Ten truths we hold to be self evident after 10 races

As hard as it may be to believe, the Sprint Cup season is 10 races old already. By the end of this month, we'll be halfway through the 26-race regular season that sets the field for the 10-race dash to the championship.

What have we learned? Who will be there at the end to compete in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship?

Ten races into the 2009 season, here are 10 things we know:

1. Jeff Gordon is back.
Then again, what about his back? Gordon ended a 47-race winless streak by winning in Texas at one of only two tracks on the current Sprint Cup circuit where he had never previously won. He has been the points leader for most of the season thus far, moving back into that position with an eighth-place finish at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday while Kurt Busch, who had been the points leader for a week, settled for 12th and fell 10 points off the pace.

In or out?

Statistics show the top 12 following the spring Richmond race are many times the same for the Chase. If it's not, who's going to climb back in?

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The only question about Gordon continuing his quest for a fifth championship is whether or not his troublesome back will hold up. It's bothering him more than a little -- more than he's willing to let on -- and could become a serious issue as the season wears on (read more). If he can continue to put the pain on the backburner, so to speak, he'll be there to contend at the end. His mental focus, and more importantly his and crew chief Steve Letarte's improved feel for the new Cup car, are where they need to be.

2. Kyle Busch gets all the ink, but Kurt is pretty good, too.
Kyle won at Richmond, earning his series-high third victory of the season and his 50th in NASCAR's top three series in a career that is, remarkably, still in its infancy. So it has become all too easy to overlook Kurt these days.

Guess which Busch brother is ahead of the other in the standings at the moment? That's right. Kurt is second, nipping at Gordon's bumper, while Kyle sits fifth. This isn't pointed out to downplay the impressive display young Kyle continues to put on; no driver is more relentless, and perhaps sometimes a little too reckless, in his pursuit of Victory Lane. But Kurt has been solid all year long and was downright dominant in his one win of the year at Atlanta, the kind of 1.5-mile track that folks need to master to get up front in the 10-race Chase.

3. Maybe Tony Stewart won't struggle after all, and neither will Stewart-Haas Racing.
Many assumed that would be the case when Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of last season to assume control of his own two-car race operation.

But after finishing second at Richmond, Stewart sits third in points -- and teammate Ryan Newman, who struggled at the outset of the season, is now up to 10th after finishing fourth at Richmond (read more). Neither has won a race yet, but at this point does anyone doubt that one or the other -- most likely Stewart because he has been most consistent -- won't celebrate in Victory Lane soon?

4. Jimmie Johnson is human.
We weren't sure until Richmond, when he was penalized twice and wrecked twice.

But just remember: the three-time defending champion is still sixth in points, one spot ahead of where he was leaving Richmond last spring. (Continued)