I totally understand the desire to want to go for it all, put it all on the line and go for the win. I also fully understand that sometimes that desire can blow up in your face.

Jeff Gordon said before the Talladega race that he didn't want to be leading the race when the white flag came out .. rather he wanted to be in 2nd. The theory is, he wanted to be the guy to make the move to win the race on the last lap, not be the chump who loses the race on the last lap. And things were shaping up just a Jeff wanted as the laps clicked away.

However, Jeff made his move one lap too early. With roughly two laps to go, Jeff jumped out from behind Kyle Busch trying to make his move on the outside. Unfortunately, he had little to no help. Then JP Montoya closed the door before Jeff could get back into line. Then he got freight trained back into the pack where was caught up in the white-flag-lap wreck, finishing 19th.

Maybe if he would have stuck to his plan, he would have pulled off the win. But when you look at "Big Picture" racing, which is the new catch phrase in NASCAR, Gordon would have been better served to stay in line and finish second.

Now he's dropped to 14th, 11 points out of 12th place, and the clock is ticking. We're nearing the midway mark of the regular race season and dropping much further could prove fatal for the #24 crew.

- Mr Pressbox

I apologize for everyone who predicted a Jeff Gordon Texas victrory. Not only was th jinx not broken, it grew wings and an extra set of razor sharp teeth.

Gordon finished DEAD LAST for only the second time in his career (both at Texas). How does that happen? How does the greatest driver on the track finish dead last?

After suffering through a painful beginning to the race, the car was loose and pit stop adjustments did little to fix the problem, Gordon's car finally threw up the white flag and quit on lap 110 (exact one-third of the way into the 334-lap race), spinning itself out and slamming into the wall.

Gordon looked like a rookie or worse out there Sunday. It is obviously not his fault - a four-time Cup Champion with 81 wins - so whose fault is it? Steve Letarte (you don't know how hard it is for me not to call him Steve LeTard), the builders at the shop? Maybe it is Gordon's fault for not staying on his crew prior to Texas' race.

Complacency has killed the 24 team, and apparently most of the Hendrick Motorsports family. The feel of "the best team in racing" has seeped into the psyche of the team, leading to a winless start after the first seven races.

After finally breaking the top 12 - Chase eligible - Gordon dropped five spots, currently 14th and 91 points behind the 12th spot.

It is clearly unacceptable for a professional team of Gordon's reputation to fail so miserably in setting up its race car. For that, someone needs to pay the price. I understand racing is a family sport where the whole crew is like one big family, but sometimes you even have to fire a family member if they are hurting your business. And that is exactly what is happening here. Gordon was embarrased by someone's incompetence, and someone needs to be the sacrificial lamb. This sacrifice could be just what the #24 team to turn the season around.

I don't care if it is the catch-can holder or the guy who glues the lugnuts on the tires or the shop manager - someone needs to go at least for a symbolic gesture.

I find it hard to believe other great racers in history would be so pasive after such an embarrassing performance.

C'mon, David Ragan is gaining ground and threatening to pass Jeff Gordon in the season standings, and the unsponsored car of David Gilliland looked more like a championship team than the #24 crew.

Guess it just goes to show that it takes a lot more than just a top driver for a top team with TONS of money to win races and championships. You need people who actually know what they're doing, and the #24 crew is currently questionable in that department. This team looked so bad, it may occupy all five NOT slots in Southern Cindi's HOT or NOT list.

As they say "There's always next week."

- Mr Pressbox

The Chase for the Cup is more than halfway complete and everything seems to be in order for a controversy-free finish.

And, NO, Junior fans; "We would have won the championship if our engines didn't keep blowing up," isn't a valid controversy - it is sad reminder that DEI just isn't up to Tier 1 competition yet and a lame excuse.

Teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson (-53) are running away with the title - fighting over it back and forth (figuratively and literally) as the Chase continues. Clint Bowyer (-115), however, is still lurking in striking distance, but is one bad race away from leaving Gordon and Johnson alone at the top.

Farther back are Tony Stewart (-249), Carl Edwards (-285), and Kyle Busch (-290) - who are all hoping for a Holiday Miracle to get them back into the Chase. But anything short of a Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan repeat pretty much means these guys are done.

Then there is the rest of the best; Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Matt Kenseth. I believe the OSCARs calls this the "Just happy to be nominated" group.

But things are falling into place, just as they should.

Gordon has six wins, Johnson has seven, and no one else has more than three wins.

Gordon has 20 top 5 finishes, Johnson 17, with Denny Hamlin (11) the only other racer with more than 10.

Gordon has 26 top 10 finishes, Johnson has 20, and only Tony Stewart (22) has more than 20 top 10s.

Gordon leads all racers with 1280 laps led to date, and Johnson has 1216. No other racer has topped 1000 laps led, although Tony Stewart is close with 980.

Not that money has anything to do with Championships (right) but Gordon has $6,531,278 and Johnson has $6,455,627. Kevin Harvick leads all racers with $6,934,224 - due to no DNFs and has completed the most laps - no other racer has earned more than $6 million so far.

Barring some epic 2004 Yankees-like collapse to the Red Sox, Gordon will either grab his fifth career title or Johnson will walk home with back-to-back titles.

And who said the Chase didn't work? Now qualifying - that's a whole different story.

(From Sept 24, 2007) My eyesight has just now returned to normal after watching the Philadelphia Eagles’ game this weekend (Sept 23).

I want to know whose bright idea it was to have the Eagles don those baby-blue and bright yellow eye-sores. They should be working on developing non-lethal weapons, like the incapacitating flashlight which emits a light-array designed to cause the target to vomit. I know I felt the urge a few times while trying to watch the Eagles light up the Detroit Lions Sunday.

As disorienting and nauseating as those uniforms were, it could not chase the latest Dale Earnhardt Jr. news from my mind.

I predicted Junior’s addition to Hendrick Motorsports back in May (May 17, “Don’t mess with the karma”) but I never expected it to turn out like this.

It’s like the Hatfields and McCoys. It’s like Peyton and Eli Manning. What do you do?

Since Junior signed with Hendrick last month; Budweiser changed sponsorships to Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin will drive the No. 8 car for Junior’s former team (Dale Earnhardt Inc.), and Kyle Busch switched from Hendrick to Joe Gibbs Racing where he will be driving the M&Ms-sponsored No. 18 car.

The biggest surprises were the unwillingness of DEI to allow Junior to take his famed No. 8 to Hendrick and Hendrick’s unwillingness to shuffle sponsorships to allow Budweiser to move with Junior. The other changes were pretty predictable.

Even Junior’s switch to No. 88 was rather obvious. You can’t expect Junior fans to have to remember another whole number when cheering for the Dale Jr. So to keep it simple, instead of one “8”, he just went with two. Don’t confuse Junior fans. They have enough to remember as it is; you should see them at a road course when the drivers actually have to turn right sometimes. They look like a deer in a headlight factory.

But the news that came as the biggest surprise was the choice of Junior’s sponsor. It was clear it would a Pepsi-sponsored car, but I never expected to see Mountain Dew on Junior’s No. 88 car when they unveiled it last week.

Junior as Jeff Gordon’s teammate is funny because it is ironic; this is just wrong.

If you haven’t guessed by now – after years of reading “Pressbox” – I’m a Mountain Dew addict. If there was an MDA, Mountain Dew Anonymous – no not that group Jerry Lewis holds that telethon for every Labor Day weekend, I’m sure my wife would have forced me into it long ago. I mean, I don’t just drink Mountain Dew, I’ll go for a Mountain Dew Amp, Code Red, Live Wire, or even an MDX.

If I could find a way to make Mountain Dew an official sponsor of “Pressbox,” I would.

But this move by Hendrick and Junior puts me between a rock and another rock. I’ve been looking for a Mountain Dew race car to place on my desk for years. Kahne has occasionally driven a Mountain Dew-themed car but I have not been able to find a die cast replica to place on my desk.

Now they will be everywhere. It’s the bittersweet side of associating with Junior. I’ll be able to find Dale Jr. Mountain Dew stuff at the local grocery stores. I won’t have to scour the internet looking for merchandise.

But do I buy the car or jacket because I have been looking for one for so long?

But doing so will willingly put money into the enemy’s hands. Or do I resist the urge, betraying my addiction to the fruity goodness that is Mountain Dew – the sweet nectar of life?

And how am I supposed to fuel the rivalry between Junior fans and Gordon-nation when they are wearing and waving the symbol of my cherished Mountain Dew?

That’s like Peyton Manning standing on the sidelines during the Indianapolis Colts versus New York Giants game hoping his brother does well, but still wanting his team to win. It’s a tough line to walk.