Cross' Words: California (cont'd)

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Chevy Rock & Roll 400 | Richmond | 7 p.m. ET Saturday | ABC
Race No. 26 of 36 | Get tickets | Book travel

• Defending race winner: Kevin Harvick
• Most victories at the track: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart (3)
• Best average finish (minimum five starts): Kyle Busch (3.4 in five starts)
Active drivers only

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• This week's topic
Gibbs-Toyota -- a match made in ...

Surf over and weigh in on the blog.

• Last week's topic
Should a wild-card entry be part of the Chase?

3man
Uh, the "playoffs" are already watered down enough with 12 teams getting in. For three years the Race to the Chase had come down to the last lap at Richmond. ... This year, it was over by Tuesday -- in Michigan.

racefann
Next thing you know they will try and have a "fan entry" into the Chase. Pick a random fan out of the stands, one from the online community and one from the television audience, put them in a car, let them race around the track until only one is left ... and then they can join the Chase, too!

ladybugg2
I do not think there should be a "wild card," or more appropriate "joker," spot in the Chase. Last year when NASCAR decided to add the extra two spots I wondered when they would get back to having all of the cars up for the trophy. Looks like someone is already looking for ways to make that happen.

jwilson
Letting the top 10 in is generous; going to the top 12 is pushing ridiculous.

RaceGirlSS
Please, we have enough handouts in the sport now. How about this novel idea instead: race your way in!

mfowler45945
This Chase thing has not grown on me yet, and the way things keep changing it probably never will.

MikeyA
The Chase is gimmicky enough -- no wild cards, period.

Read all the responses

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

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- OK, 8 haters (and you know who you are), give the guy some props. He white-knuckled it at Cali and has three top-five finishes in the past five races. Engine woes at Indy and The Glen did him in -- not a lack of talent; he can drive. Wait 'til next year ...

• Carl Edwards -- Four consecutive top-10 finishes. The pump is primed for a championship run.

• Kyle Busch -- Back-to-back top-10s -- and he's a beast at Richmond (five top-five finishes in five starts).

• Jeff Burton -- Fourth at Cali was his first top-five since Sonoma -- and he led a lap, the first since Talladega.

• Brian Vickers -- Go west, young man! Two starts at Fontana, two top-10 finishes ...

• Kasey Kahne -- Consecutive top-10s for the first time since Moby Dick was a minnow (actually, Phoenix-Homestead last year).

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

• Ricky Rudd -- Cup start No. 900 ends in DNF No. 188.

• Ryan Newman -- If 2006 was a hiccup, what's '07?

• Dave Blaney -- Eight DNFs this year. ... He had nine between 2004-06.

• Elliott Sadler -- Seven top-10 starts with a 26.8 average finish in those races.

• Michael Waltrip -- Apropos the car went up in flames: no lead-lap finishes in eight starts this year.

• Joe Nemechek -- Consecutive last-place finishes. There's nowhere to go but up.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.