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.

• Send Duane your thoughts

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.

Say What?

"Walking down pit road, saying congratulations to Jeff Gordon, I got blown off. I guess I'm the outsider looking in now and I'll probably not be invited to the team meetings next week."
-- Kyle Busch, after not getting a push from his Hendrick teammates during the closing laps on Saturday night

Figuratively Speaking

10 years -- Length of contract inked between ISC and Coca-Cola marking the brand's makes as the "Official Soft Drink," "Official Sparkling Beverage" and "Official Water" for 10 of ISC's wholly owned and/or operated motorsports facilities.

The announcement came less than 24 hours after the Pepsi 400. At Daytona, an ISC facility. ... Don't let the hauler door hit you on the way out.

• A close second: Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 07, finished seventh on 7-7-'07. ... And you only thought they canceled Seventh Heaven.

And for those of you who missed the Jack Daniel's post-race show on NASCAR.COM: Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 07 Chevy, finished seventh on July 7, 2007.

Up Next

USG Sheetrock 400 | Chicago | 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday | TNT
Race No. 19 of 36 | Get tickets | Book travel

• Defending race winner: Jeff Gordon
• Most victories at the track: Kevin Harvick (2)
• Best average finish (minimum five starts): Jimmie Johnson (3.6 in five starts)
Active drivers only

If you're in the Windy City on Monday night, July 16, snag a ticket to the Giants-Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Ganassi drivers Juan Montoya, Reed Sorenson and David Stremme will be there for a Wrigley's chewing gum promo (their racecars will be downtown at Wrigley's corporate headquarters on Monday) and one of them will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the ballgame.

Word is Sorenson and Stremme are most adamant about being the one to make the first pitch, but for different reasons. Seems that Sorenson uncorked a wild pitch two years ago (and was booed by the fans) and now he wants to make amends. However, Stremme doesn't want to take any chances and believes if he makes the first pitch then the Ganassi stable is assured of making up for Sorenson's gaffe.

The drivers also will lead the Take Me Out to the Ballgame sing-along during the seventh-inning stretch. ... Apparently, Jeff Gordon wasn't available.

Mailbag

Saturday night TNT took the wraps off its Wide Open coverage, which included zero national commercial breaks. Yes, there were commercial breaks for local television and there was advertising on the screen. But for the most part, it was green-to-checkers coverage -- and you can bet that FOX and ABC/ESPN were taking notes.

The fans' response has been just what you'd expect: some liked it, others despised it. Hey, it's the NASCAR Nation way.

If you want to weigh in on the broadcast, click here.

• Here's where I want your opinion: the arrest of Truck Series driver Aaron Fike.

NASCAR is a part of the sports mainstream, and with it comes mainstream problems. Yes, NASCAR has a strict policy against substance abuse. Yes, NASCAR is swift with its punishment.

But should the proverbial "three strikes and you're out" apply to drivers? Should drivers be given a second chance, much less a third, to break the law?

I'm sure there will be liberal and conservative opinions on this. E-mail me yours.

Six of one ...
Drivers with momentum heading to Chicago:

• Kasey Kahne -- Welcome back to the top 10! After posting 41 top-10s in three seasons entering 2007, Kahne kick-started his year with a seventh-place run in February. Hard to believe, but Saturday night was his first top-10 since the Daytona 500.

• David Gilliland -- His 2007 restrictor-plate race finishes: fourth, eighth and 11th. In his other 15 starts, nothing better than 17th (Michigan) with an average finish of 30th. Hopefully he can ride the momentum this time; his average finish following plate races this year: 33.5.

• David Ragan -- The kid likes the superspeedways (though maybe not as much as Gilliland); his top two finishes of the year have come at Daytona: fifth in the 500 on 12th on Saturday night. Anyone notice that Ragan leads Juan Montoya, 8-7, in top-20 finishes?

• Martin Truex Jr. -- His average finish in the past eight races, since Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced his exit strategy from DEI, is 9.1. Junior's is 13.5. ... So, Agent Mulder, does this suggest the new face of DEI getting the best equipment of the litter?

• Robby Gordon -- If you're scoring at home, that's four consecutive top-20 runs (and five in six races) for Gordon, including two top-15s. He's 24th in points and only 98 from cracking the top 20.

• Johnny Sauter -- Daytona has been kind to Sauter this year, yielding two of his five top-20 finishes this year; 16th in February and 18th on Saturday night.

Half a dozen of the other ...
And six drivers who need a jump start:

• Boris Said -- The song says it never rains in Southern California; it says nothing about Northern Florida. ... Dude, you (and a few others) got hosed by a qualifying format that needs an overhaul, pronto.

• Joe Nemechek -- His car carried a tribute to the firefighters who lost their lives in the Charleston, S.C., blaze. It's been tough finding Nemo in the past few weeks (more through-the-field coverage, folks), but it was heartwarming to see the No. 13.

• Scott Riggs -- The good news was that he made the race, his first start since Michigan. The bad news was that engine problems resulted in a 41st-place finish, his fourth fortysomething in 15 starts.

• Tony Raines -- He's now finished 39th three times this year (all in the past seven races). As a point of reference, Rusty Wallace finished 39th three times ... in 706 starts (June 13, 1993, at Pocono; Aug. 18, 1996, at Michigan; June 1, 1997, at Dover).

• Reed Sorenson -- With four DNFs, he's already matched his total from 2006. On Saturday night, he managed to finish, albeit 67 laps in arrears, but that 42nd-place showing was his sixth fortysomething of the year.

• Sterling Marlin -- Saturday night's late-race spin ended with his 36th DNF since the start of the 2003 season. That's one full season -- and a lot of woulda, coulda, shoulda moments for a guy who not so long ago was a championship contender.

And finally ...

Thanks to Bill Marx of the Sporting News Wire Service for this jewel:

Eight drivers who have raced in 2007 who have accumulated enough miles in their Cup careers to reach the moon. At its closest, the moon is about 238,857 miles from Earth, which means Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott, Kyle Petty, Sterling Marlin, Ken Schrader, Mark Martin and Michael Waltrip can get there (but not get back). Rudd leads the way with 317,828.8 miles. Waltrip has 241,044.1. If Dale Jarrett can get back his qualifying mojo, he's next in line with 230,724.9 miles.

... Did you know: Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 07 Chevy, finished seventh on July 7, 2007?

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.