Cross' Words: Martinsville

Martinsville was a microcosm of what has become a year-long Silly Season. Jeff Green finished par for the course, but less than 24 hours later Davie Bowie was warming up the vocals -- Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes -- and Jeremy Mayfield was warming up the driver's seat for the No. 66.

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Mayfield, who at Martinsville failed to make the field for the 19th time this season, has been signed to replace Green, who has started all 32 races.

Meanwhile, Johnny Sauter, who had a top-15 qualifying run, also lived up to his 2007 race-day billing -- but the other shoe dropped with the dismissal of Green.

Scott Riggs was signed earlier this month to drive for Haas CNC -- but it was not said which car he would drive: the No. 66 or the No. 70.

Mayfield will finish the season in the No. 66. Sauter will drive the No. 70 for the final four races, while Riggs will continue to try to qualify the No. 10 for James Rocco.

After that, Mayfield and Riggs -- formerly teammates at Evernham Motorsports -- again will be teammates, driving for Haas in 2008. Which car they'll pilot is not known.

What is known: Green and Sauter -- both firmly in the top 35 in owner points -- are looking for jobs, replaced by drivers 37th (Riggs) and 46th (Mayfield) in owner points.

Silly? Apparently not.

Mayfield replaces Green | Skinner, Benson to fill in | Silly Season

• Another race, another blown engine for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Amazing.

• Doug Richert, released as crew chief for Brian Vickers on Tuesday, shouldn't have any problem landing another gig in the garage.

• Michael Waltrip has qualified for a season-high five consecutive races. His worst finish during that stretch was a 30th-place run at Kansas. Three of the other four races have resulted in top-20 finishes. It's called progress.

• Juan Montoya finished 16th and eighth at Martinsville. Conversely, Richard Petty posted a seventh and 15th in his first two visits. ... Just for the record, The King won his third race at the track. We'll eagerly await March 30, 2008, to see if JPM can keep pace.

• Seven Chase drivers in the top 10 at Martinsville. Congrats to Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle and Juan Montoya for getting their sponsors some air time, too!

• Good call, Robby Gordon. I think Sauter would be a boon for your team. Now about that sponsorship ... someone should step up, quickly.

Random ruminations ...

• It's a struggle that she would rather not discuss. Each day brings the inevitable one day closer. Time marches on for everyone, I tell her.

Time can kiss her Asafoetida (it's a spice; she likes to cook).

Nonetheless, my wife turns 29 on Wednesday. The Countdown to 30 is under way, baby! Happy birthday, sweetheart. You're more beautiful today than yesterday.

• Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) will kick off the pre-race festivities in Atlanta with a "Green Means Go" pep rally at the T.G.I. Friday's (Wildwood location) from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday.

Consumers are invited to experience RBRC's interactive 53-foot long modular display and exhibit featuring battery recycling information, a full-size racing simulator car and prize wheel. Those who bring their used rechargeable batteries and old cell phones for on-site collection will be rewarded with a die-cast car.

Since 1996, RBRC has collected more than 36 million pounds of rechargeable batteries in the U.S and Canada. Cell phones collected through RBRC's Call2Recycle program will be recycled or refurbished and resold when possible with a portion of the proceeds benefiting select charities such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

• Be sure to check out RaceTown Atlanta this weekend. NASCAR.COM will be playing host to Track Smack Live at 1 p.m. Friday at Atlantic Station. Staff writers Dave Rodman, Joe Menzer and David Caraviello along with NASCAR 24/7 Live's Christine Pullara will be on hand for a frank discussion on today's state of the sport and answer fans' questions.

We're hoping the fact Kasey Kahne will be on hand from 10:30 a.m.-noon will help draw a crowd ...

For more information, click here.

Say What?

"I had to pick up a lot of dog poop and mow a lot of lawns to get my first motorcycle."
-- Ron Hornaday, on how nothing had ever been given to him in racing

Figuratively Speaking

41 -- Points deficit, after Martinsville, that Jimmie Johnson overcame in 2006. In the three-year history of the Chase, that is the only time a points leader (Matt Kenseth) has failed to hold the lead during the final four races.

Up Next

Pep Boys Auto 500 | Atlanta | 1 p.m. ET Sunday | ABC
Race No. 33 of 36 | Get tickets | Book travel

• 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 ...

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.