Short Laps

1 Lost in the Chase hoopla on Sunday was a solid run by Juan Pablo Montoya, who finished eighth and even led nine laps. "It shows we're making improvements with the car and he's getting more comfortable," says crew chief Donnie Wingo.

2 It was a big week for Greg Biffle. On Oct. 17 he married his longtime girlfriend, Nicole Lunders (above), at a resort in Bluffton, S.C. Four days later he finished a surprising seventh at Martinsville, his third top 10 of the Chase and his first ever at NASCAR's oldest track. "This was a win," he said afterward. "I got it down on how to brake, and I learned from watching Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth."