Another week has come and (for the most part) gone, and you, the Internet, have chosen our lineup for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race Saturday night in Richmond. Here are the results.
A List. We have a two-way tie for this starting spot. Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch (who, strangely enough, has not started yet for the People's Pitstop) are the contenders. Since they got an equal number of votes, the driver who qualifies better for the race will get the starting nod. The other one will sit on the bench.
B List. No need for qualifiers here. The two starters from this group are Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Riding the bench (by virture of the driver-points tiebreaker) are Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth. It may be a good thing that Kenseth is on the bench; the NASCAR season is only a quarter of the way through, and Kenseth has started six times for the People's Pitstop. He has only three starts left.
C List. Again, we have a clear winner: Sam Hornish Jr., who may not have a ride for next season but has a starting spot for us this week. Scott Speed gets the bench spot.
The poll results are below. The NFL poll will stay up until Sunday, so feel free to vote on that one. We'll be back with another set of fearless predictions.
[polldaddy poll=3112733] [polldaddy poll=3112747] [polldaddy poll=3112759]
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The People's Facts - Richmond
You still have a few hours to vote on the People's Pitstop lineup for Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. While you ponder your vote, here are some facts about this week's site.
Track basics: Richmond International Raceway is the quintessential short track. It's a three-quarter-mile oval that hosted its first NASCAR-sanctioned race in 1953. It's not older than dirt, but that was the original surface.
Recent winners: Kyle Busch (2009), Clint Bowyer (2008), Jimmie Johnson (2007).
Who wins here a lot: You name the driver, and he's probably got at least one win here. Among active NASCAR drivers, Johnson, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are tied for the lead with (drum roll, please) three apiece.
Short track, long name, cool story: Why is this post titled "The People's Facts - Richmond"? Because I'm not sure how many of you would have read a post titled "The People's Facts - Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400." Who's Heath? This guy.
(As always, you can get a more detailed preview from Yahoo Sports by clicking here.)
Please vote for the lineup for the Internet's favorite fantasy auto racing team now. We'll be back with the results.
Track basics: Richmond International Raceway is the quintessential short track. It's a three-quarter-mile oval that hosted its first NASCAR-sanctioned race in 1953. It's not older than dirt, but that was the original surface.
Recent winners: Kyle Busch (2009), Clint Bowyer (2008), Jimmie Johnson (2007).
Who wins here a lot: You name the driver, and he's probably got at least one win here. Among active NASCAR drivers, Johnson, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are tied for the lead with (drum roll, please) three apiece.
Short track, long name, cool story: Why is this post titled "The People's Facts - Richmond"? Because I'm not sure how many of you would have read a post titled "The People's Facts - Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400." Who's Heath? This guy.
(As always, you can get a more detailed preview from Yahoo Sports by clicking here.)
Please vote for the lineup for the Internet's favorite fantasy auto racing team now. We'll be back with the results.
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Talladega Damage Report (and New Polls)
On Sunday, Talladega Superspeedway saved its "Big One" for the end of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. But the Sprint Cup race sure felt like a wreck for the Internet's favorite fantasy auto racing team.
The People's Pitstop managed to score only 232 points during the Aaron's 499 race. The team now has 2,299 season points, tied for 111,712nd overall on Yahoo Sports and tied for 143rd in the Fans of From the Marbles league. If we were a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, we'd be Sam Hornish Jr. right now.
The good news is that each of the four drivers who started for the People's Pitstop managed to lead a lap in this record-setting race, and each driver got 10 bonus points for doing so. Here's how we got the points.
Jeff Gordon. Started 5th, finished 22nd, 4 laps led and 58 fantasy points. It's too bad Yahoo doesn't award bonus points for grudges with teammates.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Started 7th, finished 13th, 8 laps led and 76 fantasy points. Even the guy who used to own restrictor plate races couldn't find the key to victory Sunday.
Matt Kenseth. Started 2nd, finished 28th (4 laps behind the leaders), 1 lap led and 46 fantasy points. Kenseth got caught in a "Little One" wreck on Lap 84 and fell out of contention for good.
Paul Menard. Started 18th, finished 25th (2 laps behind the leaders), 1 lap led and 52 fantasy points. If you had gone to Vegas (or somewhere else where this is legal) and bet that Menard would lead the same number of laps as Kenseth, you would be quite wealthy right now.
And now we turn our sights to Saturday night's Sprint Cup race in Richmond. The polls are up and will stay up until Thursday evening. Feel free to vote now.
The People's Pitstop managed to score only 232 points during the Aaron's 499 race. The team now has 2,299 season points, tied for 111,712nd overall on Yahoo Sports and tied for 143rd in the Fans of From the Marbles league. If we were a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, we'd be Sam Hornish Jr. right now.
The good news is that each of the four drivers who started for the People's Pitstop managed to lead a lap in this record-setting race, and each driver got 10 bonus points for doing so. Here's how we got the points.
Jeff Gordon. Started 5th, finished 22nd, 4 laps led and 58 fantasy points. It's too bad Yahoo doesn't award bonus points for grudges with teammates.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Started 7th, finished 13th, 8 laps led and 76 fantasy points. Even the guy who used to own restrictor plate races couldn't find the key to victory Sunday.
Matt Kenseth. Started 2nd, finished 28th (4 laps behind the leaders), 1 lap led and 46 fantasy points. Kenseth got caught in a "Little One" wreck on Lap 84 and fell out of contention for good.
Paul Menard. Started 18th, finished 25th (2 laps behind the leaders), 1 lap led and 52 fantasy points. If you had gone to Vegas (or somewhere else where this is legal) and bet that Menard would lead the same number of laps as Kenseth, you would be quite wealthy right now.
And now we turn our sights to Saturday night's Sprint Cup race in Richmond. The polls are up and will stay up until Thursday evening. Feel free to vote now.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Fearless Predictions - Talladega
Now that the NFL Draft has come and gone, the People's Pigskin can turn its sights back on the NASCAR Sprint Cup race that may (or may not) take place today at Talladega Superspeedway. And you can't sit down to watch the race until you learn the predictions for which drivers will finish in the top 10. Last week's forecasts went 4-6, dropping our season record to 33-37.
1. Denny Hamlin. OK, maybe he can drive on that knee after all.
2. Jeff Gordon. He nearly won last week, he's comfortable with this track and, perhaps most importantly, he's ticked off.
3. Greg Biffle. He's now seven for eight in top 10 finishes this season. His one miss: the race where the People's Pitstop started him. But we don't hold grudges here.
4. Jimmie Johnson. He's leading NASCAR in three different categories: points, wins (three) and top five finishes (five).
5.Matt Kenseth. The rain in central Alabama means Kenseth is starting next to Johnson on the front row. They both have six finishes in the top 10.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. He finished eighth last week in Texas, and he would probably petition NASCAR to use restrictor plates at every track if he could get away with it.
7. Clint Bowyer. Five top 10 finishes make him perhaps the quietest contender in NASCAR.
8. Jamie McMurray. He won last year's fall race at Talladega and the Daytona 500. For those of you keeping score, that means he's won the last two Sprint Cup races featuring restrictor plates.
9. Brad Keselowski. He won last year's spring race at Talladega, and he's shown he's willing, right or wrong, to put his car anywhere on the track to get a win.
10. Michael Waltrip. One way to avoid the Big One (yes, that's the third different Talladega crash to earn a link to this site) is to stay in front of the pack. Another way is to stay behind it. So this may be the one place where starting 43rd can be construed as a good thing.
We'll be back with a race wrap-up. Until then, enjoy.
1. Denny Hamlin. OK, maybe he can drive on that knee after all.
2. Jeff Gordon. He nearly won last week, he's comfortable with this track and, perhaps most importantly, he's ticked off.
3. Greg Biffle. He's now seven for eight in top 10 finishes this season. His one miss: the race where the People's Pitstop started him. But we don't hold grudges here.
4. Jimmie Johnson. He's leading NASCAR in three different categories: points, wins (three) and top five finishes (five).
5.Matt Kenseth. The rain in central Alabama means Kenseth is starting next to Johnson on the front row. They both have six finishes in the top 10.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. He finished eighth last week in Texas, and he would probably petition NASCAR to use restrictor plates at every track if he could get away with it.
7. Clint Bowyer. Five top 10 finishes make him perhaps the quietest contender in NASCAR.
8. Jamie McMurray. He won last year's fall race at Talladega and the Daytona 500. For those of you keeping score, that means he's won the last two Sprint Cup races featuring restrictor plates.
9. Brad Keselowski. He won last year's spring race at Talladega, and he's shown he's willing, right or wrong, to put his car anywhere on the track to get a win.
10. Michael Waltrip. One way to avoid the Big One (yes, that's the third different Talladega crash to earn a link to this site) is to stay in front of the pack. Another way is to stay behind it. So this may be the one place where starting 43rd can be construed as a good thing.
We'll be back with a race wrap-up. Until then, enjoy.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The People's Choice - Talladega
First of all, I apologize for not updating this blog earlier. My agent told me to stay by the phone in case the Raiders called.
Anyway, you, the Internet, have selected a lineup for the People's Pitstop for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Talladega. And every starting spot had a clear winner this week, as you can see from the results below. Here are the details. (These aren't gory or brutal details, though; we'll save the brutality for the track.)
A List. Jeff Gordon's tussle with Jimmie Johnson must have fired up the fantasy racing fans, because Gordon earned this week's starting spot over Tony Stewart. With rain washing out the qualifying session and Sunday's lineup being set by driver points, Gordon will start fifth.
B List. Two clear-cut winners here, too. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (starting seventh on Sunday) and Matt Kenseth (starting second) get the starting spots, while Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer will sit on the bench.
C List. Paul Menard is quickly earning a spot on something other than the C List. He will start for the People's Pitstop and will start 18th. Scott Speed will sit on the bench.
For you fantasy football fans, a new NFL Draft poll is now open. Feel free to vote now. We'll be back with the fearless predictions.
[polldaddy poll=3080505] [polldaddy poll=3080520] [polldaddy poll=3080538]
Anyway, you, the Internet, have selected a lineup for the People's Pitstop for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Talladega. And every starting spot had a clear winner this week, as you can see from the results below. Here are the details. (These aren't gory or brutal details, though; we'll save the brutality for the track.)
A List. Jeff Gordon's tussle with Jimmie Johnson must have fired up the fantasy racing fans, because Gordon earned this week's starting spot over Tony Stewart. With rain washing out the qualifying session and Sunday's lineup being set by driver points, Gordon will start fifth.
B List. Two clear-cut winners here, too. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (starting seventh on Sunday) and Matt Kenseth (starting second) get the starting spots, while Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer will sit on the bench.
C List. Paul Menard is quickly earning a spot on something other than the C List. He will start for the People's Pitstop and will start 18th. Scott Speed will sit on the bench.
For you fantasy football fans, a new NFL Draft poll is now open. Feel free to vote now. We'll be back with the fearless predictions.
[polldaddy poll=3080505] [polldaddy poll=3080520] [polldaddy poll=3080538]
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The People's Facts - Aaron's 499
The results of the St. Louis Rams draft poll can be found at the bottom of this post. (And as you can see, the results are pretty definitive.)
While the fantasy football fans bask in the glory of the NFL Draft Round 1, it's time to offer the fantasy racing fans some information about the biggest track NASCAR will use all season.
Track basics: Talladega Superspeedway in central Alabama has more than earned the moniker "super." First of all, it's big. Really big: 2.66 miles, or 0.16 miles longer than Daytona. The drivers use restrictor plates and pray they are not involved in the other big thing here: the Big One.
Recent winners: Brad Keselowski (2009), Kyle Busch (2008), Jeff Gordon (2007).
Who wins here a lot: Hendrick Motorsports has to feel confident coming here. Gordon leads active NASCAR drivers with six Sprint Cup victories. Dale Earnhardt Jr. trails him with five.
499? Huh? I'd love to tell you that the number 499 is the result of some extensive mathematical formula involving 2.66 miles, or perhaps a tribute to NASCAR's storied past. Nope. According to the expert analysis of Michaelwaltrip.com, it's a tribute to the ripoff shop, er, rental retailer that sponsors the race. "Dreams come true at Aaron's for $99 a month." Get it? For...99? Ha ha.
As always, you can get a more extensive preview from our friends at Yahoo Sports by clicking here. The lineup polls will close in a few hours, so please vote now. We'll be back with results and draft thoughts.
[polldaddy poll=3073659]
While the fantasy football fans bask in the glory of the NFL Draft Round 1, it's time to offer the fantasy racing fans some information about the biggest track NASCAR will use all season.
Track basics: Talladega Superspeedway in central Alabama has more than earned the moniker "super." First of all, it's big. Really big: 2.66 miles, or 0.16 miles longer than Daytona. The drivers use restrictor plates and pray they are not involved in the other big thing here: the Big One.
Recent winners: Brad Keselowski (2009), Kyle Busch (2008), Jeff Gordon (2007).
Who wins here a lot: Hendrick Motorsports has to feel confident coming here. Gordon leads active NASCAR drivers with six Sprint Cup victories. Dale Earnhardt Jr. trails him with five.
499? Huh? I'd love to tell you that the number 499 is the result of some extensive mathematical formula involving 2.66 miles, or perhaps a tribute to NASCAR's storied past. Nope. According to the expert analysis of Michaelwaltrip.com, it's a tribute to the ripoff shop, er, rental retailer that sponsors the race. "Dreams come true at Aaron's for $99 a month." Get it? For...99? Ha ha.
As always, you can get a more extensive preview from our friends at Yahoo Sports by clicking here. The lineup polls will close in a few hours, so please vote now. We'll be back with results and draft thoughts.
[polldaddy poll=3073659]
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Suspensions and Fantasy Football
Don't know if you've heard yet, but Ben Roethlisberger is in trouble with the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Wednesday that Roethlisberger would start the 2010 football season on suspension. Most of the headlines will say the suspension is for six games, but it's actually designed to be reduced to four games if Roethlisberger complies with some easily reached terms. Put simply, if he's still suspended on week 5, something has gone horribly wrong.
For the purposes of this post, we will set aside questions about things like the morality of Roethlisberger's actions and the legality of suspending someone who wasn't even indicted. Instead, we'll consider this case from the perspective of fantasy football fans, who have to decide what to do with Roethlisberger and the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers. After all, he did rank 9th among quaterbacks in ESPN fantasy points last season.
Unless something radical happens Thursday at the NFL draft, the Steelers probably will turn over the offense to recent re-acquisition Byron Leftwich (who ranked 42nd last year) or Charlie Batch (who got no fantasy points whatsoever). This can't be good news for Hines Ward (who ranked 16th last year among receivers) or Mike Wallace (who ranked 28th).
I'd mention the effect on Santonio Holmes, but there really isn't one. There are two reasons for that. First, Holmes is now a New York Jet. Second, as a result of a drug policy violation, Holmes has earned a suspension of his own: four games. Maybe he can run patterns for Roethlisberger while they serve their suspensions together.
And yes, most of the above can be wiped out with the right move during the NFL Draft, which starts Thursday. The People's Pigskin's draft-related poll will close late Wednesday. We'll be back with some facts about the NASCAR race in Talladega.
For the purposes of this post, we will set aside questions about things like the morality of Roethlisberger's actions and the legality of suspending someone who wasn't even indicted. Instead, we'll consider this case from the perspective of fantasy football fans, who have to decide what to do with Roethlisberger and the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers. After all, he did rank 9th among quaterbacks in ESPN fantasy points last season.
Unless something radical happens Thursday at the NFL draft, the Steelers probably will turn over the offense to recent re-acquisition Byron Leftwich (who ranked 42nd last year) or Charlie Batch (who got no fantasy points whatsoever). This can't be good news for Hines Ward (who ranked 16th last year among receivers) or Mike Wallace (who ranked 28th).
I'd mention the effect on Santonio Holmes, but there really isn't one. There are two reasons for that. First, Holmes is now a New York Jet. Second, as a result of a drug policy violation, Holmes has earned a suspension of his own: four games. Maybe he can run patterns for Roethlisberger while they serve their suspensions together.
And yes, most of the above can be wiped out with the right move during the NFL Draft, which starts Thursday. The People's Pigskin's draft-related poll will close late Wednesday. We'll be back with some facts about the NASCAR race in Talladega.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
In Most Places, It's Called Lying
Sometimes you plan an event but have to move it back or even cancel it because of unpredictable circumstances. Last weekend both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races were moved to Monday because Mother Nature had other plans. If you're running a sport, like the folks at NASCAR, there's nothing you can do about that. You just take your meteorological lumps and move on.
And then we have situations like the one NASCAR has with Fox.
If you go to NASCAR.com's official schedule, you will find that Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Talladega is scheduled to start at about 1 p.m. EDT. If you go to ESPN's NASCAR coverage, those folks will tell you the same thing. And the good folks at Yahoo Sports will essentially agree. (Yahoo even goes through the trouble of predicting that, after we get through the national anthem and the other usual stuff, the green flag will wave at 1:19 p.m. EDT.)
The only people who seem to have a different idea about the start of the race are the people broadcasting it.
If you watched the telecast of Monday's Samsung 500 for any length of time, you saw and heard Fox telling you to tune in Sunday for the race at Talladega -- at noon EDT. If you have satellite TV and try to look up the race, it will show you "NASCAR Racing" starting at noon EDT.
What it won't tell you is that Fox plans to spend the hour from noon to 1 p.m. EDT giving you previews, analysis, interviews and other stuff. When done well, these can all be informative and entertaining and even worth the fantasy racing fan's time. What they are not is coverage of the race itself.
Now, Fox Sports also covers the National Football League, and before each NFL game, it has folks like Jimmie Johnson and Terry Bradshaw give their insights, opinions and analysis. And if you look in your TV listings, you'll see this analysis is called "FOX NFL Sunday." You'll also see that the game itself is at its actual start time.
In other words, they call their pregame show a pregame show. They just don't call their prerace show a prerace show. Is it because Roger Goodell has more sway over Fox than NASCAR does? Or is it because he has less?
And a disclaimer for those reaching for their e-mail applications: This post has nothing to do with the politics and opinions of Fox Sports, Fox News or any other News Corp. holding or any of the people working there. You don't have to think anything at all -- good, bad or indifferent -- about Bill O'Reilly or Simon Cowell or Darrell Waltrip or anyone else to have an opinion about Fox Sports telling its viewers that the race starts an hour before it actually does.
We'll be back Wednesday with some facts about the race itself.
And then we have situations like the one NASCAR has with Fox.
If you go to NASCAR.com's official schedule, you will find that Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Talladega is scheduled to start at about 1 p.m. EDT. If you go to ESPN's NASCAR coverage, those folks will tell you the same thing. And the good folks at Yahoo Sports will essentially agree. (Yahoo even goes through the trouble of predicting that, after we get through the national anthem and the other usual stuff, the green flag will wave at 1:19 p.m. EDT.)
The only people who seem to have a different idea about the start of the race are the people broadcasting it.
If you watched the telecast of Monday's Samsung 500 for any length of time, you saw and heard Fox telling you to tune in Sunday for the race at Talladega -- at noon EDT. If you have satellite TV and try to look up the race, it will show you "NASCAR Racing" starting at noon EDT.
What it won't tell you is that Fox plans to spend the hour from noon to 1 p.m. EDT giving you previews, analysis, interviews and other stuff. When done well, these can all be informative and entertaining and even worth the fantasy racing fan's time. What they are not is coverage of the race itself.
Now, Fox Sports also covers the National Football League, and before each NFL game, it has folks like Jimmie Johnson and Terry Bradshaw give their insights, opinions and analysis. And if you look in your TV listings, you'll see this analysis is called "FOX NFL Sunday." You'll also see that the game itself is at its actual start time.
In other words, they call their pregame show a pregame show. They just don't call their prerace show a prerace show. Is it because Roger Goodell has more sway over Fox than NASCAR does? Or is it because he has less?
And a disclaimer for those reaching for their e-mail applications: This post has nothing to do with the politics and opinions of Fox Sports, Fox News or any other News Corp. holding or any of the people working there. You don't have to think anything at all -- good, bad or indifferent -- about Bill O'Reilly or Simon Cowell or Darrell Waltrip or anyone else to have an opinion about Fox Sports telling its viewers that the race starts an hour before it actually does.
We'll be back Wednesday with some facts about the race itself.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Texas-Size Results (and Polls)
NASCAR fans (most of them, anyway) would tell you that in this case, the wait for the Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway was worth it. And the Internet's favorite fantasy auto racing team would agree. The People's Pitstop managed to score 307 points in the Samsung 500. That lifted us to a tie for 99,704th overall on Yahoo Sports and a tie for 118th in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here's how the points break down.
Greg Biffle: Started 3rd, finished 10th, 13 laps led and 85 fantasy points. Biffle's total included 3 bonus points for qualifying 3rd and 10 more bonus points for leading at least one lap. And yes, that's his seventh top 10 finish of the season. Remember that when the next set of predictions come out.
Kevin Harvick: Started 19th, finished 7th, 78 fantasy points. Surprisingly, Harvick was one of the few top 10 drivers who didn't lead a lap this week. (And by the way, he has only four starts left for the People's Pitstop for the rest of the season.)
Jeff Burton: Started 6th, finished 12th, 10 laps led and 78 fantasy points. Burton was actually in the lead when the Big Wreck took out nearly a quarter of the field. Unfortunately, Burton couldn't hold on to that lead.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 17th, finished 13th, 66 fantasy points. Allmendinger took some damage from the aforementioned wreck, but he stayed on the track to finish right behind Burton.
Now, we move on to Talladega and a whole new set of polls. They can be found underneath our St. Louis Rams draft poll. As always, the lineup polls will close Thursday night, so we can submit a lineup in time for Friday's qualifying session. The Rams poll will close Wednesday night. We'll be back with more thoughts on racing and football. In the meantime, please vote.
Greg Biffle: Started 3rd, finished 10th, 13 laps led and 85 fantasy points. Biffle's total included 3 bonus points for qualifying 3rd and 10 more bonus points for leading at least one lap. And yes, that's his seventh top 10 finish of the season. Remember that when the next set of predictions come out.
Kevin Harvick: Started 19th, finished 7th, 78 fantasy points. Surprisingly, Harvick was one of the few top 10 drivers who didn't lead a lap this week. (And by the way, he has only four starts left for the People's Pitstop for the rest of the season.)
Jeff Burton: Started 6th, finished 12th, 10 laps led and 78 fantasy points. Burton was actually in the lead when the Big Wreck took out nearly a quarter of the field. Unfortunately, Burton couldn't hold on to that lead.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 17th, finished 13th, 66 fantasy points. Allmendinger took some damage from the aforementioned wreck, but he stayed on the track to finish right behind Burton.
Now, we move on to Talladega and a whole new set of polls. They can be found underneath our St. Louis Rams draft poll. As always, the lineup polls will close Thursday night, so we can submit a lineup in time for Friday's qualifying session. The Rams poll will close Wednesday night. We'll be back with more thoughts on racing and football. In the meantime, please vote.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Counting down to racing (and the draft)
As these words are being typed, we're a little over an hour away from this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, though you might not know it. (We'll have some thoughts on that later this week.)
Thanks to the fantasy football fans who shared their plans for this year's NFL Draft. The results appear below. We have a new poll up about what the St. Louis Rams should do with the very first pick in this year's draft. That poll will close Thursday, which is also when the National Football League will hold the first round of its draft. By the way, the "G. McCoy" in our latest poll refers to Gerald of Oklahoma, not Colt of Texas.
If you have access to a computer during today's race, feel free to join us in Yahoo's race chat, featuring Jay Busbee and Jay Hart of From the Marbles fame.
[polldaddy poll=3030960]
Thanks to the fantasy football fans who shared their plans for this year's NFL Draft. The results appear below. We have a new poll up about what the St. Louis Rams should do with the very first pick in this year's draft. That poll will close Thursday, which is also when the National Football League will hold the first round of its draft. By the way, the "G. McCoy" in our latest poll refers to Gerald of Oklahoma, not Colt of Texas.
If you have access to a computer during today's race, feel free to join us in Yahoo's race chat, featuring Jay Busbee and Jay Hart of From the Marbles fame.
[polldaddy poll=3030960]
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Fearless Predictions - Texas
The People's Pitstop had a rough weekend at Phoenix, but the march toward .500 for the predictions gained some momentum. The predictions went a very respectable 7-3 on Saturday night, leaving us with an almost respectable season record of 29-31. Here's the Texas Motor Speedway version of the predictions. (And remember that this is a projection of which NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will finish in the top 10. It is NOT a prediction of who will finish first, who will finish second, etc. Even we're not that crazy.)
1. Greg Biffle. Yes, he's one of the three drivers who didn't come through for us in last week's predictions (and the only one who wasn't a long shot), but he's still one of only two drivers with six finishes in the top 10 this season.
2. Matt Kenseth. Surprise, surprise...yes, he's the other one.
3. Tony Stewart. Smoke found his way to the pole this week, and one of his employees found his way to Victory Lane last week, so someone at Stewart-Haas has figured it out.
4. Ryan Newman. The win was Newman's second finish in the top five this season.
5. Kurt Busch. The former Sprint Cup winner has three top 10 finishes under his belt this season, including his victory last month in Atlanta.
6. Jimmie Johnson. Another week, another top five finish. Ho-freakin-hum.
7. Clint Bowyer. Stop the presses: Bowyer has just as many top 10 finishes (five) as the four-time defending Cup champion.
8. Kasey Kahne. How do you quiet speculation about how you're going to spend next year while waiting for someone else's contract to expire? You kick some asphalt on the track, of course.
9. Jeff Burton. He qualified sixth, and he has he's won here twice. What's that about muscle memory?
10. Brian Vickers. You may recall from the People's Facts that a few drivers were selected to test the rear spoiler last winter at Texas Motor Speedway. They were Biffle, Stewart, Kurt Busch and Vickers, our medium-to-long shot for this week.
By the way, fantasy football fans should note this. The poll on your viewing plans for the NFL draft will close Sunday. In its place, we'll have a new poll about the draft. So get your votes in while you can.
1. Greg Biffle. Yes, he's one of the three drivers who didn't come through for us in last week's predictions (and the only one who wasn't a long shot), but he's still one of only two drivers with six finishes in the top 10 this season.
2. Matt Kenseth. Surprise, surprise...yes, he's the other one.
3. Tony Stewart. Smoke found his way to the pole this week, and one of his employees found his way to Victory Lane last week, so someone at Stewart-Haas has figured it out.
4. Ryan Newman. The win was Newman's second finish in the top five this season.
5. Kurt Busch. The former Sprint Cup winner has three top 10 finishes under his belt this season, including his victory last month in Atlanta.
6. Jimmie Johnson. Another week, another top five finish. Ho-freakin-hum.
7. Clint Bowyer. Stop the presses: Bowyer has just as many top 10 finishes (five) as the four-time defending Cup champion.
8. Kasey Kahne. How do you quiet speculation about how you're going to spend next year while waiting for someone else's contract to expire? You kick some asphalt on the track, of course.
9. Jeff Burton. He qualified sixth, and he has he's won here twice. What's that about muscle memory?
10. Brian Vickers. You may recall from the People's Facts that a few drivers were selected to test the rear spoiler last winter at Texas Motor Speedway. They were Biffle, Stewart, Kurt Busch and Vickers, our medium-to-long shot for this week.
By the way, fantasy football fans should note this. The poll on your viewing plans for the NFL draft will close Sunday. In its place, we'll have a new poll about the draft. So get your votes in while you can.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The People's Choice - Texas
With the help of you, the Internet, the lineup has been set for this Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. Remember: Once the eight drivers for our lineup are selected, we are now using qualifying order to break any ties between drivers who get the same number of votes. That said, here's this week's lineup:
A List. And we got a chance to put that new tiebreaker to work right away, since two drivers tied for the most votes on this list: Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon. Since Biffle qualified third, he gets the start, while Gordon sits on the bench.
B List. We had one clear-cut winner in this vote: Kevin Harvick. The next three drivers were Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano. Burton qualified sixth for Sunday's race, so he gets the start, while Earnhardt and Logano will watch from the bench this week.
C List. Another list, another tie, this time between A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Speed. Allmendinger, by virtue of qualifying 17th, gets the starting spot.
The poll results appear below. We'll be back tomorrow with the forecasts for the top 10.
[polldaddy poll=3040513] [polldaddy poll=3040526] [polldaddy poll=3040539]
A List. And we got a chance to put that new tiebreaker to work right away, since two drivers tied for the most votes on this list: Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon. Since Biffle qualified third, he gets the start, while Gordon sits on the bench.
B List. We had one clear-cut winner in this vote: Kevin Harvick. The next three drivers were Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano. Burton qualified sixth for Sunday's race, so he gets the start, while Earnhardt and Logano will watch from the bench this week.
C List. Another list, another tie, this time between A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Speed. Allmendinger, by virtue of qualifying 17th, gets the starting spot.
The poll results appear below. We'll be back tomorrow with the forecasts for the top 10.
[polldaddy poll=3040513] [polldaddy poll=3040526] [polldaddy poll=3040539]
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The People's Facts - Samsung Mobile 500
There's still a couple of hours to vote on the polls for the People's Pitstop lineup for this Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race deep in the heart of Texas. But first, here's a primer on the track everyone will be trying to tame.
Track basics: Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval that has a reputation for generating a lot of speed. Terry Labonte holds the qualifying record with a speed of 192.137 miles per hour. Even Sammy Hagar would be impressed. (As always, Yahoo Sports had provided a more extensive preview, which you can read by clicking here.)
Recent winners: Jeff Gordon (2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Jeff Burton (2007)
Who wins here a lot: Almost nobody. Edwards has three wins on this track. Burton has two. No one else has more than one.
Now THAT'S a test drive: You might have heard about NASCAR's switch back from the rear wing to the spoiler. Well, what you might not know is that before the switch was announced, NASCAR had a few select drivers test the new/old spoiler package. The test site? Texas Motor Speedway. Will the drivers have an advantage Sunday? Only time will tell.
Track basics: Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval that has a reputation for generating a lot of speed. Terry Labonte holds the qualifying record with a speed of 192.137 miles per hour. Even Sammy Hagar would be impressed. (As always, Yahoo Sports had provided a more extensive preview, which you can read by clicking here.)
Recent winners: Jeff Gordon (2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Jeff Burton (2007)
Who wins here a lot: Almost nobody. Edwards has three wins on this track. Burton has two. No one else has more than one.
Now THAT'S a test drive: You might have heard about NASCAR's switch back from the rear wing to the spoiler. Well, what you might not know is that before the switch was announced, NASCAR had a few select drivers test the new/old spoiler package. The test site? Texas Motor Speedway. Will the drivers have an advantage Sunday? Only time will tell.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Brandon, Jimmie et al
Today's post is designed to satisfy both sets of fans of the People's Pigskin: those who love fantasy football and those who love fantasy racing.
First, here's the racing information. There is still time to vote on the People's Pitstop lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Texas. But we need to issue a quick reminder. According to Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing's rules (which you can read in full by clicking here), a team is only allowed to start a certain driver nine times during the course of the Sprint Cup season. And this is a season that lasts until a week before Thanksgiving.
Therefore, when you vote, you might want to remember that certain drivers have already made frequent appearances in the starting lineup. For example, Jimmie Johnson has appeared four times so far, so we can use him only five more times this season, and we might want to use him during the Chase, when he won four races last year. Similarly, Matt Kenseth has made five appearances (and has four left), while Kevin Harvick has made four appearances (and has five left). Just saying.
Now, on to the fantasy football news. The Miami Dolphins traded a pair of draft picks to the Denver Broncos in exchange for headache/wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Who does this affect? First and foremost, ESPN's Christopher Harris says the trade helps Chad Henne, who may finally get to run a grown-up NFL offense now. Second, the good folks at Shutdown Corner say the trade may seal Ted Ginn's fate. Third...well, I'd say how this affects the Broncos starting quarterback, but that would suggest I knew who that will be.
Anyway, we will be back tomorrow with some facts about this week's race. Until then, feel free to vote.
First, here's the racing information. There is still time to vote on the People's Pitstop lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Texas. But we need to issue a quick reminder. According to Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing's rules (which you can read in full by clicking here), a team is only allowed to start a certain driver nine times during the course of the Sprint Cup season. And this is a season that lasts until a week before Thanksgiving.
Therefore, when you vote, you might want to remember that certain drivers have already made frequent appearances in the starting lineup. For example, Jimmie Johnson has appeared four times so far, so we can use him only five more times this season, and we might want to use him during the Chase, when he won four races last year. Similarly, Matt Kenseth has made five appearances (and has four left), while Kevin Harvick has made four appearances (and has five left). Just saying.
Now, on to the fantasy football news. The Miami Dolphins traded a pair of draft picks to the Denver Broncos in exchange for headache/wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Who does this affect? First and foremost, ESPN's Christopher Harris says the trade helps Chad Henne, who may finally get to run a grown-up NFL offense now. Second, the good folks at Shutdown Corner say the trade may seal Ted Ginn's fate. Third...well, I'd say how this affects the Broncos starting quarterback, but that would suggest I knew who that will be.
Anyway, we will be back tomorrow with some facts about this week's race. Until then, feel free to vote.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Damage Assessment, New Polls and Rule Change
First of all, a show of hands, please ... how many of you expected Ryan Newman to win Saturday night's race?
OK, now that we know who the liars are, let's discuss the People's Pitstop results. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team scored only 214 points at this week's Sprint Cup race in Phoenix. The season total is 1,760, leaving us tied for 140,102nd overall and tied for 171st in the Fan of From the Marbles league.
Here are the detailed results.
Greg Biffle. Started 30th, finished 22nd, 48 fantasy points. I guess all we had to do to break Biffle's top-10-finish streak was to put him in the starting lineup.
Matt Kenseth. Started 27th, finished 6th, 90 fantasy points. That includes 10 points for leading a lap. Kenseth was the only People's Pitstop starter who found his way to the front of the pack at any point during Gnatfest 2010.
Jeff Burton. Started 15th, finished 25th, 42 fantasy points. At least Burton was able to wind up on the lead lap.
Paul Menard. Started 32nd, finished 29th (1 lap behind the leaders), 34 fantasy points. Ugh.
The polls are now up for the next Sprint Cup race Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. As usual, the polls will stay up until Thursday night, so we can turn in a lineup in time for Friday's qualifying session.
Speaking of qualifying, it's time to announce a rule tweak for this fantasy NASCAR team. From now on, if a starter and a bench driver get the same number of votes, we will use the driver to qualifies better in the starting spot. We'll still use driver points to determine who does and doesn't make the lineup we turn in Thursday night, but from now on if, say, Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson are tied in votes, and Johnson qualifies SEVEN WHOLE ROW in front of Biffle, Johnson will get the start, and Biffle will sit on the bench.
(OK, rant over.) Feel free to vote now. We'll be back with a look at some driver trends.
OK, now that we know who the liars are, let's discuss the People's Pitstop results. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team scored only 214 points at this week's Sprint Cup race in Phoenix. The season total is 1,760, leaving us tied for 140,102nd overall and tied for 171st in the Fan of From the Marbles league.
Here are the detailed results.
Greg Biffle. Started 30th, finished 22nd, 48 fantasy points. I guess all we had to do to break Biffle's top-10-finish streak was to put him in the starting lineup.
Matt Kenseth. Started 27th, finished 6th, 90 fantasy points. That includes 10 points for leading a lap. Kenseth was the only People's Pitstop starter who found his way to the front of the pack at any point during Gnatfest 2010.
Jeff Burton. Started 15th, finished 25th, 42 fantasy points. At least Burton was able to wind up on the lead lap.
Paul Menard. Started 32nd, finished 29th (1 lap behind the leaders), 34 fantasy points. Ugh.
The polls are now up for the next Sprint Cup race Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. As usual, the polls will stay up until Thursday night, so we can turn in a lineup in time for Friday's qualifying session.
Speaking of qualifying, it's time to announce a rule tweak for this fantasy NASCAR team. From now on, if a starter and a bench driver get the same number of votes, we will use the driver to qualifies better in the starting spot. We'll still use driver points to determine who does and doesn't make the lineup we turn in Thursday night, but from now on if, say, Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson are tied in votes, and Johnson qualifies SEVEN WHOLE ROW in front of Biffle, Johnson will get the start, and Biffle will sit on the bench.
(OK, rant over.) Feel free to vote now. We'll be back with a look at some driver trends.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Fearless Predictions - Phoenix
We are mere hours from the first Saturday night race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. We at the People's Pigskin aren't foolish enough to predict the qualifying order (and that's clearly a good thing), but we are foolish enough to offer predictions about who will finish in the top 10. The Martinsville predictions went a pedestrian 5-5, leaving us with a season record of 22-28.
1. Greg Biffle. Six starts, six finishes in the top 10. What else is there to say?
2. Jimmie Johnson. Regular readers of this blog will recall that he leads active drivers with four wins here. And he also has four...well, you know.
3. Kyle Busch. If you saw the fantastic finish to Friday night's Nationwide race, you know that Mr. Busch doesn't need to start out front to get to the front.
4. Matt Kenseth. Yes, he slipped up in Martinsville, but he still has three finishes in the top five this season. Only Johnson has as many.
5. Juan Pablo Montoya. If I had asked you to guess which driver from Yahoo's A List would be the top qualifier for today's race, how long would it have taken you to guess Montoya? (Here's a hint: There are 10 drivers on that A List.)
6. Jeff Gordon. You could say the fact that he lost the Martinsville race to Denny Hamlin means Gordon is slipping. Or you could say the fact that he nearly won the race on the preceding caution means he's got his car dialed in.
7. Mark Martin. He won last year's spring race here, and he already has two finishes in the top five this season.
8. Carl Edwards. Three top 10 finishes and a top 10 starting position. And a bonus: Personal nemesis Brad Keselowski starts 22nd.
9 and 10. A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Speed. This is normally the point in the predictions where we offer a medium-to-long shot. This week the powers that be (whoever they may be) decided to put the long shots on the front row.
We'll be back Sunday with results and polls for next week's lineup. In the meantime, enjoy the race and/or the Masters. Just make sure you don't call yourself a golf "fan" while watching it.
1. Greg Biffle. Six starts, six finishes in the top 10. What else is there to say?
2. Jimmie Johnson. Regular readers of this blog will recall that he leads active drivers with four wins here. And he also has four...well, you know.
3. Kyle Busch. If you saw the fantastic finish to Friday night's Nationwide race, you know that Mr. Busch doesn't need to start out front to get to the front.
4. Matt Kenseth. Yes, he slipped up in Martinsville, but he still has three finishes in the top five this season. Only Johnson has as many.
5. Juan Pablo Montoya. If I had asked you to guess which driver from Yahoo's A List would be the top qualifier for today's race, how long would it have taken you to guess Montoya? (Here's a hint: There are 10 drivers on that A List.)
6. Jeff Gordon. You could say the fact that he lost the Martinsville race to Denny Hamlin means Gordon is slipping. Or you could say the fact that he nearly won the race on the preceding caution means he's got his car dialed in.
7. Mark Martin. He won last year's spring race here, and he already has two finishes in the top five this season.
8. Carl Edwards. Three top 10 finishes and a top 10 starting position. And a bonus: Personal nemesis Brad Keselowski starts 22nd.
9 and 10. A.J. Allmendinger and Scott Speed. This is normally the point in the predictions where we offer a medium-to-long shot. This week the powers that be (whoever they may be) decided to put the long shots on the front row.
We'll be back Sunday with results and polls for next week's lineup. In the meantime, enjoy the race and/or the Masters. Just make sure you don't call yourself a golf "fan" while watching it.
Friday, April 9, 2010
The People's Choice - Phoenix
For NASCAR fans, it's going to feel like a short week with the Sprint Cup race on Saturday night in Phoenix. Nevertheless, you, the Internet, found the time to pick the People's Pitstop fantasy racing lineup for the Saturday race. Here's your lineup.
A List. It was a four-way tie in this week's poll, so we go with the points tiebreaker. Your starting driver is Greg Biffle, while the backup spot goes to Jimmie Johnson.
B List. There was one clear winner in this poll, Matt Kenseth. He gets a place in the starting lineup, along with Jeff Burton, who wins the points tiebreaker. The bench spots go to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano.
C List. A familiar face returns to the starting spot, Paul Menard, who may end up on a different list (say, the Chase, perhaps?) if he keeps this up. The backup is David Gilliland.
We have a new poll up. This one deals with our other focus here at the People's Pigskin: football. Feel free to vote, and enjoy the qualifying, the race and even the golf (if you are so inclined). We'll be back tomorrow with predictions for the top 10 spots. The poll results appear below.
[polldaddy poll=3010585] [polldaddy poll=3010589] [polldaddy poll=3010604]
A List. It was a four-way tie in this week's poll, so we go with the points tiebreaker. Your starting driver is Greg Biffle, while the backup spot goes to Jimmie Johnson.
B List. There was one clear winner in this poll, Matt Kenseth. He gets a place in the starting lineup, along with Jeff Burton, who wins the points tiebreaker. The bench spots go to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano.
C List. A familiar face returns to the starting spot, Paul Menard, who may end up on a different list (say, the Chase, perhaps?) if he keeps this up. The backup is David Gilliland.
We have a new poll up. This one deals with our other focus here at the People's Pigskin: football. Feel free to vote, and enjoy the qualifying, the race and even the golf (if you are so inclined). We'll be back tomorrow with predictions for the top 10 spots. The poll results appear below.
[polldaddy poll=3010585] [polldaddy poll=3010589] [polldaddy poll=3010604]
Thursday, April 8, 2010
So About That McNabb Thing
There is still some time for you, the Internet, to vote on the People's Pitstop lineup for Saturday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Phoenix. In the meantime, it's time for another reminder that, yes, Virginia, this is still a fantasy football Web site, too.
Most of the offseason trades, cuts and signings have little or no value for the fantasy football enthusiast. No matter how much you like Jason Taylor, on the football field or on the dance floor, his flirtations with the New York Jets likely are not going to change how you feel about the Jets or Dolphins defense/special teams come draft time.
Donovan McNabb's trade to the Washington Redskins? That's another story.
Of course, the fantasy football player will have to worry about McNabb's own production at his new home. He ranked 10th among quarterbacks in ESPN fantasy points. However, like George in "It's a Wonderful Life," McNabb's production affects so many other people in the National Football League.
DeSean Jackson. The Philadelphia Eagles may have all the confidence in the world in Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick and/or whichever quarterback gets drafted to be the "next Kolb/Vick." But Jackson, who ranked 4th among wide receivers in fantasy points, has to be at least a little nervous.
Washington's receivers. Here the sentiment may be more upbeat. The Redskins wide receiving corps did not exactly set the fantasy world on fire last year.
Chris Cooley. The Redskins tight end was having a decent season until a broken ankle ended it in October. And Brent Celek of the Eagles ranked 4th among tight ends in fantasy points, so you know McNabb enjoys throwing to a healthy tight end.
Jason Campbell. Oh, yeah, the man whose job McNabb is taking. Campbell's agent is exploring trade possibilities, but no matter where he goes, he's facing an uphill hike to fantasy relevance. Campbell ranked 16th among passers in fantasy points, and he's going to a place that either has an established starter (in which Campbell at least starts the season as a backup) or did so poorly last season that it's willing to take a chance on him.
And that's before we even consider the NFL Draft, but that's another topic for another post. In the meantime, remember to vote on our lineup polls. They will close Thursday night, so the lineup can be set in time for Friday's qualifying session. We'll be back with the results.
Most of the offseason trades, cuts and signings have little or no value for the fantasy football enthusiast. No matter how much you like Jason Taylor, on the football field or on the dance floor, his flirtations with the New York Jets likely are not going to change how you feel about the Jets or Dolphins defense/special teams come draft time.
Donovan McNabb's trade to the Washington Redskins? That's another story.
Of course, the fantasy football player will have to worry about McNabb's own production at his new home. He ranked 10th among quarterbacks in ESPN fantasy points. However, like George in "It's a Wonderful Life," McNabb's production affects so many other people in the National Football League.
DeSean Jackson. The Philadelphia Eagles may have all the confidence in the world in Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick and/or whichever quarterback gets drafted to be the "next Kolb/Vick." But Jackson, who ranked 4th among wide receivers in fantasy points, has to be at least a little nervous.
Washington's receivers. Here the sentiment may be more upbeat. The Redskins wide receiving corps did not exactly set the fantasy world on fire last year.
Chris Cooley. The Redskins tight end was having a decent season until a broken ankle ended it in October. And Brent Celek of the Eagles ranked 4th among tight ends in fantasy points, so you know McNabb enjoys throwing to a healthy tight end.
Jason Campbell. Oh, yeah, the man whose job McNabb is taking. Campbell's agent is exploring trade possibilities, but no matter where he goes, he's facing an uphill hike to fantasy relevance. Campbell ranked 16th among passers in fantasy points, and he's going to a place that either has an established starter (in which Campbell at least starts the season as a backup) or did so poorly last season that it's willing to take a chance on him.
And that's before we even consider the NFL Draft, but that's another topic for another post. In the meantime, remember to vote on our lineup polls. They will close Thursday night, so the lineup can be set in time for Friday's qualifying session. We'll be back with the results.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The People's Facts - Subway Fresh Fit 600
While you, the Internet, ponder who should make the People's Pitstop lineup for this week's race, it's time to take a look at the race venue.
Track basics: Phoenix International Raceway is a one-mile oval with relatively flat corners. Turns 1 and 2 have the highest banking: a whopping 11 degrees. (Insert your "Home Alone" scream here.) By the way, the "600" in the race's name refers to kilometers, not miles or laps. For those of you who don't feel like spending your free time on metric conversions, they'll run 375 laps, or 63 more than they did last year, when it was 500 kilometers long.
As always, you can get a more in-depth preview by clicking here to download a PDF from our friends at Yahoo Sports.
Recent winners: Mark Martin (2009), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Jeff Gordon (2007)
Who wins here a lot: In this case, "a lot" is a relative term. Johnson leads active NASCAR drivers with four victories on this track. Four others (Martin, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick) are tied for second place, with two victories apiece.
Change four tires and a knee ligament: Last week, a commenter on this board wrote that Denny Hamlin "may like Virginia, but his knee doesn't like racing at the moment." This was before Hamlin won a rain-delayed race at Martinsville, in spite of the ACL he tore in January. Two days after the race, Hamlin had surgery to repair his knee. On Saturday, 10 days after the surgery, Hamlin plans to race in Phoenix.
I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on TV. But it's stunning to me that knee surgery can sideline football players and golfers for months at a time, but drivers can get back into the racecar less than two weeks after having a knee repaired. Can anyone out there with medical training explain this? (Feel free to leave a comment, and no, we won't call you in the morning.)
We'll be back with a peek at the goings-on in the football world.
Track basics: Phoenix International Raceway is a one-mile oval with relatively flat corners. Turns 1 and 2 have the highest banking: a whopping 11 degrees. (Insert your "Home Alone" scream here.) By the way, the "600" in the race's name refers to kilometers, not miles or laps. For those of you who don't feel like spending your free time on metric conversions, they'll run 375 laps, or 63 more than they did last year, when it was 500 kilometers long.
As always, you can get a more in-depth preview by clicking here to download a PDF from our friends at Yahoo Sports.
Recent winners: Mark Martin (2009), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Jeff Gordon (2007)
Who wins here a lot: In this case, "a lot" is a relative term. Johnson leads active NASCAR drivers with four victories on this track. Four others (Martin, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick) are tied for second place, with two victories apiece.
Change four tires and a knee ligament: Last week, a commenter on this board wrote that Denny Hamlin "may like Virginia, but his knee doesn't like racing at the moment." This was before Hamlin won a rain-delayed race at Martinsville, in spite of the ACL he tore in January. Two days after the race, Hamlin had surgery to repair his knee. On Saturday, 10 days after the surgery, Hamlin plans to race in Phoenix.
I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on TV. But it's stunning to me that knee surgery can sideline football players and golfers for months at a time, but drivers can get back into the racecar less than two weeks after having a knee repaired. Can anyone out there with medical training explain this? (Feel free to leave a comment, and no, we won't call you in the morning.)
We'll be back with a peek at the goings-on in the football world.
Monday, April 5, 2010
A Brief Review of Last Week
Like the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team took last week off. The polls for this week's race at Phoenix are already up, so feel free to vote now. Though this week's race will take place on Saturday night, the People's Pitstop polls will still close Thursday night.
Speaking of the People's Pitstop, our team managed to score only 226 points in our last race in Martinsville. That leaves us with a season total of 1,546, tied for 105,242nd in Yahoo Fantasy Racing and tied for 126th in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here's the breakdown:
Jimmie Johnson. Started 3rd, finished 9th, 74 fantasy points. Even though Jimmie spent a good portion of the race near the front of the pack, he didn't manage to lead a single lap.
Kevin Harvick. Started 1st, finished 35th (100 laps behind the leaders), 32 fantasy points. And that total includes 10 points for leading 57 laps before being knocked out of the running for good by one of the most important auto parts on a track like this one: the brakes.
Matt Kenseth. Started 2nd, finished 18th, 56 fantasy points. More proof that where you start a NASCAR race may not have any bearing on where you finish it.
Paul Menard. Started 9th, finished 14th, 64 fantasy points. What does it say about your fantasy auto racing team when the C List driver may have been the brightest spot of your week?
No matter. It's time for a new race and new polls. The results of our wing-vs.-spoiler poll appear below. Please vote.
[polldaddy poll=2969749]
Speaking of the People's Pitstop, our team managed to score only 226 points in our last race in Martinsville. That leaves us with a season total of 1,546, tied for 105,242nd in Yahoo Fantasy Racing and tied for 126th in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here's the breakdown:
Jimmie Johnson. Started 3rd, finished 9th, 74 fantasy points. Even though Jimmie spent a good portion of the race near the front of the pack, he didn't manage to lead a single lap.
Kevin Harvick. Started 1st, finished 35th (100 laps behind the leaders), 32 fantasy points. And that total includes 10 points for leading 57 laps before being knocked out of the running for good by one of the most important auto parts on a track like this one: the brakes.
Matt Kenseth. Started 2nd, finished 18th, 56 fantasy points. More proof that where you start a NASCAR race may not have any bearing on where you finish it.
Paul Menard. Started 9th, finished 14th, 64 fantasy points. What does it say about your fantasy auto racing team when the C List driver may have been the brightest spot of your week?
No matter. It's time for a new race and new polls. The results of our wing-vs.-spoiler poll appear below. Please vote.
[polldaddy poll=2969749]
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