NASCAR Rewind: Still the one – by a landslide

Taking another quick look at Saturday night's race and the rest of the NASCAR weekend at Bristol:

Rearview mirror

You should have been there

I don’t care that Bristol Motor Speedway didn’t sell out. The night race once again had the most electric atmosphere of the season, the best driver introductions and some of the best racing.

Oh, and it has a great new infield setup for fans and an upgraded media center, too. If you had the chance to go and didn’t, you missed out.

It's hard to argue with accomplishments

Love him or hate him, respect him or not, Kyle Busch continues to prove each week that he is one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR today.

In addition to his victories – and there are many – you have to factor in all of the second-place finishes and consider the races in which he has contended. There are few drivers who put themselves into position to win as frequently.

All of that is even more impressive when you stop to think he's only 25 years old.

How much does momentum matter?

Neither Jimmie Johnson nor Denny Hamlin – who would be atop the Chase with five wins apiece – are establishing much momentum. But will that matter?

I still think one or the other will go to New Hampshire and open the Chase with a victory.

Notebook

McMurray won’t think about Chase

Now at 13th in the standings but 100 points behind 12th-place Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray says he isn’t worried about making the Chase.

“I want to make the Chase, but there’s nothing you can do,” he said.

“We drove as hard as we could tonight and finished third, and I don’t think we really gained any points. But two races left, a lot can happen.”

One thing in McMurray’s favor: In the next two races, he has to focus on only one driver.

“It is a better position to be in right now for us because there only is one person we have to pass,” he said. “When you have three or four in between you, you have to hope all of them have something bad happen to all them.”

Johnson suspected no ill intent

Jimmie Johnson said he thought he had given Juan Pablo Montoya enough room during a pass on Lap 262. Instead, the Chevrolets of Montoya and Johnson touched, sending the No. 48 into the wall.

“It was a restart, so everybody is out there running hard and we came down the back, and I have to look at the video, but I think I left him enough room on the outside lane there,” Johnson said.

“I don’t think it was something intentional and I don’t think he was trying to dump me, but I will just have to look at things and see. I really felt like I left him the room.”

Johnson was credited with 35th, his fifth finish of 22nd or worse in his last seven races.

Gordon (still) hunting wins

Jeff Gordon is the second driver (Kevin Harvick is the other) to lock himself into the Chase.

With his position in the 12-driver field assured, Gordon said his team is going to focus on collecting wins and much-needed bonus points in the next two races.

“We’ve had a heck of a season – very consistent runs and strong runs,” Gordon said. "We haven’t won yet; I still think we have a heck of a shot at the championship.

“I am really looking forward to going to Atlanta. I think we have a great shot to win there.”

Track owners tout new series

Bruton Smith and Ray Evernham plan to promote a new racing series in 2011.

Smith is CEO and chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and Evernham owns a dirt track in North Carolina. Their series will be built around a new version of the Legends race cars that Smith's companies build and sell.

Tracks owned by Smith's SMI are among those hosting and promoting races for the Legends, five-eighths-scale spec cars that resemble the racers of the pre-World War II era. They use motorcycle engines and began production in 1992.

What's new? These will be designed for dirt-track racing by Evernham, the former championship crew chief and team principal who is now a TV analyst.

Plans are for the series to start next year at Evernham's East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, N.C., and expand from there.

The new car will be unveiled in during October's race week at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Key moments

Lap 1

Pole-winner Jimmie Johnson leads the first lap and 169 of the first 171.

Lap 172

Kyle Busch runs down Johnson for the first time. He will lead four times for 282 of the 500 laps.

Lap 262

Juan Pablo Montoya and Johnson make contact, sending Johnson into the wall, taking him out of contention.

Lap 389

Jamie McMurray, on a long run, is able to catch and pass Busch for the lead for the first time. He leads 11 laps.

Lap 429

After a round of green-flag pit stops, Busch runs down David Reutimann to take the lead and remains unchallenged the final 72 laps.

Next race

Emory Healthcare 500

Where: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.

When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5.

TV: ESPN.

Radio: Performance Racing Network.

Last year’s winner: Kasey Kahne.