Finally! We are here. 5 suspended Crew Chiefs, 175 total points reduced, and a winning duel car starting from the back. The 2007 Nextel Cup Season is already in top RPM's, and the green flag is going to drop.

I can't remember another Daytona 500 that had this many story lines going into it. When it comes to qualifying for the 500; rules will be bent, strategy will be played, and the Big One is always going to happen. We set the stage, then we drive over it.

Put all that into your rearview mirror. When the Daytona 500 goes green, none fo that matters anymore. It's all about staying in one piece, who you can make friends with in the draft, bump drafting, and avoiding that wreck. And for the Daytona 500 of the 2007 Nextel Cup Season, it's all about #20 Tony Stewart.

The prize purse is 18 million, with last place paying $226,000. Gentleman, Start Your Engines!

Dover Down

It was Dover Downer for most Chasers this weekend in Delaware. Some huge names may have just been dropped off the short list. While no one is mathematically out of it, they need a ton of speed to even have another chance. Just like everybody else, Monday came too soon.

 

Mix fire with water, and watch the steam. Kasey ‘The Rain’ Kahne watched all his Championship hopes go up in Smoke. Literally. 11 laps into the race, it was over. It was Tony Stewart getting loose and wrecking, and taking Kahne with him. Smoke didn’t want to ruin any Chasers chances, but had no control over taking Kasey out. Putting the #9 in the garage for over an hour. Right as he exited the car, the TV reporters had their shot. The look of despair. The declaration of done. Kasey sits in 9th place in the standings, -182 points from the league leader.

 

“We’re done.” Were also the first words out of Kyle Busch when asked what his chances of a Championship were after engine failure retired him from the race in Dover. (TNT Sports) With a rare Hendrick Motorsports engine trouble, Shrub suffered his second blow in two Chase playoff races. Leaving nothing left of his Championship chances. And 10th place and –224 points behind, proves it.

 

Junior had another tough week behind the wheel of the #8. “It’s another frustrating day.” (Fox Sports) He held on to the top line, and looked good coming out of the corners, but tire trouble kept him losing ground all afternoon, and losing ground of any hope for the Cup at the same time. In 6th place and –102 points out of it, nothing short of dominating will be needed to give him a chance this year.

 

Jimmie Johnson continues losing his dream of the Cup. After last weeks wreck, he showed up this week with a solid car, but pit trouble put him in 40th place, and had too many positions to make up in one afternoon. It also looks like too much ground for him to make up, to be considered for a Championship. Sitting in 8th place, and –136 points off the top, the chances are fading as fast the #48 was for most of the year.

 

That could be it for all of them. The list of contenders may have just got shorter. Dover Downer already feels like a Monday hangover. It’s time to go back to work.

Tony Stewart Misses the Chase

There will be no post season for the #20 Home Depot Team. The defending champ, just got stripped from that title as well. The 2006 Chase line-up is set, but there is still questions that need to be answered. Does the Chase need Tony Stewart? Is this another example of why NASCAR needs to expand the Chase points window? And, how important is it to NASCAR to have all their top stars in the Chase? I'm sure Tony Stewart got all these questions asked to him after the final race to the Chase in Richmond, and I am sure I saw Smoke coming out of his ears as he did.

No, the Chase doesn't need Tony Stewart in the 2006 Chase. If the truth was that all the top stars in NASCAR were in this years Chase, then Smoke should be in there. But the fact is plenty of top drivers missed the cut this year. Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Kurt Busch missed the Chase, and all of them have to be considered great drivers in todays league. That is what makes this format so exciting! They take the best of the best, and race them for the Championship. Tony Stewart had a great year, but not a championship year. He had his injury to deal with, along with 3 DNF's, and his fair share of enemies that kept him out of the top ten drivers of the league at this point.

Yes, this is another example of why NASCAR does have to make some changes to the Chase window. Since the Chase format was introduced, the 400 point window has not come into play yet. They need to reward more points for race wins, and expand that window to 500 points. By expanding the point window, they are not giving any free DNF's to top drivers, it would just put less focus on the top team in the league. This year was a perfect example, after Jimmie Johnson ran away as the league leader from the first race of the year, it had taken Matt Kenseth till last week to catch him. A great team can go all year without engine problems, but a smaller team would never have that chance. The league cannot use Hendrick Motorsports, or Roush Racing as it's yardstick. It is just not fair to the rest of the league.

It is important to have the top stars of NASCAR in the Chase. And that is exactly what we have this year. The best of the best this year are all going to be racing for the Cup in the last ten races of the year. Not all the stars made the Chase, but the best of the stars did. The 10th place, and last driver to make the Chase, was Kasey Kahne. The #9 has a league high of 5 wins this year. Kahne matches Stewarts 3 DNF's, but has 3 more wins then the defending champ. The league, and all the sports fans have to agree that Kasey deserves to be in the Chase more then Smoke. As with the rest of the 2006 Chasers. This years Chase proves how tough this league has become. To make the Chase, you need to be the best in the league. As it looks right now, the best are in there. Tony Stewart is the best of the ones that didn't make the cut. But NASCAR has to happy with the stars that did make this years post season.

Even though Stewart was clearly upset that he missed the Chase, and was clearly upset with his team and performance of his car. With a name like Smoke, you don't have to look far to wonder where it came from. But through all the heated words, and frustrated dialog, and smoke signals, even Stewart himself admitted to the best factor of the Chase format. "This is proof of how tough this series is and how tough it is just to make this Chase." (FOX Sports) The Chase does need some minor adjustments, and this year holds all the answers to those questions that need to be asked. Most of them can be read through the Smoke signals.

Racers Race: The Sticky Six

We start off with a #### at Indy with the Brickyard 400, and then take a right turn into Watkins Glen for a road course. Then we make a go at Michigan, watch out for Bruising Bristol under the lights, then we travel west under the California Stars. Everyone will be really risking it by the time we get to Richmond, and then it's go or go home in the last race till the Chase in New Hampshire.

The Top ten drivers, or anyone within 400 points of the league leader, will race for the Cup. After these six races the Chase begins, and the remaining 10 races in the season after that are for the Cup. The Championship is the same distance away from all the drivers that make the Chase. The rest have 10 long races to prepare for next year.

At this point in the season we have two clear Contenders, it won't take more then showing up at the track to get them into the Chase. Then there are the Fortunate Few. These drivers need to defend the Kingdom; they have a strong hold over their spots in the standings, but need to work to stay there.  The Bubble is reserved for the dog fights, the drivers that will need to be strong, fight, and if need to, claw and crawl their way into the Chase. The Bubble can grow big, with plenty of room for a bunch of drivers, but could burst on any given weekend at the track. Then we got our Lucky Dogs. Those few that could catch hot, catch a few breaks, catch the Chase. The rest are just the Holla Boys.  Call them in for dinner, because they are done.

The Contenders

Jimmie Johnson #48 - (Rank: 1st) - 3/1 odds for Cup No doubt, Jimmie Johnson can drive. He has completely dominated this year, and has held the rest of the league at bay. He has three wins, and an incredible 16 top tens. Damn! When Tony Stewart was complaining about young drivers not knowing how to drive, because they never get to race up front with the big boys, he was talking about racing with Jimmie. He started the year dominating right off of his Daytona 500 win. That same win his crew chief Chad Knaus got suspended.

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Matt Kenseth #17 - (Rank: 2nd, -97 points behind) - 7/2 odds for Cup

The only person that has been as consistent as the #48, is the #17. Matt Kenseth is my mate. Along with his crew chief Robbie Reiser, Matt Kenseth is a Wisconsin native. They both used to race each other on short tracks in Wisconsin. And hated each other. Robbie Reiser joined his father with Roush Racing in the Busch Series, till Robbie stepped down from driving duties, and began owner/crew chief duties on the Busch Series Team. When his next driver got hurt, he made a call to his former nemesis. Matt Kenseth has been answering that call ever since. In 2003 he won the last Winston Cup with Reiser as crew chief. He had 9 top tens at this time during his championship year. This year, he has 10 top five finishes, including two wins. My Dime Worth - He needs to keep it cool; he needs to stay away from Jeff Gordon, and not race anywhere around Smoke. And that's going to be his biggest problem. He has to. Actually, it won't be either of those two that take him out, but it will be someone like Kyle Busch that will ruin his chance at the title. Although I do have money on him from the start of the season, and this may be my way of trying to make him win it. I don't mind if I am wrong, because I get paid. And he is one hell o####uy, a great driver, with one of the best crew chiefs, and he is the number one driver on Roush Racing. He could will it all. But he is not my pick this year. Sorry buddy, it's all about the luck factor.

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Fortunate Few 

Jeff Burton#18 - (Rank: 3rd, -318 points behind) - 18/1 odds for Cup Burton is having one hell of year! He can't be stopped, and is looking like a poised veteran with a perfect game plan coming into the Chase. He still hasn't gotten that much needed win, but with an average finish of 12th place this season, he doesn't have to. Since April, #31 has placed in the top ten for every race except three. The three races he finished outside the top ten, he placed in the top 15. Everyone says that there is no doubt that Jeff Burton will make the Chase, and many people are talking like he will win it all. No one has been as hot as Burton this summer, and he doesn't look like he is cooling off anytime soon. My Dimes Worth - Regardless of where he finishes this year, he looks like he did from 1997 to 2001.  If you told me at the beginning of the year that he was going to be racing for a Championship by the end of it, I would have fell off my chair and wondered what year it was. He has always been strong, but this year he has been as tough as anyone. Burton proved he is that driver we knew he has been in the past, and is still proving it. But can you really imagine Jeff Burton as the 2006 Nextel Cup Championship? I just don't see it.

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Kyle Busch #5 - (Rank: 4th, -357 points behind) - 10/1 odds for Cup

Shrub has been streaky all year. The most important streak has been lately. Sitting in 4th place in the standings, Kyle hasn't had very much help getting there. He is still a Busch brother. But he has not placed less then 14th in the last 6 races. An incredible 10 races he has lead at least a lap. Being a part of Hendrick Motorsports has proved to be fruitful for the younger Busch. He has a great chance of making the Chase. Ever since he was put on probation (from one of my favorite scenes of this season,) we haven't felt too many waves from Shrub. Little Busch, keep your nose clean, you can't make enemies anytime soon. My Dimes Worth - If there is anyone that can go from 4th place in the standings this week, to sitting outside of the Chase in 6 races, it's Shrub. Granted he is really hot right now, and is coming off a win in New Hampshire, but how long can it last? How long before he gets put into a wall with all these tough drivers fighting for a spot in the top ten. If your on the Bubble, and want to make the Chase at this point, you need some strong finishes, and for someone to give up their spot in the top ten. Kyle has a bulls eye on his bumper. No one is going to need to make an excuse for wrecking him. Kyle has payback due from half the league.

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Kevin Harvick #29 - (Rank: 5th, -376 points behind) - 15/1 odds for Cup

Harvick could easily win both the Busch Series Championship, and the Nextel Cup Championship. He got a win this year in Phoenix, and is coming off of 4 straight top tens, and 3 straight top five finishes. He has a strong chance at doing well in Indy this weekend. Richard Childress Racing has made a great comeback this year, and Harvick just extended his contract this season. The #29 team has proven that they are a strong contender, and Harvick has a great chance at the title. His average finish this year is 14th. His average finish for the last three years at the Brickyard this weekend is 6th. My Dimes Worth - He is really going to be tough to beat. Harvick can race with anyone in the league, and is going to come into Chase really strong. If he did win both Championships in Busch and Nextel, it would be quite the statement. But what are the odds of that happening? I'm not saying that it couldn't, and this year is looking like he has the Busch Series wrapped up. But even though Richard Childless Racing is looking great most every week this year, I still think there is a few more bugs to work out of the system before Harvick can take the Nextel Cup. He will be a contender, and he will be strong and mean. He will wreck someone soon. You can count on that!

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The Bubble

Mark Martin #6 - (Rank: 6th, -382 points behind) - 8/1 odds for Cup

What a story this year is making for Mark Martin. In his last year as a full time Cup driver, he has been the example of consistent. His 7 top tens don't give his stats justice. He has 3, count them, 3 races this year that he has finished outside the top 20. That is amazing! And that is why he is a solid contender to make the Chase. He still has to fight off a few of the guns that are coming up hot, but anything less then a total turn around, and he will make the Chase. Roush Racing has had a great year with so many good drivers, and his crew chief Pat Tryson has given him great cars. He has never won a Championship, and will be a huge fan favorite to win it all. My Dime Worth - He doesn't have a chance. If he was racing like this a few years ago, he would have won a few Cups, but this year is just too tough of a field. Mark Martin doesn't need a championship to go down as a legend. He is one of my favorite driver stories of the bunch. Every single young driver gets the Mark Martin talk as a perfect example of how to succeed in this league.  And not a single one of them will argue any point. Man, I would absolutely love to see him win it. But that's destiny.

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Kasey Kahne #9 - (Rank: 7th, -424 points behind) - 6/1 odds for Cup

Kasey 'The Rain' Kahne! I have been trying to make the knick name 'The Rain' stick to Kasey for 2 years straight now. Someday when you hear it on TV, you will understand my influence on NASCAR. No one can argue that he has been hot, I just think he is one cool cat. This kid is probably the smartest driver in the league. When Evernham Racing gives him a solid car, along with a solid set-up, he can't be beat. Kahne has won three races off the pole this year. That's called dominating the track weekends at a time. He has 4 total wins this year, and that's a league high. The Rain is a lock for making the Chase in my book. The only reason why I say that is because his 2 DNF's and some stupid garage errors may have put him in 7th place in the standings, but he is easily one of the top 5 drivers of the year. My Dime Worth - This is his third year in the league, and the 4th year is the charm in NASCAR. Yes, as soon as the last race of the year is over in Miami, I am putting money down on him in Vegas for 2007. Kasey is going to Reign, I mean Rain on NASCAR for years to come. A multiple Cup champion in the waiting. Evernham Racing has just a few kinks to work out before he can take his place in greatness. He is going to compete big time towards the end of the year, and everyone will be surprised at how much of a threat he will be. But sorry Rain, it's just not your year. Next Year!

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Denny Hamlin #11 - (Rank: 8th, -425 points behind) - 30/1 odds for Cup

Game Boy, (another nick name I'm trying to stick,) is running away with the Rookie of the Year Award. At the beginning of his first year in the Cup, this kid purchased a private jet. Just like the big boys. He put a huge loan out on his future, that was unheard of by any driver his age and experience. A tall statement to everyone in the garage. Now, not a single person, or bank in the world would question his credit. He has 2 wins, 2 more top fives, and 4 additional top ten finishes. Add on to all of that, he won the Bud Shootout before the year got started. Since the All Star break, he has a single race finish outside of the top fifteen. A 17th place finish, sandwiched 2 races away from his 2 wins in Pocono. Everyone knows if you can do well in Pocono, it translates to Indy. He won two poles this year in Pocono, to match his two wins. The Brickyard 400 is this weekend. He is a favorite to take the checkers. My Dimes Worth - If he can avoid the sophomore slump next season, he is going to take over the NASCAR nation quickly. In my opinion he has more natural talent as a driver, then anyone I can remember. He has arguably the best crew chief in the league, Mike Ford. Being a part of Joe Gibbs Racing, with his teammate Tony Stewart, has him learning fast. And no one in his rookie class can be compared to him. Game Boy could win the whole damn Cup this year, if his luck can continue. He is that much of a real deal.  Joe Gibbs has put together an incredible team, with the #11 Fed Ex Chevrolet. He still has some work to do to keep his spot in the Chase, but someone is going to have to wreck him to take it. Game Boy is my Dark Horse pick to take the Cup!

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Jeff Gordon #24 - (Rank: 9th, -427 points behind) - 8/1 odds for Cup

Gordon has been hot in the second half of the season. He proved he is the master of the road course, and we have Watkins Glen right around the corner. He also made that declaration at the beginning of the year that we were going to see a tougher side of him. That he was going to work on his image around the garage. Everybody has to admit that he has done that. He isn't backing down from anyone on the track. And he is not backing down from anyone off the track while he is wearing his helmet. He has taken his lickings, and got some people ticking. He has 7 top fives, with two wins. And he easily has to be the favorite for both Indy and Watkins Glen. If he can be strong for both of those races and get another top ten in the next four, he will make the Chase no matter what. My Dimes Worth - I believe he will make the Chase, and he has everything he needs to win a Championship. I just don't think that anyone is going to let him. He could possibly have 2 teammates to race against in the Chase. And you have got to figure he is the #2 driver in their garage. Gordon is not even close, when comparing him to Jimmy Johnson this year. Hendrick Motorsports is going to have to give priority on certain things. Not that Gordon needs priority to win, but the #48 team is not going to help his chances. I'm not sure anyone else around the league is going to help him either. He won't win another Cup this year, because it is just going to be too difficult for him. The odds are against him.

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Tony Stewart #20 - (Rank: 10th, -462 points behind) - 8/1 odds for Cup

There is absolutely no doubt that Tony Stewart will make the Chase. He has been in it all year, and yes, he is that good. I can't tell you how many times I have seen Smoke charge through 20 cars in 10 short laps this year. He is the best driver in the league, and is on one of the best teams in the league. Joe Gibbs Racing is insanely tight. They have a handle on everything in that garage this year. From top to bottom. Even his over the wall crew is arguably the best. Smoke has 10 top tens, 8 of them were top fives, 2 of them were wins. He started the season scrapping with Kenseth, and then he chilled while he was racing well. Now he is easily the biggest league shaker of the group. It started with a rough streak of bad luck, and flipping his car in the Busch Series. Besides his win in Daytona for the Pepsi 400, he had not had a better finish then 28th in 5 races while he was injured. He had a cylinder go down on him in Sonoma, and wrecked in Michigan. Obviously it got to him, because he has made some serious mental meltdowns since. My Dime Worth - He has recovered from his injury! His crew chief Greg Zipadelli knows how to handle him. Joe Gibbs knows how to leave him alone. And everyone that thinks that he is just going to fold up, and sel####estruct, needs to come back down to earth. This is not a job for Tony Stewart; he would be at this racetrack if he didn't get paid a dime.  Do you honestly think he is losing any sleep over Carl Edwards wanting to kick his ####? He has already had his bad luck. There can't be any bad luck left for Stewart. He will win the 2006 NEXTEL CUP. Yes, he is my personal pick, (not my Dark Horse pick,) and not because I am a fan, but because he is the best driver in the league. Smoke will make an #### out of anyone for not picking him for the Cup. You don't have to root for him. He can do it all by himself. He doesn't need your help. He doesn't need anyone.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8 - (Rank: 11th, -477 points behind) - 6/1 odds for Cup

You don't have to be a fan of the #8, because they have enough fans already. But after you meet the guy, you can't help but like him. He is a class act! During this much needed off week for the league, Junior organized a party for his online NASCAR gaming league. Can you imagine playing your X-Box and wrecking the #8 in Bristol, and finding out it really was Junior? Since he beat out Denny Hamlin in Richmond, snapping his 27 race winless streak, the #8 team has been solid. That was till he had 2 DNF's, two straight last place finishes, the last two races. The Number One Draw in NASCAR is falling fast. From 3rd place in the standings to 11th, and 15 points outside the Chase in two short weeks. He has a road course to get through, along with this week at the Brickyard to test him. He should fair well in Richmond and Bristol, but he needs to really stay focused to make the Chase.  Focus, could be his biggest factor for the remaining 6 races to the chase. That, and getting along with his cousin, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. My Dimes Worth - June Bug, it's time to get. You really need to focus here. I can't tell you if I have ever seen Junior look better than this year. His stats would beg to differ, but he really has matured into a complete contender. He knows more then anybody that he gets over hyped by the fans and media; He really is humble about it. He knows he needs Championships to justify all the attention. This year he looks more like that full package. He is settling for good finishes, instead of driving the wheels off his ride. He is talking with his crew chief, helping with adjustments, and taking peoples advice around the garage. The #8 team has had some bad luck the last 2 weeks, but they will remain focused. They will make the Chase, and he can win the Cup this year. I'm not picking him, but I hope that this is his year. My favorite Junior moment this season was when he was leading and a caution came out. His crew had to come on the radio and tell him to slow down so the pace car can get ahead of him. He replied that he wasn't used to racing up there, and didn't know what he was doing. That's Little E!

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Greg Biffle #16 - (Rank: 12th, -506 points behind) - 10/1 odds for Cup

Arguably having the worst luck of the year would be the #16 team. For every great finish this year, he has had his fair share of wrecks, and engine trouble. But there is not one person around the garage that is not keeping a close eye on him. Somewhat below everyone's radar he has picked up 10 top ten finishes, 5 of them top fives, and he has that win in Darlington. No one has forgot that he had 6 wins last year. That he was runner up for the Cup. He is going to be a huge threat for the Championship in just a few short weeks, and will make the Chase. My Dimes Worth - I have not forgotten how great of a driver he is. Roush Racing has certainly not forgotten how much of a threat he will be this year. We are coming up to his most consistent time of the year. The tracks he has performed well on are 4 out of the next 6 races. Greg Biffle's chances look really good, and I think he will end the year in the top 5 of the league. If he can stay off the wall, he will turn everyone's head. But the fact that he can't make it into the top 5 before the Chase, he will start from a hole. And we have too many strong drivers starting from the top.

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Kurt Busch #2 - (Rank: 13th, -628 points behind) - 30/1 odds for Cup

Fresh off his wedding, Kurt should be all smiles. He has is girl, and has been hot for two months straight. Six of the last seven races he has placed in the top ten. A sign that Penske Racing may be turning around their luck. He has a ton of work to do to get into the Chase, but you can't call him out of it quite yet. He can do well in Indy, and I know he will be strong at Watkins Glen. Plus, we still have another race in Bristol before the Chase starts, and he won the first race this year on that short track. Of course you can't bring up his win at Bristol without the fact that he spun Kenseth out to get it. My Dimes Worth -

Yeah Right! Do you really think someone is going to let him into the Chase? Kurt has less of a chance at a title then his little brother, and I don't see it in the cards for either of them. He still needs to perform, because I am depending on him for my fantasy team. I may have lost a bit of faith with the Penske team this year, but I don't doubt that they will make up for it in the near future. Both Kurt Busch and #12 Ryan Newman are great drivers. But it's been a tough year for both teammates.

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Carl Edwards #99 - (Rank: 14th, -697 points behind) - 20-1 odds for Cup

Carl is having a hard time staying consistent this year. He has had some great races with 6 top five finishes, but he can't find his way into victory lane. The #99 team hauler driver for Carl made a vow not to shave till Carl won a Cup race this year. By now, all it has become is a constant reminder that we have not seen a black flip from Carl on the big stage all year. After getting into it with Smoke this weekend, we saw evidence that the stress has gotten to him. Yes, that move by Smoke probably lost his chance of even making the Chase, but that's not the only reason. It may have just been the nail in the coffin. My Dimes Worth - Roush Racing has been messing him up all year. He changed crew chiefs, has had some pit trouble, engine failure, and a few wrecks. Roush Racing is a strong team, but they have a clear pecking order in their roster. It's the only reason why drivers do leave Roush Racing; they don't like being a 3rd, 4th, or 5th driver on the food chain. It's a problem with all big teams in NASCAR, but Roush is the biggest. Carl is a young driver, and he has a great head on his shoulders. This just didn't work out to be his year. Next year he will make the Chase, but he still will be a couple of years out from a Championship run. This year he will blame the #20 for missing the Chase.

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Casey Mears #42 - (Rank: 15th, -754 points behind) - 150/1 odds for Cup

It has been in interesting year for Casey Mears. I really thought he was going to step it up this year, and team Ganassi was going to become a threat every week. The #42 started hot at the beginning of the year, but fell short quickly. He has 5 top ten finishes, but 3 of them were the first three races. Next year Juan Pablo Montoya will take over riding duties in the #42 ride, but it's not because they are kicking Casey to the curb. Mears seeked out greener pastures in Hendrick Motorsports for 2007. He will join Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and his old enemy Kyle Busch. My Dimes Worth - I think the change is good for both parties involved. Ganassi gets to re-team with Montoya, and Casey gets a ride on an elite NASCAR team. He can catch hot in these closing races to the Chase, just for the fact that there is no pressure on him to perform. I think he will have a better chance next year with his new team. He will have a fresh start, and a head start on next year with the help of Hendrick Motorsports. This year, he just made the cut for not being a Holla Boy. 

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Holla Boys

Brian Vickers #25 - (Rank: 16th, -805 points behind) - In his third full season, Hendrick Motorsports was expecting big things from Brian. As it turns out, Vickers was expecting the same thing from Hendrick Motorsports. Now he wants to try his luck next year in a Toyota and drive for Red Bull. He kind of turned out to be the last one in the order of his current team, and I think he wanted more attention. I think this is a smart move for this young kid. He has plenty of years left to try and build a new team from the ground up. There will be more tough times yet to come for Brian Vickers, but it will make him better in the long run.

Ryan Newman #12 - (Rank: 18th, -859 points behind) - Newman is having less then the year that he was expecting to have. Penske Racing has been on fire in the IRL, but have been struggling in NASCAR. I really don't have the answer for them, but I think they will come around in 2007. I'm sure in Ryan Newman's mind, it can't get any worse.

 

Elliott Sadler #38 - (Rank: 20th, -904 points behind) - Sadler story is the same that it was after the first ten races of the year. He needs a break. He found one in his opt out clause of his contract at the end of the year. He will be leaving Robert Yates Racing along with his teammate Dale Jerrett. Leaving Robert Yates without a single driver for the Cup. As it looks like now, David Gilliland will take one of them. Virtually a no name till he stunned the world by winning a Busch Series Race. I wish David, Dale, and Elliott the best of luck next year. It will be exciting for me if Sadler get's in with Evernham Racing. He would make a great addition to what is going to be a strong team next year.  

Dale Jarrett #88 - (Rank: 17th, -649 points behind) - Forget about him leaving for Toyota next year, forget about his first lap wreck in Charlotte, forget about Dale Jarrett for this year. Joining Michael Waltrip next year, and driving a Toyota is going to be make for some more tough times ahead of him. Jarrett is a strong driver. He has a strong fan base, and is well respected by everyone in the league. Both Jarrett and teammate Sadler had a tough time this year with Robert Yates Racing. They just didn't have any engineering help. That's why both drivers are leaving the team at the end of the year. I wish Robert Yates well, and I hope that he can turn his team around next year with some new drivers and a fresh start.

 The Nascar Nextel Cup Series is heating up. Some drivers are feeling the heat more then others. We have six races till the Chase begins! 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!