SuperG to the Rescue

Congratulations to Jeff Gordon for assuming third place all-time in career victories in NASCAR (according to NASCAR, not Bobby Allison). Allison maintains that he won 85 races as well, not 84.

Anyway, Gordon held off teammate Jimmie Johnson to win the rain-delayed AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta in thrilling fashion. In the meantime, all but the final two spots in the top 10 have been clinched for the Chase.

Ryan Newman was the latest to go in, and Brad Keselowski clinched at least a wild-card. Tony Stewart finished third, passing five cars in the final two laps, to lead by 23 points heading to Richmond. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 19th to stay 25 points up on BK.

The way it looks from here, Junior and Smoke make it in by holding serve at Richmond, and Denny Hamlin has to hope that Paul Menard doesn't win at RIR to clinch the final wild-card.

Junior, most likely, limps into the Chase on points. Of course, he's had a stinker or two there as well, so nothing is for certain. Smoke rallied at ATL, making up 8.5 seconds on the leader in the final 20 laps or so,

ATL is a great track. The pavement is worn and slippery, as a race track should be. Carl Edwards said they should never repave the place. Good racing today, in front of a decent Tuesday crowd.

Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle watched their Chase hopes dry up. Neither has won this year, and they are outside the point entry (49 points). Even if they win, Hamlin has to blow up on the first lap to make it interesting, and they'll have to lead the most laps to get in.

AJ Allmendinger is still alive, mathematically, but that's a long shot at best. He's one point up on Bowyer, who won't be running for the Juan Pablo Montoya Fan Club presidency anytime soon.

Those two tangled late, and it sent the 33 hard into the outside wall off Turn 4.

Bowyer was really exasperated in his post-crash sound byte. Asked what it did to his Chase chances, he said, "I don't even care." Hmmm. Betcha RC will have a chat with him as he sends him out the door at the end of the season.