Two weeks. What could happen…?

Apparently, a mishmashed medley of automotive mayhem.

It was only two weeks but in the scope there was a lot of racing, and a lot of driving, for us and for the top series around the world.

For us, it was a trek around a foreign country in a TDI (diesel) VW Golf. Foreign, but still within the language of the King’s English. The land of elves, faeries and leprechauns. Ireland. Left side driving, left side shifting and an added appreciation for driving skill were experiences taken away among the castles and landscapes. The roads are narrow, the cars are agile (most, anyway…) and the driving is on a different level than in the States. Imagine a VW Golf, a Ford Focus, a Chevy Cruze… a 3 series Bimmer… Now add 6 inches to each side. That is your lane at 60 mph. A vertical hedge with no shoulder is on the left. A truck on a blind curve is on your right coming at you. That is driving in Ireland, the UK and much of Europe. It may give a clue as to the European racing style.

And, to begin in Europe, pull up a pint as we catch up…

For Formula 1, it was a continuation of the Red Bull steamroller, Sebastian Vettel. Five wins in a row with a total of nine in the season, Vettel has all but clinched the championship. All but for one that still has a mathematical shot to get by. 90 points behind Vettel is Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. The math is against him as the total possible he can gain in the remainder of the season is 100 points. He could win the four remaining races and still not have it if Vettel finishes 8th or better in those same four. The math is there for Alonso but it could be a bit like working through quantum mechanics with a screwdriver and a Post-It notepad.

IndyCar has had the run of their season. The final two races threw everything possible at the track and the fans. The October 6th race saw Will Power in the Winner’s Circle and Dario Franchitti in the hospital. A pile-up crash left Franchitti with fractured vertebrae, a broken ankle and a concussion. On the positive, it seems the crash has also rattled estranged wife Ashley Judd who, together with Dario, seem to be taking stock of what is really important and putting pieces back together… So to speak.

The final race of the season also saw Will Power over the checkers first but also saw an ambulance racing the course as Justin Wilson was injured in yet another pile-up. Power’s finish gave him three wins for the season but it was Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi / Target Racing that had the championship. Helio Castroneves was on the point for much of the season but finished sixth, one spot back from Dixon in fifth. The final race had the toss-up on the two. If the positions had been reversed and Dixon was one spot behind it would have been Castroneves with the cup.

If, but it wasn’t, so it is Scott Dixon taking his third IndyCar title.

For NASCAR and Sprint Cup, Talladega proved to shake the field and rattle Jimmie Johnson up to the top points slot and pushing Matt Kenseth into the second position. Johnson had been inching forward since the Chase began and the playout at Talladega gave the opportunity.

Rolling over the halfway point in the Chase was Talladega and upcoming Martinsville. The scenario for Talladega left behind only three cautions but the last put race leading Jamie McMurray in Victory Lane and Austin Dillon (in Tony Stewart’s #14) in the air. Johnson, who had his own stint out front, finished 13th while his main nemesis for Chase points, Matt Kenseth, managed a 20th behind the wreck. This gave the #48 enough to take the championship lead by 4 points from Kenseth who had held it by a similarly slim margin coming in.

It appears to be duel between Johnson in the #48 and Kenseth in the #20 with four races remaining. Third and back in the Chase begin with Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, both showing 26 points off the front. Jeff Gordon is 34 down, in fifth. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., sixth in points, moved up with a 2nd place at Talladega but is still down 52 points from Johnson. Biffle, Bowyer, Kurt Busch and Edwards round the Chase Top 10. Ryan Newman, Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne are 72 or more points back.

Both Kenseth and Johnson would have to suffer race ending crashes or mechanicals to allow any real gains from the chasers. Johnson has eight wins at Martinsville, including his win in April. His current lead, slim as it is, gives him a bit of a springboard at the historic short track known as the “paperclip” at Martinsville. Kenseth, however, remarking out of Talladega, has nothing but praise for his team and an all-out attitude for the remaining races.

Many of these drivers were rolling tire tests at Texas, right after coming off the laps at Talladega, as they will be racing there a week after Martinsville. Phoenix and Homestead close the season.

For now, Martinsville Speedway is opening the gates for RV camping, car haulers and a rush of Virginia racing fans. Junior Johnson, WWII Warbirds and Lizard Lick Towing all have a place for race weekend. The Camping World Series Trucks and the Kroger 200 is Saturday. The Sprint Cup Chase, Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 is Sunday.

We’re back from the land of leprechauns just in time to go racing at Martinsville.

…If we can get used to driving on the right again.