Emotions, Emotions, Emotions – Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin as Clint Bowyer wins the 400 at Richmond.

(Photo Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

So here’s the question of the day (the next day)…What do you consider as a good race and would you consider the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond last night a good race?

Racing under the light’s in Richmond is always exciting, a ¾ mile racetrack, a sellout crowd, 43 good drivers and 400 laps makes for an interesting night and race fans, that’s exactly what we got in Richmond regardless of what your personal feelings are after a late race battle turns to a wreck.

Like the title says, emotions, emotions, emotions, now let me state the obvious from the start, I am a huge Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan and I’ve been an Earnhardt fan for years now and for anyone who reads my blog regularly, you most likely already know this. As I sit here following the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond blogging on this short track event, I sit with emotions as to what to say about the entire thing.

While a good race to me would consist of multi-lead changes, that is not the only requirement, the others would include side-by-side racing throughout the entire field (oh I love a good short track action with beating and banging), passing which is a big key to any racing, pit strategy, action on and off the track, drama, excitement in the air, you get the picture as well as something that doesn’t look like a parade, now would Richmond qualify, oh yeah, despite the fact that Denny Hamlin lead 381 of 400 laps of the race (track record I never want to see again), this was one of the best races all season long, not as high up as Phoenix does or Bristol, but it’s up there.

Shocking enough, there was “The Big One”, one minute we are racing in Richmond and the next we are racing back in Talladega, how that happen and so fast, it was just a huge chain reaction that took out 10 cars, yeah and it was avoidable too… you can’t go three wide at Richmond, at least not for very long, boy this new car enables these drivers to really get it on at short tracks, now I just wish they could fix the intermediate tracks, we would have a real good, yet ugly car, but a real good car.

I had a feeling drivers were saving up there equipment for the end of this one, but boy I feel bad for Denny Hamlin, he wanted it so badly and yet welcome to Cup Series racing, don’t anyone give that line to me in a minute...

Now, just like so many times this year, like Phoenix, the final pit stops and final 50 miles of the race always seems to where business picks up – with Hamlin following back due to a slow air leak and a three wide pass, if you wert interested before, you are now…

With 15 laps to go, my heart was pumping a mile a minute with Dale Jr. leading, Jr. Nation on there feet and yet to go from seeing your favorite driver leading the race one minute and the next minute or several laps later, get wrecked by another driver (cough…Kyle Busch) is very tough to watch, I understand it is racing and while I should be angry, surprisingly enough I am very silent (someone hand me some headphone and a music player with Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift to calm me down, believe me it works), why, I really don’t know, at this point I am thinking about what Dale Jr. must be thinking as I watched his interview, what a drive not only in this race, but this entire season for Junior and yet, I am already off thinking about next weekend’s race in Darlington, plus believe it or not Denny Hamlin as well.

Denny wanted that victory so bad and for either of them not to win, that hurts. I can’t even imagine what other Dale Jr. fans were thinking and are thinking now, well maybe one, my father is already sleeping, that can’t be easy neither. As for Kyle Busch, well, good luck with… like I said emotions and for all that read this saying why are you not mad, who said I wasn’t, I just handle it my own way, sort of like you if I had a child in front of you (I don’t, no kids) or breathing… Well, congratulations to Clint Bowyer, he had a top 5, top 10 racecar, all night long and just like so many races in general, right place, right time wins races too.

I remember seeing Clint Bowyers first Cup Series victory at New Hampshire last season, I was there in his teammates Kevin Harvick’s pit (my first race too, thanks to Shell), good win for him and RCR and yeah a Chevy wins. Photo on the right taken by me.

So to answer the question, was this a good race, yes, so was Phoenix, Bristol, The Daytona 500 and even Las Vegas, for Martinsville, it was the weather – mist and cold, nothing against NASCAR, the drivers & teams, nor the track, so leave those two dates alone. Well (remembering I am a Boston Red Sox fan as well as New England Patriots fan, you can figure out the connect if there is one…), it’s off to Darlington, a Mountain Dew retro-look for Dale Junior that growing on me and another night race, and oh yeah, the ARCA race at “The Rock” later today, yeah, I'm Brian Vermette, See Yeah next time. Comments.

- Racedriven