Texas story lines

There are only two tracks currently on the Sprint Cup schedule where Jeff Gordon hasn't won. Texas Motor Speedway is one of them.

This doesn't mean the four-time Cup champion can't break his 47-race winless streak in this weekend's Samsung 500. His record at TMS is actually quite good, with eight top 10s, including six top fives, in just 13 starts at the 1.5-mile track on the outskirts of Dallas-Fort Worth. And he will start second.

What is in question when it comes to Gordon these days is whether he can finish. He's run up front, so much so he currently leads the points standings. But he hasn't been his best when the laps begin to dwindle down. That's what he and crew chief Steve Letarte must focus on going forward, working on the car so it's at its best when the checkered flag is getting warmed up.

Will they figure that out this weekend? We'll see.

Here are five other story lines to keep an eye on in Sunday's Samsung 500:

1. Will Roush Fenway Racing show up?

After a blazing start to the season, when Matt Kenseth swept the first two races, things have cooled off big time for the entire Roush Fenway organization. Of its five drivers, only Carl Edwards sits comfortably in the top 12 – Kenseth is on a freefall that has him sitting 12th – and even he hasn't been overly impressive so far.

Meanwhile, Jamie McMurray (22nd), Greg Biffle (23rd) and David Ragan (30th) have all fallen way off in the standings.

The good news is Texas Motor Speedway is one of the organization's best tracks. Kenseth, Edwards and Biffle have all won there, while McMurray has six top 10s in 10 starts there.

This race will be a litmus test for RFR, because if they're not good this weekend chances are they're going to struggle to be good the rest of the season.

2. Will Ryan Newman continue to rise?

It's been a tough few years for Newman, who hasn't been able to relocate the winning form he showed in his eight-win 2003 season. He hasn't made the Chase since 2005 and finished a dismal 17th a year ago in what would have been the most disappointing season of his career if not for his Daytona 500 victory.

But after a rocky start in his new job at Stewart-Haas Racing things have begun to turn around over the last two weeks for Newman, who's coming off back-to-back top 10s for the first time in 31 races.

Granted, those results came on two short tracks, which TMS isn't. But momentum is momentum, and it's been a long time since Newman had it at his back. A strong run this weekend, a race he finished fourth in a year ago, would be a boon for his confidence.

3. What will David Reutimann do?

Among the not-so-usual suspects currently residing in the top 12 is Reutimann. Because he doesn't come from one of the super teams, Reutimann's longevity in the top 12 continues to be a hot topic.

Can a driver from Michael Waltrip Racing, a fledgling organization with only two top-five finishes in its two-plus-year history, really make the Chase?

Reutimann has earned a ton of respect in a short period of time. Still, the odds are against him making the postseason, though a top 10 at Texas would go a long way in lowering those long odds.

"The reality is, at this time last year, we weren't ready to run in the top 10," said Reutimann, who will start on the pole. "We just weren't a good enough team at that point to be able to do that. Everybody has gotten better, things have evolved and things have gotten much better. Now we're to the point where, I think I've said it before, a top 15 should be a bad race for you that day."

4. Will we see a first-time winner?

It's been almost two full years since the Cup Series had a first-time winner, and even then it didn't come on an oval; it came on a road course, Juan Pablo Montoya's specialty.

The last first-time winner on an oval was Casey Mears, who won the Coca-Cola 600 way back in May 2007.

That could change this weekend. Reutimann, who's career-best finish is a fourth earlier this season at Las Vegas, will start from the pole; David Ragan, who's never finished better than third, will start fourth.

5. Is Red Bull Racing second-guessing its decision to let go of AJ Allmendinger?

Much has been made of Red Bull's decision to sever ties with Allmendinger in favor of extreme poster boy Scott Speed. So far, it's looking like Red Bull made the wrong decision.

Last week, Allmendinger, now with Richard Petty Motorsports, worked his way into the top 35 in owner's points, meaning for the first time all season he was guaranteed a spot in this weekend's race. Conversely, Speed, who started the season with a guaranteed spot thanks, in large part, to the job Allmendinger did last season, has fallen outside of the top 35, meaning he arrived at Texas needing to qualify on time.

He didn't.

Now, not only will Red Bull be down a car this weekend, but things aren't going to get any easier. By missing just one race, Speed has lost valuable ground and from here on out will be in battle just to get back inside the top 35 in owner's points.

Meanwhile, Allmendinger heads into Sunday's race just 34 points outside of the top 12.