The People's Facts - AAA Texas 500

Before we get into racing, let me offer a word of thanks to those of you who voted in the poll on which defense/special teams the People's Pigskin should acquire for its fantasy football showdown against the Fighting Amish. As you can see at the bottom of this post, the New England Patriots won this one unanimously and have earned a spot in our starting lineup.

Now, let's turn our attention to the People's Pitstop, which is hoping to bounce back with a strong performance at Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. We need you, the Internet, to select our drivers. Here is some information you might find useful.

Track basics: Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth. You can call it a "cookie cutter" if you want, but consider this. The Sprint Cup qualifying record on this track was set by Terry Labonte in 2000. His speed? Over 192 miles an hour. That's one fast cookie.

Last time we were here: Back in April (yes, seven months ago), Denny Hamlin held off a late charge by Jimmie Johnson and took the checkered flag in his second race after ACL surgery. The People's Pitstop fared well, scoring 307 fantasy points. Our top scorer was Kevin Harvick, who finished 7th.

Other recent winners: Kurt Busch (fall 2009), Carl Edwards (2008), Johnson (2007).

Who wins here a lot: For once, there's not a Hendrick driver in sight. Edwards leads all active NASCAR drivers with three victories in Texas, followed by Jeff Burton with two.

Where we stand: For the first time in a while, this race and the two that will follow are going to matter in the big picture. Take a look at the top of the points standings. Johnson normally has the Sprint Cup title all but sewn up by now, but Hamlin sits just 14 points behind, and Harvick is just 38 points behind. That means every pit stop, restart and passing decision will play a role in determining this year's championship. So much for conspiracy theories.

As always, you can learn more by downloading this guide from our friends at Yahoo Sports. The NASCAR polls will close Thursday night, so please vote now.

We'll be back with some football thoughts.

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