(This is cross-posted from my personal NASCAR blog.)

Today's race at Michigan by Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a victory both shared and private.  The Junior Nation has just cause to rejoice, for while it wasn't the dominating kind of win where Dale Jr. blew everyone off the track en route to the checkered flag but instead a fuel mileage win by the skin of his teeth it was a win nonetheless.  Taking the checkered flag on fumes and a prayer is often derided as something less than a "real" win, but this is hardly the truth.  Strategy is a part of every race, and in order to win one must be in a position to win.  Dale Jr. and Tony Eury Jr. put themselves in this position today, and while a chunk of luck was needed to pull it off, pull it off they did.

That said, today's win was also of a personal nature, one understood by every child who internally winces at the sight of gifts and cards designated to be presented on Father's Day.  Detractors of Dale Jr. have often snarked, not altogether without due cause, about how some of his more overzealous followers have made it sound like he's the only son to have ever buried his father.  Perhaps.  However, no matter which side one takes in the debate over the merits of he who drives ol' Rocket 88 his membership in the reluctant league of those who see today on the calendar and have no option but to remember how it once was something to celebrate cannot be denied.  In a world that increasingly sees athletes as three-dimensional video game characters and not fellow members of the human race, it is a good thing to be reminded they too know grief far beyond the temporary angst of losing a sporting event.

It is neither maudlin sentiment nor grim fatalism to admit the quiet reality of true loss, be it forthcoming on a day as yet unknown or one already past.  The throat tightens and the eyes embrace a faraway stare as we either reluctantly contemplate what will be or come to grips with the devastation of what has come to bitter fruition.  Even those among us who take comfort in a shared faith mourn in ways no words can describe the absence of those we loved on this planet we're currently visiting.  We quietly remind those yet to know this searing reality how and why they should let no expression of love be left unsaid so when their membership in the reluctant league comes there will at least be no regrets, no remorse over what should have been said and done that will now forever be forcibly left undone.

Yes, today's race was a victory both public and private.  The former will be heralded by the green-clad army which rules every grandstand at every track NASCAR visits.  This is their right, and it cannot be denied.  Yet today was also a private triumph, symbolized by the Victory Lane embrace between Dale Jr. and Rick Hendrick, a son minus his father and a father minus his son yet finding joint cause to celebrate.  This was a moment where mourning's companion, the resolve to honor those who have gone before by how one conducts their life and carries on the heritage given them by their father, achieved fulfillment.  For this, all who belong to the reluctant league can celebrate with Dale Jr. and Rick Hendrick, thanking them for the reminder that despite it all God's not dead and neither are we so honor those who lived yesterday by how we live today.

Thank you, gentlemen.

First, the starting lineup:

Did Not Qualify: #70 Jason Leffler; #34 Tony Raines.

My, look at those jampacked stands...

Anyway, since Michigan is the original cookie-cutter, one usually expects little.  That said, even though the point has often been made how Fontana turned out to be one of the better races this year it's actually true, so who knows.  We may be pleasantly surprised.  Or not.

I'll leave comments in the body of the story this time rather than the Comments area... um, just because.

Lap 3: Well, that sucks for Dave Blaney.  In a position such as his, having something in the car break that early is the last thing anyone involved needs.

Lap 15: Brian Vickers seems bound and determined to show he's not the only ex-Hendrick driver with something to prove.  For that matter, my San Francisco Bay Area homeboy A.J. Allmendinger is also moving up, although since it's from a lot father back than Vickers' starting spot it isn't as noticeable.  Maybe they finally starting allowing the drivers to have as much of the sponsor's product for free as possible before the race.

Lap 26: Dario Franchitti appears to be having some mechanical woes.  Which he probably prefers to his last appearance at this track during the IRL race here last year, said event featuring his flying through the air with the greatest of ease... well, unease since the average race car is far more in control when all four tires are in contact with the track as opposed to doing their best four paws in the air impersonation.

Lap 35: Wow!  A real live lead battle!

Lap 48: Meanwhile, after a round of green flag stops Vickers is in the lead, with Johnson not far behind.  As to everyone else, they're on the track somewhere...

Am I the only person who's already bored stiff of the LifeLock commercial with Kasey Kahne?

Lap 60: Is there a race going on, and if so where?  It sounds like even the announcers have lost interest in the proceedings.

Lap 75: Field summary.  We're now officially bored.

Lap 80: How often do we see a race with consecutive green flag pit stops?

Lap 88: After pit stops, it's Kenseth by a mile.  Almost literally a mile.  Great pit entry/stop/exit by him and his team.  Not so great in terms of anything worth watching.  But on the bright side, the race is zipping right along.  (I probably shouldn't have said that...)

Lap 92: There are a whopping twenty-one cars on the lead lap... and I shouldn't have said anything, since the caution just came out courtesy of a beer can.  Whoever threw it should be commended before being kicked out.

Lap 96: Ooooh!  Pit strategy!  Two tire stop for Flipper!  Will it work?

Lap 100: So far it is.  And in case anyone was wondering, Tony Stewart is in today's race.  Or at least on the track.  Yes, there's some shuffling in the pack, but up front?  Not so much.

Lap 102: Kurt Busch spins and bring out the caution.  The blue brew crew is not having a good year.

Lap 108: That's a blob of cars looking to wreck en masse.

Lap 111: Oh look, Jeff Gordon is dropping like a rock.  Oh look, he keeps telling Steve Letarte what's wrong with it.  Oh look, Letarte can't fix it.  Oh look, one JG fan who's getting r-e-a-l tired of this routine week after week after miserable week...

Lap 118: Kenseth is back in the lead.  In case anyone cares.

Lap 124: BTW, Elliott Sadler is ninth.  Meanwhile, I'm checking to see if firesteveletarte.com is available.

Lap 134: This may be the longest time span in any race this year between Dale Jr. mentions.  That said, given how he's currently turning faster laps than Kenseth, at least it's a justified mention.

Oh -- has anyone heard from this guy?

Wondering how his vacation is going.

Oh yes -- green flag stops underway.

Lap 151: All right -- who smacked into Robby Gordon?

Lap 160: Let's be thankful for one thing: this is only a 400 mile race.

Lap 161: A lead battle?  With Sam Hornish Jr.?!!  It's a strange world.

Lap 177: It'll be interesting to see if anyone does anything more than a splash and go.  And if Hornish's strategy to pit now, albeit somewhat forced because of a clogged grill with resulting soaring water temperatures, will pay off.

Lap 181: If there's no caution between now and the end, this will be a fuel mileage race.  Which reminds me... Bob Margolis over at Yahoo wrote a snit-fit column after Danica's win earlier this year about how it wasn't "really" a win because it was on fuel mileage.  A few days earlier, talking about Jimmie Johnson's win at Phoenix on -- you guessed it, fuel mileage -- he went on and on about how much he loved fuel mileage races.  Hypocritical misogynistic jerk.

Lap 187: Is Greg Biffle sure he wants to re-sign with Roush Fenway?  If something weird doesn't break on the car, the pit crew has a brain-fade.  That's got to be maddening beyond words.

Lap 191: This just in: despite the constant references to hot dog wrappers, Der Wienerschnitzel is not sponsoring the event today.  Or even buying any ad time.  It is making me hungry, though.

Lap 194: Might this be the day for the Junior Nation?

Lap 195: Are Dale Jr. and McMurray trying to run out of gas simultaneously?  Is there an SUV with three dateless and desperate women following Kahne trying to put gas in his car?

Lap 197: Caution.  Junior Nation just added Hornish to Kyle Busch on their 'drivers to hate' list.  Green-white-I'd like to thank my sponsors coming up.

And it takes how long to get going after a caution where nothing really happened?  Ridiculous.

Checkered Flag: Wow.  Just wow.  Junior wins on fumes and a prayer (and courtesy of Michael Waltrip and Patrick Carpentier wrecking, but that happens).  The Junior Nation goes ape crazy.  Dancing in the streets.  Small children singing praises.  Operas being composed in the moment's honor.  Five gazillion "as raced" diecast along with fifty gazillion "race win" t-shirts currently being produced.  I'll be shocked if the latter isn't available at Infineon this coming weekend.

Seriously, it is touching to see Dale Jr. and Rick Hendrick celebrate together on what must be a bittersweet Father's Day for both.

There's a consistent thread running through this year's Cup season: no one is happy.  As in absolutely no one.  The drivers are sick and tired of cars they can't drive and never knowing what they'll get in terms of tires.  The fans are sick and tired of deadly dull races with zero lead changes except during pit stops.  And so what has NASCAR come up with as a method of dealing with these issues?

Yell at the drivers that it's all their fault.

By NASCAR's logic as evidenced by today's mandatory meeting with all drivers and those team owners on hand this morning at Michigan, everything would be lollipop dreams in a cotton candy sky were it not for those dastardly drivers complaining all the time.  Why, if they'd shut up and drive everything would be super dee-dooper!  There'd be no more noticing how no one can pass anyone or any of that other stuff.  Don't these people know the fans come to see NASCAR because it's... well... NASCAR?  What more do they need?  Really now.

Given how today's driver thinks the following is an instructional film and not a unspeakably wretched sex comedy:

It goes almost without need to comment how all post-meeting comments have been of the "oh yes we are to blame -- everything is wonderful -- give the car a chance" variety.  I fully expect that in lieu of the Star-Spangled Banner this coming Sunday everyone will join hands and sing "Kumbaya."

You see, folks, we only think we've been watching unwatchable, dreary drek all year.  It's been top of the pops all along!  Action galore!  Thrills a-plenty!  Dynamic dynamos of delight one and all!  The only reason we believe otherwise is the psychological warfare being waged against us by those rascals in racing uniforms!  Were it not for the negativity they've projected seeping into our subconscious and turning us into Downer the Drone we'd be hearing small children sing this season's praises as we danced in the streets, our hearts filled with divine rapture over the garden of delights replete with luscious fruit of good cheer and good racing bursting forth on every lap!  We'd be saying humbug to humbug, instead naught emanating from our lips save huzzah upon grand huzzah!  Oh, curse those obnoxious occupiers of the ovals obfuscating the obvious truth about the Shekinah glory that is NASCAR circa 2008!  Or something like that.

The true howler about all this is how NASCAR insists the crux of this matter is the driver's responsibilities to the fans, this coupled with an unspoken yet tangible sidebar about how all drivers should be grateful for their position so don't rock the boat lest one finds oneself turning over burger patties in lieu of turning corners at Talladega.  It'd be nice if NASCAR evidenced a responsibility to the fans by, say, putting on a show worth watching.  For if things continue on their current course, those who are cognizant of how genuine racing action is the sole genuine way to keep and build upon a fan base... like how these fine folk are doing it:

In the meanwhile, keep on yelling at the messengers, NASCAR.  That might change the message...

... but it won't do a thing about hiding the truth.