LAS VEGAS -- Brad Keselowski met Jim Hunter only two or three times. He didn't know much about the longtime NASCAR executive when he died of cancer in October 2010, leaving a void in the sport that still hasn't been filled.

So when Tony Stewart said during Friday night's Sprint Cup banquet that Hunter would be proud of Keselowski, that he would like his style, the 28-year-old from Michigan may not have known exactly what he meant.

Those of us who knew Hunter did.

It was perhaps the highest praise the three-time champion or anybody in the sport could have given NASCAR's newest champion.

Here's what he meant:

"I don't think Brad's learned to be cautious yet,'' Stewart said backstage during the nationally televised event from the Las Vegas Wynn. "Hopefully, that won't bite him like it has a lot of drivers in the past.

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John Gurzinski/Getty ImagesTony Stewart on 2012 Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski, above: "It's nice to see somebody who speaks form the heart and isn't guarded when he speaks. That's the way all of us should be."

"It's refreshing. It's nice to see somebody who speaks form the heart and isn't guarded when he speaks. That's the way all of us should be.''

That's the way Hunter wanted drivers in the sport to be. He worked behind the scenes in ways many never will know to make sure the competitors didn't lose sight of who they were amid the politics of rules and sponsors that often tainted their views.

That made them change.

He didn't always succeed, but he fought relentlessly for the personalities who made the sport what it is today.

"Jim was always so good at putting into perspective and taking back to NASCAR and explaining to them that you really weren't a complete jackass,'' Kevin Harvick said. "He was 'always be yourself, express yourself.' ''

Stewart and Harvick knew Hunter about as well as any driver. They admittedly wouldn't be in the sport if it weren't for his guidance and support at times when they appeared on the path of self-destruction.

So when Stewart brought up his name in the midst of the mandatory thanks to sponsors and congratulations to the new champion, it struck a chord.

Hunter understood better than most that what took NASCAR to the national level wasn't necessarily the competition on the track. He understood it was the personalities of the drivers.

He also understood corporate America and intense attention from the media sometimes makes the competitors guarded, afraid to be themselves for fear of offending a sponsor paying millions to put them on the track.

Keselowski personifies what Hunter wanted. His 12-minute, unscripted speech captured everything many of us have been telling you about him for several years.

It was honest.

It was humble.

It was spoken in a way that made everyone in the room of about 1,500 industry people realize everyone is responsible for the future of the sport.

And it came at the ideal time with the sport at a turning point with the introduction of the new car that has raised expectations for the future.

"As we look into '13, I hope as a sport we can continue to find common ground to unify," Keselowski said as though he were speaking to a room full of Republicans and Democrats in Congress. "We have some of the smartest people that can solve any problem. As a champion, I want to be your leader, and I want to help you make it happen."

It was a serious moment, but not an unexpected moment for one who has entertained us all year through Twitter and other social media outlets. Amid the pranks of drivers running up a huge tab on his hotel suite, of filling him up with shots of liquor while they unknowingly to him drank soft drinks, this week has been about unification and representation for Keselowski.

Although his voice was almost gone from all the parties and late nights, that he wants what's best for the sport could be heard loud and clear.

"I know he's enjoying the heck out of himself, and I'm proud of him for how he's handled himself,'' four-time champion Jeff Gordon said. "We've thrown everything at him, let me tell you. And some have thrown more than that at him, and he's stepped up like a pro.

"He's going to make a great champion. It's great to see a young guy like him enjoying the moment the way he is. He's got a great appreciation for the sport to be able to respect where he is as well."

Stewart's message said it all:

Don't change.

Stewart has scars from feeling he was burned by things he's done and said over the years. They are scars Hunter helped heal before he passed. They are scars he hopes Keselowski doesn't have to deal with, because he understands -- as he believes Hunter would -- that this new champion is good for the sport.

"To be perfectly honest, I hope you guys continue to treat him the way you are now,'' Stewart told reporters in an almost sermon-like tone. "That gives him that opportunity to be that way.

"I'm so scared that at some point somebody is going to turn on him and it goes downhill from there. But I'm proud to see you guys give him the chance to be open like he is.''

As funny as banquet host Howie Mandel was with cracks about Gordon taking him out in the hotel's massive corridors, as much as we all agreed with Clint Bowyer that our job is done for this season and "my a-- is clocking out,'' that is what we should take away from the banquet.

That is what we should take from the season that appropriately began with its champion-to-be tweeting from the track during a red-flag situation.

Yes, Hunter would love Keselowski's style.

LAS VEGAS -- By now you probably know that Brad Keselowski wants a tank, that he'd like to date Jennifer Love Hewitt and that there's a new market for giant Pilsner beer glasses like the one he drank from live on ESPN's "SportsCenter" after winning his first Sprint Cup title.

But what you probably don't know is none of this would have been feasible were it not for Discount Tire.

Stick with me.

You won't see the name of Keselowski's Nationwide Series sponsor splattered all over Las Vegas, where NASCAR is celebrating its newest champion this week. In the world of sponsors, this is Miller Lite's week to get the spotlight with the driver of the No. 2 blue deuce.

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Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesBrad Keselowski and crew chief Paul Wolfe will take center stage at the Wynn Las Vegas during Friday's Sprint Cup banquet.

But were it not for Discount Tire, the 28-year-old from Michigan never would have gone to Penske Racing and delivered Roger Penske his first Cup title.

"Without that phone call from them, it doesn't happen," Keselowski said Tuesday.

This is how it all came down, a story that some of those closest to Keselowski weren't aware of until he talked about it first during the NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum at the Aria Convention Center and later with me at the Wynn Las Vegas sportsbook.

Keselowski, then driving the Nationwide Series car for JR Motorsports, had spent the summer of 2009 working with Rick Hendrick to stay in the Hendrick Motorsports family.

They looked at placing him in a Cup car at Red Bull Racing, but that deal fell apart. They looked at placing him at Stewart-Haas Racing, but the organization wasn't ready to go to three cars. Dale Earnhardt Jr. even looked at adding a Cup team at JRM, but that didn't happen.

Keselowski already had talked to Penske, telling "The Captain" he'd sign on only if given a full-time Nationwide ride, too. Penske said thanks but no thanks, maybe the last time he flat-out denied the driver something he wanted.

"So we walked apart, we broke up discussions," Keselowski said.

Late in August, when Keselowski's dream of landing a full-time Cup ride for 2010 seemed bleak, Discount Tire went to Penske with the offer to leave Roush Fenway Racing for his team if and only if Keselowski was the driver.

The rest is history.

Keselowski gave Penske his first Nationwide title in 2010 and first Cup title two weeks ago at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the site of one of the craziest celebrations you'll ever see.

"Without [Discount Tire] doing that, I don't go to Penske Racing," Keselowski said.

So why was a Nationwide ride so important to Keselowski? Simple. He figured to struggle during his first full year in Cup -- which he did, finishing 25th in points -- and that the Nationwide experience would benefit his growth as a driver.

"Absolutely," Keselowski said. "There was no doubt in my mind that going into Cup the first year was going to be very difficult. Sometimes you don't want to believe that, but obviously that was the case."

Now Keselowski has the money -- his share of more than $5 million that goes to the champion -- to buy the tank he always wanted and the celebrity star power that may at least help him get a foot in the door with Hewitt.

For the record, she hasn't called, as far as he knows.

"There's been so much going on; maybe they tried to get a hold of me and I missed it," Keselowski said with a laugh.

But Keselowski has had a few of what he'd call cool moments since winning the title. He got a Twitter mention from Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III -- "We did it!!! (@keselowski voice) ha ha But seriously, loved coming back to Texas and getting the W on Thanksgiving. Big for our season" -- after a Thanksgiving Day win over Dallas.

He got to meet soccer star Alex Morgan, which he didn't realize at the time was a "pretty big deal," at the Thanksgiving Day parade in Detroit.

And he got to see his name up in lights at the Wynn Las Vegas, where on Friday night he'll be honored as the champion.

"It's everything I thought it would be," Keselowski said. "Everybody treats you like a champion. It's quite remarkable."

And it all happened because of a Nationwide Series sponsor that may barely get mentioned this week.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Brad Keselowski doesn't want a fancy new car, a million-dollar home or a big yacht for nearby Lake Norman as a reward for winning his first Sprint Cup championship.

He wants a tank.

You heard me right.

We knew Keselowski would be a different kind of champion when he announced he had a buzz during Sunday night's postrace "SportsCenter" interview, but this cements it.

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Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesThis World War II era M4A3 Sherman tank may fit the bill nicely for Brad Keselowski.

The Penske Racing driver wants a tank from either World War II or the Korean War era to drive around his property that is adjacent to that of Dale Earnhardt Jr. near Mooresville, N.C.

He also wants Earnhardt to get one so they can "chase each other around in the woods with them."

Yes, this is getting more strange all the time.

The thought of owning a tank first entered Keselowski's mind over the summer when he heard a story about Wally Dallenbach owning one. So he promised himself if he won the Cup title, "I would buy one whether Dale does or not."

"It was kind of a little bit of motivation, I should say," Keselowski said on Tuesday during a national conference call. "I'm not one to really buy trophies for myself, but I think a tank would be pretty cool.

"I want to put one together and have some fun with it. When I'm done playing with it, I'll just park it in the driveway and scare off people who aren't supposed to be around. I don't know. It will be fun either way."

Keselowski, by the way, has no regrets about his "SportsCenter" interview, during which he admittedly was intoxicated after quickly consuming beer and champagne during the postrace celebration.

"It looked like a guy that was having fun, which is what I was having," he said after seeing clips of the live broadcast. "I'm proud of that moment. I'm proud to be a Sprint Cup champion."

And maybe soon he'll be the proud owner of a tank.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Fliers are floating around the Sprint Cup garage at Homestead-Miami Speedway that aren't very complimentary to Jeff Gordon.

Yes, someone's attempt at humor -- while taking potshots at the four-time champion for wrecking Clint Bowyer and his championship hopes last Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway -- seems a little off-base.

It is undeserved.

Read for yourself:

"AARP has announced that Jeffrey Michael Gordon is the first ever recipient of its Motorsports Over-the-Hill award. Gordon has been recognized for appropriately representing AARP by taking actions consistent with its member base at the NASCAR event this past weekend in Phoenix. AARP had this to say of Gordon: 'This man was once young and tough enough to forcefully push other drivers on pit road and fearlessly slap at competitors on the race track, but he has recently curbed his response to confrontation into a quick retreat to a nearby hauler. Many drivers and crew members may still face adversity wearing a helmet like he once did, but it takes a person of AARP membership caliber to scurry to safety before their opponent arrives. Combine that with his inability to clearly identify when accidents are his fault and his frequent wandering from lane to lane, and we feel we have found the perfect candidate to illustrate our support for elderly drivers and their rights."

There's another entitled "Holly Farms Joke of the Week" recognizing Gordon for "single-handedly taking a driver out of the Chase."

Was Gordon wrong in wrecking Bowyer? Yes. He admits that. Should he have been parked instead of fined $100,000, docked 25 points and placed on probation? I still believe that would have been just.

But to ridicule a driver who has done more for the sport than most will dream of isn't just. It is a cheap attempt at getting a reaction at a time when we should be focused on the championship battle between Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson.

It becomes even more insensitive when you realize what led Gordon to lose his temper went beyond Bowyer wrecking him at the end of the spring Martinsville race that Gordon appeared ready to win.

It went all the way back to Martinsville of 2004.

If we didn't realize before Friday how deep the remaining scars from the 2004 plane crash that took the lives of 10 people on the way to Martinsville are with Hendrick Motorsports, we do now.

Team owner Rick Hendrick was emotional almost to the point of tears as he discussed how the wife of his brother and the wife of a DuPont executive were at Martinsville for the first time since that tragic event when Bowyer wrecked Gordon.

He talked about how the low he felt losing the opportunity to get his organization's 200th win at the track where he "lost so much'' was more than the joy he had after winning some of his 10 Cup championships.

He explained that he and Gordon kept that emotion bundled up and it simply exploded at Phoenix after Bowyer got into Gordon hard enough to cut a tire.

Gordon admittedly still shouldn't have let his temper get the best of him. He'll have to explain that to his children one day.

But that is no reason for a prankster to make light of his career with the fliers.

Over the hill? Ninety percent of the garage can only hope they perform next season the way Gordon has this season at 41. His 10 top-5s are one more than Bowyer. His 17 top-10s are as many as Denny Hamlin.

Were it not for a stretch of bad luck during the regular season and the Chase, Gordon might be contending for a fifth title. He is far from over the hill, and what happened at Phoenix should remind everyone that he still has the fire to race among the best.

To make fun of the future Hall of Famer with fliers was cheap.

And very undeserved.

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- There were a few must-share moments from Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s behind-the-hauler media availability Friday at Phoenix International Raceway.

First, to those who still question Earnhardt's drive and desire to be a champion, I offer this:

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Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesDale Earnhardt Jr. on the fast-approaching offseason: "I'm ready to go testing. I'm not ready to sit down."

"I wish we could race on into February and start back over, if it was up to me," said Earnhardt, who is 12th in points after missing two races with a concussion. "It's been a good year, but this should be like par for the course. It's been a good year, but we want to do better than this.

"I'm not ready to stop trying to be better."

Earnhardt hasn't always wanted the season to continue. There have been years when, with two races remaining, he couldn't wait for the offseason. There have been times when he dreaded even testing during the offseason.

He admitted that maybe only 30 percent of the time since 2000, when he began driving in the Sprint Cup Series full time, has he wanted the season to keep going this late.

"I'm excited about next year, excited about the opportunities with a new car, working on the new car," Earnhardt said. "I'm ready to go testing. I'm not ready to sit down."

That was enlightening.

Listening to Earnhardt respond to what Brad Keselowski said Tuesday about having to sign a clause in his previous contract at JR Motorsports never to write a book about the experiences he had with NASCAR's most popular driver was downright funny.

"I don't have anything that I would rather him not write about," Earnhardt said with a laugh. "I think he was telling a lie, to be honest with you. We've had some fun times together, and he grew up a whole lot when he was around us."

Such as?

"He hadn't been exposed to a whole lot when we got ahold of him," Earnhardt said. "All he had ever done was race cars. We took him to town and got him some clothes and dressed him up and showed him what was going on.

"It wasn't too crazy."

Now who's lying?

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Richard Childress was visibly upset as he stood next to grandson Ty Dillon's black truck during Friday's qualifying at Phoenix International Raceway.

It had nothing to do with Dillon's chances to win the Camping World Truck Series championship, trailing James Buescher by 15 points with two races remaining.

It had everything to do with an ESPN.com report that Sprint Cup driver Kevin Harvick has signed a multi-year deal to begin driving for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

"I've got a contract for 2013 and this is 2012," the owner of Richard Childress Racing said of his deal with Harvick. "I'm not talking to you about nothing [regarding that]. Too far out."

Asked if Harvick had told him he will not drive for RCR beyond 2013, Childress barked, "You need to go talk to them people. Don't talk to me about it. If you want to talk to me about [the truck] championship, I'll talk about it. But don't talk to me about anything else."

It has been 18 years since Childress won the last of his six Cup titles with the late Dale Earnhardt. Harvick was RCR's lone Chase competitor this season and has been the only legitimate title contender for the organization the past two seasons, finishing third each year.

Losing him was the last thing Childress needed.

Harvick's departure will be huge, particularly if he takes primary sponsor Budweiser with him. Remember, RCR lost Chaser Clint Bowyer to Michael Waltrip Racing after last season due to lack of sponsorship and had to shrink from four to three teams.

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John Harrelson/Getty ImagesKevin Harvick has driven for Richard Childress at the Sprint Cup level since 2001. That relationship appears to be ending.

Some will say Harvick leaving only opens the door for Childress' other grandson, Nationwide Series driver Austin Dillon, to move to Cup in 2014.

But plans already were in place for Dillon to make the move then, either in the fourth car that is vacant or as a replacement for Jeff Burton, whose contract expires after 2013.

And by the way, while Dillon will make his Daytona 500 debut in the No. 33 next year, Childress left open the possibility the No. 3 Earnhardt drove remains a strong possibility for his grandson.

"That's still on the table," Childress said.

What isn't on the table, according to Marty Smith's report, is Harvick. Smith's sources say the deal has been signed.

Sources close to the situation told me Childress was blindsided by the news, which explains his mood. Replacing Harvick has to now be his No. 1 goal in order to remain relevant in the series.

As good as Dillon has been in the Nationwide Series, he remains an unknown in Cup. Burton appears past his prime and Paul Menard, beyond winning the Brickyard 400 last year, has done little to prove worthy of filling Harvick's shoes.

Convincing a sponsor to add 2004 Cup champion Kurt Busch to the mix may be the best solution. Busch already has a good relationship with Childress, often going to him for advice.

Busch already is driving a Furniture Row Racing car with a Childress engine the rest of this season and in 2013.

No matter what you think of Busch's off the track -- and sometimes on the track -- behavior, he would give RCR a legitimate threat to compete for the championship.

RCR needs that.

This is a pivotal time in the history of Childress' organization. It recently lost Earnhardt Ganassi Racing as an engine customer to Hendrick Motorsports for 2013. It apparently has lost Harvick to an SHR team that has HMS support.

By 2014, if it hasn't done so already, RCR could go from the second-best Chevy team to third behind HMS and SHR. It could even fall to fourth behind EGR.

So you can see why Childress would be visibly upset.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR fans are on their way to becoming the most daring -- at least the most imaginative -- in all of sports.

Last month at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a fan sneaked into Victory Lane with Clint Bowyer's car. He posed for pictures during the hat dance and actually spoke with the Michael Waltrip Racing driver and his owner.

Last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, a fan stole Brad Keselowski's Miller Lite hat from the top of his pit box during practice, tweeted to Keselowski she stole it and then asked Keselowski to autograph it on pit road before the race.

What's next? A fan hijacks a race car and wins the race?

Sorry. I shouldn't put such ideas into people's heads. But you have to admit the above stories are unique.

Keselowski, trailing five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson by seven points in the Chase with two races remaining, shared his fan story during Tuesday's appearance at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The Penske Racing driver described in great detail how he placed the hat on top of his toolbox as he always does, how it takes three minutes and 40 seconds for him to put on his helmet and get buckled into the car (he's actually timed that), how when he got out of the car the hat was missing, and how he discovered what happened on Twitter.

Oh, and how his team didn't believe it was stolen initially.

"I lose things a lot," said Keselowski, showing none of the typical Chase pressures. "I lose my car keys, I lose my wallet. So people that lose things a lot always say the same thing: 'Somebody stole my blah, blah.'

"But this time somebody really did steal it."

Keselowski had the HOF crowd in stitches describing how the fan, a young woman, approached him with the hat before the race.

"This literally is right before the race starts, fans standing around the car," he said. "So I go to grab my helmet ... do all the same things again, and this girl comes up and says, 'Brad, I'm the girl that stole your hat the other day. Can you sign it?'

"I just thought it was pretty incredible that someone would: one, steal your hat; two, go on Twitter and tell you they stole your hat; and three, walk up to you and say, 'Hey, before you get in the car and race for the championship, can you sign this hat I just stole from you and told you about yesterday?'"

In case you're wondering, Keselowski didn't give the girl his autograph.

"It felt wrong," he said with a laugh.

Speaking of wrong, Keselowski apparently gets mistaken for soon-to-be teammate Joey Logano even though they look nothing alike. When a fan recently screamed, "Joey, Joey, you've got to sign this for me," Keselowski did.

"I signed it 'Joey Logano'," Keselowski said. "I didn't want to let the guy down."

NASCAR fans apparently aren't the only ones with a crazy imagination.

LAS VEGAS -- The line around Booth 23743 inside the center hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center was long.

Really long.

Longer than it was earlier in the day for Sprint Cup drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick. Longer than it was for any other celebrity I saw signing autographs at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show.

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David Newton/ESPN.comRegardless of how she performs on the racetrack, there's no questioning Danica Patrick's popularity.

The line was for a 30-year-old, 5-foot-2 woman who -- if dressed, well, differently -- could have passed for one of the countless show models roaming these massive floors.

The line was for Danica Patrick.

Those who waited didn't seem to mind that she hasn't won a race in the Nationwide or Cup series since leaving IndyCar to pursue a full-time career in NASCAR. They flocked to her like gamblers to a poker table, just wanting her signature and perhaps a picture with her.

Whatever you think of Patrick's driving skill, there is no denying her popularity. Fans like her because she's different, because she is charming.

"You're beautiful, Danica," one fan yelled as Patrick stood behind the booth, barefoot as she gave her feet a break from shoes that tend to wear on most who come to SEMA.

They didn't yell that at Kyle Busch or Clint Bowyer in the Toyota booth not far away.

"Unbelievable," another fan said as he realized Patrick wasn't that much taller than the counter on which she was signing. "It's hard to believe she can steer that car around the track."

Male and female, young and old, they stood in line until Patrick was shuffled to another section of the Chevrolet display for a video interview.

Then she turned on the charm again, going back and forth with the ill-prepared host -- he didn't even realize she'd already moved to NASCAR -- with more patience than she gave Landon Cassill at Kansas.

And how many drivers could refer to being able to fit in a pair of leather pants they wore in high school when told how good they look?

"These are such broad questions," Patrick told the host. "You don't know me at all."

But the questions continued. And Patrick continued to answer in a way that kept her audience glued to her every word.

"Any kids in your future?" the host asked.

Patrick smiled and shook her head no.

"Tell me about your husband," the host asked.

Patrick instead turned her attention to what she had planned the rest of the day, reminding him diplomatically that her marriage isn't something she normally talks about.

"What is the one thing you want everybody to know about Danica Patrick that they don't know?" the host said.

Patrick talked about being a girlie girl, liking to get pedicures and put on makeup.

"Me, too," the host said.

Responded Patrick, "If you say 'Me, too,' that's your issues."

A fan shouted, "You tell him, girl!"

And then Patrick was off to another appearance, another long line of people wanting her autograph and a moment of her time.

Say what you want about her; she's good for the sport.

Getty ImagesKnow the man in the red T-shirt and jeans in the front row? That's OK, Clint Bowyer doesn't, either.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kyle Nelson never had been on pit road before Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Next thing you know, he was pushing Clint Bowyer's car into Victory Lane, posing for pictures during the traditional "hat dance," meeting team owner Michael Waltrip, and having the time of his life as the mystery man in Bowyer's life.

Next thing you know, discovering his identity became the focus of my blog, and Nelson was getting treated like a celebrity by his friends.

Only in America.

"For me, somebody who lives [NASCAR] so much, it was awesome," Nelson told me on Thursday after his identify was revealed. "I was like the kid in the candy shop. It was the greatest feeling in the world."

Nelson, a 22-year-old senior at North Carolina State, is in that 18-34 age demographic NASCAR wants to reach so badly. Crashing Bowyer's postrace party already has helped introduce the sport to some of his young friends.

Maybe we're on to something.

"All these sorority girls are always like, 'What is NASCAR?'" Nelson said. "Now that they've seen me [in Victory Lane], they think it's like being at the Super Bowl with me holding up the Lombardi Trophy.

"Everybody I know wants to go to a race now."

A civil engineer major, Nelson didn't go to Saturday's race expecting to be a part of Bowyer's victory party. He'd gotten tickets from a vendor and actually was on his way to the grandstands when he and his buddies decided to stop by pit road.

Next thing you know, they were standing in an empty pit stall next to Ryan Newman's pit box, so close Nelson could see Newman's eyes when he came in for stops.

When the race ended, Nelson innocently was sitting on the pit wall as Bowyer's team pushed the car from the track after it ran out of gas. Next thing you know, he was high-fiving the crewmen as they went by him, then pushing the car to Victory Lane with them.

Then he saw team owner Michael Waltrip and shouted, "Michael!"

"He hands me a hat," Nelson said. "He thought I was one of Clint's dirt-car guys, I think. Then Mark Martin comes up and congratulated me. I guess he thought I was another part of the team. I was getting splashed with energy drink just like everybody.

"I think it all worked because I was in this red shirt."

That would be his red Pi Kappa Alpha frat shirt from NC State, which blended right in with the red 5-hour Energy drink firesuits Bowyer and his crew wore.

The way Bowyer tells the story, he finally kicked Nelson out because the team needed a picture without him. But Nelson says he wasn't physically removed or treated badly. He simply rejoined his buddies who were waiting for him and disappeared into the darkness.

For the record, Nelson had a hot pass that allowed him on pit road, and he's not in trouble with track officials or the police -- although his parents were a bit concerned when he got home.

"There was no ill intent," said Nelson, from nearby Gastonia, N.C. "I just got in there and got so happy, next thing you know I was in Victory Lane holding up the No. 1. When I got back to the camper, I couldn't go to sleep I was so excited."

He still is.

Posted Oct. 17

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Clint Bowyer has a "mystery man" in his life.

Sounds a bit weird, but it's true.

This mystery man appeared in almost every one of Bowyer's team photos following Saturday night's victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He's the guy in the front row wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and one of the team hats.

Bowyer noticed him during the traditional Victory Lane "hat dance" while the team posed for countless pictures -- holding up the traditional No. 1 sign each time -- wearing the hats of team sponsors, NASCAR sponsors and track sponsors.

Bowyer eventually turned to the guy below him to the left and asked, "Hey, who are you?"

The man confidently offered that Michael Waltrip said he could be there, so Bowyer turned to his team owner and asked if he knew "who the hell he is."

"I [told the guy], 'This is Michael. Michael, do you know this guy?' He said no. The guy just turned around and got right back in the game and began to pose again.

"I think it ruined his day when I told him to beat it, but we needed at least one photo with the regular team in it."

Bowyer still doesn't know who the guy is and probably never will. But he thought it was "funnier than hell" and appreciated the resourcefulness because he's been known to crash a party and photograph himself.

Yes, another crazy side of Bowyer we're getting to know as he becomes a factor in the Chase, only 28 points out heading into Sunday's race in his home state of Kansas.

A few years ago, Bowyer found himself in the middle of a family picture with five-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson that wound up being the Christmas card for Johnson's dad.

"That's exactly what I did," Bowyer said. "I photo-bombed their photo."

There might have been tequila involved, but that's another story for another day on how Bowyer has vowed to outdo Johnson's Las Vegas Champion's Week party if he were to win a championship.

"His dad [was taking] a picture with all the brothers and I stumbled outside," Bowyer recalled. "I didn't even know they were taking a picture. I look up and grandma is taking the picture."

Then it went out for Christmas.

Then it went out the following Christmas.

"His dad didn't realize he … sent it again," Bowyer said. "So I'm two years running."

Maybe Bowyer's mystery man will show up in a Christmas card somewhere. Maybe Bowyer will show up in somebody else's Christmas card again one day.

This kind of stuff apparently happens in big-time racing.

CONCORD, N.C. -- What's it like to step into the seat of NASCAR's most popular driver?

Regan Smith is about to find out.

Smith was picked on Thursday to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is out for at least the next two races to recover from multiple concussions suffered at an Aug. 29 test at Kansas Speedway and last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

It won't turn into a job at Hendrick Motorsports, but perhaps it could turn into a job for Earnhardt's Nationwide Series team co-owned by Rick Hendrick. They're looking for a driver who could help take JR Motorsports back to Victory Lane, and Hendrick said they'd talked "about running a Nationwide car for a championship."

"He's a good driver, and again, Dale likes him, and we're familiar with him," Hendrick said.

Or maybe this will convince another Sprint Cup team owner to give Smith a job after seeing the confidence Earnhardt and Hendrick put in him. Hendrick does supply cars for Phoenix Racing, which is looking for a driver.

Or maybe Smith could run for JRM and Phoenix.

Regardless, it has been a crazy week for Smith. He wrapped up his tenure at Furniture Row Racing with a season-best fifth-place finish at Talladega because he survived the 25-car crash on the final lap that put Earnhardt in this position.

He then was selected to replace Kurt Busch, who took his seat at Furniture Row, at Phoenix Racing for at least this weekend's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

When Earnhardt wasn't medically cleared to drive the next two weeks, Smith moved to a car that is 11th in points after getting a 7 a.m. text message from crew chief Steve Letarte.

Next thing you know Smith will be treated like NASCAR's most popular driver.

"I wouldn't expect that," Smith said with a smile. "I do know that Dale has a huge following. The Junior Nation is a big group of people. I have seen the good side of them before. I've seen the bad side of them. I'm glad to be on their good side for a couple of weeks, anyway."

Smith may not be the most popular, but he is a good guy and deserves this chance. He had his ride at Dale Earnhardt Inc. ripped from him after his rookie-of-the-year season in 2008 due to lack of sponsorship.

He had a win at Talladega ripped from him in the fall of 2008 because he had to go below the sacred yellow line to prevent crashing himself and winner Tony Stewart.

He had his ride at Furniture Row ripped from him because ownership thought it could do better with Busch.

"It is certainly a good opportunity," Smith said. "I am very fortunate that I am the guy they chose to call. I really appreciate that. It is going to be the best car I have sat in, yes, there is no denying that.

"I just want to go out and make the most of it. Run all 500 miles and see where we are at when it is all said and done."

Don't be surprised if it leads to something good.