NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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ALEXANDER: Believe It Or Not
The 2010 season resembles the closest thing to The Twilight Zone that the Cup Series has seen in quite some time...
Adam Alexander  |  Posted November 17, 2010   Homestead, FL
Adam Alexander is the host of the SPEED Center show. (Image: SPEED)
Jimmie Johnson’s archetypal rise from the ashes at Phoenix to snag a legitimate shot at winning his fifth consecutive championship doesn’t and shouldn’t surprise anyone.

But some other occurrences in this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season sure have. In fact, 2010 resembles the closest thing to The Twilight Zone that the Cup Series has seen in quite some time.

McMurray’s Comeback: It’s pretty remarkable that a guy who, at this time last year, didn’t even have a ride for the 2010 season bolted out of the gate to win the Daytona 500 in his first race with a new team. But the fact that Jamie McMurray and his Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team not only won the biggest race of the year, but proved it was no fluke with follow-up victories in the Brickyard 400 and the October race at Charlotte, and nearly made the Chase, truly was a bombshell. McMurray is the type of guy everyone always loved because of his demeanor and personality, but one who often was overlooked and left behind because he wasn’t cutthroat enough. Fittingly, his comeback story is one of epic proportions.

The Jeffs: I really don’t make this stuff up... Who would have thought Jeff Burton would cause an accident under caution, much less simultaneously wreck himself and another competitor for an inexplicable reason? That’s just not in Burton’s personality or history. Few drivers are as gentlemanly or eloquent as Burton, so I think we all were floored when he caused that wreck at Texas and raised the ire of Jeff Gordon. When Gordon charged Burton on the track after they emerged from their cars, we all saw it coming – but no one would have believed it had they not witnessed it themselves. To see Burton and Gordon in a fistfight, the most physical confrontation we’ve seen in the sport in recent memory, was shockingly hilarious. That moment was one of the great highlights of the year and something entirely out of left field.

Ford’s Foibles: Crew chief Mike Ford has earned his paycheck over the past year or so, not only by guiding Denny Hamlin to numerous wins, but in serving as the calming force on the young driver. Hamlin has been pretty outspoken since late last season, not afraid to portray himself as confident, cocky and, at times, arrogant, in regard to being the driver who will knock Jimmie Johnson off his throne to win the Cup championship.
Eighteen finalists are in the running for the 2010 Mario Andretti Trophy. (Image: SPEED)

As a result, I think the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team has assumed some of his attitude over the past few months with him leading the way. But all the while, Ford was as quiet and unassuming as he’s always been. In fact, he’s the guy who won’t even divulge information or strong opinions when you clearly state that any information he supplies will be “off the record.” So, his post-race comments at Texas that essentially challenged Johnson’s team and somewhat insulted his crew portrayed the polar opposite of anything we’ve seen from Ford in the past. In a way, however, Ford’s grandstanding personified what the championship means to the No. 11 team.

Unfortunately, I think some of that swagger was sucked out of that team at Phoenix, where they lost points to Johnson instead of gained. Although they sustained a vicious punch to the gut, the No. 11 team still may rebound early at Homestead to alter their mindset. However, I think the head game thing was working for them, but now that the roles are reversed, we’ll see if they can regain that momentum in the most important race of the year.

Suave swapping: With five races remaining in the Chase, it was a little surprising to see Richard Childress Racing swap the pit crews of the Nos. 33 and 29 teams. But with Bowyer essentially out of title contention, it was a completely justified and understandable decision. But when the decision was made midway through the race at Texas to change the crews of the Nos. 48 and 24, I was astonished. First of all, to have the forethought and guts to make such a move in the middle of a race took some initiative, to say the least. But if there is an organization whose ultimate goal is to win a championship as a cohesive unit, it’s Hendrick Motorsports. That team believes they all compete together and I think that mentality has helped pave the way to their success through the years. I never would have imagined they’d put that mindset to the test in the middle of a Chase race, but it just might end up being what gets them over the hump and to their fifth consecutive championship.

Props to Penske: I don’t think anyone in the NASCAR garage wasn’t happy for Roger Penske when he locked up his first NASCAR championship with Brad Keselowski in the Nationwide Series. But I think a lot of people did a double-take because we forget that “The Captain” hasn’t won a NASCAR title despite practically owning Indy car racing for so many years. The fact that 2010 is his first NASCAR championship is just amazing.

Kyle’s accomplishments: His prowess behind the wheel continues to amaze everyone, but Kyle Busch this year also proved he’s got some talent when it comes to team ownership. Busch will win the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner’s championship this weekend at Homestead in his first season as an owner. Sure, his skills behind the wheel in some of the races helped quite a bit, but he also reached this goal with a team in its infancy. Kudos to Kyle on a job well done both behind the wheel and behind the owner’s desk.

A fulltime reporter for SPEED in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Adam Alexander also hosts NASCAR in a Hurry, The SPEED Report and NASCAR Race Hub for the network. He also worked for Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network prior to joining SPEED.

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The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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