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Before you think last week's bad finish doomed Denny Hamlin's Chase chances, relax and realize some of his best tracks -- starting with Pocono -- are coming up.

Matt Kenseth typically is one cool cat when wheeling a race car. But not on Sunday. Emotions ran sky high as the Joe Gibbs Racing newcomer secured his first victory in the No. 20 Toyota.

We've got a new car, a new couple and new chances for a few major stars as NASCAR draws the curtain on 2013. In other words: Bring it on, Daytona.

It may look like a three-driver breakaway in the Chase, but every driver knows the great equalizer -- Talladega -- is on tap. And that has some drivers actually looking forward to it.

I don't know about us reading palms or being psychic, but when it comes to predicting the Chase participants, the ESPN.com boys did OK. You can even check it out on the chart at the bottom. Getting it right on 10 out of 12 isn't so bad. Maybe we're ...

As we saw only last season, any one of the 12 drivers who made the Chase can win the championship, and momentum going in may not matter. So, who does our man like to win it all?

Strap in, NASCAR Nation. Marcos Ambrose and the gang are headed to Sonoma, where fender bangin' is the rule and not the exception.

Sorry, Dale, Denny, Tony and Ryan. Y'all are pretenders in this Chase. The contenders? The rest of the playoff field, led by five-time defending champ Jimmie Johnson.

From golden horseshoes to other people's rear ends, from "have at it" to the mind games others play, 2010 was a great year for quotes in NASCAR.

Terry Blount is in the Christmas spirit, and he has just what Santa would order for the good little men and women throughout NASCAR.

Driver speeches at the Sprint Cup awards banquet can put you to sleep faster than midnight showings of "House Hunters." Can you say yawn? Not if Terry Blount was running the show.

Denny Hamlin may have the momentum, but guess who's the odds-on favorite to win a fifth straight Cup title? Yeah ... him again.

As far as the bookmakers in Las Vegas are concerned, Jimmie Johnson remains the man to beat for the Sprint Cup. Johnson's recent woes on the track haven't dropped him from the top of the betting line in Vegas. Johnson is ninth in the points standin...

Fans can complain about the Chase until they're blue in the face, but the format is here to stay. Why? As it has before, it's clearly making this season more exciting.

There will be many big names in the second round of testing beginning Monday at Daytona. Juan Pablo Montoya will likely still be the driver getting the most attention, writes Terry Blount.

Yes, there would be a tighter fight to the finish under the old NASCAR standings system, but the Chase is still better, writes Terry Blount.