Danica Patrick talks about the rock that got her. (Getty Images)

When you see the headline "Danica Patrick got hit in the head with a rock," your first thought is, "Who threw it?" (Our money would be on one of the Busch brothers. Maybe Tony Stewart.)

But no, turns out Patrick was clonked purely by accident at a Vegas dirt-track race. She's fine, thanks for asking: “I feel like I have a concussion from [Thursday] night," she said. "I got hit by a rock at the dirt track and I took it to the ground. I feel like this is really sore. It hit me straight in the head. Good thing I had a hat on or I’m feeling like there would have been blood."

On a slightly more serious note, Patrick did have to undergo some testing after her vicious hit in Phoenix, where the entire side of her car was torn open after a blown right tire sent her into the wall.

"I was able to say my name and where I was born [to safety crews]," she said. "They take your blood pressure, they do like vitals and they ask how you’re feeling and I really felt fine. It’s understandable that my

Denny Hamlin (11) and Jimmie Johnson (48) race to the finish in Phoenix. (Getty Images)

NASCAR has a lot riding on the 2013 season, and in particular its new "Generation 6" car. Dwindling attendance, sliding TV ratings, vanishing sponsors and new safety concerns have shaken the sport. So you can understand why NASCAR brass might be a bit sensitive to criticism of their newest showpiece vehicle.

How sensitive? Denny Hamlin found out this week when he was fined $25,000 for what appeared at the time to be relatively innocuous thoughts on a still-new car. Speaking after last Sunday's Phoenix race, which was for the most part a long parade of cars, Hamlin said, "I don't want to be the pessimist, but it did not race as good as our Generation 5 cars [a.k.a. "Car of Tomorrow"]. This is more like what the Generation 5 was at the beginning. The teams hadn't figured out how to get the aero balance right. Right now, you just run single-file and you cannot get around the guy in front of you."

That was enough to tick off NASCAR, which took offense at the "disparaging" remarks Hamlin

Defiant Denny (Getty)

Denny Hamlin took to Twitter Thursday night and said he will appeal the $25,000 fine that NASCAR levied against him for comments he made after Phoenix.

At Las Vegas for testing, an angry Hamlin said that he wasn't going to pay the fine, and elaborated further on Twitter.

The short of the long of it is I believe I was severely disrespected by NASCAR by getting fined. I believe that the simple fact of us not even having a conversation about this issue before I was hit with a fine has something to say about our relationship. What I said was 1 sentence taken completely out of context. Most drivers will tell you that we constantly have our AND nascars best interest in mind when speaking. On the other hand I am a person that worked very hard from the BOTTOM to get where I am today and someone telling me that I can give my 100 percent honest opinion really bothers me. Since being fined in 2010 I have been a lot more careful about what I say to media and I felt this past weekend

(Getty)New season, new Happy Hour! You know the drill. Throughout the week you can send us your best questions, jokes, rants and just plain miscellaneous thoughts to happyhourmailbag@yahoo.com or @NickBromberg. We'll post them here, have a good time and everyone's happy. Right? Oh who are we kidding, this is NASCAR. No one is ever happy.

Last week was predictable for its Danica discussion. This week, it's all about the NRA 500. I've never gotten as many emails about a single post as I did about that one, and many of them were accusing me of things that were never brought up in the post. Such is our life these days when we talk about an organization affiliated with guns, I guess. So naturally, we're going to talk about the race some more!

Sometimes I feel like NASCAR wants to leave behind its Redneck Hillbilly roots and try to take the sport mainstream. They want a lot of flash and culture as opposed to a bunch of drunk fat guys up in the stands with their shirts off. Having said that, those

Denny Hamlin. (Getty Images)NASCAR has fined Denny Hamlin $25,000 for making what officials perceived as inexcusably critical comments about the new Generation 6 car after last Sunday's Phoenix race. As NASCAR said in a statement:

"Following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event last Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, Denny Hamlin made some disparaging remarks about the on-track racing that had taken place that afternoon. While NASCAR gives its competitors ample leeway in voicing their opinions when it comes to a wide range of aspects about the sport, the sanctioning body will not tolerate publicly made comments by its drivers that denigrate the racing product."

What exactly did Hamlin say? He had some postrace comments about the racing and the car that appeared to be critical, but did they rise to the level of denigration?

"I don't want to be the pessimist, but it did not race as good as our Generation 5 cars [a.k.a. "Car of Tomorrow"]," Hamlin said. "This is more like what the Generation 5 was at the

(TiaNorfleet34.com)Over the past year, Tia Norfleet has gotten significant publicity centered around being the only licensed African-American female NASCAR driver.

While the licensing part may be true -- Norfleet is licensed to participate in bottom tier races -- it's overstated at best and inaccurate at worst. According to this report from the New York Times, Norfleet has bought a license to compete at local and regional events -- licenses that are not regulated. However, she hasn't earned NASCAR approval to move up to one of its national touring series. Why? well, in her only sanctioned start last August she completed one lap before parking her car.

On her website, her racing schedule lists the 2013 Nationwide Series schedule, and there are pictures of her in a firesuit with the Nationwide Series logo. That's NASCAR's second-tier series. A series she obviously hasn't been approved for. NASCAR officials are uneasy over Norfleet's claims.

From the NYT:

“Ms. Norfleet is one of thousands of individuals who

That thing right there? Gone. And the racing is going to be incredible because of it. (Getty)

Welcome to Warped Wednesday, our new feature at From the Marbles. On it, we'll put out the rush to judgment map, go a little too far and have a little fun. Will it be funny? Sometimes. Will it be crazy and largely unbelievable? Probably. Will not everyone get it? Definitely. So let's get started, shall we?

The solution to boring green flag racing at intermediate tracks has been found and it has nothing to do with the new Sprint Cup Series car and everything to do with something that NASCAR fans have come to take for granted during race coverage: The roof cam.

Before the race at Phoenix International Raceway, NASCAR announced that roof cams will not be installed on cars at any intermediate track. Why? Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said that the roof cams could give a car as much as 80-90 pounds of extra downforce. That's almost one Danica Patrick!

And you know who got those maximum benefits? The leader of the race. But not any longer.

Now that the leader doesn't have that

A new year means a new set of Power Rankings! After every race, we'll opine about who we think is at the top of the Sprint Cup heap and how and why they got there. Remember, this isn't scientific, as our formula is the perfect blend of analytics and bias against your favorite driver. So let's get on with it, shall we?

1. Jimmie Johnson (Last Week: 1): Wow, Jimmie, you're acclimating yourself quite nicely to the top spot. Sure you don't need anything? Drinks? Food? A hot towel? You're good? You're sure? Wow, it's like you've been here before. You're an old pro at this. Anyway, I know it's reeeeeeeally early, but would anyone be surprised if Jimmie Johnson led the points standings the entire regular season?

2.Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 4): Did you know that Junior finished fifth on Sunday? That's two top fives to start the year for the driver who could formerly be known as NASCAR's Most Popular Driver. He hasn't done that to start the season since 2004, a year he finished fifth. Yeah, he's