The NASCAR season is starting to resemble an old-time movie serial that entertained our grandparents. To see the complete picture, they had to keep returning to the theater every week as the 15 minute shorts developed their continuous storyline over the course of several months. These serials often had wildly exaggerated plots and cliffhangers designed to make the moviegoer return.
You may recall last week that the three favorite drivers were Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Carl Edwards. Two of these drivers had dominant races and two of them finished in the top five, but they each had very different but dramatic experiences during the afternoon. Johnson qualified poorly -- which is his tendency at Kansas -- but as soon as he charged to the front of the pack, he established his car as the one to beat. Gordon was just as strong until a late-race restart and then a blown engine all but shattered his hope to win the 2011 championship. Meanwhile, Edwards spent much of the day trying to simply stay on the same lap as the leaders, and through a remarkable set of circumstances climbed into the top five at the end of the event. The race could not have been scripted more perfectly to keep fans tuned in at home or glued to their seats at the track until the checkered flag waved over the Hollywood Casino 400.
Edwards brought Kevin Harvick with him through the field and those drivers who started the day tied for the points lead finished nose-to-tail. Johnson's victory closed the gap among the top three drivers to four points.
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