Matt Kenseth picked up his second win in four weeks his third overall this season, which should be good enough to keep him atop the Magic Mile Power Rankings for a second straight week. ... Right?

Kevin Harvick picked up his first win of the season, but was it enough for him to climb into the Magic Mile Power Rankings? And will Jimmie Johnson maintain the top spot for a second straight week?

Matt Kenseth (20) won for the second time this season, but was it enough for him to move up into the top spot in the Magic Mile Power Rankings? And how far did last week's leader Kyle Busch fall?

Kyle Busch won the race on Saturday night in Texas for his second victory in three weeks. But was it good enough to climb into the top spot in the Magic Mile Power Rankings?

With two weeks between races, cooler heads prevailed on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, but that didn't take away from what was essentially bumper cars at over 120 miles per hour. Bumpers were cracked, quarter panels were dented and hoods were bent – and in the case of Martin Truex Jr., removed completely.

To block or not to block. That is the question surrounding NASCAR following the race at Auto Club Speedway two weeks ago.

He led 125 laps. He had the best car all day. He was the leader on the last restart and used a huge run on the outside on the final turn of the final lap to end a 31-race winless drought. 

So, what was the first question posed to Kyle Busch in the post-race presser?

Well, has the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series gotten your attention? If not, then clearly you don't like high speeds, intense action and bitter rivalries. Sunday's race certainly had a little bit of everything, right down to a final-turn pass and a post-race scuffle.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Jimmie Johnson would be the safest bet to put your money on this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. With five wins and 10 straight top-10s (eight of those top-fives) and a 5.4 average lifetime finish in 18-career starts, Five-Time is most logical choice to find his way into Victory Lane in Sunday's Auto Club 400.

Jimmie Johnson's reign atop the Magic Mile Power Rankings is over, for now, and there's a new pilot on the list who is hoping that his luck in Las Vegas was more than just a birthday present.

You could see the relief on Carl Edwards's face as he fielded questions from the media following his victory in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday. After 70 races, Edwards found himself in position to do something he hadn't done in nearly two years: execute his trademark backflip in front of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series fans.

With the 2012 season officially in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead to 2013. Newly designed cars, faces in new places and a new champion set to defend his title are just some of the storylines to watch as we gear up for another exciting season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing in 2013.

Here’s a look at 10 things to watch for next year:

And then there were five. With 11 of the Chase spots already locked up, Saturday night’s race at Richmond will serve as the final opportunity to clinch that coveted 12th position in the Sprint Cup playoff. And it’s going to take a win to do it. Kyle Busch currently holds the second wild-card spot, but if Jeff Gordon, Marcos Ambrose, Ryan Newman or Joey Logano are able to find their way into victory lane then they will leapfrog Rowdy for the final spot. Here’s a look at the 10 hottest drivers heading to Richmond: