NASCAR Short-Track Showdown: Kyle Busch Wins In Richmond

Here are the updated top 20 in points after Saturday night’s race at Richmond:

Biggest gainers: Jeff Gordon (+4), Jeff Burton (+3), AJ Allmendinger (+3, 21st place). Biggest losers: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-5), Mark Martin (-4), Scott Speed (-4 to 25th).

Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s comeback season hit a road bump in Richmond.

A bad adjustment and pit call put Earnhardt Jr. behind, and a flat tire gained by battling for position with Bobby Labonte virtually ended the No. 88 car’s night.

It’s time for some short-track racing under the lights.

Chat here with other fans as the race unfolds. Click the “auto-refresh” button to see new comments (in yellow) as people leave them.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said would have no problem if another driver wanted to run the No. 3 that his father made famous, he said Friday.

“It’s probably uncomfortable for some people that have that kind of connection to him, but being his son, it makes me feel good to do it. I really kind of be quiet about that kind of stuff, but going into the Hall of Fame, I’m pretty proud of him.”

These days, there’s often a disconnect between drivers and NASCAR fans. Drivers have become multimillionaires backed by mega-sized corporations, while many NASCAR fans remain working class folks.

So it’s refreshing to hear a driver say he remembers what it was like to be a fan – and mean it.

You’ve heard the expression. People will say, “You make your own luck,” which is symbolic of the belief that things aren’t simply random or totally crazy, but affected by hard work or smart decisions.

Clearly, Mark Martin is not on board with that belief, which a reporter soon discovered when he asked Martin about “making your own luck” on Friday at Richmond.

Crew chiefs Chad Knaus and Alan Gustafson aren’t going anywhere.

Knaus and Gustafson have both signed multiyear contract extensions to remain at Hendrick Motorsports, where Knaus is the crew chief for the No. 48 team and Gustafson heads up the No. 5.

A week after NASCAR put on one of its best races ever at the biggest track on the circuit, the series is at one of the smallest.

The Sprint Cup Series will look to build off the momentum from Talladega (which saw the most lead changes in series history) when it has a Saturday night short-track race under the lights at the 3/4-mile Richmond International Speedway.