CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Remember that time Jimmie Johnson drove from sixth to first at Bristol in the blink of an eye? How 'bout that time Denny Hamlin bulldozed his way through the field to save a win at Martinsville Speedway?

Both finishes feel like they happened ages ago.

They were actually the two most recent Sprint Cup races.

It doesn't seem that way, though, because of both NASCAR's oversaturated schedule and a steadfast hold on outdated breaks. The result is unfortunate this season for NASCAR, which has been unable to build any momentum despite some very good racing.

Every time NASCAR gives the fan something to talk about around the office cooler, the conversation has had to hold for an unnaturally long time. Carl Edwards' intentional wrecking of Brad Keselowski made headlines on and off the sports pages, but was followed by a full week of silence because of NASCAR's traditional first "off week" of the season.

Nevermind that it came after just the fourth race of the year, and in a slot where there was no need for a break. Under the current rules package, the natural spot for a break is after the fifth race, otherwise known as the cutoff for the guaranteed starting spots in the field for the top 35 teams from the previous season.

Racing five weeks through the top-35 mark and then taking a break would be OK. But four weeks? Then a break? Then Bristol? It just doesn't make any sense.

After the Atlanta break came two weeks of short track racing, Bristol and Martinsville, and in theory those two rough-and-tumble consecutive weeks make sense. No one could have predicted, though, Johnson's masterful drive through the field to steal his first career win at Bristol in a race Kurt Busch had pretty much locked up.

Then came the race at Martinsville, where, a day before the race, Hamlin announced plans for immediate reconstructive surgery on a torn knee ligament he'd hoped to nurse through the season. That, many figured, was the final nail in Hamlin's disappointing season.

Instead, he raced hard all day at Martinsville and charged through traffic over two final sprints to claim a jaw-dropping victory.

Finally! Some momentum for NASCAR!

Alas, just another break. This time the traditional Easter weekend off, giving the elite Sprint Cup Series two breaks in three weeks.

NASCAR should turn its attention to better scheduling. Re-evaluate the off weekends, and reconsider taking Easter weekend off. The current format is tired and outdated and does nothing to benefit the industry.

After all, who's still talking about Hamlin's finish?