By Sam Atwell

Rain, wrecks and pit strategy all combined to give Greg Biffle, Roush-Fenway Racing and Ford a trip to victory lane on Sunday in Pocono. Biffle took the lead after a couple of red flags for a wreck and rain, and then just checked out to pick up the victory.  The win was even more meaningful for Biffle because his owner, Jack Roush, was recovering from a plane crash earlier this week and was not at the track.   Tony Stewart was second, Carl Edwards third, Kevin Harvick fourth and Denny Hamlin was fifth.  Harvick maintained his point lead over second place Jeff Gordon, who finished sixth. 

Get a wrap-up of all the racing action from Sunday on todays edition of The Race Report Update

By Sam Atwell

I talk over and over about the relationship between the driver and the crew chief as one of the most critical relationships on any race team.  A great relationship, often referred to as “chemistry”, is the thing that championships are built upon. 

Once again Matt Kenseth will have a new crew chief.  Todd Parrott in, Drew Blickensdorfer out.  Last season Blickensdorfer in Chip Bolin out, year before that Bolin in Robbie Reiser out.  Matt Kenseth has had his most consistent run and a championship with long-time crew chief (and best friend), Robbie Reiser. 

Changing crew chiefs is a regular dance at Roush-Fenway Racing for example:

Carl Edwards finished third in the point standing in 2005, so instead of building on that momentum Carl got a new crew chief.  Bob Osborne out, Wally Brown in.  In less than a year Wally Brown was out, Bob Osborne was back in.

Greg Biffle finished second in 2005 behind Tony Stewart.  Many thought that Biffle would be the next cup champion.  Instead Biffle endures a crew chief change.  Biffle has had four crew chiefs since 2003. 

Probably to most unbelievable is Jamie McMurray.  In just one season McMurray had four crew chiefs.  He had Jimmy Fennig, Bob Osborne, Wally Brown, Larry Carter and finished his career at Roush-Fenway racing with Donnie Wingo.  You don’t have to look too far to see why McMurray didn’t have much success at Roush-Fenway Racing.

Roush Racing has two cup championships, how many more could they have?  Hard to say for sure, but one thing that has been proven over and over is the fact that a long-term driver/crew chief combination leads to championships. 

To prove my point you don’t have to look any further than four-time Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson, four cups one crew chief.  Jeff Gordon three cups, one crew chief (his fourth was with Robbie Loomis).  Tony Stewart two cups, one crew chief.  Dale Earnhardt four cups, one crew chief.  Last, but not least, Richard Petty seven cups, one crew chief.   See a pattern here?

Matt Kenseth is a very talented race car driver and will be able to endure the latest change atop his war wagon.  He just has to start over, once again to build that all important relationship between the driver and the crew chief, just one year removed from winning the Daytona 500.

By Sam Atwell

It comes as no surprise to me or anyone who listens to The Race Report that Danica will be racing in the Nationwide Series race on Saturday.  I stated on the show several weeks ago that she would be in the NNS race in Daytona, even after they said her debut would be in California the following week.  There was no way the PR machine named Danica was not going to be on the biggest stage of the NASCAR season.  The fact that she did a good job in the ARCA race is just a bonus and makes the decision for her to race on Saturday in the Nationwide race look like a performanced based decision.  The ARCA race was a good start for Danica and I think she will be fine in the Nationwide race, a top ten?  Not so much, but if she finishes in the top twenty I think that will be a fantastic NNS debut. 

Kevin Harvick picks up his second straight BudweiserShootout win and starts the 2010 season off on a positive note.  He joins a list of Neil Bonnett, Ken Schrader and Tony Stewart as consecutive winners of the race.  Kasey Kahne had his best career finish of the Shootout and Jamie McMurray picked up his second consecutive top-five finish.  Pretty good racing for the first time out with the new aero package.  There were five leaders and 12 lead changes, Carl Edwards led the most laps with 42.  Overall a great way to get the season started.

Can someone tell me again why Derrick Cope was in the Budweiser Shootout?  Does the Budweiser Shootout really need start and parkers?  15 laps was all Cope could manage to complete?  I do understand the desire of NASCAR to open the field to more drivers but can they at least have done something in the sport in the last 5 years.  In the last five years Cope has 11 starts.  In those 11 starts he had an average finish of 38.7, at least Saturday nights 24th place finish will help Cope’s average finish.