All-Star Race had about 90 troubling signs for the 600

Tony Stewart's scintillating closing rush to overcome Matt Kenseth and win the 25th annual All-Star Race sure was exhilarating, wasn't it?

While Stewart's refusal to even think about scaling the fence in company with his race team was the most sobering sign yet of his startling and continual maturation, there was a troubling thought in the aftermath of Stewart-Haas Racing's breakthrough win.

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The concern is at least two-fold as we approach what's annually, without question, the year's biggest day in racing -- the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. When and if you choose to gorge, the table's set with the Grand Prix of Monaco, covered with the Indianapolis 500 and then overdosed by the Coca-Cola 600.

You could argue that, if you did it correctly, by the time the green flag fell on the Sprint Cup Series' 12th race of the season you might be thoroughly over-indulged and in need of a nap, just when your attention needs to be at its sharpest.

And that's where we hit the issues raised this past Saturday night, because staying awake for 600 miles at Charlotte is the ultimate test that I'd say, for at least three out of the past four years, I've failed.

The first problem, though in the context of the All-Star Race is a minor one, is that the excitement this past weekend almost was completely manufactured. The race's 10-lap final segment is an affectation whose only purpose is creating a brawl on wheels, chasing a million-dollar carrot.

The world's best racers eagerly complied, and the action over the last 10 laps was among the best seen all season. Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch certainly deserved better finishes after what they laid on the table for the good of the show.

But when it's all-or-nothing, as many of the competitors stated Saturday, you would expect nothing less.

For the All-Star Race, the only format tweak that might improve it would be to make the "middle" segments of the race 10 laps each, with pit stops and adjustments allowed between each; before the final 10-minute break with the running order frozen for the 10-lap finale.

As Lowe's Motor Speedway head Marcus Smith said: "The format changes every year," so more power to him for trying to find something that really works.

But the truth is the race's first 90 laps were pretty pedestrian, other than watching how Jimmie Johnson's car's performance seemed to tail off, and wondering what his team might do to correct it.

This is the scourge that might rear its head to render Sunday night's 600-miler the latest potential cure for insomnia. When it's time to race, even at this track with this car's tendency to favor whoever's out front, it seems a fast car can make its way to the front of the field, and that's a good thing.

But from this seat it's a good bet there will be long green-flag runs in the 600 and, if the All-Star Race was any kind of preview, a lot of cars will be a lap, or laps down and there's not going to be a lot of passing.

What does that mean? You'd better plan to have all your race-watching aids fired up and ready to help, like NASCAR.COM's Live Leaderboard and Scanner functions to keep track of who's coming and going; and how fast they're doing it.

So as much fascination as this race-fest weekend holds as we head toward it, you can only hope the 600 provides 500 miles of action leading up to a finish that's exciting enough to keep you awake to watch it.

Brian Keselowski

Shout-out for 'Big K'

When you're talking about a family oriented race team featuring a father with a diverse race-driving background, a mother who used to spot for her husband, a race-driving son who's done it all and an uncle who's a former Cup driver -- supported by the family's currently most famous member, the driver's little brother -- there's plenty of praise-worthiness to go around.

But coming into this weekend's Nationwide Series Carquest 300 weekend at Lowe's -- which is as big a deal for that series as it is for those in the Sprint Cup garage -- you have to give high marks to Brian Keselowski and his short-budgeted K-Automotive bunch.

Keselowski's made it through the first 10 races of the season and is in the locked-in top-30 in the owners' standings, in 27th though only by 44 points over 31st, despite missing two races. More than 40 teams attempting to get into each of the first 10 races makes that a significant accomplishment.

Wins: Thru Lowe's (Truck)

	2008	2009
Cup Series	3	3
Nationwide	3	3
Truck Series	2	2

Despite Busch's stunning 2008 NASCAR record for victories in a season, nothing he's done so far this season makes this writer think Busch in 2009 won't eclipse his total of 21 wins (8 Cup, 10 Nationwide, 3 Truck).

All-Star weekend offered the latest testament to Busch's ability, but as good as he was in the Truck Series race, he fell short so it's still 8 down, 14 to go.

His 2008 win total at this point was 8; so at least he hasn't lost any ground. This weekend he has two more opportunities, and he's the defending champion in the Carquest 300.

One positive that came out of the first Lowe's weekend: Busch gave some post-race analysis of his shortfall in the Truck race.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.