For one thing, the weather could not have been better.  For only the second time this season there were no rain clouds or otherwise adverse weather conditions for the entire time. There was an ARCA race run but I didn't get to see that.  I understand it was a good race, but I'm not going to search for the details because I want to address the two NASCAR events.

Let's start with Saturday's Nationwide event run under cloudless skies with a huge crowd on hand.  I mean that place appeared to be almost "packed" in The Legend's definition of "packed" and not NASCAR's skewed definition. The crowd looked awesome in size and from what I could witness both visually and by listening to the crowd reaction, the crowd was really into the racing action.  The field was almost void of Cup drivers with the exception of a few who ventured over which did not include Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth or Carl Edwards.  It was a Nationwide driver heavy field and the crowd turned out to watch.

It was a very exciting race all the way through, many two and three abreast runs and I saw, more than once, a four abreast race for position.  Competition was the watchword.  I was impressed that NASCAR chose to stop the race with five or six laps to go to clean up the track and allow the drivers to race to the win.  The green went out with three laps to  go and it was NOT a green-white-checker deal. Elliott Sadler parlayed his good run of the day into the lead with a lap and half to go and he made it clear that no one was going to get around him.  It was quite a scene to watch and I know I was holding my breath the entire last lap as Elliott switched back and forth to hold off the challengers.  It was a great win for a driver who has had more bad luck, some of his own doing, than seems appropriate for one driver.  It appeared to be a popular win with the fans in attendance as well.

I was very pleased to see one of my friends, a young man from New York, post a video of the last two laps of the race as he and his brother and at least one of their girlfriends cheered Elliot on.  They are huge fans of Elliot Sadler and to see the video and listen to their remarks, instructing Elliot just how to protect the lead, shows me the passion is really there with the younger generation.  Great video and to see how  the cheering my friends reacted at the end of that race reminded me so much of the days when those of us Petty fans would go crazy when he would win.

The race Sunday was run under perfect weather conditions and,  again, the grandstands appeared filled to near capacity.  It was very evident that the infield was packed with motor homes and campers, but having spent quite a number of nights in that infield from 1970 through 1985, I am estimating that more than 50% of the folks in there never saw the first lap of that race, but what a race they missed!  It was a competitive event and had everything NASCAR could have wanted for a race weekend.

Thanks for the "knock-out" qualifying rules, a rookie, Bryan Scott, snagged the pole and Paul Menard, Austin Dillon and A. J. Allmendinger, all popular with the fans for one reason or another, were right up front. Even Danica qualified in the top 10 and would roll off seventh. Oh,  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would start 30th, but this was Talladega and everyone who knows anything knew Junior would make it to the front within just a few laps.

Without going into all the details of who wrecked who, who was at fault for this or that, let's just say NASCAR got everything they wanted.  Danica, fully clothed for the special occasion, actually got the lead early and the cheers of the crowd could be heard above the roar of the engines.  A little bit later, Junior would push his way out front and the crowd went even wilder as Junior was showing his strength early and everyone was sure he had the car to beat.  NASCAR got its wish with not ony ONE "big one" but TWO "big ones" so there was plenty of action to draw attention to the race for sure.   Then, without the necessity of the phantom debris, a late race caution made it even more exciting to anticipate the last lap battle to the line.  It was shaping up to be a great one between Hamlin, Biffle, Larson, and Bowyer.  But, alas, a piece of the front end of a car crashing out on the last lap AFTER the white flag was thrown, ended up in the middle of the track right in the tri-oval.  For that reason, NASCAR threw the caution, freezing the field as they came roaring down the "super straight" as it is called at Talladega, and assuring Hamlin of the win.  Poor Biffle was deprived of putting the move on Hamlin he had expected to do.  So, effectively, the race ended under the yellow as the white flag had already been thrown and the next flag ended the race.

Before I go into commenting on many, many posts I have already seen on social media, and it's only 6:00 p.m. Sunday, I will say that I have to agree with the call from Race Control on this one.  Yeah, I know, as Ann will tell you, I had a few choice words for NASCAR when that yellow came out UNTIL I saw the piece of the car right in the middle of the track in the trioval.  I can only imagine the havoc if those leaders had raced into that area and bounced off one another trying to miss that debris.  Just think, as far as she was behind at that point, Danica may have been fortunate enough to miss the debris and the really, really big one, and win the race.  That would have been disgusting. It is bad enough that some of that Jap Crap had to win, but at least I can agree with NASCAR on that call.

Which brings me to the point of comments of several social media sites I visit to keep up with fans' opinions.  I was shocked, truly shocked, by the number of folks who said NASCAR should have let them race to the line.  That, folks, scares me a little as that shows total disregard for the safety of the competitors.  Although there were no injuries in the two previous "big ones" there is always, and I do mean always a chance such could happen at any race track.  To make it even worse at 'Dega, that debris was in front of the grandstands.  Even with the stronger catch fences in place, I would hate to tempt fate with a couple of airborne missiles flying through that bright Alabama sunshine.

I think, as one fan may have suggested, NASCAR may want to re-think that white flag and the next flag ends it in a situation like this.  It could have been an awesome finish with a green-white-checker, most probably with a different outcome.  While I have been no big proponent of the green-white-checker, especially in these restrictor plate races, when the racing is as close as it was Sunday, there would be little difference in a green-white-checker shoot out than in what we saw.  I know many of the fan posts I read felt as though they were cheated from a good finish by the ending.   Perhaps they were and perhaps NASCAR should re-think that.  But then I remember all the races I attended over the years that would end under caution which amounts to the same thing.  I can think of at least a half dozen races my guy would probably have won if there had not been a finish under the yellow.  But that is all water under the bridge as they say and I guess he won a few races because they ended under the caution as well, including his 200th.  It's all relative to a person's point of view.

I had fully intended to let this week go by without a mention of the Waltrips as Mikey would be behind the wheel and behind the pack instead of behind the microphone and camera.  However, after listening to D.W. immediately blame Brad Keselowski for cutting in on Danica, causing his own misfortune and listening to his constant cheer leading for not only Junior but for the Toyotas, I can't let it go by.  If you taped the race, listen to him.  Listen to him, especially, when he explains why the Toyotas qualify so poorly in the knockout qualifying but are able to be competitive in the draft during a race.  Does that make any sense to anyone?  After all, the knock out qualifying is several cars drafting together, is it not?  And, bless his little uneducated heart, Larry Mac actually called out D.W. on the Danica-Brad issue by saying, as could clearly be seen by anyone watching, that Danica cut slightly to the right and into Brad. Danica even said that she was watching the mirror to see who was getting a run and didn't realize Brad had gotten by her. It was one of those racing deals and I won't even fault Danica for that one.  Oh, an finally, in the last ten laps, D.W. repeated, at least 8 times if not more, how "Junior had a plan to move to the front at the end".  Boy I sure would love to have known what that plan was because even the great sainted Dale, Sr. would not have been able to pull off a pass of enough car on that last lap to win the race.  Just more "cheerleading" for one of his favorites.  Enough said about D.W. for this week.  I guess I can't promise to lay off the Waltrip brothers because they seem to embarrass the sport more and more each week.

One more thing I would like to mention and to call to mind.  Each week, when I do these Legendtorials, these are MY thoughts and opinions in MY own words.  If you agree with me, I appreciate it.  If you don't that's fine as well because I am certain there are many who disagree with my opinionated positions.  Just a little reminder to those who think they are so smart and "practically perfect in every way" that you aren't after all.  Your opinion is your opinion and you are welcomed to it.

So, NASCAR, you had a Mary Poppins practically perfect in every way weekend. A Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious weekend like you haven't had in a long time. Congratulations and I'm hoping for more.  Now, borrowing one more from Mary Poppins, how about a Spoonful of Sugar to help the Waltrips go down?