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Talladega

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Dale Earnhardt Jr started on the pole this past Sunday at Daytona for the Coke Zero 400. He finished where he started, domination the race by leading the most laps with 96. He had the fastest car in practice and was the pole-sitter because qualifying was rained out. Rain was huge inconvenience for the first Sprint Cup race on NBC since 2006. The race was delayed due to rain for more than 3 hours. The race didn’t finish until 2:41 a.m. and what a finish it was.

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Kyle Busch sprays his crew after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race Sunday, June 28, 2015, in Sonoma, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Kyle Busch sprays his crew after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race Sunday, June 28, 2015, in Sonoma, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

For all of you Kyle Busch fans out there, don’t get too carried away. There is still a lot of racing left. Although the younger Busch brother won the Toyota/Save Mart 350 this past Sunday at Sonoma, he is mathematically 37th in points. I know you are all thinking “if you win then you’re in,” yes, that’s true, but there are two ways for a driver to lock his or herself into the Chase for the Sprint Cup: win one of the first 26 races and finish the regular season within the top 30 in the points standings. Cole Whitt is currently in 30th place in points. Busch is 136 points behind him and has 10 races to gain some ground. Is this an impossible task? Not at all. As long as Busch can finish 14 positions ahead of Whitt for each of the next 10 races.

Kyle Busch (18) leads Dale Earnhardt Jr., right, through Turn 2 during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race Sunday, June 28, 2015, in Sonoma, Calif. Busch won the race. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Kyle Busch (18) leads Dale Earnhardt Jr., right, through Turn 2 during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race Sunday, June 28, 2015, in Sonoma, Calif. Busch won the race. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Whitt has an average finish of 27.8. while Busch has an even 20 in just 5 starts this season due to an injury he suffered in February during the Xfinity race at Daytona. His average finish does not illustrate how well he has been driving. The last race at Michigan he finished dead last, which has been his only hiccup.

Busch is a proven winner in all three NASCAR circuits and is certainly capable of winning another race to help solidify his chances, but with Daytona next week, anything goes. With the right drafting help, any driver ahead of him in points can win. I expect Busch to be aggressive and stay in the front next Sunday, but with restrictor plate tracks, you just never know.