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The last time we checked in on the Small Team Standings, your leader was Travis Kvapil. But that was about six weeks and six races ago, and in the interim Kvapil remember who he was and that he drives for Yates and has dropped way down in the rankings.

The Spotter also would like to welcome what's left of Ganassi Racing to the Small Team Rankings. By closing Dario Franchitti's No. 40 team, Ganassi not only added one more open wheeler to the list of NASCAR failures, but also dropped from three teams to two and is now eligible to be included among the Small Teams.

But it's not all unicorns and rainbows for Ganassi: JPM enters the rankings in third, and Reed Sorenson is 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th ... no, 8th! Man, that's bad. I'm guessing we won't see much of him next season. Never mind that we haven't seen much of him this season.

The developing story is STS leader Brian Vickers, who's threatening to become the first Small Team driver to crack the Chase. Yeah, I know, he's 97 points out of 12th, and he has Clint Bowyer between him and the final Chase spot. But since tanking at LMS on Memorial Day, Vickers hasn't finished worse than 16th. I'd be stunned to see the 83 in the Chase, but he's not out of it, which is more than anyone can say for every other Small Team driver.

This week's STS after the jump ...

... your points leader would be Travis Kvapil!

Kvapil used to baffle me. Back in 2005, Penske gave him the keys to the No. 77. Kvapil, on paper at least, looked like a decent choice -- five wins and four straight top 10 season finishes in the Truck series, including the title in 2003. He kept the truck between the walls -- always a plus for any incoming driver who didn't want to work his fab shop guys to death.

But 2005 was a disaster. He racked up four DNFs in the first nine races and limped home to a 33rd-place season finish. When Kodak got out of NASCAR at the end of 2005, Penske shut down the 77 and Kvapil was out. He caught on with Cal Wells in the 32's (and Tide's) final season in 2006. That season was even worse, and Kvapil went back to the Truck Series for 2007.

Funny thing was, Kvapil was very very good last year -- 4 wins, 12 top 10s and a sixth-place season finish. And this season, he's the biggest surprise next to David Ragan.

Think about it. Yates was nearly DOA at the end of last season. The No. 28's sponsor deals are week-to-week, if they even exist. Kvapil had two crappy seasons in Cup. And ... he's not bad.

Don't think that Kvapil's any threat to win a race, much less make the Chase -- he's not. (He's 18th overall.) But he has finished every race this season, and sometimes he's bringing it home on the lead lap. Good for here.

The updated Small Team Standings after the jump. ...

There's a change at the top. Bobby Labonte, thanks to an 11th-place finish Sunday night in Charlotte, vaults over both Travil Kvapil and last week's No. 1 Brian Vickers for 1st place in the Small Team Standings.

Sadly, Labonte is 18th when you factor in the Big Team drivers. Which means once again the Chase will most likely go on with any Small Teamers taking part. That's not exactly unexpected. But with a third of the season down, I'd call it inevitable.

Small Team Standings 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?

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:

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 ...

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 ...

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

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.