With four races left, some drivers need fan support

This is the time of year when a driver wants to stop and think, "What happened? Where did we go wrong?"

While the emphasis in the Chase for the Nextel Cup is on the top three drivers, the rest of the field is torn between delight and disgust, between accomplishment and disappointment. We don't know who will win the championship, but we know who will not win it. That's the uncomfortable issue with this "playoff"-- everyone is still playing, but the biggest prize is out of reach.

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We have experienced it in baseball. So many teams are eliminated by the all-star break but they still must continue to play. High-priced superstars on a team that might struggle against your softball team yet must continue to deliver.

I thought Robbie Reiser had the best quote coming out of last Sunday's race:

"If you would've told me going into the Chase that six races into it, our best finish would be at Martinsville, I would've laughed at you," Reiser said.

It's all about expectation and execution.

"Martinsville was definitely the kind of finish we needed," Reiser continued. "Our guys did a good job; Matt did a great job all day and we were able to hang on for a real good finish."

Kenseth and Company are 12th in the Chase, out of, yeah, 12 teams. Too bad. I had him ranked with Jeff Gordon as the two to beat in the Chase. Kenseth has just two top-10 finishes in the Chase -- the other four finishes are 26th or worse. I can't believe it, and I know Robbie can't either. But there is no quit in this bunch, not on a Robbie Reiser-led team.

"We've still got four more chances to get a win this season and that's what we'll be trying to do," he said. "Nothing's changed as far as our weekly routine. We're still trying to get the best finish we can each week at the track, but the fact that we're out of the championship hunt and we really don't have anything to lose, that does allow you to gamble a little bit with pit strategy and fuel mileage and some things that maybe you wouldn't have done before."

That is a plus with the Chase -- once you're out of it, you can really go for it. And nobody likes winning races more that Reiser and his bunch. This team is old school, and old school is cool.

"We're bringing our most consistent piece to Atlanta this weekend," Reiser said. "We've used this car more than any other the past two years and it's done real well. The last time out it was wrecked at Kansas, but not too bad. It was probably a top-five to top-10 car before the wreck."

There are a million other stories out there this week. OK, not a million, but at least 43, right? There are plenty of teams to root for in the closing weeks. And while you can still cheer for your favorite driver, here are a few guys that could use your support, too.

Only in NASCAR would you find people trying to hype a battle for 13th. Who cares? Well, as it looks right now, I can think of four guys.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle and Casey Mears would all like that 13th spot, and any one of them could grab it. But what these guys would really like is a win. Earnhardt and Newman haven't won this year. Biffle and Mears have just one win each. At this point in the season, close really doesn't count for much, the driver wants the win, the team wants the win, the sponsor wants the win, and the fans want their guy to win.

And speaking of winning, how about some of the other guys that have not won this year. In addition to Earnhardt and Newman, they include Kasey Kahne, who is 20th in points with just one -- that's ONE -- top-five finish. That's amazing. Mark Martin has started 11 fewer races than Kahne, 21 to 32, and Martin has five top-fives, but no wins. If you see them go by on Sunday, cheer them on for a few laps. It couldn't hurt. (Continued)