Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car couldn't go the distance, but the People's Pitstop could. Not only did the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team rack up 330 points during Sunday's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but we scored more points than any other team in the prestigious 9beersfantasysportstavern league on Yahoo Sports. Our season total of 3,460 is good enough to keep us in first place.
Here's how we did it, with a little help from you-know-who.
Carl Edwards: Started 3rd, finished 16th, 61 laps led and 73 fantasy points. Edwards did his best work early in the race. Still, he remains your points leader. (Yes, even the New York Times noticed.)
Clint Bowyer: Started 10th, finished 15th and 62 fantasy points. Bowyer was the only driver in our starting lineup not to lead at least one of the race's 402 laps. Maybe he'll get that done this week in his home state, where he'll even race a truck.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 2nd, finished 5th, 5 laps led and 97 fantasy points. Like Edwards, Allmendinger had his best results early in the race, before the sun set. But he did collect his first top five finish of the season, and he was one of the many drivers whose standing improved when Earnhardt's gas tank went dry. But if you want a golden horseshoe, look for...
David Ragan: Started 8th, finished 2nd, 7 laps led and 98 fantasy points. Ragan was actually a lap behind the leaders when, at lap 396 (4 laps before the checkered flag was scheduled to fly), Jimmie Johnson blew his engine. Ragan got the "lucky dog" pass back to the lead lap, and he made the most of it.
The People's Pitstop certainly has momentum. Let's see how far it gets us as NASCAR heads for the heartland for Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway. The qualifying session is Saturday morning, so this week's polls will close Friday night. Get your votes in now, and help the People's Pitstop keep its wheels turning.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Fearless Predictions - Charlotte
Throw another hot dog on the grill, or anything else you like; we at the People's Pigskin don't judge. It's a Sunday packed with racing, whether your favorite drivers are in Monaco or Indianapolis or Charlotte Motor Speedway. If you chose option C from that list, then you'll be interested in reading our predictions for the Sprint Cup drivers who will finish in the top 10 in the NASCAR marathon, aka the Coca-Cola 600. Our most recent forecasts went a respectable 2-2 at Dover, but our season record is a less-than-respectable 10-26, so don't read them while operating heavy machinery (or taking a test drive with Kyle Busch).
One from the front: Your picks for the People's Pitstop this week left us with a smaller field of eligible drivers. We'll go with Jimmie Johnson, whose long list of career accomplishments includes six victories on this track. And, as longtime readers of this blog know, he starts 6th in this race.
One from the back: Jamie McMurray is starting back in 35th place. That makes this pick supremely easy. Last year, he finished 2nd in the 600 and then won the fall race in Charlotte. This year, the man who grew up in Joplin, Missouri, is representing a community devastated by last week's tornado. If there's anyone motivated to charge to the front, it's McMurray.
Two from the middle: Ryan Newman starts 12th, and we discussed his nine poles on this track in our last post. Now we need to consider a single win by Matt Kenseth, who starts 19th. He won Saturday's Nationwide race. How is that remarkable? It was the first Nationwide race he has entered all season.
Enjoy today's racing, but keep in mind why we call it Memorial Day. We'll be back with results.
One from the front: Your picks for the People's Pitstop this week left us with a smaller field of eligible drivers. We'll go with Jimmie Johnson, whose long list of career accomplishments includes six victories on this track. And, as longtime readers of this blog know, he starts 6th in this race.
One from the back: Jamie McMurray is starting back in 35th place. That makes this pick supremely easy. Last year, he finished 2nd in the 600 and then won the fall race in Charlotte. This year, the man who grew up in Joplin, Missouri, is representing a community devastated by last week's tornado. If there's anyone motivated to charge to the front, it's McMurray.
Two from the middle: Ryan Newman starts 12th, and we discussed his nine poles on this track in our last post. Now we need to consider a single win by Matt Kenseth, who starts 19th. He won Saturday's Nationwide race. How is that remarkable? It was the first Nationwide race he has entered all season.
Enjoy today's racing, but keep in mind why we call it Memorial Day. We'll be back with results.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
The People's Choice - Charlotte
This post got caught in the Memorial Day weekend traffic, but better late than never.
This week was a short one for voting, but you, the Internet, came through with your picks for the People's Pitstop. Thanks to you, the Web's favorite fantasy NASCAR team is a little like Casey Kasem: All our starters are in the top 10.
A List: The people must have been impressed with the way Carl Edwards performed last Saturday. (Well, for the most part, anyway.) He won this poll handily over runner-up Jimmie Johnson. He also won a starting spot by qualifying 3rd, three spots ahead of Johnson. As a result, we get an extra 3 bonus points.
B List: This race was considerably tighter. Ryan Newman squeaked out a victory over Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger, who tied for second place. However, the man with nine poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway could not outqualify Allmendinger (2nd) and Bowyer (10th), both of whom earned starting spots over Newman (12th) and Earnhardt (25th; he should stick to fan votes). In fact, Allmendinger got us 5 bonus points for getting on the front row.
C List: Two of the usual suspects rose to the top of this poll. David Ragan beat Paul Menard in terms of both votes and qualifying (8th vs. 16th).
We'll be back sometime before the race with predictions.
This week was a short one for voting, but you, the Internet, came through with your picks for the People's Pitstop. Thanks to you, the Web's favorite fantasy NASCAR team is a little like Casey Kasem: All our starters are in the top 10.
A List: The people must have been impressed with the way Carl Edwards performed last Saturday. (Well, for the most part, anyway.) He won this poll handily over runner-up Jimmie Johnson. He also won a starting spot by qualifying 3rd, three spots ahead of Johnson. As a result, we get an extra 3 bonus points.
B List: This race was considerably tighter. Ryan Newman squeaked out a victory over Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger, who tied for second place. However, the man with nine poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway could not outqualify Allmendinger (2nd) and Bowyer (10th), both of whom earned starting spots over Newman (12th) and Earnhardt (25th; he should stick to fan votes). In fact, Allmendinger got us 5 bonus points for getting on the front row.
C List: Two of the usual suspects rose to the top of this poll. David Ragan beat Paul Menard in terms of both votes and qualifying (8th vs. 16th).
We'll be back sometime before the race with predictions.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Man in Blue on the Man in Black
Most people know Michael Waltrip for some combination of the following things.
Claiming that "Nobody could tell the story" of the day Earnhardt died "like I could," the younger Waltrip has put out a book called "In the Blink of an Eye," written with the help of Ellis Henican.
Truth be told, though, this book focuses more on Michael Waltrip's career than anything else. To be fair, that is a story no one can tell quite like he can, since he was the one who lived it. We learn, for example, that Darrell Waltrip tried to discourage his brother from getting into racing. ("All you're gonna do is waste a lot of your time and other people's money.")
There are some parts of the book that discuss Earnhardt, who owned the car Waltrip took to Victory Lane that fateful day. For example, we learn that, in the days leading up to that race, Earnhardt laid out the strategy that would get Dale Earnhardt Inc. the checkered flag. Waltrip, Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. would work their way to the front, slowly but surely. "Whichever of us gets to the front," Waltrip quotes Earnhardt Sr. as saying, "at the end we're gonna push and we're gonna make sure that person stays in the front."It was quite prescient; Waltrip and the two Earnhardts were the top three drivers going into that final lap.
- Being the baby brother of a former NASCAR Winston Cup champion.
- Hamming it up on Showtime and during TV commercials.
- Having rocket fuel (or something) show up in one of the first Sprint Cup cars he fielded as an owner.
- Winning the Daytona 500--his first points victory as a Sprint Cup driver--on the day Dale Earnhardt died blocking for him.
Claiming that "Nobody could tell the story" of the day Earnhardt died "like I could," the younger Waltrip has put out a book called "In the Blink of an Eye," written with the help of Ellis Henican.
Truth be told, though, this book focuses more on Michael Waltrip's career than anything else. To be fair, that is a story no one can tell quite like he can, since he was the one who lived it. We learn, for example, that Darrell Waltrip tried to discourage his brother from getting into racing. ("All you're gonna do is waste a lot of your time and other people's money.")
There are some parts of the book that discuss Earnhardt, who owned the car Waltrip took to Victory Lane that fateful day. For example, we learn that, in the days leading up to that race, Earnhardt laid out the strategy that would get Dale Earnhardt Inc. the checkered flag. Waltrip, Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. would work their way to the front, slowly but surely. "Whichever of us gets to the front," Waltrip quotes Earnhardt Sr. as saying, "at the end we're gonna push and we're gonna make sure that person stays in the front."It was quite prescient; Waltrip and the two Earnhardts were the top three drivers going into that final lap.
But even though nearly 100 pages of this book deal with that day and its immediate aftermath, this still feels more like a Waltrip autobiography than anything else. He may have had a burning desire to tell his story, but it's hard imagining the throngs of Dale Earnhardt fans needing to hear it.
Remember that we will be closing our polls for this week's lineup on Wednesday night. You have until then to help the People's Pitstop pick the drivers who will represent us at Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Now, Back to the Races That Count
The Sprint All-Star Race last Saturday night was cool if you are a NASCAR fan, though not if you're the guy who has to fix Carl Edwards' car. (As least we know his crew can afford the parts.)
Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the recipients of your votes in last week's poll, made it into the main event on the strength of his popularity. (Shocking, isn't it?) Jeff Burton and Marcos Ambrose, the other Sprint Cup drivers who got your votes, fell short in the Sprint Showdown and had to watch the rest of the festivities just like the rest of us.
But said festivities are now in our rear-view mirror.
And we at the People's Pitstop can't spend too much time looking back or planning our Memorial Day barbecue. We have to turn to the longest race on the NASCAR calendar, the Coca-Cola 600 this Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The qualifying session for this race is Thursday, so our lineup polls will have to close on Wednesday night. Please get your votes in now. We need your help to stay on top of the 9beersfantasysportstavern league.
We'll be back with, of all things, a book review.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the recipients of your votes in last week's poll, made it into the main event on the strength of his popularity. (Shocking, isn't it?) Jeff Burton and Marcos Ambrose, the other Sprint Cup drivers who got your votes, fell short in the Sprint Showdown and had to watch the rest of the festivities just like the rest of us.
But said festivities are now in our rear-view mirror.
And we at the People's Pitstop can't spend too much time looking back or planning our Memorial Day barbecue. We have to turn to the longest race on the NASCAR calendar, the Coca-Cola 600 this Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The qualifying session for this race is Thursday, so our lineup polls will have to close on Wednesday night. Please get your votes in now. We need your help to stay on top of the 9beersfantasysportstavern league.
We'll be back with, of all things, a book review.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Are You Ready for Some All-Stars?
Our thanks to all of you who took some time out of your busy schedule to vote in this week's poll about the NASCAR All-Star Race Fan Vote. Unfortunately, you could come to a consensus about which Sprint Cup driver should the extra vote for tonight's featured race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Therefore, the people who bring you this fine blog cast one vote each for Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Of course, casting a vote for Earnhardt in this contest has a "coals to Newcastle" feel to it, but there it is.
If possible, we will update this post after the Sprint Showdown. In the meantime, you still have time to cast votes yourself in the Fan Vote. Enjoy your day.
If possible, we will update this post after the Sprint Showdown. In the meantime, you still have time to cast votes yourself in the Fan Vote. Enjoy your day.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Random Thoughts from the Pit
On Thursday night, as part of its All-Star Weekend, NASCAR held its annual Pit Crew Challenge in Charlotte. This gave the folks who hoist the jacks and haul the tires and all those things a chance to shine on their own, instead of getting blamed for their driver's woes.
The most interesting aspect of the evening, by far, was learning how many of the pit crew members are former athletes. Once upon a time, the pit crews were people who had been working on cars since they could walk. (Think Tiger Woods with an air wrench.) Nowadays, the crews seem to be made of people who already had the athletic ability to haul rear end in the pit and now are being trained how to do mechanical stuff. One gas can man played running back for Appalachian State. A few of the jackmen had played lineman for colleges in and around North Carolina. One member of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew is a former professional wrestler, and he seemed to play that role when Speed TV interviewed him.
One wonders if these crew members could have beaten the Carolina Panthers this season.
Back to the contest, which was designed to showcase what these people do week after week. However, in showcasing them, the people running this event also seemed to diminish what they do.
The crews went head to head--sort of. Jackmen worked on one car, while the front tire changers and carriers worked on a second, rear tire changers and carriers worked on a third, and the gas men (two gas men per crew, plus a supporter, despite the recent NASCAR rule change in that area) worked on a fourth. After they were finished with their individual work, the crew members congregated at a fifth vehicle and pushed it to the finish line. The fastest crew, after accounting for penalties, advanced.
Did anyone else watching this think the crew members should all have been working on the same car, the way they do in a typical race? After all, one of the hardest parts of their job has to be staying out of one another's way long enough to finish a pit stop. That's one reason you have occasional incidents like this.
Anyway, Denny Hamlin's crew won the contest. In addition to their cash reward, that crew got their choice of pit for Saturday's All-Star Race. Speaking of which, the polls for that race are still open. Remember that each driver who gets a vote in that poll will get a Fan Vote from the People's Pitstop. The driver who gets the most votes in our poll will get an extra vote. Get your vote in now. We'll be back with the results.
The most interesting aspect of the evening, by far, was learning how many of the pit crew members are former athletes. Once upon a time, the pit crews were people who had been working on cars since they could walk. (Think Tiger Woods with an air wrench.) Nowadays, the crews seem to be made of people who already had the athletic ability to haul rear end in the pit and now are being trained how to do mechanical stuff. One gas can man played running back for Appalachian State. A few of the jackmen had played lineman for colleges in and around North Carolina. One member of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew is a former professional wrestler, and he seemed to play that role when Speed TV interviewed him.
One wonders if these crew members could have beaten the Carolina Panthers this season.
Back to the contest, which was designed to showcase what these people do week after week. However, in showcasing them, the people running this event also seemed to diminish what they do.
The crews went head to head--sort of. Jackmen worked on one car, while the front tire changers and carriers worked on a second, rear tire changers and carriers worked on a third, and the gas men (two gas men per crew, plus a supporter, despite the recent NASCAR rule change in that area) worked on a fourth. After they were finished with their individual work, the crew members congregated at a fifth vehicle and pushed it to the finish line. The fastest crew, after accounting for penalties, advanced.
Did anyone else watching this think the crew members should all have been working on the same car, the way they do in a typical race? After all, one of the hardest parts of their job has to be staying out of one another's way long enough to finish a pit stop. That's one reason you have occasional incidents like this.
Anyway, Denny Hamlin's crew won the contest. In addition to their cash reward, that crew got their choice of pit for Saturday's All-Star Race. Speaking of which, the polls for that race are still open. Remember that each driver who gets a vote in that poll will get a Fan Vote from the People's Pitstop. The driver who gets the most votes in our poll will get an extra vote. Get your vote in now. We'll be back with the results.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Well, That Could Have Been Worse
No one is going to call Sunday a red-letter day for the People's Pitstop, but it least we can walk away from it saying that it was only a flesh wound.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team managed to compile only 216 points during Sunday's lightly attended Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway. Still, our season total of 3,130 is good enough to keep us in first place in the always-hotly-contested 9beersfantasysportstavern group on Yahoo Fantasy Sports.
Since the qualifying session was rained out, no team earned qualifying bonus points. That's one reason this week's total was so low. Here are the other reasons.
Jimmie Johnson: Started 1st, finished 9th, 207 laps led and 94 fantasy points. That total includes 20 bonus points for leading the most laps. However, Johnson and his crew were on the wrong end of a late pit gamble that helped Matt Kenseth get out front and earn the checkered flag.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 3rd, finished 12th, 1 lap led and 78 fantasy points. Like Kenseth, Earnhardt took only two tires during the last pit stop. However, he never seemed to get comfortable with the track conditions. For those of you keeping score at home, his winless streak now stands at 103.
Kasey Kahne: Started 4th, finished 36th (69 laps behind the leaders) and 20 fantasy points. A late engine failure earned Kahne a spot in the Sporting News' "Good, Bad and Ugly" report. (Here's a hint: He wasn't on the "good" list.)
Regan Smith: Started 11th, finished 24th (39 laps behind the leaders) and 24 fantasy points. So much for momentum. A broken track bar mount ended Smith's day and his team's chances of getting a second call from the governor. No, not that kind.
Now, the People's Pitstop gets a week off before dealing with the longest race on the NASCAR schedule. That's because NASCAR will be holding its annual All-Star Race this Saturday. And in the spirit of democracy, we've set up a poll for this race.
Many drivers, including Smith, have already earned their spots in the race through various criteria. Two others will race their way in during a pre-race showdown. NASCAR will let the fans pick a driver to add to the race through its Fan Vote. And the people who run this poll will submit a vote for any driver who gets a vote in this poll, which will close Friday night. The winning driver will get an extra vote, so cast your votes now and give your favorite driver something to do this Saturday.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team managed to compile only 216 points during Sunday's lightly attended Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway. Still, our season total of 3,130 is good enough to keep us in first place in the always-hotly-contested 9beersfantasysportstavern group on Yahoo Fantasy Sports.
Since the qualifying session was rained out, no team earned qualifying bonus points. That's one reason this week's total was so low. Here are the other reasons.
Jimmie Johnson: Started 1st, finished 9th, 207 laps led and 94 fantasy points. That total includes 20 bonus points for leading the most laps. However, Johnson and his crew were on the wrong end of a late pit gamble that helped Matt Kenseth get out front and earn the checkered flag.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 3rd, finished 12th, 1 lap led and 78 fantasy points. Like Kenseth, Earnhardt took only two tires during the last pit stop. However, he never seemed to get comfortable with the track conditions. For those of you keeping score at home, his winless streak now stands at 103.
Kasey Kahne: Started 4th, finished 36th (69 laps behind the leaders) and 20 fantasy points. A late engine failure earned Kahne a spot in the Sporting News' "Good, Bad and Ugly" report. (Here's a hint: He wasn't on the "good" list.)
Regan Smith: Started 11th, finished 24th (39 laps behind the leaders) and 24 fantasy points. So much for momentum. A broken track bar mount ended Smith's day and his team's chances of getting a second call from the governor. No, not that kind.
Now, the People's Pitstop gets a week off before dealing with the longest race on the NASCAR schedule. That's because NASCAR will be holding its annual All-Star Race this Saturday. And in the spirit of democracy, we've set up a poll for this race.
Many drivers, including Smith, have already earned their spots in the race through various criteria. Two others will race their way in during a pre-race showdown. NASCAR will let the fans pick a driver to add to the race through its Fan Vote. And the people who run this poll will submit a vote for any driver who gets a vote in this poll, which will close Friday night. The winning driver will get an extra vote, so cast your votes now and give your favorite driver something to do this Saturday.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Fearless Predictions - Dover
The NASCAR folks may have issues with Mother Nature on Sunday at Dover International Speedway, but the people who bring you this fine Web site should have no trouble getting this week's top 10 driver forecasts to you. Of course, this may not necessarily be a good thing. Last week's predictions went 0-4, lowering our season record to 8-24.
One from the front: You might look at this 2009 Dover video and think that Joey Logano might not be the best candidate for a top 10 finish. But then we would have to remind you that he finished in the top 10 in both races on this track last season. Logano starts fifth this time and should be able to keep his car near the front.
One from the rear: The official starting list may show Kyle Busch in 7th place, but he's being sent to the rear because he had to replace his engine. Still, this is the guy who won the truck race on this track on Friday. He's also the guy who won last year's spring race at Dover.
Two from the middle: It's hard to pick against Carl Edwards these days. He's starting 12th this week, but he won the Nationwide race on Saturday, and he almost won last week's Sprint Cup race at Darlington. Oh, and did we mention he's the points leader?
And then there's Greg Biffle. He's starting 12th today and sits quietly in ninth place in driver points. Unless you looked up his career statistics, you would never guess that he has 10 finishes in the top 10 on this track. (Only Bristol has given him more top 10 finishes.) You also wouldn't guess that he has won here twice; only Homestead-Miami Speedway has sent him to Victory Lane more often.
Enjoy the race, everybody. We'll be back with results.
One from the front: You might look at this 2009 Dover video and think that Joey Logano might not be the best candidate for a top 10 finish. But then we would have to remind you that he finished in the top 10 in both races on this track last season. Logano starts fifth this time and should be able to keep his car near the front.
One from the rear: The official starting list may show Kyle Busch in 7th place, but he's being sent to the rear because he had to replace his engine. Still, this is the guy who won the truck race on this track on Friday. He's also the guy who won last year's spring race at Dover.
Two from the middle: It's hard to pick against Carl Edwards these days. He's starting 12th this week, but he won the Nationwide race on Saturday, and he almost won last week's Sprint Cup race at Darlington. Oh, and did we mention he's the points leader?
And then there's Greg Biffle. He's starting 12th today and sits quietly in ninth place in driver points. Unless you looked up his career statistics, you would never guess that he has 10 finishes in the top 10 on this track. (Only Bristol has given him more top 10 finishes.) You also wouldn't guess that he has won here twice; only Homestead-Miami Speedway has sent him to Victory Lane more often.
Enjoy the race, everybody. We'll be back with results.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The People's Choice - Dover
The people who bring you this fine Web site spent most of this week dealing with NASCAR's probation officer.
A List: Carl Edwards had to settle for second last week, but he comes in first in this poll. He'll take the track along with poll runner-up Jimmie Johnson for a qualifying session that will determine our starter.
B List: Ryan Newman knows how to respond to a feud. He finished in the top 10 last week and won this week's lineup poll. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne tied for second, and Clint Bowyer, the driver who had the most legitimate reason to be ticked off at either Kyle Busch or Kevin Harvick last week, squeaks out fourth place. Two of them will start for the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team.
C List: Regan Smith may have his first win in the Sprint Cup series, but he'll have to wait to say the same about our surveys. Paul Menard dominated the voting, and Smith was lucky come in second.
We'll update this post after Saturday's qualifying session. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend activities, and if you're planning to visit this week's race site, don't forget to check out the Dover Downs sports book, where you can bet on this site's other sport.
UPDATED 4:30 P.M. Mother Nature decided that we didn't need no steeenkin qualifying. The session was rained out, so NASCAR implemented its new rule setting the field according to lap times from the first practice session. That means Johnson earns yet another pole, as well as a starting spot for the People's Pitstop. The three drivers joining him as starters are Earnhardt (3rd), Kahne (4th) and Smith (11th).
(Photo assist to Jack Cone of 9beersfantasysportstavern fame.)
Fortunately, while we were keeping an eye on his single bullet, you, the Internet, were busy selecting the Sprint Cup drivers who should represent the People's Pitstop during Sunday's race at Dover International Speedway. Here are the drivers who made the cut. (No, not that one.)A List: Carl Edwards had to settle for second last week, but he comes in first in this poll. He'll take the track along with poll runner-up Jimmie Johnson for a qualifying session that will determine our starter.
B List: Ryan Newman knows how to respond to a feud. He finished in the top 10 last week and won this week's lineup poll. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne tied for second, and Clint Bowyer, the driver who had the most legitimate reason to be ticked off at either Kyle Busch or Kevin Harvick last week, squeaks out fourth place. Two of them will start for the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team.
C List: Regan Smith may have his first win in the Sprint Cup series, but he'll have to wait to say the same about our surveys. Paul Menard dominated the voting, and Smith was lucky come in second.
UPDATED 4:30 P.M. Mother Nature decided that we didn't need no steeenkin qualifying. The session was rained out, so NASCAR implemented its new rule setting the field according to lap times from the first practice session. That means Johnson earns yet another pole, as well as a starting spot for the People's Pitstop. The three drivers joining him as starters are Earnhardt (3rd), Kahne (4th) and Smith (11th).
Monday, May 9, 2011
Surviving Darlington
It's now Monday, but nerves probably are still frayed from Saturday night's NASCAR race at Darlington Speedway. The good news is that the People's Pitstop emerged from that race in far better shape than Clint Bowyer's car did. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team scored 292 points this week. That's nowhere near our best performance of the season, but it gives us a season total of 2,914 points, which is good enough to maintain the top spot in the always-competitive 9beersfantasysportsgroup league.
Here are the scoring details.
Carl Edwards: Started 4th, finished 2nd, 57 laps led and 99 fantasy points. Edwards must be developing a taste for silver; this is the third second-place finish this season in a Sprint Cup race. At least he can console himself with his return to first place in Yahoo's Power Rankings.
Ryan Newman: Started 2nd, finished 5th, 28 laps led and 97 fantasy points. Newman had a strong weekend, starting with his domination of the rain-shortened practice session. Of the combatants in last week's grudge match, he definitely emerged in the stronger position. And speaking of that grudge match...
Juan Pablo Montoya: Started 16th, finished 23rd (2 laps behind the leaders) and 46 fantasy points. Instead of trying to figure out one of the toughest tracks on the NASCAR schedule, Montoya spent his Saturday night trying to make new friends, like Jimmie Johnson.
David Ragan: Started 11th, finished 21st (1 lap behind the leaders) and 50 fantasy points. The People's Pitstop benched the eventual winner of this race in favor of a driver whose highlight was literally tearing into Brian Vickers' car.
South Carolina is now in NASCAR's rear view mirror. Up next is the Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway. The new lineup polls are now open, and they will remain open until Friday night. Remember that we need you to select two drivers from the A List, four from the B List and two from the C List to represent the People's Pitstop this week. You're the reason we made it to the top, and you're the only way we can stay there, so feel free to vote now.
Here are the scoring details.
Carl Edwards: Started 4th, finished 2nd, 57 laps led and 99 fantasy points. Edwards must be developing a taste for silver; this is the third second-place finish this season in a Sprint Cup race. At least he can console himself with his return to first place in Yahoo's Power Rankings.
Ryan Newman: Started 2nd, finished 5th, 28 laps led and 97 fantasy points. Newman had a strong weekend, starting with his domination of the rain-shortened practice session. Of the combatants in last week's grudge match, he definitely emerged in the stronger position. And speaking of that grudge match...
Juan Pablo Montoya: Started 16th, finished 23rd (2 laps behind the leaders) and 46 fantasy points. Instead of trying to figure out one of the toughest tracks on the NASCAR schedule, Montoya spent his Saturday night trying to make new friends, like Jimmie Johnson.
David Ragan: Started 11th, finished 21st (1 lap behind the leaders) and 50 fantasy points. The People's Pitstop benched the eventual winner of this race in favor of a driver whose highlight was literally tearing into Brian Vickers' car.
South Carolina is now in NASCAR's rear view mirror. Up next is the Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway. The new lineup polls are now open, and they will remain open until Friday night. Remember that we need you to select two drivers from the A List, four from the B List and two from the C List to represent the People's Pitstop this week. You're the reason we made it to the top, and you're the only way we can stay there, so feel free to vote now.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Fearless Predictions - Darlington
Before everyone turns their attention to the other people racing today, it's time to offer our weekly predictions for the NASCAR drivers who will finish in the top 10 tonight at Darlington Raceway. Last week's forecasts returned to their usual performance level by going 1-3, leaving us with a season record of 8-20.
One from the front: It has worked before, so we'll go with Jeff Gordon again this week. He starts fifth in this race and has seven victories on this track. If he can just avoid the non-SAFER-barrier walls, he should do just fine.
One from the back: They say experience is essential at Darlington. Well, Ken Schrader starts 40th but has experience to spare. The soon-to-be-56-year-old has 737 races under his belt. Let's just hope he didn't send a cardboard cutout to drive for him again.
Two from the middle: Kyle Busch starts 14th tonight and won Friday night's Nationwide race on this track. Jimmie Johnson starts 19th and has his usual resume.
Enjoy the races, everyone. We'll be back with results and fresh polls.
One from the front: It has worked before, so we'll go with Jeff Gordon again this week. He starts fifth in this race and has seven victories on this track. If he can just avoid the non-SAFER-barrier walls, he should do just fine.
One from the back: They say experience is essential at Darlington. Well, Ken Schrader starts 40th but has experience to spare. The soon-to-be-56-year-old has 737 races under his belt. Let's just hope he didn't send a cardboard cutout to drive for him again.
Two from the middle: Kyle Busch starts 14th tonight and won Friday night's Nationwide race on this track. Jimmie Johnson starts 19th and has his usual resume.
Enjoy the races, everyone. We'll be back with results and fresh polls.
Friday, May 6, 2011
The People's Choice - Darlington
Does it feel like this week just fly by? Maybe it's because the People's Pitstop had a short week of voting. But it doesn't matter. You, the Internet, came through again. Thanks to you, we have a roster of Sprint Cup drivers for this week's NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway. Remember that this is a Saturday night race, so that everyone can spend time with their moms on Mother's Day.
Here are the results of this week's lineup polls.
A List. It should come as absolutely no surprise that Kyle Busch, the winner of last week's race in Richmond, also won this week's poll. The runner-up is Carl Edwards, who may not be doing many backflips but does lead in the point standings. As usual, the better qualifier will start.
B List. This race was almost as tight as the one Jimmie Johnson won a few weeks ago at Talladega. We must have drawn all the Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans this week; he won this poll. Clint Bowyer took second place. And we have a three-way tie for third place. In situations like this, we go to the driver points tiebreaker. That means Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya make it into our lineup, while A.J. Allmendinger has to wait until next week.
C List. Two drivers with kind-of-similar names tied for the most votes in this survey. David Ragan and Regan Smith will compete for a starting spot on the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team.
We will update this post when the qualifying session is over. In the meantime, enjoy your Friday, and don't forget to send those flowers to you know who.
UPDATED 10:30 P.M. And make sure you thank your mother for making you so smart. Once again, we leave the qualifying session with bonus points: 5 from Newman, who qualified second, and 1 from Edwards, who qualified fourth. They will be joined in the starting lineup by Ragan (11th) and Montoya (16th).
We'll be back with the predictions.
Here are the results of this week's lineup polls.
A List. It should come as absolutely no surprise that Kyle Busch, the winner of last week's race in Richmond, also won this week's poll. The runner-up is Carl Edwards, who may not be doing many backflips but does lead in the point standings. As usual, the better qualifier will start.
B List. This race was almost as tight as the one Jimmie Johnson won a few weeks ago at Talladega. We must have drawn all the Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans this week; he won this poll. Clint Bowyer took second place. And we have a three-way tie for third place. In situations like this, we go to the driver points tiebreaker. That means Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya make it into our lineup, while A.J. Allmendinger has to wait until next week.
C List. Two drivers with kind-of-similar names tied for the most votes in this survey. David Ragan and Regan Smith will compete for a starting spot on the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team.
UPDATED 10:30 P.M. And make sure you thank your mother for making you so smart. Once again, we leave the qualifying session with bonus points: 5 from Newman, who qualified second, and 1 from Edwards, who qualified fourth. They will be joined in the starting lineup by Ragan (11th) and Montoya (16th).
We'll be back with the predictions.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
What to Do When It Rains in Brazil
This certainly is not the most newsworthy item of the week, but it does provide NASCAR fans some food for thought. And you don't even have to break out the deep fryer.
The Izod IndyCar Series was planning to have its annual race in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday. One problem: As it does frequently in that part of the world, it rained. The IndyCar folks got 14 laps of their race completed before they postponed the rest of the race until Monday morning.
So far, so what? After all, NASCAR has run plenty of races a day later than they were scheduled. In fact, four races last season in the Sprint Cup Series were delayed by Mother Nature. All NASCAR does is tell everyone to come back the next day and pray their television partner doesn't get hit too hard in the ratings.
Here's where the IndyCar folks did something different.
To explain this, we'll turn to the Izod IndyCar Series rule book, specifically to Rule 7.2.A.2. "If INDYCAR determines that there are time limitations due to weather, curfew, or otherwise, INDYCAR may move the start time of a Race, shorten the distance of a Race, set a maximum time for a Race, or take such other actions as it deems appropriate in its discretion."
That's right; instead of telling its drivers to go a certain distance, IndyCar put two hours on the clock. When the two hours were up, the white flag came out. A race originally scheduled to go 75 laps was won by Will Power after 55 laps.
And this was the second year in a row that a time limit was placed on the Sao Paulo race.
What do you think, NASCAR fans? Should your favorite auto racing league try something similar the next time they have trouble with precipitation? Drop a comment, and let us know what you think. In the meantime, remember to vote in the lineup polls. Even if the Darlington race is postponed, we won't get extra time to pick our drivers.
We'll be back.
The Izod IndyCar Series was planning to have its annual race in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday. One problem: As it does frequently in that part of the world, it rained. The IndyCar folks got 14 laps of their race completed before they postponed the rest of the race until Monday morning.
So far, so what? After all, NASCAR has run plenty of races a day later than they were scheduled. In fact, four races last season in the Sprint Cup Series were delayed by Mother Nature. All NASCAR does is tell everyone to come back the next day and pray their television partner doesn't get hit too hard in the ratings.
Here's where the IndyCar folks did something different.
To explain this, we'll turn to the Izod IndyCar Series rule book, specifically to Rule 7.2.A.2. "If INDYCAR determines that there are time limitations due to weather, curfew, or otherwise, INDYCAR may move the start time of a Race, shorten the distance of a Race, set a maximum time for a Race, or take such other actions as it deems appropriate in its discretion."
That's right; instead of telling its drivers to go a certain distance, IndyCar put two hours on the clock. When the two hours were up, the white flag came out. A race originally scheduled to go 75 laps was won by Will Power after 55 laps.
And this was the second year in a row that a time limit was placed on the Sao Paulo race.
What do you think, NASCAR fans? Should your favorite auto racing league try something similar the next time they have trouble with precipitation? Drop a comment, and let us know what you think. In the meantime, remember to vote in the lineup polls. Even if the Darlington race is postponed, we won't get extra time to pick our drivers.
We'll be back.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
It's Official--You Rock!
You, the Internet, clearly have this whole fantasy NASCAR thing figured out.
For the second race in a row, your choices have put the People's Pitstop at the top of the 9beersfantasysportsforum standings. This week, the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up 311 points at Richmond International Raceway. Our season total is now 2,622.
For those of you wondering, in the words of David Byrne, "How did we get here?," here's a look at the results.
Kyle Busch: Started 20th, finished 1st, 235 laps led and 110 fantasy points. That's right; our A List driver led more than half of the 400 laps in this race. And it turns out that he had just enough fuel to complete the 400 laps; the Victory Lane celebration was delayed because he ran out of gas on the way there.
Clint Bowyer: Started 3rd, finished 6th, 18 laps led and 93 fantasy points, including the 3 bonus points he earned from the qualifying session. A driver getting this much "when will he break through" buzz is one worthy of our continued attention, even if he is spending his down time hosting Twitter parties.
Mark Martin: Started 5th, finished 14th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 64 fantasy points. Yes, Martin, NASCAR's biggest rap fan, was in our lineup because of a mistake on our part, but it turned out to be a happy accident. He finished six spots ahead of Ryan Newman, who would have started had everything gone according to plan. But Martin's plan probably did not involve getting caught up in a Jeff Gordon wreck.
Bobby Labonte: Started 14th, finished 24th (3 laps behind the leaders) and 44 fantasy points. Labonte was another driver collected in the Gordon wreck.
Now, the People's Pitstop tries to make it three in a row as NASCAR takes its act to Darlington Raceway. This is another Saturday night race--even the Frances won't mess with Mother--with a Friday qualifying session, so this week's lineup polls will close on Thursday night. Remember that you're voting for 2 A List drivers, 4 B List drivers and 2 C List drivers. Feel free to vote now, and tell a friend.
For the second race in a row, your choices have put the People's Pitstop at the top of the 9beersfantasysportsforum standings. This week, the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up 311 points at Richmond International Raceway. Our season total is now 2,622.
For those of you wondering, in the words of David Byrne, "How did we get here?," here's a look at the results.
Kyle Busch: Started 20th, finished 1st, 235 laps led and 110 fantasy points. That's right; our A List driver led more than half of the 400 laps in this race. And it turns out that he had just enough fuel to complete the 400 laps; the Victory Lane celebration was delayed because he ran out of gas on the way there.
Clint Bowyer: Started 3rd, finished 6th, 18 laps led and 93 fantasy points, including the 3 bonus points he earned from the qualifying session. A driver getting this much "when will he break through" buzz is one worthy of our continued attention, even if he is spending his down time hosting Twitter parties.
Mark Martin: Started 5th, finished 14th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 64 fantasy points. Yes, Martin, NASCAR's biggest rap fan, was in our lineup because of a mistake on our part, but it turned out to be a happy accident. He finished six spots ahead of Ryan Newman, who would have started had everything gone according to plan. But Martin's plan probably did not involve getting caught up in a Jeff Gordon wreck.
Bobby Labonte: Started 14th, finished 24th (3 laps behind the leaders) and 44 fantasy points. Labonte was another driver collected in the Gordon wreck.
Now, the People's Pitstop tries to make it three in a row as NASCAR takes its act to Darlington Raceway. This is another Saturday night race--even the Frances won't mess with Mother--with a Friday qualifying session, so this week's lineup polls will close on Thursday night. Remember that you're voting for 2 A List drivers, 4 B List drivers and 2 C List drivers. Feel free to vote now, and tell a friend.
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