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Kyle Busch celebrates winning the Aarons 499 on Sunday in Talladega, Ala.

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What we learned: ‘Dega, Kansas, Monroe and Spain

After Sunday’s Cup race at Talladega, third-place finisher Denny Hamlin told an interviewer that it was a great race and if you didn’t like it, you don't like racing.

Well …

I watched it on tape, and Hamlin certainly had a good time, as he ran up front most of the race and appeared to be the best at the “Talladega Two-Step” — the nose-to-tail linking of two cars that produced about six extra miles per hour for both.

Shortly after the race I checked my email and there was a message from NASCAR titled “Restrictor Plate Competition up … again.” NASCAR wanted me to know there were more lead changes between more drivers on Sunday than at Daytona in February, and the 52 lead changes this year was more than either race at ‘Dega last year.

Sorry, NASCAR, but I’m not a fan of the hard sell. And the fascination of watching two long lines of cars go round and round the track went away pretty quick.

Sure, there were lead changes as the “Talladega Two-Step” pushed a couple cars out from the pack for a bit, but the pack always caught up.

And watch out if you got out of line … Woe be to the poor driver stuck in the middle watching the two freight trains go by on either side. From the penthouse to the poorhouse in just a few seconds.

But then they got back on the elevator and headed right back up.

The race ended under caution (and you know how I feel about that!) with Kyle Busch out front. NASCAR’s rules are the race is over if a yellow comes out on the white-flag lap, which is what happened as everyone jockeyed to make a run to the front.

I'd have like to see the ending under green, because it was going to be just like Daytona -- whoever was in the best line was going to win.

My pick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. got caught up in a wreck when Tony Stewart got squeezed about 25 laps before the end.

And once again, Fox seemed to feel the need to go to commercial just before something happened on the track. Here’s a word of advice: stop wasting time getting us caught up when you come out of commercial. You can go back and do your sponsor shout-outs after telling us why the race is under yellow.

Speaking of TV coverage of NASCAR, check out The Daly Planet (click here), a blog that covers network coverage of NASCAR.

The link takes you to an article discussing the fact that KOMO-TV decided to skip the pre-race show before Saturday’s Nationwide race in favor of a rerun of“The Suite Life of Zach & Cody.”

Tony Stewart won the Nationwide race on Saturday, while my pick, David Ragan, was waaayyy down the list.

What else did we learn?

1. Evergreen Speedway: Neither of my picks won on Saturday. Kelly Mann won the super stock main and Ricky Dietz finished first in the super figure eight main. I had picked John Zaretzke and Steve Peters, respectively. I don’t think Peters was even there on Saturday.

2. IRL Another block checked in the Grand Slam of Prognostication. Dan Wheldon did indeed win the IndyCar race on Sunday in Kansas.

By my count, all I have left to correctly pick a Sprint Cup winner. Based on my picks so, far, this could go down to the wire.

3. Formula One I picked Robert Kubica to win, but it was polesitter Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari who came in first.

I forgot the first rule of picking F1: always go with the polesitter.