Richmond. Nationwide Series. Elliott Sadler comes in with a slight points lead over Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. By the end of the night, following a battle putting both side by side over several laps for the race lead, Sadler spun and was off the lead lap.

One point. That is all that separates them after Richmond.

Race winner, Kevin Harvick, was there to race. That is all. Get a win if possible, like any other driver…

He is down in Nationwide points by over 900. He doesn’t even earn Nationwide points. His appearance at the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 was essentially a blender thrown into the pudding. Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin were often trying for the front leaving the points runners to run defense as well as try for championship points.

Cup drivers in the mix make for good racing but at the same time the contenders were running off the rims to get what they could. With the top 5 points slots separated by around 100 points, Cup drivers in the mix just to run for the sake of running, sitting back over 900 points, is almost like dropping a case of Texas Pete in the chilli just to give it some flavor.

Yes, Harvick drove a good race. A clean race, for that matter. He didn’t bump or nudge to get up front he just drove. It’s a fair question to wonder how things might have run if Sadler hadn’t spun. After all, he was out with a busted up car, ran in and out of pit road to salvage what he could in lap time while the team beat the sheet metal back into place, and still finished twelfth. Oddly enough, it was also where he started.

Granted, only Nationwide points drivers were awarded points. Stenhouse, Jr. finished 2nd and was awarded the full 43 points. Sadler earned 32 points for his finish.

Harvick’s presence did not in itself scramble the race but it was, essentially, a joker in the deck that might have forced the points drivers to run closer to the limits. Some would say that is good racing. Others may say it could be an unnecessary distraction for the drivers trying to advance.

However it was, Kevin Harvick drove a good race and won it. Elliott Sadler drove into a brake-check on a lapped car and was clipped up the wall. That wasn’t Harvick’s fault but it could be argued Harvick’s presence constantly running up front pushed the charge.

Elliott Sadler will not be driving with this team or owner in 2013. He is hungry to make a championship run. He is trying to distance himself from some unfriendly history. He is trying to show he has what is needed to drive and to win. For Elliott Sadler and for a potential seat for the next season.

Eight races remain, however, in this season. How the jokers run with the points contenders is yet to be a real question of contention. Sadler has to run and finish in front of Stenhouse, Jr. That is the major deal. Any other driver, beyond the top 4 or 5 in points, is a non-issue.

Theoretically.