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October 30, 2007

Worst Weekend of Racing Ever?
Making the Grade-Atlanta Fall Race Weekend
By Dennis Michelsen (RaceTalkRadio.com)
Hey NASCAR do you wonder why there were empty seats at Atlanta on Sunday? Oh sure you can blame it on the drought or the price of gas or 4000 other things but the way the race ended on Sunday might also explain it! Was this your first rodeo? What ever happened to waving off a restart? When Denny Hamlin's car came to almost a complete stop before the green flag waved at the end of Sunday's Nextel Cup race NASCAR should have waved off the restart. Yes fans they used to do that when the driver bringing the field to green brought them down too slow or jumped the restart! After sitting through all those caution flags they least the fans deserved was a good start to the final restart. NASCAR better watch it or they will get their wish of being just like the "Stick and Ball" sports. In this case every NASCAR race weekend will be like the typical Superbowl…seven days of hype followed by a lackluster event! At least the fans didn't have to sit through that stupidity in Memphis!

Nextel Cup-Atlanta Fall

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Carl Edwards
3. Reed Sorenson
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Jeff Burton
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Jeff Gordon
8. Kurt Busch
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Brian Vickers

F for Hamlin's Crew Chief Mike Ford
It is one thing to take a gamble on fuel mileage and end up losing a race; it is another to do so by seven and a half miles! Blame the problem on the fuel pickup or these new RO7 Chevy engines all you want but those conditions should already be factored into the equation!

D for Kyle Busch's Pit Crew
ESPN likes to call the final pit stop of the day the "Money Stop." Based on that description the pit crew for Kyle Busch doesn't deserve to get paid! On two occasions during Sunday's race the pit crew was less than Cup-quality. On that final stop the jackman didn't even get the car high enough for the tire changers! Kyle might be glad he is leaving his crew behind but keep in mind that Denny Hamlin's crew hasn't been much better all year!

C for Elliott Sadler
Maybe he deserves to be graded on a curve and given a "B" for not wrecking this week! Last year Sadler was happy to say goodbye to his Yates Racing team and their one top five and seven top tens. But this year Elliott Sadler has no top five finishes and only two top tens!

B for Reed Sorenson
The 2007 season has been better than his rookie year for this talented youngster from Georgia. But more was expected of Reed Sorenson than three top five finishes this season. On Sunday Reed showed the quiet consistency that earned him a shot at the big time in the first place.

A for Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie might as well start thanking the dog groomer and the trash man because he has spent more time in Victory Lane than anyone else this season. Now Johnson is just nine points behind his teammate Jeff Gordon as he tries to win back to back titles, something that is rarely accomplished in any sport but especially in racing!

Tuesday on Race Talk Radio
7pm Eastern-Special One Hour Edition of Doin' Donuts
Join Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen for a special "Green, White, Checker" version of the popular Monday night racing review show on this special edition of "Doin' Donuts."

8 pm Eastern-ASALMS Radio and Down on the Farm-Each week the best in minor league racing is profiled including the news from the cars and stars of the ASA Late Model Series. Host Dennis Michelsen interviews the drivers, series promoters, and others making news at local short tracks all over the country.

9pm Eastern-Inside the ARCA RE/MAX Series-Host Mike Harper brings you the news from inside the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Since 1953 the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) has featured some of the best stockcar racing in the country! Meet the drivers making news in the ARCA RE/MAX series every Tuesday night.