Weekend That Was: Pocono Raceway

Let me begin this by pointing out that technically I am on vacation.

Not the kind of NASCAR-imposed vacation that Robby Gordon took during Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway, but the kind that had been planned several months in advance with far less emotion and irrational behavior involved in the process.

At my age I prescribe to the Mark Martin school of thought on Nextel Cup racing, and covering it. A part-time schedule is required to keep me fresh. I also have to credit Martin for turning me onto the joys of watching races I'm not personally in attendance at on TiVo, and realized this was the perfect weekend to test my skills with the television remote in that area.

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Besides, there is a new network doing Cup races these days. Despite their ridiculous harping on Tony Stewart for simply wanting to have a good time (on his own time) with a case of Schlitz beer after his win at Chicagoland Raceway last month, they deserved a closer look from the comfort of my own couch.

Memo to ESPN on the Stewart/Schlitz deal: Hate the choice of beer if you must, but don't hate the beer drinker. This sport was built on the backs of beer drinkers, and this is America. The man has the right to celebrate any way he wants, as long as he's not breaking any laws. In fact, it was refreshing and humorous to see him candidly advertise his post-race beer-guzzling plans.

Anyone who thinks otherwise, well, that's just a bunch of a bull ... Whoops, better stop there.

Back to the latest weekend that was, here are some lap-by-lap (but not all the laps, because during some I couldn't help taking a nap) observations from the Pennsylvania 500, gleaned while watching like the majority of the rest of America's race fans:

Lap 1 -- Blowing past pole-sitter Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch takes the lead in his No. 2 Dodge for the first time.

Lap 4 -- Jamie McMurray spins out in his No. 26 Ford for the first time. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be his last. (And hey, didn't he say he was going to honor his sponsor, Crown Royal, by drinking a little of the good stuff after his last victory? I don't recall anyone getting their shorts in a bunch over that one -- although he didn't proclaim that he was going to "get to the bottom of the bottle" or anything like that).

Lap 18 -- A race that already is lacking in character offers a hint of some when Stewart, running 11th, gets right behind Kevin Harvick, who is running 10th. These are the two who tangled down the stretch a week earlier at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (watch video) -- but it's too early for them to get into it this time. Too bad.

Lap 53 -- Just before the second caution of the day comes out for what appears to be a yellow piece of tape labeled "debris" by NASCAR, Earnhardt comes on his radio and tells his team that his car is pushing badly. It's so tight, he says, that "on a scale of 1-10, it's a 20."

Color commentator Rusty Wallace, former driver of the No. 2 beer car, offers some keen insights on the unique race that is Pocono, pointing out that saving your brakes early is important and that "the corners are so different. Hit one of them the wrong way and you're in trouble."

Lap 64 -- McMurray spins again. Defending Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson quietly moves up to fifth.

Lap 81 -- Busch is still leading. Naptime approaches. (Continued)