It's raining today in the Northeast, but optimistic NASCAR fans will tell you the sun will shine just long enough on Watkins Glen to get Sunday's Sprint Cup race run. That means it is worth our while to predict some drivers who will finish in the top 10. Last week's forecasts went 2-2, raising our season record to 24-52.
The pessimist probably has stopped reading this post already. So we don't have to worry about the pessimists for the rest of this post. (Whew.)
One from the front: It's hard to ignore these facts. Juan Pablo Montoya has two Sprint Cup wins under his belt. Both of them have come on road courses. Montoya won the Watkins Glen race last year. He starts fifth today. This week, we'll ignore the fact that he is having a hard time making friends in NASCAR.
One from the back: How on earth did Denny Hamlin qualify 42nd for this race? Did he do it just to make our bottom 10 pick simple? If so, we'll take it. He has four top 10 finishes on this track, including a second place finish in 2007. And it was just last year when people were saying he had a chance to dethrone Jimmie Johnson.
Two from the middle: Every year, a few road course specialists (or ringers) show up at Sonoma and Watkins Glen to show the regular Sprint Cup drivers how to turn right. One of them is Boris Said, who is known as much for his hair and he is for his driving. He starts 15th tonight and is quite comfortable with hairpin turns.
Jeff Gordon isn't a specialist, but he would be able to make a great living at it. He has four wins on this track. He also has top 10 finishes three of the last five races this season. He starts 17th this week and is always a good bet to find the front.
Enjoy the race, everybody, and think sunshine. (They are in upstate New York, after all.) We'll be back with the results, whenever they're available.
Showing posts with label Boris Said. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boris Said. Show all posts
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Monday, August 9, 2010
Feeling Like Road-Kill
The People's Pitstop didn't have as bad a weekend as Tiger Woods, but that's about the only positive thing we can say about it.
Your favorite fantasy NASCAR team racked up only 256 points during Sunday's Sprint Cup race, including the 1-point qualifying bonus for A.J. Allmendinger. That leaves us with a season total of 5,881. We slipped to 55,540th overall on Yahoo Sports, and we fell 3 spots, to 66th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here are the unpleasant details.
Tony Stewart: Started 6th, finished 7th and 78 fantasy points. The only thing missing from his day was a lap led. (But we'll get back to his day shortly.)
Jamie McMurray: Started 2nd, finished 6th, 5 laps led and 95 fantasy points. That includes the 5-point bonus from qualifying and a 10-point bonus for leading a lap.
Matt Kenseth: Started 31st, finished 13th and 66 fantasy points. Well, he did move up 18 spots during the race. (And he's now one of three B List drivers who can start only one more race for the People's Pitstop.)
Boris Said: Started 13th, finished 38th and 16 fantasy points. Apparently, bygones were not allowed to be bygones. After having a run-in with Stewart in June at Sonoma, Said had another get-together with Smoke on Sunday, and the road "specialist" got the worst of it. Who would have guessed "have at it" would mean "Drivers, go ahead and treat everyone's fantasy teams like a pinata."
Anyway, the road courses are now in our rear-view mirror, and it's time to get back on the ovals. NASCAR heads to Michigan this week, and we have a new set of lineup polls that will close Thursday night. We also have a quarterback-centric poll for you fantasy football fans. Please vote now. The results of our last fantasy football poll can be seen below.
We'll be back with a sneak peek at this week's track.
[polldaddy poll=3563148]
Your favorite fantasy NASCAR team racked up only 256 points during Sunday's Sprint Cup race, including the 1-point qualifying bonus for A.J. Allmendinger. That leaves us with a season total of 5,881. We slipped to 55,540th overall on Yahoo Sports, and we fell 3 spots, to 66th, in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here are the unpleasant details.
Tony Stewart: Started 6th, finished 7th and 78 fantasy points. The only thing missing from his day was a lap led. (But we'll get back to his day shortly.)
Jamie McMurray: Started 2nd, finished 6th, 5 laps led and 95 fantasy points. That includes the 5-point bonus from qualifying and a 10-point bonus for leading a lap.
Matt Kenseth: Started 31st, finished 13th and 66 fantasy points. Well, he did move up 18 spots during the race. (And he's now one of three B List drivers who can start only one more race for the People's Pitstop.)
Boris Said: Started 13th, finished 38th and 16 fantasy points. Apparently, bygones were not allowed to be bygones. After having a run-in with Stewart in June at Sonoma, Said had another get-together with Smoke on Sunday, and the road "specialist" got the worst of it. Who would have guessed "have at it" would mean "Drivers, go ahead and treat everyone's fantasy teams like a pinata."
Anyway, the road courses are now in our rear-view mirror, and it's time to get back on the ovals. NASCAR heads to Michigan this week, and we have a new set of lineup polls that will close Thursday night. We also have a quarterback-centric poll for you fantasy football fans. Please vote now. The results of our last fantasy football poll can be seen below.
We'll be back with a sneak peek at this week's track.
[polldaddy poll=3563148]
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The People's Choice - Watkins Glen
As our long national Albert Haynesworth nightmare ends, so does another week of voting for the People's Pitstop. We asked you, the Internet, to pick our lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International. Here are the results.
A List. It shouldn't come as a complete surprise that this poll had one clear winner: Tony Stewart. He'll start for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team (as he did at the Sonoma race), while former teammate Kyle Busch will sit on the bench.
B List. It wouldn't be the People's Pitstop without at least one tie. This week, three drivers tied for two starting spots. Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray will fight for those spots. The qualifying session will serve at the tiebreaker. Whoever qualifies worst will join Kevin Harvick on the bench.
C List. As he did at this season's other road race, Boris Said won your vote. He'll start for the People's Pitstop. The bench spot goes to A.J. Allmendinger.
We'll update this post after the qualifying session. The poll results appear below, and if you haven't voted on our fantasy football poll, please do so now.
UPDATE 2 P.M. The qualifying session is over. Jamie McMurray will start in 2nd place. He earned a starting spot in our lineup and 5 bonus points. Matt Kenseth (31st) gets the other B List spot over Kasey Kahne (36th). And A.J. Allmendinger, who will watch from the bench, earned us a bonus point for qualifying 4th.
We'll be back with our predictions.
[polldaddy poll=3563123] [polldaddy poll=3563133] [polldaddy poll=3563140]
A List. It shouldn't come as a complete surprise that this poll had one clear winner: Tony Stewart. He'll start for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team (as he did at the Sonoma race), while former teammate Kyle Busch will sit on the bench.
B List. It wouldn't be the People's Pitstop without at least one tie. This week, three drivers tied for two starting spots. Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray will fight for those spots. The qualifying session will serve at the tiebreaker. Whoever qualifies worst will join Kevin Harvick on the bench.
C List. As he did at this season's other road race, Boris Said won your vote. He'll start for the People's Pitstop. The bench spot goes to A.J. Allmendinger.
We'll update this post after the qualifying session. The poll results appear below, and if you haven't voted on our fantasy football poll, please do so now.
UPDATE 2 P.M. The qualifying session is over. Jamie McMurray will start in 2nd place. He earned a starting spot in our lineup and 5 bonus points. Matt Kenseth (31st) gets the other B List spot over Kasey Kahne (36th). And A.J. Allmendinger, who will watch from the bench, earned us a bonus point for qualifying 4th.
We'll be back with our predictions.
[polldaddy poll=3563123] [polldaddy poll=3563133] [polldaddy poll=3563140]
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sonoma Breakdown (Plus Some Polls)
It was a good day for the People's Pitstop, but it could have been soooooooo much better.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team racked up 320 points at Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Sonoma. That leaves us with a season total of 4,293, good enough for 52,534th place overall in Yahoo Sports (does anyone make foam fingers for that number?) and moving us up 14 spots to 72nd place in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here's how we got here:
Tony Stewart. Started 7th, finished 9th, 2 laps led and 84 fantasy points. That score includes 10 bonus points for leading a lap. It does not include bonus points for ticking people off.
Marcos Ambrose. Started 6th, finished 6th, 35 laps led and 90 fantasy points. Again, there's 10 bonus points for leading a lap. And again, we could have had the race winner in our lineup. If only Mr. Ambrose could remember not to shut off the engine before climbing a freakin hill.
Ryan Newman. Started 13th, finished 16th and 60 fantasy points. Somebody has to be in the middle of the pack.
Boris Said. Started 17th, finished 8th, 8 laps led and 86 fantasy points. Again, we get 10 bonus points because Boris led a lap. Unfortunately, Boris will not be building on that momentum. He'll be putting it into a Tupperware bowl and storing it in the freezer until the race at Watkins Glen.
But this week NASCAR isn't going to Watkins Glen. It's going to the northernmost course on the NASCAR schedule: New Hampshire. That means we need a new lineup. The polls are now open. Hopefully, you know the drill by now. Please vote. The results of the road course poll appear below.
[polldaddy poll=3363882]
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team racked up 320 points at Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Sonoma. That leaves us with a season total of 4,293, good enough for 52,534th place overall in Yahoo Sports (does anyone make foam fingers for that number?) and moving us up 14 spots to 72nd place in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here's how we got here:
Tony Stewart. Started 7th, finished 9th, 2 laps led and 84 fantasy points. That score includes 10 bonus points for leading a lap. It does not include bonus points for ticking people off.
Marcos Ambrose. Started 6th, finished 6th, 35 laps led and 90 fantasy points. Again, there's 10 bonus points for leading a lap. And again, we could have had the race winner in our lineup. If only Mr. Ambrose could remember not to shut off the engine before climbing a freakin hill.
Ryan Newman. Started 13th, finished 16th and 60 fantasy points. Somebody has to be in the middle of the pack.
Boris Said. Started 17th, finished 8th, 8 laps led and 86 fantasy points. Again, we get 10 bonus points because Boris led a lap. Unfortunately, Boris will not be building on that momentum. He'll be putting it into a Tupperware bowl and storing it in the freezer until the race at Watkins Glen.
But this week NASCAR isn't going to Watkins Glen. It's going to the northernmost course on the NASCAR schedule: New Hampshire. That means we need a new lineup. The polls are now open. Hopefully, you know the drill by now. Please vote. The results of the road course poll appear below.
[polldaddy poll=3363882]
Friday, June 18, 2010
The People's Choice - Sonoma
You, the Internet, have spoken. You have chosen the People's Pitstop lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Sonoma. And this week's lineup looks radically different from the one that started for us last week at Michigan. Here are your choices.
A List. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team is proud to welcome Tony Stewart (and his talented pit crew) back to the starting lineup. This will be Stewart's second start for us. Denny Hamlin will get the bench spot by virture of the points tiebreaker.
B List. Here's a switch. Marcos Ambrose, the Australian driver with extensive experience in non-NASCAR circuits, gets one of the starting spots this week. In the other starting spot, we have a tie between Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer. Whoever qualifies better will get the start. The other one will sit on the bench with Matt Kenseth.
C List. Rejoice, Said-heads. Your prayers have been answered. Boris Said, one of the so-called road specialists, has achieved what is certainly one of his lifelong goals by earning a spot in our starting lineup over A.J. Allmendinger.
We will update the lineup when the qualifying session is done. In the meantime, we have a new poll on whether you like road courses. Please vote now.
UPDATED SATURDAY: The qualifying session is finished, and Ryan Newman, who qualified 13th, gets the nod over Clint Bowyer, who qualified 22nd. As for our other starters, Marcos Ambrose qualified 6th, Tony Stewart qualified 7th, and Boris Said qualified 17th, the best spot among the drivers who did not have a guaranteed spots in Sunday's race.
We'll be back with a fantasy football post.
A List. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team is proud to welcome Tony Stewart (and his talented pit crew) back to the starting lineup. This will be Stewart's second start for us. Denny Hamlin will get the bench spot by virture of the points tiebreaker.
B List. Here's a switch. Marcos Ambrose, the Australian driver with extensive experience in non-NASCAR circuits, gets one of the starting spots this week. In the other starting spot, we have a tie between Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer. Whoever qualifies better will get the start. The other one will sit on the bench with Matt Kenseth.
C List. Rejoice, Said-heads. Your prayers have been answered. Boris Said, one of the so-called road specialists, has achieved what is certainly one of his lifelong goals by earning a spot in our starting lineup over A.J. Allmendinger.
We will update the lineup when the qualifying session is done. In the meantime, we have a new poll on whether you like road courses. Please vote now.
UPDATED SATURDAY: The qualifying session is finished, and Ryan Newman, who qualified 13th, gets the nod over Clint Bowyer, who qualified 22nd. As for our other starters, Marcos Ambrose qualified 6th, Tony Stewart qualified 7th, and Boris Said qualified 17th, the best spot among the drivers who did not have a guaranteed spots in Sunday's race.
We'll be back with a fantasy football post.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The People's Facts - Toyota/SaveMart 350
You, the Internet, have until Thursday night to vote in the polls on which drivers should start for the People's Pitstop in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. To help you make your decision (and here's a hint -- Casey Mears would not be a strong candidate), we have some information about this season's first road trip, so to speak.
Track basics: Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, is the first of two road courses on the Sprint Cup schedule. This course is nearly 2 miles long and contains 10 turns, many of which violate the NASCAR cliche of "drive fast and turn left."
By the way, the "350" in this race's name refers to kilometers, not miles. For those of you who don't feel like converting, this race is 217 miles, or 113 laps.
Recent winners: Kasey Kahne (2009), Kyle Busch (2008), Juan Pablo Montoya (2007).
Who wins here a lot? It probably won't surprise longtime NASCAR fans that Jeff Gordon leads active Sprint Cup drivers with five victories in California's wine country. (Yes, that's "wine," not "whine.") What might surprise you is that second place belongs to Tony Stewart, with two. No other active driver has more than one win here.
What's with the new faces? Every year, NASCAR teams get nervous that their drivers may not have what it takes to qualify on a course where they have to turn left and right. That's why, in addition to the "road course specialists" trying to make the field of their own accord, you'll see several hired guns getting into the cars of some established NASCAR teams. The goal: Keep the oval driver in the top 35 (with the guaranteed race spot it ensures). Yes, this means you'll see and hear a lot about Boris Said over the next few days. No, that doesn't mean he's any closer to getting a full-time NASCAR ride. Sorry, Said-heads.
If you're eager to learn more about the fantasy aspects of this track, you can click here to download Yahoo Sports' excellent preview. And don't forget to vote.
Track basics: Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, is the first of two road courses on the Sprint Cup schedule. This course is nearly 2 miles long and contains 10 turns, many of which violate the NASCAR cliche of "drive fast and turn left."
By the way, the "350" in this race's name refers to kilometers, not miles. For those of you who don't feel like converting, this race is 217 miles, or 113 laps.
Recent winners: Kasey Kahne (2009), Kyle Busch (2008), Juan Pablo Montoya (2007).
Who wins here a lot? It probably won't surprise longtime NASCAR fans that Jeff Gordon leads active Sprint Cup drivers with five victories in California's wine country. (Yes, that's "wine," not "whine.") What might surprise you is that second place belongs to Tony Stewart, with two. No other active driver has more than one win here.
What's with the new faces? Every year, NASCAR teams get nervous that their drivers may not have what it takes to qualify on a course where they have to turn left and right. That's why, in addition to the "road course specialists" trying to make the field of their own accord, you'll see several hired guns getting into the cars of some established NASCAR teams. The goal: Keep the oval driver in the top 35 (with the guaranteed race spot it ensures). Yes, this means you'll see and hear a lot about Boris Said over the next few days. No, that doesn't mean he's any closer to getting a full-time NASCAR ride. Sorry, Said-heads.
If you're eager to learn more about the fantasy aspects of this track, you can click here to download Yahoo Sports' excellent preview. And don't forget to vote.
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