It’s a shame to see the IROC series drying up. Without a series sponsor, the 2007 International Race of Champions didn’t even get started.

Crown Royal has backed out of the Series, and basically left the all-star races empty handed.

The IROC Series is a quick 4-race season for a championship, and $1 million dollars cash. The all-star lineup comes from the best drivers from all different forms of racing, and puts them all in identical cars and set-ups. The series itself contributes all the cars, and doesn’t allow any adjustments before, or during any race. It is made to be a true test of the driver’s skills, put against the best of all the racing series.

No doubt, it is an expensive series to run. Not only are they forced to work around the 36 race NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule, they are forced to compete with NASCAR economics. Sponsors are speeding to NASCAR right now with their drastically expanded team field for the 2007 season, and an all around better ####-for-your-buck, for any 4-race advertising package. IROC is out of luck, money, and time.

It didn’t seem like it was that long ago that I heard Tony Stewart was in talks with IROC Officials to bring a race to his own track in Eldora. Now, after what was supposed to be the 2007 IROC Series season opener has come and gone, I don’t see any chance of them having a season at all.

Has anyone heard anything about the IROC series finding a sponsor?

“When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.” ~ Bob Dylan

For all the drivers that are not in the Chase, there is still work to do. You race for owners points, to assure you get a ride into next years start of the season. You race for 11th place in the standings, and the $1 million dollar prize that goes along with being the best of the rest. When you have both of those things wrapped up like Tony Stewart, you race for fun.

It was that last caution in Atlanta, where Smoke held off that commitment line till the very last moment, and made all the leaders wait with him. It was taking that Bear trophy home. It was dominating the Texas Shoot-Out with two tires. It was firing those six shots in the air. It is nothing but fun for Tony Stewart.

It’s interesting to see nothing on the line for the #20. Maybe there is pride riding along side him, or maybe it’s the burn of not being able to defend his title, but it doesn’t reflect on his face. His smile says it all.

Just another afternoon at a road track! Sure, there was a little dust, some dirty windshields, a few spin outs, some time in the garage, a dozen or so wrecks, but it's just another day for a track like Watkins Glen. The Glen holds no promises. And it's too late in the season for apologizes. You burn, or you get burned. There is no in-between. Ok, sometimes it throws in a Lucky Dog on top of it all, because this afternoon had it all! But after all is said and done, it's just a few footnotes of the Sticky Six races before the Chase.

1. #5 Kurt Busch looked like he was going to sweep the whole weekend; he lead more laps then anyone. When a caution came out for the #01 going into the tire barrier, Kurt got caught coming into the pits too soon, before they were open. It is not against the rules to pit when it is closed; the rule states that if you do, you have to start from the back of the longest line. His lead was stripped, along with any chance of getting back up front. His car was inside pit row by 2 feet when the pits were closed. He would have remained up front if he actually did not stop, and just did a drive through, but NASCAR did not inform them of the near miss till after he stopped. Not that NASCAR official's have to tell you, but they usually do if they are in contact with you. That has to be blamed on crew chief Roy McCauley. That is his job, not the drivers. Kurt got burned. He finished 19th, with a top five car, and a wicked chance for the win. The Chase is looking like a no-no for the #2. His whole season could be lost by those 2 feet.

2. #29 Kevin Harvick walked the line with an open gas tank. It was stuck open after his last pit stop, and he was forced to short shift for over 20 laps while the gas in the car was spilling out everytime he got on the throttle. Short shifting saves gas, and they began to fear that he needed every drop. He got some luck with a bunch of late cautions to keep the gap between himself and Stewart close for several restarts. When it was time to throw caution to the wind, Harvick put the pedal down, and ended up with a better setup then Smoke, and stole the win. Could not ask for better timing for a second win of the season for Harvick. This win puts the #29 sitting comfortably in third place with 4 races till the door closes. Yes, Mrs. Harvick. Kevin will be home really late tonight after soaking up how sweet this tastes.

3. After looking like he was on his way to his third win in a row at The Glen, Smoke had made a gamble on his last pit stop, when he made an adjustment. But it looked like they wanted to send him out a bit tight, in hopes that he would unwind it over the next 20 laps, to set him up some car comfort for a strong late race. He looked like he came out of the pits a bit too tight. #20 Tony Stewart worked it out a bit towards the end, but it wasn't enough to hold off Harvick, who stayed solid all day.

4. Junior was really proving that he has been improving on the road, and was looking like he was going to make a strong run at the end. But he started driving a bit too tough, something that he was working hard not to do this year. He was struggling with some back tire chatter all day, and when you race too aggressive with a bouncing back end, your bound to loose it on a road course. On lap 74 out of 90, he did. #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr is starting to appear to be unhappy with his car set ups. If this is a sign that we are seeing some cracks in Juniors relationship with his cousin, and crew chief Tony Jr, we may see #8 missing the Chase once again. He stayed in 10th place in the standings, and he has some good tracks ahead of him, but he can't afford to get the team spirit down. There is too much at stake. He finished in 18th place. And just like Junior said after the race, he was lucky with 18th.

5. But not as lucky as #5 Kyle Busch. I can't remember the last time I have seen more Lucky Dog awards go to the same driver. After breaking a rear track bar, Kyle blew his left rear tire. Forcing him not only to pit row for a new tire, but into the garage for some serious work. And spent the time counting his chances of fading in the standings, by the lap speeds still on the track. When he returned to the race, he was 5 laps down. But the large number of cars that stayed on the lead lap, made him the reciprocate of the Lucky Dog award an incredible 5 times, for 5 of the next cautions. By the time his brother blew the lead, Kyle had won his way back on to the lead lap. They raced each other for the rest of the afternoon. Kyle came back to 9th, his older brother Kurt finished 19th. Who would have thought the afternoon was going to take that kind of turn?

6. A right turn, was the wrong way for some drivers today. #16 Greg Biffle was stuck in the back of the pack, in his back up car, and ended up wrecking, (again,) and wrecking another chance to make it into the Chase. Finishing in 38th place. The #16 went from -59 points out of the Chase, to -180 points on the outside looking in. On the other hand, his teammate #99 Carl Edwards, made a great late drive for a 5th place finish, but it may be too late for Carl to make the Chase as well. He is still -191 points out of 10th place, with 4 small chances left. At this point, Roush Racing may only have 2 drivers in the Chase. Mark Martin, and Matt Kenseth. Who both had rough days at the track, but secured their positions in the standings. 6th place for Martin #6, with a 21st place finish. And a wrecked car for #17 Kenseth didn't take away his 2nd place in the league.

7. As it looks right now, the 10 drivers that are in the Chase have a great chance of staying there, with only 4 races left till the cut off. #9 Kasey Kahne may be the only driver that can steal a spot from the drivers between 6th and 10th place. Someone is bound to lose some ground, but Kasey chances are starting to turn to luck. Someone is going to have to slip. The Sticky Six can turn slick at any given weekend. And after starting from 2nd place, and finishing in 22nd place at Watkins Glen, the #9 team maybe feeling the slip more then anyone. Kasey 'The Rain' Kahne has slid from 3rd to 11th in the standings, in only  5 short weeks. Proving that even if he prefers the rain, sometimes it can pour out of control.

Welcome to The Glen! We have five races till the door shuts, and the Chase begins. For some that are getting desperate, the news just got worse. The Nextel Cup takes a right turn into Watkins Glen. Out of all the tracks that NASCAR visits, two of them are notorious for headaches. This track serves for a frustrating afternoon full of wrecks, spin outs, and engine failure. A road course can come easy to some drivers, others despise the backward thinking, the backward set up, and the backward moves. Every lap on a road course is important, because track position rules the game. Every passed car is a nail bitter. This week both the Cup Series, and the Busch Series are racing at Watkins Glen. That's right, once again we race clockwise. But this time the clock is ticking!

Racers Race:  Watkins Glen

Sunday, 8/13 1:00ET NBC

1. #20 Tony Stewart (9th place -505) vs. #24 Jeff Gordon (8th place -497) - The kings of the road take center stage this weekend. Both drivers have dominated the right turn for years now. Jeff Gordon won his 10th road race in Sonoma earlier this year and will be starting from the 4th starting position. Smoke qualified for an 8th place start, and has taken the checkers 3 out of the last 4 races in Watkins Glen, including the last two. He was a strong contender this season in Sonoma, until he dropped a cylinder in the later parts of the race. Here is the deal; this is Smokes track. Gordon can race any road track in the world, but has struggled at the Glen for the last 4 years. Those same years Tony Stewart started dominating.

2. #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10th place -512) vs. #9 Kasey Kahne (11th place -549) - Both drivers have a ton on the line this next month and a half. Both feel like they deserve to be in the Chase, and both have been struggling as of late. Junior is currently in 10th place in the standings, and for now, in the Chase. Kasey is on the outside looking in, 37 points behind Junior in the standings. 'The Rain' Kahne looked great in practice, and qualified for the outside of the pole. But he has only raced this course twice in a Cup car, with his best finish being 14th. June Bug will be starting in the 11th position, and has had an average finish of 17th place at the Glen. But in the last three years, Junior has taken the right turn on this course. He finished 3rd in 2003, 5th in 2004, and 10th place last year. Experience plays a key role at Watkins Glen.

3. #7 Robby Gordon (27th place -1233) vs. #12 Ryan Newman (18th place -920) - In the nothing to lose category, we have two strong contenders starting in the top ten ot Watkins Glen. Newman will be starting right behind the pole in the 3rd position, but has never finished better then 26th in the last two years. Robby Gordon will start in 6th, and has a great track record with road courses. He won this race in 2003, came in 2nd last year, and has an average finish of 10th place at Watkins Glen. Both drivers don't have a chance to make the Chase, so they have nothing to lose by giving everything they got to make it into victory lane for the first time this year. By the looks of my Fantasy League, everyone is expecting Robby to take it home.

Honorable Mention - #2 Kurt Busch (13th place -686) - The way our Fantasy League works, is we pick 5 drivers that we can use in 3 separate races. For the rest of the races, you can only use the remaining drivers once. I am currently in the lead of our league, and Kurt Busch is my pick this week for Watkins Glen. He has never finished better then 10th place at this track, but seems to be improving on the road course. He came in 5th place on the Sonoma road course, and started that race from the pole. He is also racing the Busch Series this weekend on the same track and was fastest in practice for both the Cup and the Busch Series. Kurt Busch just won the pole for this weekends main event. Yes, I will be cheering for Kurt Busch this weekend!

We Haven't Seen Nothing Yet! 

We have six races till the door shuts. With the Chase looming on the horizon, we are going to drive into it with a full head of steam. Tempers are short, chances are fading, and the difference between success and failure is coming down to personal horsepower. With the format of these NASCAR playoffs, some driver’s seasons are 6 races away from being over. Some drivers have 6 short races to prove that it’s not. If you think the hard racing is getting out of control, hold on to your hats. We are just getting started!

We still have not heard the last of Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth getting into each other. Tony Stewart seems to be making a new enemy each week. Dale Earnhardt Jr. went from descent to desperate in two short weeks. The Busch brothers are destine to make waves in the coming weeks. Kevin Harvick is due for a temper tantrum. Rookie Denny Hamlin is going to make someone take away his spot in the Chase. And we have personalities like Greg Biffle on the outside looking in. The NASCAR season is starting to heat up. And from here on out, no one is going to chill.

Pocono could end up as just a foreword to the pinnacle of this season:

Tony Stewart has been on the edge of a downward spiral that seems to be morphing into personal meltdown. Coming out of a corner last week, Smoke got pinched off by Clint Bower on the wall. After Clint tried to get off of him and gave him some room, Tony reacted with a clear hit sending the 07 spinning into the inside. Bowyer ended up collecting #99 Carl Edwards in the wreck, and Tony Stewart was black flagged for a lap and was stripped of any Lucky Dog benefit. After the race, Bowyer had said he thought Tony was coming in on the inside, and thought he was giving him room, when he realized Smoke was on the outside, it was too late because he made contact with him into the wall. Sometime after, the innocently wrecked Carl Edwards sealed revenge on Stewart on pit row. A clear retaliation from getting wrecked early in the race. Carl Edwards may have missed his chance for the Chase with that move by Smoke. Something that Carl may have to live with over the long schedule of the Chase. Carl had plenty to say to Tony after the race, none of them were nice.

Tony Stewart raced the wheels off his Monte Carlo to come back from a lap down. He had some help from his last week’s nemesis (#12 Ryan Newman,) to get him back on the lead lap, but he still needed a desperate comeback to finish 7th. He secured his spot in the Chase for this week, but to what expense?

This is just one story line in a season that is coming to a head in the next month and a half. There is so much more drama yet to come, so much more chaos must ensue.  

Read Part 1 - The Big One

Read Part 2 - Fear Factor

Display your flag with pride, break out the barbecue, fireworks, sip on a cold one, tune into FOX this Saturday night at 7:30pm ET, LIGHT FUSE, GET AWAY! Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, let's go restrictor plate racing! The biggest American sporting event of the 4th of July weekend is the Firecracker 400. (Or add a few president portraits, and call it the Pepsi 400.) Nothing sends more shivers down the collective racing fans spine then the word, DAYTONA. It doesn't get any better then a Saturday night under the lights at the World Center of Racing. The boys play homage to the stars and stripes, break out their most expensive cars, dress them in festive paint schemes, strap on the restrictor plates, and go racing. Folks, this is as American as apple pie. And just as sweet!

This is not just any race, not just any track, and these aren't anything close to the everyday racecars. And do I need to remind anyone that this is not just any other weekend? Saturday night at Daytona, we are expecting a Firecracker.

Dime Edition

Racers Race: Daytona Preview

Borris Said #160, (Road race ringer,) will start from the Pole, with Tony Stewart #20 on the outside. Jimmy Johnson #48 will be going for his third win in a row for restrictor plate races, starting in the 9th position. It doesn't seem that long ago that JJ was coined an, '####,' by Junior for his performance here. A year later he is considered the favorite for the win. The dark horse pick has to be Denny Hamlin #11 from Joe Gibbs Racing in the Fed Ex Chevrolet. The only way of recognizing that he is a rookie would be that yellow strip on his back bumper. (Rookie Stripe) He will be starting at the 6th position. Look for him to be fallowing his teammate, Tony Stewart #20 in the lead at some point. Smoke is my pick to take the checkers. After some tough luck in the last two weeks, you can bet Tony is looking forward to that green flag more then anyone. Jeff Gordon will be a threat with his momentum coming off of last weeks win. The #24 car will be starting in the 4th position. Elliot Sadler #38, (starting 13th,) looked like he had a great set up in qualifying. The M&M Ford really needs a strong performance for all 10 races that are leading up to the chase. Sentimental favorite, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be starting his #8 Chevrolet at the 36th position. He has got a lot of traffic to drive through, but don't expect it to be too long before he is racing within the top ten. Anyone with the name Earnhardt still dominates restrictor plate racing in my book, and he looked like his old self Friday night in the Busch Series.

Happy 4th of July weekend everyone! Let's start listening for those most famous words of Motorsports, 'GENTLEMAN, START YOUR ENGINES!' 

Within every race there are several races going on. Each driver has something, or someone to race against. In this section I will highlight a few races within this weeks race. The Racers Race. 

Welcome to Smoke Country, aka - Sonoma, aka - Infinion. NASCAR takes a right turn into California this weekend at the famous road course. Two miles and 12 turns seperate the race from the glory. Experience is the special, and patience is on the menu. You need to think backwards with your game plan. Leave your lucky car in Carolina, and bring an extra transmission. Gears will be used and lost, and instead of high-end speed, you need to gear for low-end torque. You race the track, not the drivers. And while we are all used to making our passes coming out of the corners, you want to make your moves going into them. Wine Country, sometimes turns into whine country if your car can't make it 350 miles.

Racers Race: Infineon

1. Tony (Smoke) Stewart #20 vs. Jeff (Give it a Go) Gordon #24 - (Stewart: 6th in standings -367  Gordon: 11th in standings -499) This track could not have come at a better time for both of these driver's. Both hold claim over dominating this track. Both had transmission problems here last year. Both will qualify well. Both can win. Both of them need it. Ok, Gordon needs it. But after last weeks 41st place finish for Stewart in Michigan, he has got pride on the line. Stewart is the defending champion of this track, (despite having to hold his car in gear by hand last year,) and has 2 total wins in Sonoma, compared to 4 wins for Gordon. Has Tony had two bad races in a row this year? Has Gordon had two good races in a row this year? Give it a Go Gordon is coming off of a 8th place finish last week. Although they are not close enough to be racing each other in the standings, I am choosing these two drivers to race each other for bragging rights over the track.

2. Jamie (the other Roush driver) McMurray #26 vs. Ryan (NEWMAN) Newman #12 - Both have run well here, and last year they both ran Dodge cars. McMurray is now with Roush Racing, so it will be interesting to see if his Ford has the same luck. McMurray is currently in 15th place in the standings, while Newman is in 17th. Both need to start making some moves if they want to make the chase. Ryan Newman has an average finish at this track of 9.2, with his best finish of 5th place in 2003. Jamie McMurray has an average finish of 11.7 during his three races at this track, his best finish was 2nd in 2004. I'm going to give Jamie McMurray a slight advantage this week, just because I can.

3. Kyle (Shrub) Busch #5 vs. Denny (Game Boy) Hamlin #11 - Rookie Hamlin just landed in the top ten 2 weeks ago, (currently 9th -486) and Kyle (currently 12th -500) just dropped out. Both of these two young drivers are real close to each other in the standings. Kyle fell  to 12th place, taking him out of the chase. Only 12 points separate him from 10th, so he will probably drive for contention. Don't expect him to drive the wheels off the car this weekend though, he has only raced this track once, and did not fair well with a 40th place finish. Denny Hamlin has never raced this track before in a cup car, so his chances may not appear good. But he did win a road course in Mexico in the Busch series, and I am sure he has won plenty of races at this track on his X-box. I give Denny Hamlin the advantage for character alone.

Honorable Mention - Mark (Marky) Martin #6 - Making his last appearance at this track in Sonoma, will prove how well he has mastered the right hand turn. An average finish of 7.3 will have everyone keeping a close eye on the #6 set up. He has one win at this track, and has never finished worse then 19th in his career.

  And the Top Ten With It! 

In just 21 career starts in the Nextel Cup series, Denny Hamlin not only has his foot in the door, but he has key's to the house. The rookie class of 2006 has been fair, but Hamlin is poised as being in a class of his own. A contender, amongst proven veteran drivers within the chase.

In the last 6 races, Hamlin's worst finish has been 11th. After winning the Bud Shootout in February, Hamlin has been streaky. But his hot streak started after he cut his hand running around the team hauler before Richmond. Denny Hamlin had the spotlight on him before the green flag dropped that Saturday night in his native state of Virginia, and he was still basking in it after an impressive second place finish that same night in Richmond. Ever since, he has been speeding fast into the top ten. After his win at Pocono this weekend, he landed there.

What other word could there be to describe his race this Sunday, other then impressive? He started from the pole, after never racing the track before. Blew a tire, and spun out in turn two after leading 49 laps of 50, and fell to 40th place as a result. What was so impressive is that he never lost total control of the car while it was spinning, and managed to bring it into the pits with minimal damage. His crew was equally amazing, within a day of total pit chaos for most of the league, and got his car back running where they had it before the race started during 11 pit stops. By lap 104, he was back in front. After Gordon wrecked, the red flag came out, stopping the race for 13 minutes. After the restart, Hamlin had less then 6 laps to hold on to his first Cup victory.

Denny Hamlin moved up in the league standings 2 spots to 9th place, and -463 points behind the league leader. Putting a second driver into the top ten for Joe Gibbs Racing. With a third place finish from Tony Stewart, the team looked great at the Pocono racetrack this weekend, and the future looks just as bright for the football coach's team. After the race, most every driver had good things to say about Denny Hamlin's rookie year thus far. Tony said it best ,when he noted that this will not be the last time we will see Denny Hamlin in victory lane this year.

Jimmy Johnson #48 - (Rank: 1st) - Let's face it, he is strong right now. 3 wins, and 7 top five finishes, Jimmy Johnson has held the rest of the league at bay for the whole season. The #48 team looks focused and in control of their own destiny. But destiny is the biggest problem JJ and his team has to face. He has a reputation of being strong at the beginning of the season, then falling flat as the season counts down. And crew chief Knaus, has already used up his cheat sheet in Daytona. No driver has a bigger spotlight on him more then Jimmy Johnson, and Knaus works better in the dark.

Matt Kenseth #17 - (Rank: 2nd, -74 points behind) - Strong and steady. It was looking like this last week in Dover; we should have seen Kenseth slip in the standings. He had wrecked 3 out of the last 4 races on the Monster Mile. But he dominated late, passing teammate Jamie McMurray with three laps left for the win. With 2 wins, and 9 top tens, he would be the league leader right now, if it weren't for the late race comeback from 42nd to 5th from Jimmy Johnson in Dover. 

Tony Stewart #20 - (Rank: 5th, -293 points behind) - Last years defending champ, has been exactly that. Bad boy, turned Bad-#### of NASCAR, has looked poised as the strongest veteran of the league. If he can hold off everyone through his injury, he is going to be the biggest threat for the championship, by reputation alone. I would have to put the Talladega race this year as the shinning example of just how focused Smoke has become. He raced well back from the leaders, avoiding all the reckless drivers, along with the big one, (the term for the multiple car crash that plagues restrictor plate racing,) and finished in 2nd. Where there is Smoke, there is fire, and Tony Stewart's fire has turned into his love for racing.

Kasey Kahne #9 - (Rank: 6th, -296 points behind) - Fresh off his Sophomore Slump, Kasey's third year in the cup has started with one of the fastest cars in the league. His Dodge has dominated the track for weekends at a time. He has three pole position starts, and has tied the league leader with three victories. I wouldn't be surprised to see him double those numbers by the end of the season. And see Kasey take his position as a top five driver for years to come. He is one of the smartest drivers in the league, with one of the fastest cars. His points have proved it. Proving it for the rest of this year is the first step.

Mark Martin #6 - (Rank: 3rd, -216 points behind) - Mark Martin is a legend. Not for winning championships, but for his strong performance week in and week out. He has 8 top tens, including two top 5 finishes, and has looked strong as ever. His story remains just a few small steps away from becoming a favorite for this years chase. He also has room for a few mistakes along the way, but he can't afford any more pit problems. He will make the chase, and he will be the sentimental favorite. But to step it up in this league, you have to get some luck with a few people slipping down.

The Bubble

Denny Hamlin #11 - (Rank: 11th, -519 points behind) - The way it looks right now, Hamlin is the rookie of the year. He has two top 5 finishes, and almost got away with a victory in Richmond. He is shinning in the Busch series this year, with two wins, but that doesn't help his chances for a championship in the Cup series. Just to make the chase this year, would be victory enough for this young gun. I like his chances, but he is going to need  at least 7 or more top ten finishes in the next 13 races. He has no room for error within his learning curve.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8 - (Rank: 4th, -282 points behind) - Anything would be an improvement from last year, and it looks like the tough times may be behind the team. Beating out his good friend Denny Hamlin in Richmond snapped his 27 race winless streak. With three additional top 5 finishes, Dale Jr. is within the top 4 of the league. But history proves it's shaky from the 5th position down to the top ten. To remain in the chase for the #8 team, they still have a lot of work ahead of them. With every great race he has had, he also has suffered some slip-ups. Focus, could be his biggest factor for the remaining 13 races to the chase. That, and getting along with his crew chief cousin.

Jeff Gordon #24 - (Rank: 9th, -428 points behind) - Focus, focus, focus! Between vacationing this year, Gordon has fit in a few races. Although he has 4 top five finishes, he only has a single additional top ten finish.  He has also seen his share of the garage. He has used up all of his mistakes, bad luck, mulligans, excuses, etc. Nothing less then perfection, and he will miss the chase for his second year in a row.

Greg Biffle #16 - (Rank: 12th, -524 points behind) - Don't call it a come back! He has been racing with the leaders all year. If it was not for some rotten luck, he would easily be in the top 5. He has a win, an additional top 5, and an additional 4 more top ten finishes. As long as he is still running at the end of the remaining races to the chase, he will be in the chase. No one has anything to say otherwise.

Carl Edwards #99 - (Rank: 14th, -557 points behind)- Carl needs a win. It just goes to show that even 4 top five finishes is not enough at this early point of the season to feel comfortable. Cartwheeling Carl needs to stay racing within the top ten, to have a chance for the chase. He may have little more room then some of the rest to work with, but even the smallest mistake could send him down within the Kurt Busch ranks of the league.

Casey Mears #42 - (Rank: 13th, -537 points behind) - The beginning of the year looked promising for Casey, but from the third race on, his best finish has been 14th. If you were to ask Casey about his 13th place in the standings, he would be the first person to tell you that he is lucky to be there. He is only 100 points out of the top ten, but anything less then a complete turn around for the #42 team, and the Vegas odds will remain against him.

Get the Hook Ready

Ryan Newman #12 - (Rank: 19th, -709 points behind) - I'm not calling him out of the chase quite yet, but what is wrong with the #12 team? He has had a strong career, but this season is shaping up to be one of his worst. Everyone was convinced he would turn it around at Dover this last week, since he had won there 3 out of the last 6 races. It looked like he would after he won the pole. But a 14th place finish has convinced everyone that something is really wrong within the Penske team. Maybe it's not Newmans fault. #12 can find his way into victory lane on almost any given week. But if the Penske team doesn't get their act together soon, they will have plenty of time to get it together later. The same time everyone else is racing for a championship.

Elliot Sadler #38 - (Rank: 20th, -709 points behind) - Sadler needs a few breaks. Breaks from the spotlight, breaks from his team, breaks on the race track. If he doesn't start driving in the top 15 for the next 13 races, he will have all the breaks he needs.

Dale Jarrett #88 - (Rank: 17th, -649 points behind) - Forget about him leaving for Toyota next year, forget about his first lap wreck in Charlotte, Jarrett still has a great chance. He has a strong reputation for picking up positions, but I think his starting spot maybe his problem. If they can get him qualifying well, it's up to himself to make his way into the top ten. Without engineering help, Jarrett is an old school driver. Class is in session Mr. Jarrett! 

Kurt Busch #2 - (Rank: 18th, -704 points behind) - Your probably wondering why I didn't write about his brother. Although Kyle has a much better chance at making the chase then his older brother Kurt, I don't think a championship is in the cards for either of them. Kurt got his only win this year from bumping Kenseth in the last four laps at Bristol, and he only has an additional top ten finish. At this point, most everyone has a score to settle with both brothers. Expect to see them both into the wall more often then victory lane.

Stick a Fork in Them

JJ Yeley #18 - (Rank: 27th, -818 points behind) - Granted he is a rookie, and didn't have much of a chance to begin with. But people like him. He is a smart driver, and has crazy potential. With a single top ten finish this season, and a 11th place finish in Talladega, it's safe to say that he belongs in the cup. He needs to work on some strong finishes to get a leg up on next year. Regardless of what happens the rest of this season, JJ Yeley will be a contender down the road. Joe Gibbs Racing is a perfect fit for this up and coming star. Let's just hope he can avoid the sophomore slump.

Michael Waltrip #55 - (Rank: 35th, -1083 points behind) - Not too many other drivers are in as much dire straits then Waltrip. He owns his own team and has fallen out of the top 35 in owner's points. Which means he is forced to qualify on speed alone. Any given weekend, he can be sent home early. It happened at Lowes, but Waltrip purchased a qualifying car to meet his contact regulations. It cost him a ton of money, but not as much as he would have lost if he had to pay the penalty for not meeting his sponsor obligations. For the remainder of the season, Waltrip will be racing for owner points. Next year he will be driving a Toyota, and falling out of the top 35 of owner points will be unacceptable for the manufactures first year in the big leagues. Sponsors don't like paying big bucks for a car that doesn't make it on the track for 36 races a year. Waltrip is on the hot seat!

Brian Vickers #25 - (Rank: 26th, -795 points behind) - In his third full season, Hedrick Motorsports was expecting big things from this team. He has three top ten finishes, including a top 5 this season, but being 795 points down from the league leader makes for a ton of work in 13 short races. Nothing short of a miracle, and he will have a snowballs chance in Vegas.

 The Nascar Nextel Cup Series is heating up. Some drivers are feeling the heat more then others. Sound off on a few drivers I missed, or get in a word about some of them I mentioned above. Gentleman, start your engines. Let's Go Racing!