Cross' Words: Martinsville (cont'd)

Six of one ...
Chase drivers with momentum heading to Atlanta:

• Jeff Gordon -- Four consecutive top-five finishes and five in six races, with a Chase-worst 11th-place finish. ... It's killing my buddy Marty Fowler that Gordon is leading the pack. But he'll get over it.

• Jimmie Johnson -- Hasn't finished outside the top 15 in the Chase, and needs to out-point Gordon by 14 in each of the final four races for repeat. ... JJ would be better served to tug on Superman's cape, or spit into the wind, or pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger.

• Kyle Busch -- Kansas and Talladega, those two races sealed his fate. Then again, with the way JG and JJ are racing -- one mulligan is too many to hope for this year. ... You know, he still could make a run to help Hendrick sweep the top three.

• Matt Kenseth -- Fifth-place run at Martinsville ended a streak of four races in which his best finish was a very uncharacteristic 26th. ... He should continue to good karma by putting a Packers sticker on the car this week in memory of Max McGee.

• Denny Hamlin -- Sixth at Martinsville, which isn't surprising; his average finish in 15 Car of Tomorrow races: 10.2, with a win, six top-fives and 11 top-10s. ...

• Clint Bowyer -- Another top-10 (four in six races) -- but despite three top-two runs, a ninth, 11th and 12th just isn't enough this year. ... His invite to the annual Atlanta weekend Halloween party at Casa Cross on Saturday night must've gotten lost in the mail; we'll toast with his sponsor, though.

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

• Kevin Harvick -- Tenth at Martinsville was his second top-10 of the Chase.

• Carl Edwards -- One of 10 Chase drivers with a top-15 at Martinsville; tough to make up ground with everyone so tightly bunched.

• Jeff Burton -- Who would've believed RCR's "star" drivers -- Harvick and Burton -- would have as many top-10s combined as upstart Bowyer?

• Tony Stewart -- He's been off his game every third race in the Chase. Expect big things at Atlanta and Texas. Phoenix, not so much? We'll see ...

• Martin Truex Jr. -- It's been all downhill since finishing fifth at New Hampshire. But hey, Preseason Thunder is less than three months away!

• Kurt Busch -- He was treading water through the first four races -- moving up in the standings while losing points. Now he's just taking on water.

And finally ... Think "pink with a wink"

We've all seen the special paint schemes, watched the TV specials and read the articles -- but do more than pay lip service to breast cancer awareness.

Unlike some monthly specials, breast cancer shouldn't be top-of-mind for 31 days; it's deadly if left undetected -- or worse, untreated.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S. According to the American Cancer Society, it's estimated that about 178,480 women in the U.S. will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2007.

Breast cancer is much less common in males; by comparison, the disease is about 100 times more common among women. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007 some 2,030 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men in the U.S.

• For more information on breast cancer, click here.

OK, now have some fun with it -- "pink with a wink," if you will. Check out the story of Kelly Rooney and her "Save 2nd Base" team.

I encourage other baseball coaches and softball coaches to "Save 2nd Base" -- not just during fall ball, but when the spring season begins, too. It's a worthy cause and one that your grandmother, mom, wife, daughter, girlfriend and friend-girls will appreciate.

And you never know, you or I may need to "Save 2nd Base" some day.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.