Rusty Wallace is still searching for a win this season. Credit: Autostock

Chase Line: Atlanta

Wallace is done. Martin isn't.

Rusty Wallace has had a fine season, but he simply hasn't been able to run with the Tony Stewarts and the Jimmie Johnsons.

Inside the Chase Standings after Martinsville Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 5,957 -- 2. J. Johnson 5,942 -15 3. R. Newman 5,894 -63 4. G. Biffle 5,874 -83 5. C. Edwards 5,808 -149 6. R. Wallace 5,791 -166 7. M. Martin 5,787 -170 8. Ku. Busch 5,785 -172 9. M. Kenseth 5,785 -172 10. J. Mayfield 5,741 -216 • Race Results, click here • Point Standings, click here • Lap-by-Lap, click here Victory LaneJeff Gordon celebrates his Subway 500 victory Around and downEarnhardt Jr. spun by Harvick, loses a tire Subway 500Catch all the racing highlights from Martinsville Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

With three of the next four races at 1.5-mile speedways, I just don't feel Wallace is strong enough to bounce back and make a serious challenge. His best bet for a win is easily the race at Phoenix, where the flat surface helps negate Roush Racing's advantage.

That being said, Mark Martin still has a slim shot at the title. His performance at Kansas opened a lot of eyes, and even though he is 170 points out, he has the potential to win at least two of the final four races.

Biffle has got to win a race. Now.

I can't help but feel that Biffle needs a shot in the arm in the form of a 185-point day. Biffle has finished third or second no less than five times since Bristol, but he has got to maximize his points.

The show that Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson produced on the final lap in the spring race helped people forget that Biffle had the best car that day. Biffle led nine times for a whopping 151 laps.

He has got to repeat that performance this weekend to get back some the momentum he lost at Martinsville.

Johnson the big winner at Martinsville

Johnson didn't lead a single lap on Sunday, but his third-place finish cost him a mere 15 points to Stewart, who was dominant all weekend at Martinsville. That has to be considered a victory.

It is very tough to figure out how Johnson is doing to do at Atlanta this weekend. He finished second there in the spring after leading 156 laps, but his performance on the high-banked speedways has been inconsistent this season.

Don't go by Stewart's spring Atlanta finish

Unfortunately, a lot of naysayers are going to point to Stewart's 17th-place finish at AMS in the spring. He was the final car on the lead lap, and the car refused to turn.

A lot has changed since then. Joe Gibbs Racing took longer than expected to adjust to NASCAR's 2005 rules, but they hit their stride around midseason and they haven't been off much since.

Even if Stewart's car refuses to handle this weekend, Stewart will find some way to get a top-10 finish out of it.

Newman needs to win the pole

Qualifying will be held on Friday night at Atlanta, and Ryan Newman needs to kick-start his weekend by qualifying near the front.

Newman has only had one bad race in the Chase. He was 23rd at Kansas after starting in the back due to a transmission change, and starting in the rear simply killed him after he suffered damage in an early wreck.

Newman hasn't won from the Bud Pole in over two years, and that streak is bound to end sometime, so I will be watching Newman very closely on Friday.

Ryan Smithson is a senior writer for NASCAR.COM. Chase Line appears each Monday for the remainder of the season.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.