I might have ditched the STRs (don't ask if you don't remember), but I'm sticking with the Small Team Standings.
Why? Why not? It's an exercise in nothing-ness. Then again, most of blogging is nothing but nothing.
Got that? Good. The pre-Martinsville standings are after the jump.
Here are your weekly Small Team Standings after Martinsville. Your big mover was Travis "Can I Haz Sponzerz Plz?" Kvapil, who motored home 18th and moved up two spots to fourth. Brian Vickers added a point to his lead over B-Lab. Kyle Petty held on to 10th despite missing Sunday's race.
Your top 10:
Rank ... Driver ... Pts/Beh (Chg)
1. Brian Vickers ... 631 (--)
2. Bobby Labonte ... -27 (--)
3. David Gilliland ... -50 (--)
4. Travis Kvapil ... -94 (+2)
5. Robby Gordon ... -113 (-1)
6. Scott Riggs ... -125 (-1)
7. J.J. Yeley ... -163 (--)
8. Jeremy Mayfield ... -190 (--)
9. Dave Blaney ... -258 (--)
10. Kyle Petty ... -335 (--)
Dropped out: None
No change in the top 9 from last week as the top 4 all finished in the top 20 and everyone else finished toward the back. The only change this week was that Skinner squeezed into the 10th spot. Kyle Petty, who now has a two week sitting-atop-the-hauler streak, dropped out.
Next to fall out will be Jeremy Mayfield, who got punted from the No. 70. His replacement: Johnny Sauter, who got dumped late last year for Mayfield. Weird. (Here's the story. See if you can read behind the lines.)
The Small Team Driver standings after the jump ...
Bobby Labonte has caught Brian Vickers for the lead among the small-team drivers thanks to a 12th-place finish at Phoenix. (Vickers was 25th.) David Gilliland (15th) was the only other Small Teamer in the top 20. Four other drivers swapped spots farther down in the rankings.
Top 10 Small Team Driver Standings after the jump ...
Brian Vickers opens up a lead on the rest of the field after a wild 'Dega race that saw Brian Vickers get a top 5 and four (!) other Small Teamers (Kvapil, R. Gordon, Gilliland, Riggs) crack the top 20. One of those running well was *not* Bobby Labonte, who got caught up in that late wreck and got dropped to 34. David Gilliland (15th) passes him for second in the Small Team Standings.
In the real world, Vickers climbed three spots to 16th and has a weak, but still possible, shot at the Chase.
The Small Team Standings after nine races is after the jump:
Random Small Team news ...
* Petty Enterprises announced Kyle's summer subs: Terry Labonte will drive five races, and Chad McCumbee will do two. (Release.) The fact that McCumbee (one of the 2007 subs) is back is good news for him and his career, though I suspect he wants steadier work in the Cup series, not to mention a full-time Busch ride from someone.
But the Terry Labonte selection disappoints me. It's clear he's going to be behind the wheel because (a) he's available (though he's technically retired -- long story) and (b) he has the much-coveted Past Champion's Provisional, NASCAR's version of the Get Out of Jail Free But In Reverse card. So why not Richard? He wouldn't cost Petty a dime (and they're cheap cheap cheap), and he's three years younger than James Hylton, who turned a 185 mph lap in Daytona practice last year.
* The All-Star race continues to disappoint (entry list): There's only one Small Teamer, and that's Bobby Labonte. Maybe Robby Gordon or Carl Long will race his way in.
* Some vintage Wood Brothers love. How cool would it be to see this on the track? How cool would it be to see the 21 in anything other than a shot of it dropping oil and sheet metal after a wreck?
* Hey, it's not just Joe Nemechek's fault.
* Post-post update: Bob Pockrass explains why Jon Wood won't be racing Saturday. You think NASCAR would pull this on Hendrick or Roush?