Four of the top six winners from last season have yet to visit Victory Lane in a reversal that is not unprecendented but still a bit striking. Former champs Jeff Gordon (6 wins last year), Tony Stewart (3), Kurt Busch (2) and Matt Kenseth (2) have yet to win this season.
Gordon continues to struggle with the new car and the new tires, unable to get the feel he wants. Stewart has been strong at times but luck has not gone his ways; and other times he's been the third best car at Gibbs, still not bad but that won't get him into Victory Lane. Busch drives a Dodge and that car has been way off most of the season. Hard to imagine Dodge winning many more races this season with the struggles it has had. Kenseth also has been offset by poor finishes although he scored a nice recovery at Darlington with a sixth-place finish.
Of that group one would suspect Steawart would be next to win based on the superiority of Gibbs and Toyota this season. Kenseth could be one to watch at Charlote based on the success of teammate Carl Edwards at the 1.5-mile tracks. It's hard to imagine Gordon going through the upcoming swing of Charlotte, Dover and Pocono without a win. Busch likely will need some help to win.
# The more things change the more they stay the same ... Only two drivers in the top 12 in points now weren't in the top 12 a year ago. Greg Biffle is 11th this year and David Ragan is 12th. They replace Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch.
# Although Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards each have three wins, Busch has more bonus points (30 to 20). Remember that NASCAR docked Edwards his 10 bonus points for his Las Vegas win. The bonus points are added once the overall points are reset to 5,000 before the Chase begins in September, so, at this point, Busch would open the Chase in the lead because he has the most bonus points.
# Petty Enterprises made it official: Chad McCumbee will drive the No. 45 for Kyle Petty at Dover and Chicago with former champion Terry Labonte coming out of semi-retirement to drive at Pocono, Michigan, Sonoma, New Hampshire and Daytona and be a teammate to his brother, Bobby.
# The All-Star race marks Dale Jarrett's final Cup ride ... although we'll see if he does what many other drivers have done and run a few races here and there down the road. That champion's provisional can be a valuable thing.