Cross' Words: Martinsville (cont'd)

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Pep Boys Auto 500 | Atlanta | 1 p.m. ET Sunday | ABC
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• Defending race winner: Tony Stewart
• Most victories at the track: Bobby Labonte (6)
• Best average finish (minimum five starts): Carl Edwards (9.8 in six starts)
Active drivers only

Sound off

• This week's topic
Of the drivers no longer in contention for the Cup, whose Chase has been the biggest disappointment?

Surf over and weigh in on the blog.

• Last week's topic
Let's not jump to conclusions but if Jeff Gordon wins his fifth Cup championship, where does it rank?

Ashear
I think this year the champion can honestly say he has fought the best season NASCAR has ever offered.

SPDSHFT
If Jeff wins the championship this year, then he beat the best drivers in the Nextel Cup series today, but that goes for any champion that NASCAR has crowned for the last 60 years.

20rocket
Let me start out by saying I am no huge Gordon fan, but I am mature enough to give the man credit for being a superb driver. Having said that, it's unfair to compare wins or championships from era to era.

bamacarnut
I think all those trophies weigh about the same, but if you are the one hoisting them they are light as a feather -- 1950, 1960, 1970 ... it doesn't matter, it's a biggie for the winner.

3man
Lets get real here, Gordon's team from the late '90s was vastly superior to the rival teams. This championship would just prove once again that money wins in this sport and Hendrick has the most!

RevsUp
If Gordon wins the championship this year it would have to rank pretty high in comparison to his other championships for the simple reason that his lead was erased with 10 races to go.

RACEDATRACK
Possibly be one of the toughest years to win the chase. Gordon, Johnson, Stewart, Kenseth, Busch, all prior Cup Champions -- Chase or pre-Chase. Chase of the champs? Mix in Edwards, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Burton and indeed the field is strong, maybe one of the strongest ever.

sweetkena
Let's hope it does hold more cache. Maybe so much so that he will feel able to call it quits on a high note and we will no longer have to have these goofy debates that are ultimately no debate at all, but rather a JG pep rally with most non-Gordon fans rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

Read all the responses ... (Continued)