers in NASCAR but he left several drivers irritated last week.  You can count on Tony Stewart riding with Busch early in this race but he leave him flat-footed in the last few laps.

Watch Tony Stewart team up with his protege, Danica Patrick, this weekend but not until the final laps.  Stewart will use up Busch's bumper in Talladega but in the end he will chose his teammate.

One driver who will work with anyone is Dale Earnhardt Jr.  He will give everyone a chance to latch onto his bumper this weekend and everyone will be fighting for a chance to work with the resurgent restrictor plate star.

Expect revenge this weekend but not the kind you are accustomed to watching.  Drivers will leave their enemies at the altar and go with the buddies and teammates this weekend.  Bet on it.