Joshua and Cheryl have been offering up their own personal sets of HeartRacers~HeartBreakers for each race. The moments that stirred them for whatever reason will fall in the HeartRacers category, and anything that makes them wince, cry, or throw stuff will be HeartBreakers. All cawsnjaws readers are invited to add on their own to share with everyone.

Coming in to the race at Richmond on Sunday, all NASCAR fans were primed to find out which drivers were going to make it, and which ones were not. There were so many sub-plots and what-ifs that it rivaled a frothy soap opera.

HeartRacers:

  • We have to throw out a HeartRacers chuckle to the Barenaked Ladies. Not only are they a terrific band, but their name can be used in so many humorous situations. So much ‘giggle mileage’ was gotten out of their moniker in the ‘Wally’s World’ segment, as well as at a few other times prior to and during the race, that the group should actually charge NASCAR something for it. Oh, they also did a great barbershop quartet-style rendition of the National Anthem.
  • We want to know how many of you out there followed along and said the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’ out loud or in your head during the pre-race ceremonies.
  • It was great to see Benny Parsons back in the booth, and have him there announcing for this important race.
  • Once again we are happy to throw a HeartRacers smile on Ken Schrader (No. 21 Ford) and his team, for another good performance. Schrader started 17th, finished seventh, and got the five-point bonus for leading a lap. And one of those special smiles goes out to Dave Blaney (No. 22 Dodge), for starting 15th and finishing fourth. Both drivers moved up one spot in the standings.
  • Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Chevy) didn’t have the night that he thought he would. The pole-sitter had spark plug problems, and ended up finishing 15th. Somehow, though, he moved up two spots in the standings to fifth. He looked so disappointed in pre-race interviews we could almost list him in the HeartBreakers. Be happy, Denny. You made it!
  • While Matt Kenseth’s (No. 17 Ford) fans didn’t have to worry about whether or not he would make it into the Chase, we’re sure they were not happy to hear that 45 laps into the race he was having problems with his brakes. They needn’t have worried, though, because after all was said and done he finished eighth and stayed atop the Chase standings.
  • Speaking of brakes, they were a problem for fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Chevy) as well. His season has been a tough one, and his fans came to Richmond with high hopes, despite his poor starting position (33rd). But Earnhardt and his team overcame what they had to, finished 17th, and found themselves in sixth place in the Chase.
  • We are sure that Jeff Gordon’s (No. 24 Chevy) fans experienced some anxiety during the race. Due to falling back into the field, never showing any strength, and losing his brakes with around 13 laps to go, the announcers referred to Gordon’s car as ‘junk’. Gordon himself admitted in the pre-race interviews that he was disappointed in his poor performance, which culminated in a 31st place finish. But you can smile anyway, Jeff. You made the Chase.
  • Who couldn’t enjoy seeing Mark Martin (No. 6 Ford) throwing hats out to his adoring fans in the post-race festivities? The smile on his weary face was genuine. He finished fourth in the race, and moved to seventh in the Chase standings. His chance to grab that elusive championship is here.
  • For the past week there has been a multitude of articles about Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge) and whether he would make it into the Chase, despite his five wins this season. Kahne’s fans can breathe sighs of relief. He avoided trouble, finished third, and ended up in 10th place in the Chase.
  • Jeff Burton (No. 31 Chevy), the other driver that has been written about and interviewed over his precarious spot in the standings coming in to the race (10th). Fans held their breath, fearing he would again fall back toward the end of the race, but he stayed in the top ten. He finished ninth in the race, and moved up two spots in the Chase standings to eighth.
  • Who swept Richmond this past weekend? Why Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Chevy) of course. In the Busch series, he’s so far ahead in the standings he could stand naked along the side of the track for a few races, drinking beer and making fun of his competitors. He won’t do that, of course, but he could (if it were legal). In the Cup race, he started fifth, finished first, and ended up third in the Chase.

HeartBreakers:

  • Why is Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Chevy) in the ‘HeartBreakers’ section? He finished second in the Chase standings, after all. It was a rough night for the Lowe’s team, though. If there was trouble, it seemed Johnson could find it. He started 19th and finished 23rd, and must have been glad to see that checkered flag flying (even though it wasn’t waving over his car first).
  • We also send out a sad HeartBreaker’s sigh to Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Chevy), who just couldn’t stay out of the way of trouble, and spent some race time spinning and wrecking. He started seventh, but finished 40th, and fell a spot in the standings to 23rd.
  • Tony Stewart (No. 20 Chevy) fans had to have experienced some anxiety when he wrecked in practice and had to go to a back up car. However, nothing defines heartbreaking as much as watching Stewart struggling for most of the race, and trying to smile in spite of it all in post-race interviews. This racing warrior, who Mark Martin described in his post-race interview as one of the greatest racers driving today, had nothing for anyone. As the laps wound down, the familiar orange-colored Home Depot car couldn’t muster one last second wind, and finished 18th. This dropped him three spots to 11th in the standings, and out of the Chase.