Jeff Gordon is now one victory behind Dale Earnhardt for sixth place on the Cup Series' all-time wins list. Credit: Autostock

Cross' Words: Chicago

• NASCAR Nation cannot have it both ways. Either you're on board for hard-nosed racing, or settle into the La-Z-Boy for more neutered racing.

Jeff Gordon's late-race tactic was no different than those utilized by Dale Earnhardt, and for all those who complain about NASCAR being vanilla in the years since Earnhardt's death, Sunday should have been a feel good flashback to the glory days.

	Rookie Reed Sorenson has top-10 finishes in two of the past four races. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers 2006 Cup rookies Driver Races W T5 T10 C. Bowyer 18 0 1 5 D. Hamlin 18 1 3 6 B. Sherman 6 0 0 0 R. Sorenson 18 0 1 4 D. Stremme 17 0 0 0 M. Truex Jr. 18 0 0 1 J.J. Yeley 18 0 0 2

• Speaking of Gordon, he'll top the $75 million mark in career earnings on Sunday. Entering New Hampshire he has won $74,895,269. In case you're curious, Richard Petty took home $8,541,210 in his 35-year career. And for what it's worth, Gordon is still a few weeks shy of even turning 35 years old.

• How good is this year's crop of rookies? Pretty damn good, actually. Four are in the top 25, and 12th-place Denny Hamlin is in the thick of the Race for the Chase.

But wasn't Martin Truex Jr. supposed to be the face of the 2006 newbies? He's been consistent -- 14 top-25 finishes -- and his average finish is 21.7 with three DNFs, compared to Michael Waltrip's 20.2 and five DNFs through 18 races last year.

• After finishing eighth at Chicago, Kurt Busch now has five consecutive top-10s and is 132 points behind 10th-place Jeff Gordon in the Race for the Chase.

Anyone looking ahead to a potential battle between the Busch brothers for a berth in the playoffs? Kyle is only 178 points ahead of his big brother.

• Maybe Six Flags could entice Robert Yates Racing into a sponsorship deal for Elliott Sadler, whose season-to-forget continues its roller-coaster ride.

The No. 38 has only four top-10s this season with an average finish of 20.7. Coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes for the first time since Atlanta and Texas last fall, Sadler was a disappointing 29th at Chicago. ... Oh what a feeling.

• At the half-way point of the season, 30 drivers have won more than $2 million, including eight drivers who have topped $3M. Jimmie Johnson has surpassed the $5 million mark.

• Remember the NFL game that was broadcast sans announcers? I wonder if pay-per-view races -- without the talking heads -- would be a money maker?

Ron Burgundy and Bill Weber

• The line of the day at Chicago was courtesy of Will Ferrell: "The secret to Ron Burgundy is that he is based entirely on Bill Weber." Look it up; we already did.

• Before going all jingoistic over Juan Pablo Montoya getting a Cup ride, know that he isn't the first "not from around here" driver to mash the gas in NASCAR. There have been many international drivers in the sport, dating to Allen Heath of Canada, who made his NASCAR debut on June 30, 1951, at Carrell Speedway in Gardena, Calif. (He finished 17th.)

In fact, Montoya will join a long list of international drivers who have competed in the Cup Series (complete list).

Say Anything

"He can say whatever about payback. I'm not going to question it because whether it is or whether it isn't, it's not even an issue anymore. What happened at Bristol, it happened -- just like what happened here. It's a non-issue. It's racing."
-- Race winner Jeff Gordon, on bumping late-race leader Matt Kenseth on Lap 263

Figuratively Speaking

1,604 -- Laps raced by Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth at Chicagoland. Both drivers have completed 99.9 percent of their laps at the track; coincidentally, they both were one lap down in the 2003 race.

Fast Facts

Jeff Burton and Rusty Wallace

• Jeff Burton, who finished second at Chicago, posted his 11th top-10 finish and 12th consecutive top-15 finish since Texas in April. Does anyone else see the parallel between Burton's season and Rusty Wallace's 2005 campaign?

Burton through 18 races:
→ fourth in points
→ four top-fives
→ 11 top-10s
→ 14 top-15s

Wallace through 18 races:
→ fourth in points
→ four top-fives
→ nine top-10s
→ 14 top-15s

• Reed Sorenson (seventh), Clint Bowyer (ninth) and J.J. Yeley (10th) all posted top-10 finishes at Chicago, the first time in 2006 that three rookies finished in the top 10. At least one of the rookie-of-the-year contenders has scored a top-15 finish in all 18 races.

• Jeff Gordon is now one victory behind Dale Earnhardt for sixth place on the Cup Series' all-time wins list. Big E won his 76th race in his 671st start; Gordon has made 455 starts -- a .165 winning percentage, fifth-best all time. Gordon now has victories at all but three current Cup tracks: Homestead (0-for-7 with six top-10s); Phoenix (0-for-15 with 12 top-10s); and Texas (0-for-11 with four top-10s).

Up Next

New Hampshire | 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday | TNT

ALSO •   Get tickets now •   Book your travel

• Ryan Newman, who finished 36th at Chicago to end a streak of five consecutive top-15s, has top-10s in seven of eight races at New Hampshire. Newman and Jeff Gordon lead all drivers with three Bud Poles at NHIS, while Newman and Jimmie Johnson have top-15 starts in seven of eight races. Newman also is the only driver to led in every race that he has competed in at the track.

• Jeremy Mayfield is expected to make his 400th career Cup start at New Hampshire, while Mark Martin is expected to make his 600th consecutive Cup start. Ricky Rudd holds the all-time record of 788 consecutive starts.

• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with 1,069 laps led in 22 races at New Hampshire. He is one of six drivers with multiple wins (three) at the track and has won a track-record $2,297,714. But if you're looking for a favorite, it's at best a pick 'em: Ford, Chevrolet and a Dodge have a victory in the past three races at NHIS -- Kurt Busch (Ford) in Fall 2004; Tony Stewart (Chevy) and Ryan Newman (Dodge) in 2005.

Mailbag

If you were NASCAR czar for a day ...

E-MAIL •   Send Duane your thoughts ...

I believe the best thing I could do is to put the "Lucky Dog" back on the porch, where he belongs. I know why they have it, so that they don't have to race to the yellow anymore. But the whole idea just grates on me. In NASCAR, everything is earned -- everything! Right down to whether there's a toilet that flushes or a porta potty near your end of the garage. Yet, this thing -- this "free pass," "beneficiary," or whatever you want to call it -- is a gift. It's the exact opposite of what NASCAR racing should be. At the very least, they should implement the "wave around" that IndyCar racing uses. Two laps before the restart, the IRL will let any cars that are between the pace car and the leader to go around and tag the back of the field. This way, the teams get their laps back the proper way, through pit strategy or whatever. This also solves the problem of cars restarting in front of the leader, hoping for (yet) another yellow. Which, of course, they generally get -- often at the expense of the leader.
-- Mike

How about each driver carrying his bonus points into the Chase? Laps led, Wins, and a new category -- Poles. Add these bonus points to each drivers starting chase point totals to set the top ten at the beginning of the final 10 races.
-- Mark

All tracks get only one race, except for 'Dega, Daytona, Bristol, Martinsville, and Darlington once again. The remaining dates then go to North Wilkesboro, Rockingham, a new 1-mile dirt oval to be built somewhere in the Midwest (Iowa maybe ... let's see the younger guns take on Smoke and Dale Jr. on a "unique" racing surface), and new half-mile mile track to be built somewhere like Arkansas or Nebraska or New Mexico. Through the use of worm-hole technology, Sears Point is replaced by Riverside, Calif., Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway's 1.5 cookie-cutter is replaced by Texas World Speedway's high banks. Oh yeah, and the Richmond Fairground Raceway magically reappears with better seating. If it's an All-Star race, each track gets to host it at least once. Finally, two races a year become heritage races -- throwback paint schemes, mesh hats and logos for all!
-- Chris

USG Sheetrock 400 Official Results Pos. Driver Make 1. J. Gordon Chevrolet 2. J. Burton Chevrolet 3. Ky. Busch Chevrolet 4. K. Harvick Chevrolet 5. D. Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 6. J. Johnson Chevrolet 7. R. Sorenson Dodge 8. Ku. Busch Dodge 9. C. Bowyer Chevrolet 10. J.J. Yeley Chevrolet • Complete results, click here • Official standings, click here Victory LaneJeff Gordon celebrates his first Chicagoland victory Top finishersJeff Burton, Dale Jr. and Kevin Harvick at Chicagoland Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

And now on to fan rants ...

OK, let me get this straight. If I understand NASCAR's non-ruling on what Gordon did to Kenseth, this is what they mean:

1) IF my car is faster through the middle of the corner than someone I am racing,

2) AND there is another car two lanes up the hill from me preventing me from having the entire track to pass on,

3) THEN it's OK for me to rear-end the slower car which is just taking it's lane and protecting the bottom?

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Matt Kenseth but I've become even less of a fan of Gordon. Jeff gave some weak justification that Matt was trying to block him or something, when in reality, Jeff didn't chose to slow down or use his steering wheel. Next race should be really entertaining, because NASCAR has effectively green-lighted dumping any car slower than you in the middle of the turn. Am I right, or do you think they going to start selectively applying some rough-driving rules as soon as Golden-Boy Gordon gets touched in the rear next race?
-- Lance

In regards to the announcers with TNT proclaiming NASCAR fans have "no class" for throwing beer bottles (some even half full, which shows how committed they were to getting those projectiles on the track), and any other kind of object within arms reach to hit Jeff Gordon's car following Sunday's race, please keep your opinions to yourself. I'm sure Jeffy was safe in his 4,000-pound car with a helmet on. If I were there, I would have done the same thing in reaction to his crap win. The next time Gordon wins in this fashion, all of the fans need to turn around and throw their empty beer bottles (full or half-full aren't worthy) at Bill Weber, Benny Parsons, and Wally Dallenbach. That would be "classy" in my dictionary. I'm sure they'd change their tune next time about beer bottles getting tossed onto the track after 10 or so minutes of that in their studio. Next time, save the empties under your seat, just in case.
-- Shaad G.

This was a statement day for Jeff Gordon. If Jeff would have finished second it still would have been a great run. Jeff closed a lot of ground on Matt Kenseth and I think Kenseth got nervous and chocked up? Kenseth definitely checked-up and Wally and Benny agreed. Matt needs to stop Whining and grow up. Kenseth needs to remember Bristol. Jeff will be a major force in the Chase!
-- Kevin

Fantasy Perspective

• Dale Jarrett is one of 11 drivers who has competed in all 22 races at New Hampshire. He has 14 top-10 finishes, the most among all drivers.

• Jeff Burton leads all drivers with four victories at New Hampshire -- all for owner Jack Roush, who has a record six victories at the track. Burton led the field for all 300 laps on Sept. 17, 2000, a race run with restrictor plates in response to the deaths of Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty. The wire-to-wire victory was only the third in Cup Series history: Cale Yarborough did it twice -- at Bristol, Tenn., on March 25, 1973, and at Nashville, Tenn., on June 3, 1978.

• Ryan Newman leads all drivers with a 6.625 starting average in eight races at New Hampshire, and his 7.875 finishing average is tops among all drivers with more than one start at the track.

And Finally ...

• Viagra ... Enzyte ... Horny Goat Weed?! Which team will clamor for that sponsorship?

• And since 59 is the new 65 (according to USA TODAY), here's a Where To Live After Retirement guide:

You can live in Phoenix where ...

1. You are willing to park three blocks away because you found shade.
2. You've experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
3. You can drive for four hours in one direction and never leave town.
4. You have more than 100 recipes for Mexican food.
5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.
6. The four seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!

You can Live in California where ...

1. You make more than $250,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.

You can Live in New York where ...

1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan.
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is "nature."
4. You believe that being able to speak at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual.
5. You've worn out a car horn.
6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.

You can Live in Maine where ...

1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup and Tabasco.
2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas.
3. You have more than one recipe for moose.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter and construction.

You can Live in the Deep South where ...

1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2. "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.
3. "He needed killin' " is a valid defense.
5. Everyone has two first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Mary Sue, Betty Jean, Mary Beth, etc.

You can live in Colorado where...

1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and he stops at the day-care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.

You can live in the Midwest where...

1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a tractor.
3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at?"
5. When asked how your trip was to any exotic place, you say, "It was different!"

And you can live in Florida where ...

1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often are driven by headless people.
6. The four seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot and snowbirds.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.