Bowyer's 'sweet emotion' caps weekend celebration (cont'd)

"The Real Champion"
I've confessed in the past to my ambivalence regarding the Chase, and despite my Sunday afternoon felicity following the race in New Hampshire I want to see how this season plays out on both fronts. With that in mind here is the first of the weekly updates in my imperfect pursuit of crowning "The Real Champion."

If you haven't seen this, I'm simply keeping everyone posted on what the standings would look like if the word "Chase" never meandered into the NASCAR lexicon.

Last Week's Question of the Week
A week ago, fresh off Dale Earnhardt Jr's 13th-place finish in the Race for the Chase, I posed the question, "Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. make the Chase next year in an Hendrick car?"

Here are the results:
Yes -- 78.2%
No - 21.8%

Dale is likely to prove to be only an average driver ... blowing engines isn't his only problem this year.

Lack of focus ... distraction, these are not the attributes of a champion.

He's created the buzz. It's been like a bad, public divorce that goes on and on. Dale Sr. would never have tolerated such stupidity.
-- From Steven in Canada

In regards to your last sentence Steven -- I'm not sure if I would pin all of the stupidity of the last few months on Dale Earnhardt's son.

Yes, he will make the Chase. Did Hendrick have four blown motors for all four teams combined? Same crew chief, better chassis, better bodies, better engines. Multiple wins and another Chase for Junior.
-- From Marty in Winchester, Va.

I honestly believe that if Junior were running HMS engines this year, he'd be in the Chase. However, I also believe that you could throw any top-notch driver behind the wheel of a Hendrick car and they'd do quite well. In the same vein of thought -- I believe that William Perry could have rode Secretariat to a Triple Crown. My point: Hendrick puts together a nice racecar.

Didn't we all think Junior would make the Chase this year? Yeah, he should have, but didn't. Best equipment on the market, arguably best team. No excuses in '08.
-- From Vinnie in Geelong, Australia.

Vinnie makes perhaps the most salient point. In 2008, if Dale Jr. struggles again, the examination begins to steady its lens on the son of the NASCAR legend.

Chat Room Chatter
It should be no surprise that in the chat room during the Jack Daniel's Post Race Show, Clint Bowyer's victory was treated as an inauguration ceremony for NASCAR's next big thing.

Clint's pit crew has worked all year to keep him in the Chase and now it's paid off with a Chase WIN! Congrats!
-- From Scott in New Jersey

Scott brings up a great point. The crew on Sunday in New Hampshire was as flawless as the frighteningly perfect 07 car.

Black RCR in Victory Lane, it brings a little tear to my eye ... good job Clint and RCR.
-- From Sean in Seattle

Sad Eyed in Seattle was not the only person to get a little emotional about the black RCR car taking the checkered flag.

Clint needs more dinners with Aerosmith!!!
-- From C. Parks, Pittsburgh, Penn.

Don't we all. As an aside, I'm glad to see Cherokee Parks landed on his feet in Pittsburgh.

Will the first-time winner go back-to-back? And speaking of back -- will Richard Childress be back from Mongolia?

These are the burning questions as we head to Dover.

Enjoy the race.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.