Usually when writing I try to stay unbiased or keep my allegiances to a bare minimum, but after the last seven days, I've got to give props to my team, Joe Gibbs Racing. Granted, Butter Fingers (The FedEx team's front tire changer, Donnie Brown) isn't my favorite person in the world this week, but the entire Gibbs organization deserves praise from a long-time, diehard fan. And it's not just for their on-track exploits during Sunday's rain-delayed Dodge Avenger 500, either.

Someone writing an article this week without mentioning Dale Earnhardt, Jr's free agency would cause confusion and panic among the masses. I'm certainly not one to give NASCAR Nation the H.G. Wells treatment, so here we go. When talking about perfect fits for Earnhardt, Jr. as he moves to another race team, many have brought up JGR. The friendships with JGR's Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, the love of Gibbs' Washington Redskins, the desire to remain in a Chevrolet, and the thirst to be a champion would make Earnhardt joining the Huntersville Gang all but natural. That is, until you get to the issue of sponsorship. Earnhardt has made his desire to continue driving Budweiser race cars as much of a secret as he has his love of the product. Even with a mouth like Stewart's on the team, JGR is a team strong in it's Christian and family values. Having Budweiser on a JGR Chevrolet would be one thing, but having to make appearances for Budweiser, wear the logo on their apparel, and promoting it through advertising would be a stretch for the organization, a fact not lost on J.D. during his interviews on the subject.

Whether you agree or disagree with JGR for potentially passing up having NASCAR's most popular driver because of a sponsorship, you have to admire a team for, quoting a friend, "walking the walk with their faith instead of just talking the talk." I am torn on having Earnhardt as a JGR driver, but I back Joe and J.D. and the rest of the organization 100% in their decision regarding Budweiser.

Now to the race.

It took a lot of resiliency for the FedEx and Home Depot teams to rebound from their respective issues. For Hamlin, second was hard to stomach as it was for Gibbs fans (your's truly very much included). As in Phoenix in April, the #11 Chevrolet was the dominant car, and as in Phoenix issues on pit road cost the team. I've given up trying to figure out how someone makes pit stop after pit stop without dropping a lugnut and drops the same one twice in one sitting. Instead I've focused on giving kudos to the team, especially crew chief Mike Ford, for keeping their chins up and fighting back to just about pull off the victory. Hamlin deserves a bunch of credit as well. It would've been easy for him to let his emotions get to him as heattempted to race back to the front and end up wadding the "package car" like a paper ball. He kept his head straight until after the race and even then remained much more composed than most, admittedly myself, could have under the circumstances.

For Stewart and company, sixth place is a dream finish at their worst track. The race itself was akin to one of those dreams that starts off great and then goes horribly wrong but turns out to not be so bad just before you wake up. Stewart charged from 26th to run as high as second and was running in the top ten after ducking onto pit road while some drivers stayed out when his left rear tire shredded. Returning to the track two laps down but with fresh rubber compared to the chewed apart tires of his competitors, Stewart stayed calm as he regained one lap under green and used two subsequent yellows to get ahead of race leader Ryan Newman before a third caution allowed him to line up on the tail-end of the lead lap cars. Tony got back onto the lead lap about the same time Denny's pit miscue occurred, so the pair spent much of the rest of the race moving in tandem towards the front. Ending up sixth, his second best result at Darlington and best since 2001, Stewart was relieved afterwards and rightfully so. Darlington has long been the 20 team's Achilles heel, and though they failed to better their best result of fourth at the track, their performance before the cut tire was the closest they've come to conquering the "Track Too Tough to Tame."

As for J.J. Yeley and the Interstate Batteries group, all I can remember from their race was minor involvement in Brian Vickers' major moment on the backstretch. Another quiet top-twenty result (18th) continued the steady improvement of the team, especially Yeley. This time last year, a quiet race without any issues would've been a godsend for the 18 group, and they continue to move closer, albeit slowly, to joining the 20 and 11 teams as contenders.

In short, it's been a stretch to be proud to be a Joe Gibbs Racing fan. Although another self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot cost them yet another shot at victory, all three teams persevered, allowing JGR to continue to shadow the dominant Hendrick Motorsports group. Prior to Sunday's race, the Earnhardt discussions and the potential situation with Budweiser made me honored to root for the Gibbs team. I'm not a devout Christian by any means, but I try to do what's right and I know there is a higher power in this world and JGR fits me like a glove.

A closing note going back to my last article, the rain Saturday evening spared Kyle Petty from having to race on May 12. He completed all but three laps Sunday and finished 25th, allowing him to continue to solidify his top-35 points position.

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