Bernece Wood -- the mother of Wood Brothers Racing

The No. 21 team of Wood Brothers Racing has been a fixture in NASCAR pretty much since the beginning, but most of the attention the team has garnered over the years has been directed toward its founding fathers Glen and Leonard Wood and drivers who have piloted the No. 21 over the years, most notably David Pearson. One person who often gets overlooked -- the team's unofficial mother, Bernece Wood.

Aside from brother duo and team founders Glen and Leonard Wood, Bernece Wood is the only member of the organization who has been around since its birth 60 years ago.

Bernece's job description with the race team lists her as Museum Curator, but according to her son Eddie Wood, who along with brother Len Wood, now runs the team, his mother is much more than that.

To read more about Bernece Wood, visit Cup Series News & Notes.

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Nashville team brings attention to disaster in community

In the wake of the flood that hit the Nashville area last weekend, Nashville-based NASCAR Nationwide Series team Baker Curb Racing announced on Wednesday that its No. 43 entry, driven by Scott Lagasse Jr., will don an American Red Cross paint scheme for Friday night's Royal Purple 200 at Darlington Raceway in an effort to draw attention to the natural disaster that hit Music City. Also, the team's No. 27 Nationwide car, to be driven this weekend by Greg Biffle, will carry the Red Cross symbol on its C post.

"I just moved into a place in Nashville about a month ago, so I saw firsthand the devastation that the flooding caused to the city and the surrounding areas," Lagasse said. "Many people were affected by the flooding, including employees of our team."

To read more of this story, which includes information on how you can help, visit NASCAR Nationwide Series Examiner.

Graphic provided by Baker Curb Racing.

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Beyond the Byline: Getting to know Genna Short

Welcome back to Skirts and Scuffs for the second installment in the “Beyond the Byline” series. Beyond the Byline is designed to give Skirts and Scuffs readers a glimpse into the lives of some of our contributors beyond what you see in their submissions or on Twitter.

When I started Skirts and Scuffs last fall I knew I wanted today’s interview subject to be part of the team. She’s one of the first people I personally connected with on Twitter and has become a friend to me over the last year. Today I sit down with Skirts and Scuffs contributor and Hour of Horsepower Co-host Genesis (Genna) Short to get to know her a little better.

You will learn a little about Genna’s background, the struggles of finding an audience for her budding radio show, and her hopes for the future. Sit back and relax as we go “Beyond the Byline” with Genna.




First of all tell us about your background. Where are you from? What do you do for a living?
I'm 25 years old and I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. Never really been out of here much. I’m sort of a homebody. I’m half Mexican, my mother was born in Mexico and came here to Tucson as a young child. I’m really proud of both of my backgrounds. I think, sometimes, I’d like to be more Mexican than white. Mexicans are just more interesting, and we can dance better.


I’m also the proud mommy of a 3 year old Australian Shepherd and a very proud US Marine sister!

I am an finance escalations specialist at Sprint. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds, believe me! I basically take payments all day. One thing I really do enjoy is that I get to really help people. I help people who are in bad times by setting up payment plans for them to be able to pay their bills when it’s more convenient for them. I’ve always been the type that enjoys helping people, that’s one of the best parts of my job.


Some of our readers might not know that you co-host a radio show. Tell us a little about Hour of Horsepower and where we can listen and when you are live.

About a year ago when I met Aaron Rosser, who is now my co-host, I was on a couple of racing podcasts. It can be very addicting, once you get over the nerves. Aaron said he had always wanted to start his own, but he was not sure where to start.

Well, I went to Blog Talk Radio and opened an account. We never did anything with it because we thought we had to have special equipment so we were waiting until we could get some headsets and such. Well, one night we were on Summer Dreyer’s show, Next Time By, and we were hooked. We started our show, Hour of Horsepower, the very next day, January 14. It has been a really fun ride and we’ve had some amazing guests on the show. I feel very fortunate to be a part of something like this, something that not many other people are doing.

Podcasting is getting a lot more popular but Aaron and I pride ourselves on being one of the first NASCAR podcasts. Sure, we definitely weren’t the first, but we’re coming into this at a time when it’s becoming a little more popular, but it still has a unique feel to it. Our live shows are always on Mondays at 10:30pm EST, Wednesdays at 10pm EST, and Saturday nights/Sunday mornings at 12am EST, Fridays at 12am EST on weekends when we have night races. During the week, our shows are mostly news, discussing the races, previews, basically all your normal NASCAR coverage. On the weekends, our shows are raunchy, dirty, and generally off-color. Pretty much anything goes. Weekends we discuss off-beat and fun topics. Just a little disclaimer: if you’re naive, faint of heart, suffer from high blood pressure, are taking any drugs for a heart condition, undergoing chemotherapy, under the age of 27, pregnant, nursing, or elderly, then please do not tune in.


What's been the most difficult task in developing the show? Where have you found advice for how to make things work?
Wow, there have been a slew of issues to keep this show going. First of all, getting guests on the show is really not as easy as it seems! Sometimes, we’ve had to really jump through hoops to have some of the great guests that we’ve had. We really struggled after about 10 episodes or so with an identity issue, figuring out who we wanted to be as a show, as hosts. We finally worked out some things and found what really works for us. We really enjoy where we’re at now as hosts and as a show altogether. I feel we’ve really grown as hosts and our friendship has really improved as well. The very best part is that no one else that we know has a show quite like our weekend show. No one else out there discusses the things we do. I feel that makes us unique and fun.

Some advice on the show? If you’re out there wanting to start your own show, not quite sure of what to do, I say just jump into it. Write down some topics, get some good panelists, and just go for it! You can start a free podcast on Blog Talk Radio with a hosting account. All you need is a phone and a computer. As far as panelists go, try and choose 3-4 that you are familiar with and trust. Also pick people who’s opinions in NASCAR you greatly respect. Of course, a little debate is always fun.

Most of all, I can’t stress how important it is to have good control over the show. When you have guests and panelists on the show, make sure that you have a good format, whatever works for you, and don’t let people talk out of turn too often. Have your topics picked out beforehand and don’t try and discuss too many things in one night. Also, try to, respectably, ask your guests and panelists to try and keep their answers to a reasonable time frame.

One more thing to add is to try and start a companion blog or website for the show. Aaron and I have one, www.HourofHorsepower.com, and we have a site archive where we have a list of all of our shows. We also have links and posts that we put up, as a companion to our show.


I know you dabble in graphic design (see our awesome logo). photography, and pr. are you hoping to make one of those a full time career?
I’d really love to make a career out of graphic design but I just don’t see that in my future. This mostly being because I’m a terrible artist and drawing/painting is a pretty large part of graphic design. I still really enjoy making my own designs on my computer, I think I’m pretty good at it and, I guess, it’s still just a hobby.

I have done a little public relations for a driver in the K&N Pro Series West named Moses Smith. We were able to get him elected most popular driver in 2009. It was a good feeling to know that you’ve been able to help someone achieve their goal. I was proud and excited to be a part of Moses’ career in that way. I found some new friendships through the street team that I believe will really last.

Photography is really my niche. I took a photography class in college and I found that I may really have a talent for it. Not only that but I really just adore photography. I definitely think it’s reasonable to try and make my future in photography. I mostly do fine art but I’ve dabbled in sports/action photography and will be looking into doing some photos at local race tracks. I really don’t like to photograph people. I know that sounds odd, but people don’t seem to hold my interest as far as photography goes. I suppose, if I want to get into sports, I’d better get used to it. But portraiture is definitely not something I’m interested in.

One thing that people may not be aware of is that I’m a novelist. I wrote a novel in 2008 for National Novel Writing Month. It is just what it sounds like: to write a novel in 30 days, around 1500 words a day. I finished mine in just 18, which is roughly 2777.7 words a day! I’m more of a dramatic fiction novelist than anything, although I have tested the waters in fantasy fiction. Both genres are really fun. I really have to say that it was my proudest moment when, at around 4pm on November 23, 2008, I finally typed out the 50,000^th word to my novel. There was just no feeling like it in the world. As of right now, the novel has been put on hold and is still unfinished, but I plan to finish it one day.


if you could only ever interview one driver on your show who would it be? Who would be your ultimate interview and why?

Oh! That’s a great question. There are so many great guests we’ve had on our show so far that I’m not sure who I’d choose for my ultimate interview.

If I could only choose one driver, I think I’d choose Jeff Gordon. He really is a legend and there are so many questions I’d love to ask him. I know it seems like he’s really been eclipsed lately by Jimmie’s success, but I still think he is full of talent and I just love to watch him race. He really is one of the best racers out there and is exciting to watch.

I think my ultimate interview would be Bill France Sr. I mean, how cool would that be??


Tell us what drew you to write for Skirts & Scuffs? Do you contribute to other sites? Which ones?
I was drawn to write for Skirts and Scuffs because I just love NASCAR. I’m a fairly new fan to the sport and I love the concept of the site. I really love that us ladies can group together to dispel all the myths of female race fans and just connect on a personal level. I’ve made a few friends writing for the site.


I got to meet up with a couple of the ladies from the site in April out in Phoenix when they were in town for the race. Rebecca Kivak and Farrah Kaye were out there. As you know, Bec was one of he members of the Tweet Crew Team. We all hung out for a few hours, Bec and I visited a kart track in the Valley where we got to meet Michael McDowell (pictured with Genna and Rebecca), Brian Scott, and the Speed Freaks. I really love the friendships that I’ve made with these ladies and hope they last a long time.

I don’t really write for anyone else at the moment. I do plan on starting up some more writing, but I am so busy with my show right now that finding the time to write is very difficult.


When did you realize that NASCAR was your sport? What was your AHA! moment?
Oh this here’s a fun story. I was supposed to go with my ex fiancé to a demolition derby in 2003 or early 2004 and because I’m never on time anywhere, we missed the event. I felt really bad so, knowing how close we were to Tucson Raceway Park, I offered to take him to the race track. We got there and sat down and that was it, I was completely hooked. I started watching NASCAR the very next season, the 2004 Daytona 500. Ever since then, I’ve been watching racing.

It was definitely an odd moment when I became a racing fan because I grew up in a house that was devoid of all sports. We didn’t watch or really play. In fact, no one really watched any sports until my mom married my step dad. Then it was all NFL. My brother was a linebacker on the football team and also captain of the 943^rd armed drill platoon at Catalina HS here in Tucson but even being a drill/football sister, racing was always my thing.


You are pretty active on twitter and it's a huge part of where our readership comes from. What driver do you think should have an account and who do you think should NEVER have one?
Oh I think Michael Waltrip and Kenny Wallace should never have had one. Their tweets are sometimes way too much information! I have to say though, they are fun and they reply to fans a lot. It is really neat just to watch their interactions with the fans on Twitter. It makes them seem more like real people instead of guys we watch on TV every week.

I’d love to see some guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and maybe Clint Bowyer open up some personal accounts. It would be really fun to get into their heads. I can understand why someone like Dale Jr wouldn’t really want to subject himself to something like that, but I still think he should do it.


Who are your role models?
My mom and grandmother. My nana worked so hard to bring her children here to the United States so they and their children could have a better life. I admire my mother because she raised three children for many years on her own until she married my step dad when I was 19.

They are two of the most amazing women I have ever had the privilege to know in my life. I get my love of traveling, tea, and books from my nana. I get my pride, ambition, and strength from my mother. I couldn’t have asked for two better people to learn from in my life. When my grandmother died in 2008, I felt like every little thing I did from that point forward was to be just like her.

My racing/media role model would have to be Nate Ryan. I really admire him as a person and would really like to find myself in a position like he is. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet him at a race in 2009 and I really loved that he is so down to earth. I also had the great joy of having him as a guest on my podcast. He will also be on the show again this week, Wednesday the 5^th of May.

Also, I have to say I really love the Speed Freaks. Crash and Kenny had a vision and really made it happen. I look to them as some great role models to get into radio and I try and glean as much information as I can. Crash has been a wonderful source of information and advice for me. I always ask her advice when I need it for my show. She’s always willing to help me in any way that she can. I love all that she did for the show the week that I met her. Kenny is just bizarre but he is fun and hilarious. He has a really zany sense of humor and I feel like I can learn to let myself go just a little more from him.


Describe yourself in one sentence.
I’m a fun loving, bizarre, giggly, loud, obnoxious, loveable, cute, fat, half bred Mexican tomboy who loves NASCAR and heavy metal.
_______________

Thanks Genna for taking the time to tell us more about yourself. We wish you luck with Hour of Horsepower and can't wait to see what the future brings.

If you are enjoying this series don't forget to come back next Tuesday May 11 for the next installment. My next interview subject? The one and only Summer Dreyer

All photos used with the permission of Genna Short.

Related Posts:

• Beyond the Byline: Getting to know Rebecca Kivak

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Yeley to replace Cook at Darlington

Terry Cook is out. J.J. Yeley is in.

Yeley, a former USAC champion who has competed in all three of NASCAR's top-tier series, will attempt to race his way into Saturday’s Southern 500 Sprint Cup event at Darlington Raceway in the No. 46 Dodge for Whitney Motorsports, the team announced this week. According to his website, Yeley will pilot the No. 46 for two races, Darlington and possibly Charlotte, with the potential for more dates to be added.

Yeley replaces Terry Cook, a contender for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year who qualified the No. 46 entry for just three of the first 10 races of the 2010 season.

On his Facebook page Sunday night, Cook announced he "is no longer with Whitney Motorsports effective immediately. Terry, who has been serving as Team Manager/Driver, was uncomfortable with the direction that the team was heading towards and opted to leave the team."

Cook finished 37th at Bristol, 34th at Phoenix and 39th at Richmond.

“We are committed to the Sprint Cup Series," team owner Dusty Whitney said in a prepared statement. "I am also committed to making whatever changes needed to improve the team, whether it’s equipment, personnel, or anything else that is needed.”

Yeley returns to Sprint Cup competition after breaking three vertebrae in an open wheel wreck last August. In February he competed in the Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona, finishing in the 10th spot.

His last attempt at a Sprint Cup race was nearly a year ago, when he failed to qualify Jeremy Mayfield's No. 41 Toyota at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Yeley expressed his excitement about his Cup return on Twitter. "I just had a great call. It looks like I will be driving the # 46 cup car starting at Darlington starting this weekend," he tweeted Monday.

He elaborated in a team press release. “They’ve asked me to come in and help evaluate their equipment and hopefully I can give them some good feedback and we can make some races and show some of the potential sponsors they’re talking to that Whitney Motorsports is here to stay and we’re doing everything we can to build it into a competitive team that’s here for the long run," he said.

Yeley, who has driven for Joe Gibbs Racing and Hall of Fame Racing, has two top-5 and seven top-10 finishes in 95 career Sprint Cup Series starts. His best career finish was second at Charlotte in May 2007. In the Nationwide Series, he has 13 top 5s and 39 top 10s in 118 starts.

He won the trifecta of USAC championships, Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget, in 2003.

PHOTO FROM NASCAR MEDIA

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5 Questions After ... Crown Royal presents The Heath Calhoun 400

Richmond International Raceway is a short track. Any race fan that knows anything about short tracks knows they tend to cause short tempers. After racing at one of the biggest tracks on the NASCAR circuit a week previous, drivers would have to make the transition from bump-drafting and plenty of room for three-wide racing to very little space to move around. It’s tough on the drivers, but fun for the fans.




Here are some questions regarding Saturday night’s race:



When will Jeff Gordon finally pull through? … If Jimmie Johnson has a golden horseshoe hanging around somewhere, then Jeff Gordon must have recently adopted a black cat. Gordon could have easily won three or four races this season, yet has constantly come up short. From tire strategy, to wrecks, and downright bad luck, the original four time champion has continuously been shut out of victory lane thus far in the 2010 season. It can’t last forever though, right? Sooner or later, the No. 24 team is going to make all the right calls and make all the right moves to finally seal the deal. But how soon will that happen?





What is all this about a “new” Kyle Busch? … Busch made a comment after the race that there’s a “new” Kyle Busch inside the racecar. What he said and what people made of it seem to be two different things. What he was trying to say is he’s matured as a driver, and he’s not as quick to throw his hands in the air and give up when things get tough. Everyone else seemed to take that to mean that he was a changed and better person. Maybe he’s more mature than he was a few years ago, but thinking we have a “new and improved” Kyle Busch is a bit over the top. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Busch is a bad person. On the contrary, I really hope he doesn’t change! We have lots of “nice guys” in the garage area. Busch is arguably the most polarizing figure in NASCAR, and frankly it’s good for the sport. People either love him or hate him. So even if he does mature, let’s hope he doesn’t change too much!





Was there a catfight in the grandstands? … This was almost a bonus question, but it might have confused people without an explanation. However, if I say the names of the drivers it might all become clear: Joey Logano vs. Kasey Kahne. The two drivers got together heading into turn one right in front of second place driver Kevin Harvick. It would have made more sense if they were trying to stay on the lead lap, but both were already a lap down. Neither one of them were very happy with each other after the incident. Both of these drivers have about the same demographic of race fans. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a catfight going on somewhere in the grandstands. I know it’s mean, but don’t pretend you weren’t thinking it too!





Was the racing just a bit tame at Richmond? … Parts of the race were really good, but most of it seemed relatively lackluster. The slow pace of the race most likely had a lot to do with Kyle Busch’s dominance, leading four times for 226 of 400 laps. Between Jeff Gordon and Busch, they led all but 30 laps of the race. That’s kind of a let down from the record number of lead changes we had the previous week at Talladega. The six cautions seemed a bit low too, with two of them coming for debris. Speaking of which …





Was that “timely caution” just too convenient? … I’m not much of a conspiracy theorist. I will search for the most logical answer to an incident before crying foul. However, the timing of that debris caution on lap 155 just seemed all too convenient for Jimmie Johnson. Just seconds after Kyle Busch put Johnson a lap down, the caution flew. Guess who was the beneficiary? I’m not saying NASCAR favors Johnson or that they were trying to help him. But did you see any debris? Obviously, just because the TV didn’t show it doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. However, it doesn’t help the credibility of a caution when we aren’t allowed to see what it is for. I’m curious for your thoughts on this. Let me know in the comments section.





Bonus questions: Was Joey Logano bound and determined to have every driver angry with him by the end of the night? … When was the last race we had that wasn’t determined by tire strategy? … Is the spoiler affecting the No. 48 team more than they’re willing to admit?



--
Photo courtesy of NASCAR Media. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

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Roush Rewind: Crown Royal presents the Heath Calhoun 400

Saturday night was perfect for the running of the Crown Royal presents the Heath Calhoun 400 at Richmond International Raceway. The race was named in honor of Heath Calhoun, a soldier who lost both of his legs. Fans voted nationwide and Calhoun was the one selected to be honored for the race. As the sun went down and the lights went up, the Roush Fenway Racing drivers had a lot of work to do to even make their presence known once the green flag waved.

It seemed that David Ragan was just doomed from the start of the Richmond race weekend. Ragan’s crew worked all through practice on Friday on the setup of the No. 6 UPS Ford, which proved to be a handful in qualifying later that day. Ragan got loose during his run, resulting in a 35th starting position for Saturday. Ragan had worked his way up to 28th when the first caution came out on lap 45. He informed crew chief Donnie Wingo that the UPS Ford was tight in the center, loose off the turns, and just lacking the forward bite he needed to make passes. He pitted for fuel, four tires, and an air pressure adjustment, which was not enough to improve the car’s handling. By lap 105, Ragan was 25th but went a lap down to the leaders while he continued to fight his ill-handling racecar. When green-flag stops began during a long run, Ragan pitted for fuel, four tires, and wedge and air pressure adjustments. The caution came out shortly after the stops cycled through. With so few laps on his tires, Ragan stayed out to get the wave around so he could get back on the lead lap. Over the next stretch of the race, he pitted when he could so his crew could make adjustments to his racecar, but it seemed his crew’s work was to no avail. He went a lap down again as he continued to fight his loose-handling machine, and with just 20 laps remaining, Ragan spun and brought out the caution. He managed to keep it off the wall, but made slight contact with Sam Hornish, Jr. Ragan pitted for four tires and fuel. His crew went to work pulling the fenders out. He went back out on the track to do what he could to get a decent finish, but being a lap down he really couldn’t make up to many positions. Ragan was 24th to cross the line when the checkered flag waved.

Greg Biffle turned the 6th fastest lap in final practice on Friday, but his qualifying effort did not reflect that. Biffle qualified the No. 16 3M Ford in the 33rd position. After the green flag waved on Saturday, Biffle only managed to gain 3 positions by the time the caution came out on lap 45. He was very unhappy about the car’s handling. Biffle reported to crew chief Greg Erwin that the No. 16 was loose entering the turns and the tires were chattering. Biffle pitted for tires, fuel, and a track bar adjustment. The 3M Pit Bulls picked up 3 positions for Biffle, which allowed him to restart 27th. The handling issues continued to be a challenge for Biffle, and he went a lap down on lap 108. During a round of green-flag stops on lap 142, Biffle’s crew made wedge and air pressure adjustments to improve the handling. They picked up two positions in the process. Biffle stayed out during the caution a few laps later to take the wave around and get his lap back. Biffle pitted under the next caution. His crew made a wedge adjustment along with a shim adjustment to try and tighten the handling on the No. 16. Biffle restarted 23rd, but the handling on his car did not improve. He went a lap down again on lap 250 when running 26th. Just before green-flag stops began again, Biffle radioed to the team that he wanted some significant adjustments for the next stop. The crew did what their driver asked, but once he was back on the track, Biffle said the changes actually made the car looser than it had been. He held on to drive the No. 16 to a 22nd place finish.

A patriotic purple camouflage Crown Royal paint scheme was on Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford for the weekend. Kenseth was 13th to roll off pit road for qualifying on Friday. His lap time was quick enough to earn him a 21st starting spot for Saturday. The green flag dropped and Kenseth held his own for the first few laps. By lap 25, Kenseth’s car had begun to get loose in and off the turns. The driver quickly radioed to crew chief Todd Parrott to inform him of the car’s handling. For Kenseth, fighting the loose-handling racecar the short track of Richmond was the biggest challenge he faced the whole night. The first caution came out on lap 45, and Kenseth headed down pit road, asking his crew to make whatever changes would be necessary to get some forward traction on the car. The pit crew went to work fueling the car, putting four new tires on, and making track bar and wedge adjustments. Kenseth battled his way up to 15th, but the car continued to have handling issues throughout the following run. Green flag stops began to cycle through around lap 140, and on lap 143, Kenseth pitted for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment. Despite the adjustment, Kenseth still had issues with the loose-handling car. Running 17th when the green flag stops cycled through again, Kenseth pitted and his crew made air pressure adjustments in an attempt to make the car tighter. It seemed that nothing the No. 17 crew did could fix the loose-handling condition of the racecar. Kenseth fought his ill-handling car for the remainder of the race. He was 12th and hoping to make it inside the top ten when a late caution came out, causing the race to restart with just 4 laps remaining. Kenseth jockeyed for position, but had to leave Richmond with a 13th place finish.

Carl Edwards qualified 27th in the No. 99 Scotts EZ-Seed Ford on Friday. Once the green flag dropped, Edwards began to move his way up. By lap 40, he had gained ten positions, up to 17th. He pitted under the caution on lap 45. Edwards’s pit crew went to work making the adjustments that would help the car turn. Edwards had said the car was tight in the center and loose off the turns. Lap 100 found Edwards running 13th, and his racecar had become loose in and off the turns. He managed to crack the top ten around lap 139, just when the field began to cycle through green-flag pit stops. Despite his team having a good stop, Edwards still found himself a lap down in 11th place when the caution came out on lap 156. Crew chief Bob Osborne told Edwards to stay out since they had pitted just a few laps before. Edwards stayed out to take the wave around and restarted 10th on lap 161. He was still running 10th when the race reached halfway. As green flag stops began to cycle through again, Edwards stayed out as the leaders pitted. This move allowed him to pick up the 5 bonus points for leading a lap before he hit pit road. With 100 laps remaining, Edwards was still 10th and fighting a loose racecar. He made another green-flag stop on lap 363 for fuel, four tires, and wedge and air pressure adjustments. The caution came out just six laps later, leaving Edwards in a position where he could pit again or stay out for track position. After talking it over with Osborne, it was decided Edwards would pit for tires. He restarted 10th on lap 378. The cautions were few and far between a majority of the race, but two cautions slowed the field during the last 20 laps. Edwards was 7th for the final restart on lap 395 and quickly jumped to 5th. He held on to take the checkered flag in the 5th position, which was his best finish of the season.

The end of the Crown Royal presents the Heath Calhoun 400 was anything but boring. Jeff Gordon once again looked like he was going to finally win, but Kyle Busch got around him and took the checkered flag. For the second year in a row, Busch won the spring Richmond race—last year on his birthday, this year on the day before his birthday. Congratulations to Kyle Busch and the No. 18 crew on a great victory!

Next up: Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway

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The Lugnut Report: Matt Kenseth Continues Quiet Season in Richmond

After a disappointing 2009 that saw him miss the Chase, Matt Kenseth has been looking for consistently in this 2010 season. That began with making Todd Parrott his crew chief earlier this season.

"I think it was really good for our team to make a change and they all look up to Todd. He's always really upbeat,"

Richmond International Raceway would be full of action for Kenseth, who would be competing in both the Bubba Burger 200 Nationwide race and the Heath Calhoun 400 Presented by Crown Royal Sprint Cup event.

After Colin Braun's miserable start to the 2010 season, where he failed to finish five of his eight starts, owner Jack Roush made the decision to take the 21 year old out of the No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford and insert former Cup champion Kenseth in for two races.

Having to qualify on time, Kenseth and the No. 16 started the Nationwide Series race eighth. A quiet night running up front ended with Kenseth finishing 10th, the first top ten for the No. 16.

Kenseth practiced and qualified in the 20s, and and had to battle his way up to the front Saturday night in Richmond. He ended the night 13th.

After his seventh top 15 of the year, Kenseth was the only person within the top 12 in points to maintain the same points position he had before the race started.

Thanks to NASCAR.com, NASCAR on FOX, NASCAR on ESPN, Racing Reference, Rotoworld, FOX News, Pierre County Herald for the information, quotes and stats used in this piece.

For Patti Rodisch's Lugnut Report on Clint Bowyer, click here.

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