Cross' Words: Daytona

The Cup Series has reached the halfway point, and after 18 races it's clear that Jeff Gordon is the driver to beat. He's riding on rails, it seems -- only one finish outside the top 12 -- as the Hendrick juggernaut has three drivers in the top eight in the point standings. But Hendrick isn't the only storyline.

Richard Childress Racing also has three drivers who are Chase contenders, while Roush, Gibbs and DEI have two cars in the top 12. Yes, the big-car operations are once again dominating.

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Still, that doesn't mean there aren't other drivers who deserve a nod for their efforts, or a shake of the head. The top 12 drivers are there for a reason; they consistently have had good runs. The rest of the 52 drivers have been laboring, many times to no avail.

With half the season in the book and only eight races remaining until the Chase begins, here are how drivers between Nos. 13-24 got to where they are today:

13: Jamie McMurray -- The season began with a crash at Daytona, and by the halfway mark he'd announced his return with authority: a victory at Daytona to end a 166-race winless drought. In between, McMurray has been consistently inconsistent with seven top-15 finishes coupled with nine finishes of 25th or worse.

14: Ryan Newman -- The most-tenured Penske South driver has four poles but has not been able to find Victory Lane, though he does have two second-place finishes. Three DNFs, including two in the first 10 races, also have taken a toll. On the bright side, he is carrying the flag for Dodge as the make's leading driver.

15: Kurt Busch -- If misery loves company, at least the Penske teammates don't have to look far for a shoulder to lean on. Since earning his first win in 2002, Busch has not gone winless this far into a season; on average, his first win between 2002-06 came in Race 6. Generally considered a short-track threat, this year he's getting more recognition for plate-racing successes: season-high third-place finishes at Talladega and at Daytona on Saturday night.

16: Greg Biffle -- With eight races remaining until the Chase field is set, it has been business as usual for Biffle. At least, a continuation of 2006 business. After finishing second in points in '05, many predicted The Biff would be The Guy last year. It's now 2007 and in the past 54 races he's struggled to find his groove: two wins, 10 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s -- all less than his 2005 numbers (6-15-21).

17: J.J. Yeley -- Maybe he's like NFL wide receivers, which generally don't come into their own until Season 3. Nonetheless, Yeley posted his first top-five (runner-up at Charlotte) and has only one DNF. ... Then again, he had only two DNFs through 18 races last year and ended up with seven. Rumors continue to swirl that Gibbs is on the look for a replacement, so the second half of the season may be paramount for J.J.

18: Mark Martin -- He stepped out of the car as the points leader after Atlanta, choosing to stick with his "retirement" plan. He returned at Texas, finished third and was still 11th in points, prompting speculation that he would tweak his schedule and possibly add races if a Chase berth were still in the picture. Alas, he has started eight of the past 11 races and seems content that retirement was the best choice. He's 18th in points in only 13 starts ... what could have been.

19: Casey Mears -- Hendrick teammates Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon garnered eight wins in the first 11 races. Then Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he was jetting DEI, and Hendrick was presumed to be a player in the Junior Sweepstakes -- most likely at Mears' expense. But a funny thing happened on the way, not the least of which was Mears' victory at Charlotte.

20: Bobby Labonte -- If you look closely, the resurgence of Petty Enterprises is there. Even with Kyle Petty stepping out of the car and into the TNT booth for five races, Labonte has continued to carry the stable's flag with class and dignity. He's averaging a 22nd-place finish but Labonte has 10 top-20s in 18 starts (56 percent). That is a big step forward.

21: Juan Montoya -- He's hit more inanimate objects this year than Wile E. Coyote but he's proven to be wily on road courses, winning both the Busch Series race at Mexico City and the Cup event at Sonoma. However, anyone who believed there wouldn't be growing pains for the former open-wheel champion was sniffin' gas fumes. It's a steep learning curve with stock cars, but Montoya is making progress. Slowly.

22: Elliott Sadler -- The year began with a bang (he finished sixth at Daytona), but it's been 17 consecutive weeks without another top-10 finish. Last week the team changed directors -- Josh Browne was replaced by Scott McDougall -- but Saturday night's 33rd-place showing was Sadler's 12th finish of 21st or worse.

23: David Ragan -- Admit it: He's been a lot better than you thought. Ragan has only one DNF to date and though he hasn't posted a top-10 finish since a fifth-place run in the Daytona 500, he has kept his nose clean and finished on the leap lap nine times (eight top-20s).

24: Robby Gordon -- Single-car team, single-minded driver. Gordon's fans steadfastly believe he deserves better, but in doing things his way Gordon is content with how his effort is progressing. Since 2005, when Gordon began fielding his own cars, the No. 7 has made the show in 83 of 90 attempts, including the past 56 in a row. (Continued)