It only seems that NASCAR drivers are either young guns or member of the old guard: Just 7 regulars are between 29 and 40. Youngsters have taken a clear edge, but the veterans won’t give up without a fight: 3 of them recently ended long victory droughts. Starting this season, the goal is to be in the top 10 after the 26th race, on Sept. 11, when those 10 start a 10-race `shootout’ on even terms
Greg Biffle
Age: 33
Car No.: 16 National Guard Ford
Crew chief: Doug Richert
Career: 69 starts, 1 victory, 7 top 10s, 1 pole.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 1 top 10, 1 pole. In 24th place, 842 points behind leader.
The skinny: In 2002, became the first driver to win both the Truck and Busch titles. Graduated to the Cup Series in 2003 and took Pepsi 400 at Daytona. Daytona 500 pole seemed like good sign, but he’s been stuck in neutral this season. He is fourth in Busch Series chase, however.
Jeff Burton
Age: 37
Car No.: 99 Roush Racing Ford
Crew chief: Bob Osborne
Career: 348 starts, 17 wins, 147 top 10s, 2 poles
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 3 top 10s, 0 poles. In 22nd place, 814 points behind leader.
The skinny: Applying for membership to the “old guard,” drivers who used to be threats every week (Burton finished 3rd in points in 2000), but have lost a step. Beer-happy NASCAR nixed hard-liquor sponsorship for 99 car.
Ward Burton
Age: 42
Car No.: 0 Net Zero Chevrolet
Crew chief: Tony Furr
Career: 339 starts, 5 wins, 82 top 10s, 7 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 3 top 10s, 0 poles. In 25th place, 914 points behind leader.
The skinny: Daytona 500 victory in 2002 didn’t jump-start his career. Brother of Jeff Burton hasn’t won a race since then. Best season finish is 9th, in 1999.
Kurt Busch
Age: 26
Car No.: 97 Irwin Ford
Crew chief: Jimmy Fennig
Career: 131 starts, 9 wins 47 top 10s, 2 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 1 win, 7 top 10s, 0 poles. In 7th place, 392 points behind leader.
The skinny: A charter member of the “young guns” group, he won four races last year. Should be part of NASCAR’s 10-driver it’s-not-a-playoff season-ending shootout for the season’s last 10 races.
Derrike Cope
Age: 45
Car No.: 2 FanzCar Chevrolet
Crew chief: Jeff Buckner
Career: 393 starts, 2 wins, 32 top 10s, 1 pole.
2004: 13 starts, 0 wins, 0 top 10s, 0 poles. In 38th place, 1,704 points behind leader.
The skinny: He’ll always have Daytona (he won the 500 in an epic 1990 shocker). Seemed ready to retire to TV duties a few years ago but has been a near-regular this year.
Ricky Craven
Age: 38
Car No.: 32 Tide Chevrolet
Crew chief: David Charpentier
Career: 269 starts, 2 wins , 41 top 10s, 6 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 0 top 10s, 0 poles. In 31st place, 1,122 points behind leader.
The skinny: Heat’s on this popular driver to do more with the Tide Ride. Won last year’s March Darlington race by .002 seconds over Busch, closest NASCAR finish since advent of electronic timing.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Age: 29
Car No.: 8 Budweiser Chevrolet
Crew chief: Tony Eury
Career: 163 starts, 12 wins, 70 top 10s, 6 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 3 wins, 12 top 10s, 0 poles. In 2nd place, 27 points behind leader.
The skinny: One of the nation’s most popular athletes has the whole package: personality, looks and–by the way–talent. Question: As the 26-race shootout cutoff nears, will he and other drivers who’ve all but locked up spots play it safe?
Brendan Gaughan
Age: 29
Car No.: 77 Kodak Dodge
Crew chief: Shane Wilson
Career/2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 1 top 10, 0 poles.
The skinny: Rookie moved from Truck circuit, where he was fourth in points last year. Solid 19th in Daytona 500. Penske team will give him plenty of time to develop.
Jeff Gordon
Age: 32
Car No.: 24 DuPont Chevrolet
Crew chief: Robbie Loomis
Career: 382 starts, 68 wins, 242 top 10s, 50 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 4 wins, 12 top 10s, 4 poles. In third place, 232 points behind leader.
The skinny: Comes off two straight wins. Four-time series champion is racing against legends like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for tag of best NASCAR driver ever. Winningest driver this year (4) ought to thrive in pressure of a shootout. Two top-fives in Joliet’s three races.
Robby Gordon
Age: 35
Car No.: 31 Cingular Chevrolet
Crew chief: Chris Andrews
Career: 151 starts, 3 wins, 24 top 10s, 1 pole.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 3 top 10s, 0 poles. In 23rd place, 824 points behind leader.
The skinny: Two of his three career wins have come in road races, of which Nextel Cup has only two annually. Cynics says he’s talented but more interested in stunts like racing in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day–which he did again this year–than in carving out a NASCAR career.
Jeff Green
Age: 41
Car No.: 43 Cheerios Dodge
Crew chief: Gary Putnam
Career: 142 starts, 0 wins, 10 top 10s, 2 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 0 top 10s, 0 poles. In 34th place, 1,202 points behind leader.
The skinny: Didn’t do badly (17th) in his only full season (2002). Drivers for Petty Enterprises in the 43 car that once was occupied by the King.
Kevin Harvick
Age: 28
Car No.: 29 Good wrench Chevrolet
Crew chief: Todd Berrier
Career: 123 starts, 4 wins, 48 top 10s, 2 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 6 top 10s, 0 poles. In 10th place, 450 points behind leader.
The skinny: Won the first two Joliet races and could use another win to help him burst his “bubble” status in the race to the shootout. A “young gun” who has tamed his bad boy image . . . somewhat.
Dale Jarrett
Age: 47
Car No.: 88 UPS Ford
Crew chief: Mike Ford
Career: 548 starts, 31 win, 239 top 10s, 15 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 4 top 10s, 0 poles. In 15th place, 627 behind leader.
The skinny: The 1999 series champion tumbled to 26th in points last year after seven straight years in top 10. Doing better this year but, at 47, isn’t the threat he used to be.
Jimmie Johnson
Age: 28
Car No.: 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet
Crew chief: Chad Knaus
Career: 92 starts, 9 wins, 54 top 10s, 8 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 3 wins, 13 top 10s, 2 poles. Series leader with 2,545 points.
The skinny: Seems certain to win a series championship, quite possibly this year, although his status as series leader does him little good beyond assuring a shootout spot, but he sees a psychological advantage to being in first place. Two top-fives in three Chicagoland races.
Kasey Kahne
Age: 24
Car No.: 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge
Crew chief: Tommy Baldwin Jr.
Career/2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 5 top 10s, 2 poles.
The skinny: Spent entire career as open-wheel racer until joining Busch Series two years ago. Runaway leader in rookie-of-the-year chase has four second-place finishes. Could squeeze into shootout field.
Matt Kenseth
Age: 32
Car No.: 17 DeWalt Ford
Crew chief: Robbie Reiser
Career: 165 starts, 9 wins, 76 top 10s, 1 pole.
2004: 17 starts, 2 wins, 10 top 10s, 0 poles. In fifth place, 356 points behind leader.
The skinny: Last year’s series champion is showing 2003 was no fluke. At 32, he’s an old “young gun.” Series doesn’t get any closer to his Cambridge, Wis., roots, so he always brings a crowd of friends and family to Joliet.
Bobby Labonte
Age: 40
Car No.: 18 Interstate Chevrolet
Crew chief: Michael McSwain
Career: 383 starts, 21 win, 175 top 10s, 26 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 9 top 10s, 1 pole. In sixth place, 381 points behind leader.
The skinny: Won the 2000 series title and is still a solid performer; only “old guard,” 40-plus driver in top 10 in standings. Apparently his Joe Gibbs race team has withstood the loss of Gibbs; teammate Tony Stewart is in fifth place.
Terry Labonte
Age: 47
Car No.: 5 Kellogg’s Chevrolet
Crew chief: Jim Long
Career: 798 starts, 22 wins, 357 top 10s, 27 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 4 top 10s, 0 poles. In 21st place, 806 points behind leader.
The skinny: Holds Cup record for biggest time gap between series titles: 1984, then 1996. Persistent questions about retirement plans died down after surprise 10th-place finish last year, in which he broke 156-race victory drought.
Kevin Lepage
Age: 42
Car No.: 251 Seminar Chevrolet
Crew chief: Buddy Cisco
Career: 149 starts, 0 wins, 8 top 10s, 1 poles.
2004: 10 starts, 0 wins, 0 top 10s, 0 poles. In 39th place, 2,005 points behind leader.
The skinny: Drove in 11 races for three teams last season. This year he’s struggling with a more-or-less permanent ride.
Sterling Marlin
Age: 47
Car No.: 40 Coors Light Dodge
Crew chief: Lee McCall
Career: 621 starts, 10 wins, 207 top 10s, 11 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 4 top 10s, 0 poles. In 20th place, 755 points behind leader.
The skinny: He was NASCAR’s story of the year in 2002, leading the series until a September neck injury sidelined him for the season. Finished 18th last year, about the same production this year. Two-time Daytona 500 winner.
Mark Martin
Age: 45
Car No.: 6 Viagra Ford
Crew chief: Pat Tryson
Career: 583 starts, 34 wins, 332 top 10s, 41 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 1 win, 7 top 10s, 0 poles. In 14th place, 606 points behind leader.
The skinny: Won Dover race last month to snap 72-race drought. But his single-digit points finishes (he’s had 13) seem to have given way to double digits; he dropped from second to 17th last year.
Jeremy Mayfield
Age: 35
Car No.: 19 UAW Dodge
Crew chief: Kenny Francis
Career: 326 starts, 3 wins, 79 top 10s, 8 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 5 top 10s, 1 pole. In 12th place, 597 points behind leader.
The skinny: Scoring snafu last month robbed him of victory at Pocono, his favorite track. Seventh-place finish of 1998 doesn’t seem that far away for a once-promising driver who’s regaining his consistency.
Jamie McMurray
Age: 28
Car No.: 42 Havoline Dodge
Crew chief: Donnie Wingo
Career: 59 starts, 1 win, 24 top 10s, 1 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 9 top 10s, 0 poles. In 13th place, 601 behind leader.
The skinny: Made splash in 2002 when he won in only his second Cup race. Hasn’t won another, but looks like the real thing with a shootout spot a possibility.
Casey Mears
Age: 26
Car No.: 41 Target Dodge
Crew chief: Jimmy Elledge
Career: 53 starts, 0 wins, 17 top 10s, 0 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 7 top 10s, 0 poles. In 16th place, 665 points place, behind leader.
The skinny: Nephew of four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears has chance for similar success on NASCAR circuit. Struggled through rookie season in 2003, but seven top-10s this year show he’s getting it.
Joe Nemechek
Age: 42
Car No.: 01 Army Chevrolet
Crew chief: Ryan Pemberton
Career: 339 starts, 3 wins, 43 top 10s, 6 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 2 top 10s, 0 poles. In 26th place, 924 points behind leader.
The skinny: Can’t shake nickname of Front Row Joe, for his knack for winning poles and other front-row starting spots. He last won in May 2003, at Richmond.
Ryan Newman
Age: 26
Car No.: 12 ALLTEL Dodge
Crew chief: Matt Borland
Career: 97 starts, 10 wins, 54 top 10s, 21 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 1 victory, 8 top 10s, 3 poles. In ninth place, 433 points behind leader.
The skinny: Defending Joliet champion was winningest driver of 2003 (eight), but finished an unfathomable sixth in points, sparking NASCAR overhaul that led to shootout format. Just one win this year, but should make the big dance and be a title threat.
Kyle Petty
Age: 44
Car No.: 45 Georgia Pacific Dodge
Crew chief: Greg Steadman
Career: 695 starts, 8 wins, 169 top 10s, 8 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 1 top 10, 0 poles. In 33rd place, 1,186 points behind leader.
The skinny: Son of the King was ready to pass torch to his son, Adam, before Adam was killed at New Hampshire in 2002. So Kyle soldiers on, near the bottom of the pack, with just one top-10 finish this year. He hasn’t won a race since 1995.
Scott Riggs
Age: 23
Car No.: 10 Valvoline Chevrolet
Crew chief: Doug Randolph
Career/2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 1 top 10, 0 poles. In 30th place, 1,104 points behind leader.
The skinny: Rookie graduated from Busch Series this year and is showing promise. Began his racing career on two wheels, in motocross competition.
Ricky Rudd
Age: 47
Car No.: 21 Motorcraft Ford
Crew chief: Ben Leslie
Career: 820 starts, 23 wins, 361 top 10s, 29 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 0 top 10s, 1 pole. In 28th place, 945 points behind leader.
The skinny: Another “old guard” stalwart, he doesn’t have a top-10 finish this year. Last year’s 23rd-place season finish was second worst of his career. He won races in 16 straight seasons (1983-1998) but ceased owning his own car in 1998 and hasn’t had same success.
Elliott Sadler
Age: 29
Car No.: 38 M&M’s Ford
Crew chief: Todd Parrott
Career: 194 starts, 2 wins, 27 top 10s, 2 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 1 victory, 7 top 10s, 0 poles. In eighth place, 393 points behind leader.
The skinny: Having a breakout season; he’s sixth after never finishing a season better than 20th. Won narrowly at Ft. Worth in April.
Ken Schrader
Age: 49
Car No.: 49 Schwan’s Dodge
Crew chief: Scott Eggleston
Career: 613 starts, 4 wins, 177 top 10s, 23 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 1 top 10s, 0 poles. In 32nd place, 1,159 points behind leader.
The skinny: At 49, he’s oldest circuit regular. His streak of consecutive series starts (579) ended last year. Hasn’t won a race since 1989.
Kirk Shelmerdine
Age: 48
Car No.: 172 Freddie B’s Ford
Crew chief: Phil Harris
Career: 14 starts, 0 wins, 0 top 10s, 0 poles.
2004: 10 starts, 0 wins, 0 top 10s, 0 poles. In 41st place, 2,148 points behind leader.
The skinny: As a crew chief, he won four season championships with Dale Earnhardt. First drove in a Cup race in 1981 (one race), then 1994 (one) and 2002 (two) before being a semi-regular this year.
Jimmy Spencer
Age: 47
Car No.: 7 Ultra Dodge
Crew chief: Gene Nead
Career: 450 starts, 2 wins, 80 top 10s, 3 poles.
2004: 11 starts, 0 wins, 0 top 10s, 0 poles. In 37th place, 1,649 points behind leader.
The skinny: Dubbed “Mr. Excitement” for wild driving style that may have cost him some wins. Hasn’t won a race since 1994. Struggling again this season.
Tony Stewart
Age: 33
Car No.: 20 Home Depot Chevrolet
Crew chief: Greg Zipadelli
Career: 193 starts, 17 wins, 113 top 10s, 7 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 8 top 10s, 0 poles. In fourth place, 342 points behind leader.
The skinny: Series champ in 2002 has been in top-10 in all five of his full seasons, and is headed there again. In another series anomaly, he led circuit with six wins in 2000 but finished only sixth. Legendary temper hasn’t cooled: He got into confrontation with rookie Brian Vickers after Sonoma race two weeks ago. Second at Joliet last year.
Brian Vickers
Age: 20
Car No.: 25 GMAC Chevrolet
Crew chief: Peter Sospenzo
Career: 22 starts, 0 wins, 3 top 10s, 0 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 3 top 10s, 1 pole. In 19th place, 753 points behind leader.
The skinny: Rookie adjusting well after winning Busch Series championship last season, becoming youngest driver ever to win a NASCAR title. Has a veteran crew chief.
Rusty Wallace
Age: 47
Car No.: 2 Miller Lite Dodge
Crew chief: Larry Carter
Career: 641 starts, 55 wins, 327 top 10s, 36 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 1 victory, 6 top 10s, 0 poles. In 17th place, 710 points behind leader.
The skinny: Series champion back in 1989 won on Martinsville short track in April to end 105-race winless streak. But he’s looking at second straight double-digit season finish after running 14th last year. One of NASCAR’s most popular drivers.
Michael Waltrip
Age: 41
Car No.: 15 NAPA Chevrolet
Crew chief: Slugger Labbe
Career: 487 starts, 4 wins, 142 top 10s, 2 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 6 top 10s, 0 poles. In 18th place, 723 points behind leader.
The skinny: Loves circuit’s two restrictor-plate tracks: Daytona (three wins) and Talladega (one). Took 500 checkered flag less than a half-mile from where teammate Dale Earnhardt was killed in 2001, then won again last year. A Busch Series standout this season.
Scott Wimmer
Age: 28
Car No.: 22 Caterpillar Dodge
Crew chief: Frank Stoddard
Career: 27 starts, 0 wins, 3 top 10s, 0 poles.
2004: 17 starts, 0 wins, 2 top 10s, 0 poles. In 27th place, 924 points behind leader.
The skinny: Wisconsinite (Wausau) considered a rookie even though he’s raced briefly in three other seasons. DUI conviction in North Carolina has him speaking out on the subject.
