Joe Nemechek. After years of bouncing from ride to ride, Nemechek felt like he had found a home with Ginn Racing -- formerly MB2 Motorsports -- where the 44-year-old had spent the last three-and-a-half years of a long, fruitful Cup career. So it had to be a bitter pill when the veteran was left on the street after a buyout ... er, merger of Ginn Racing with DEI. With four wins by way of four different car owners through the years -- Rick Hendrick among those on that list -- there's no question Nemechek is both talented and versatile enough to settle into any program still available. The problem simply is his age -- there aren't many sponsors out there willing and able to add a guy with just a handful of years left in his career.

Which brings us to the No. 36 Bill Davis Racing Toyota. With a sponsor in 360 OTC that was already content to associate with 38-year-old Mayfield, it's a team where a "young gun" isn't necessary for sponsorship dollars, and a program that's accustomed to hiring veterans to fill its seats. In addition, "Front Row" Joe is known to be a good qualifier, an appealing prospect for a program that has failed to make the first four races of the current season with Mayfield. With his team's future on the line, Davis is wary to make the same mistake twice -- making Nemechek's qualifying strength an attractive option for him for '08.

Kenny Wallace. The newest face on the free-agent playing field, Wallace comes to the market after making just 10 of 22 races with the single-car No. 78 team, ending a streak in which he's missed eight of his last 10 attempts. One of the few drivers for whom age is never an issue, Wallace is a sponsor's dream -- there's a reason he won the fan vote for the Nextel All-Star Challenge this season -- as his comedic nature and warm personality have made him both an on-track favorite and on-air star over at the SPEED network.

But Wallace has struggled to be more than a super sub for the sport's top racing programs. Despite filling in at DEI, Roush Racing and Robert Yates Racing over the years, Wallace has just six top-5 finishes in 337 career starts to go along with a zero in the wins column.

But the stats sheet didn't stop fellow sponsor's dream Michael Waltrip from landing with powerhouse DEI in '01, and a similar opportunity could be waiting for Wallace. Richard Childress Racing is looking for someone to jump into its new fourth car and get the program up to speed quickly, and Wallace could be their man. In-house candidate Scott Wimmer and Yeley have been targeted as younger solutions, but Childress isn't beyond asking a veteran to be a part of his team, having recently asked Kenny's older brother Rusty if he would consider unretiring from his TV analyst role for next season. Although the older Wallace turned him down, there's still another guy with that same last name available; and after driving Childress' Busch Series car this season at Gateway, Wallace has a chance to put himself in play for the best ride of his Cup career.

Sterling Marlin. At 50-years-old and in the midst of his final full season on tour, the Tennessee driver was the second veteran cast aside during the DEI-Ginn Racing merger. Claiming he's wary of the way Darrell Waltrip ended his career driving second-rate equipment, the two-time Daytona 500 winner supposedly won't accept anything less than a top-notch ride in the series. However, that hasn't stopped him from stepping into the small-time No. 78 team for Bristol, opening up an opportunity that could see Marlin drive their car for several more races next season.

Looking ahead, Marlin would surely like the same type of situation Mark Martin has with DEI -- sharing a ride with an up-and-coming youngster, allowing him to pick and choose the races he wants to run in top-notch equipment. But with just one top-10 finish in his last 62 Cup starts, that type of scenario will be difficult to come by for Marlin -- and if he wants to keep racing on the Nextel Cup level, opportunities like the No. 78 are likely the best -- and only -- fit for his future.