For years, the commend for the drivers to fire their cars up - "Gentlemen, start your engines!" - has long been referred to as "the four-most famous words in motorsports." Tonight, after a day of watching the weather and wondering if there would be racing at the Richmond International Raceway, they are also the most beautiful words in motorsports.
The engines are fired and the Federated Auto Parts 400 is now moments from its green flag and the beginning of the last 400 laps of the 2012 Sprint Cup regular season. A bevy of storylines, from the fight for the last wild card spot to Denny Hamlin's bid for a third-straight victory to Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr.'s pursuit of their first wins of 2012, make this one of the most intriguing races of the 2012 campaign. It's only right that the race get underway under the lights, as it was supposed to be all along, rather than waiting til tomorrow afternoon and competing under the sunshine.