Thinking: After 8 years, I'm so bored of traditional blogging it's ridiculous. But what do I do next? Photography?

Ladies and gentlemen, after doing a lot of sole searching and some thinking. I have come to the conclusion that after 8 long years of traditional blogging on two blogs (Racedriven.com that I sold in 2012 and now here on ThinkingBrian.com that I own) I have decided that I am very bored and I don't want to be a traditional blogger anymore. I just don't have the passion and desire to continue this and that including talking about NASCAR.

But this decision now brings up the question of what do I want to do next?
I want to still have a voice and be heard, but not in the way I have been doing it. I also like sharing as well including photography that I do take every now and then. Some might suggest may be I should just go on Twitter full-time or use Instagram, but while I like those social media services for socking up content and that includes Facebook, I would prefer more of separate log somewhere else. And no, Tumble is out too. It's not a reliable service.

So at this point, I don't know what to say...other than I'm at a crossroad and it's time to try something else. I do know one thing, I like the name Thinkingbrian, so may be I can do something with that or start clean with a brand new name. However since I'm still thinking, Thinkingbrian.com will stay up and I will post every now and t hen until I find something new as well as try new things. I hope to have something soon, but for now thanks to all my readers, it's been fun.

Follow on Twitter @brianvermette

NASCAR Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond aka where did Kevin Harvick come from to win?!?! GWC fireworks, Damn!

After a week of unfair and shameful penalties, the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond added some much needed excitement with one hell of a finish that saw Kevin Harvick emerge from the smoke on a Green-White-Checker to take the victory over Clint Bowyer.

So with the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond in the records book, its time to look back at a few key moments from the race that I'll remember for sure.

Surprise: With 82 laps to go, after a few laps of watching replays from FOX, NASCAR surprised me by rescinding Kyle Busch's commitment cone violation. Wow, NASCAR should reconsider the Kenseth-JGR penalty too.

What?!?!: Montoya finishes 4th after leading laps.

Fireworks: When the caution came out with a few laps to go and a few drivers stayed out while drivers took two tires and some took four tires, you knew it was going to be a wild finish and Damn it was. In the end, Dale Earnhardt Jr grabbed 10th, A.J. Allmendinger finished 14th, two drivers that gambled with two tires and no tires. While Tony Stewart told Kurt Busch to deal with it over the final three laps of beating and banging.

Personally on the GWC restart, it was a mess throughout the field, so it doesn't surprise me that drivers were upset after every thing was said and done including Kurt Busch. But since Busch was getting into drivers throughout the night and he finished 9th, he should feel lucky that he got that, a 9th place finish.

Kevin Harvick and RCR celebrates in victory lane at Richmond.
Congrats, well of a victory.
Photo Credit: Richmond International Raceway on Facebook

Thinking: What's wrong with NASCAR officials? These penalties especially the Kenseth-JGR penalty are unfair and shameful at best.

As NASCAR teams get ready to race at Richmond International Raceway for tonight's Cup race with Matt Kenseth on the pole. The NASCAR community is still talking about the recent penalties over the last few weeks, even over the last few months of the 2013 Cup Series season.

In looking at them, I really though NASCAR blow the call on the Denny Hamlin Phoenix Post-race comments penalty of a $25k fine. The Penske Racing penalties leaves me scratching my head since the team submitted the parts for approval. Its sort of like the Jimmie Johnson/Hendrick Motorsports Daytona C-Post penalty that was reduced to $100k fine. Hopefully that will happen for Penske Racing too.

But its the Matt Kesneth-JGR penalty that has left me very frustrated with NASCAR because the penalty is grossly unfair and very shameful at best.

Personally in my opinion, there is no doubt in my mind that NASCAR should penalize JGR for the illegal part (a connecting rod being out of spec). JGR submitted the engine in there racecar and that's it. It doesn't matter where they get the engine from, its their engine.

However the Kenseth-JGR penalty makes NASCAR look like they are on a power trip or taking these infractions way too personally. The penalty in my opinion should have been: dock the #20 JGR team and driver 25 driver & owner points, $100k fine for the crew chief. Anything else including the $200k fine, 6 week suspension for the crew chief and lost of six race owners points for the #20 is completely unfair.

In my opinion, NASCAR may have just ruined the #20 teams season because of a stupid connecting rod. Seriously NASCAR. It leads me to ask this question, What is wrong with NASCAR officials? These penalties are shameful.

The STP 400 at Kansas in a nutshell...Matt Kenseth wins, Brad Keselowski comeback and Ricky Stenhouse Jr very impressive. #NASCAR

Despite Matt Kenseth dominating the Kansas, that was a good race with action throughout the entire 267 laps including the final 40 laps battle for the win with Kasey Kahne in a rematch from Las Vegas. Kenseth did a good job and a tip of the hat to an impressive run by Ricky Stenhouse Jr and a good comeback for Brad Keselowski and the #2 Penske Racing team after the NASCAR penalties and starting in the back. Good race.

Fan Insight: STP 400 at Kansas - Matt Kenseth holds off Kasey Kahne to win again, Hard Hits, while fans see one caution-filled good race.

With earlier today's STP 400 at the newly repaved (last summer) Kansas Speedway in the record books. Its time to look back at a few key moments from the race.

Victory: For most of the day, no one could really touch Matt Kenseth who started from pole in leading the most laps, but in the last run to the checkers, Matt Kenseth had to work hard to hold off Kasey Kahne to win at Kansas...again.

Comeback: After all of the harsh penalties from NASCAR, Brad Keselowski started towards the back and spend most of the day dealing with lap 1 damaged came back to grab a hard fought 6th place. Hell of job to that #2 Penske Racing team.

What?!?!: Jamie McMurray tries to put a (Joey Logano looking) blocking move on Mark Martin on a mid-race restart and he paid for it with a hit from Mark Martin. It looked like Martin just had no where to go. At any rate, blocking is a part of racing, but watch out, it might come back to bit you.

Surprise: Despite a late caution while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was leading, Stenhouse impressed fully in his Kansas debut, whats a run for the rookie of the year contender. I can't wait to see how Stenhouse does at Charlotte in May.

Hard Hit: Around lap 109, Kyle Busch got loose, spun his M&M's Toyota hitting the outside wall and then coming back across the track to collect Joey Logano on the apron in one hard hit. Both cars left the ground in that collision.

Hit and miss: For the second week in a row, this one is for my Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing picks with Matt Kenseth winning, Martin Truex Jr grabbing 4th, Ricky Stenhouse Jr finished 11th and Greg Biffle finished 19th.

If it wasn't for that caution that caught out Stenhouse, Biffle, Edwards and Earnhardt Jr, this race might have been different, but that's the breaks. 

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images via NASCAR Media)