Hot Results from Phoenix (and New Football Polls)

We'll get to our special football polls in a moment. But first, we picked a heck of a week for the People's Pitstop to have one of its best outings ever.

The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team racked up an astounding 335 points during Sunday's Chase race at Phoenix International Raceway. The season total of 9,270 left us in 4th place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league, but we got more points than anyone else in the league this week. So, no, we might not win the league, but we got feel what it's like to win a week.

Here is how we got here.

Tony Stewart: Started 8th, finished 3rd, 160 laps led and 106 fantasy points. Stewart got 10 bonus points for leading a lap and 10 more for leading the most laps. But he'll probably focus on the fact that he has turned the Chase for the Sprint Cup into a two-way race.

Kasey Kahne: Started 10th, finished 1st, 14 laps led and 100 fantasy points. Now, that's how you finish a season. Kahne made his 9th and final start for the People's Pitstop. In his nine starts, he scored an average of 51.2 points and had an average finish of 23.3. His worst performance came in Richmond in September, when was collateral damage in a get-together between Marcos Ambrose and Brian Vickers. His best (other than this week, of course) was in Kansas in October, when he finished second to Jimmie Johnson. And it's nice that he got Red Bull Racing something to celebrate before its potential breakup.

Marcos Ambrose: Started 3rd, finished 8th and 79 fantasy points. Once again, all that was missing was leading a lap.

Bobby Labonte: Started 31st, finished 21st (1 lap behind the leaders) and 50 fantasy points. You know it was a good day when the lowest scorer on your fantasy team got 50 points.

The NASCAR folks have one race to go -- at Homestead-Miami Speedway -- and for once, it will be more than simply a coronation. We have one more lineup to field for the People's Pitstop, so the lineup polls are upon once more. Qualifying is Saturday, so these polls will close Friday night. But feel free to get your votes in today.

Speaking of polls, the People's Pigskin has some decisions to make. The bye weeks return this week and will claim both our starting defense/special teams (the Pittsburgh Steelers) and our starting kicker (John Kasay). Since we have no backups at their positions on our roster, we need to hit the waiver wire to get their substitutes or replacements. And since this is a fantasy sports democracy, we have polls for you, the Internet, to help us make our choices. Which kicker and D/ST should we pick up? Who should be kicked off the roster to make room for our newcomers? The polls are now open. These polls will close Tuesday evening, since the waiver wire transactions will be processed Wednesday morning. Please get those votes in right away, too.

We'll be back with the football results for this week.

The People's Choice - Phoenix

We have reached the second to last weekend of the NASCAR season, and, unlike Kyle Busch or David Reutimann, the People's Pitstop has a chance to end its season on a strong note. Here are the drivers who will represent the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team during Sunday's Chase race at Phoenix International Raceway.

A List: There was no doubt about how you, the Internet, felt in this poll. You gave all your votes to the two drivers who have the best chance to hoist this year's Sprint Cup: Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. And it looks like they'll really have to work to get some separation from each other. Stewart qualified 8th, or one spot in front of Edwards, so he gets the start.

B List: The winner of this week's poll was Brad Keselowski. Jeff Burton tied for second with a surprise latecomer to the party, Marcos Ambrose. The fourth spot on our roster went to Kasey Kahne by virtue of the points tiebreaker. And the surprises did not end there. Ambrose qualified 3rd, earning a starting spot for himself and 3 bonus points for the People's Pitstop. Kahne (10th) earned the other starting spot over Keselowski (12th) and Burton (14th). Kahne will be making his ninth and final start for us of the season. His next start for us will be as a teammate of Jimmie Johnson's.

C List: All the votes in this poll went to David Gilliland and Bobby Labonte. And Labonte (31st) got the starting spot over Gilliland (42nd).

Thanks as always for voting, and don't forget to get your votes in on the fantasy football polls tonight. We'll be back later with some racing predictions.

A Quick NASCAR Update

The People's Pitstop racked up 280 fantasy points during Sunday's Chase race at Texas Motor Speedway. That leaves us with a season total of 8,935, which is good enough for sole possession of fourth place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league.

Before Kyle Busch tries to wreck us, here's the scoring recap.

Tony Stewart: Started 5th, finished 1st, 173 laps led and 110 fantasy points. It's hard to tell which is more amazing -- that this was Stewart's fourth win in this year's Chase, or that he's still trailing Carl Edwards in the driver standings.

Marcos Ambrose: Started 12th, finished 11th and 70 fantasy points. Ambrose got as close as 2nd place, but late tire changes were not enough to keep him in the top 10 at checkered flag.

Brad Keselowski: Started 8th, finished 24th (1 lap behind the leaders), 2 laps led and 54 fantasy points. It's hard to win a Sprint Cup if you can't avoid other cars on pit row.

Regan Smith: Started 10th, finished 23rd (1 lap behind the leaders) and 46 fantasy points. This was Smith's final start for the People's Pitstop this season. In his nine starts for us, he scored an average of 46.6 points and had an average finish of 22.6. His worst performances for us were his first two, at Phoenix in February and at Dover in May. In both cases, he finished 34th and scored 24 points. His best finish was last month at Martinsville, where he finished 13th and scored 66 points. And yes, we missed out on his single win of the season.

That's 34 races down and two to go. Next up is a Sunday afternoon Chase race at Phoenix International Raceway. Qualifying is Saturday, so the lineup polls will stay open through Friday night. Feel free to get your votes in now.

And, since this is Election Day, we at the People's Pigskin/Pitstop want to urge each and every one of you to get to a polling place and cast a ballot. You may not like all the people on the ballot, but this country would be worse off if we left the critical decisions about who represents us to the zealots. Yes, our troops deserve our thanks for defending our way of life, but a democratic form of government is one of the things that makes their sacrifices worthwhile.

Also, if you hear someone say today, "I don't vote. Why bother? What's the point?"...

Hit that person.

Very, very hard.

The People's Choice - Texas

We have reached the last weekend of Daylight Savings Time, one of the few things that last nearly as long as NASCAR season. But before you worry about adjusting your clock, it's time to thank you once again for voting on the polls for the People's Pitstop. Let's see who will be starting for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team during Sunday's Chase race at Texas Motor Speedway.

A List: The voters were paying attention last week in Martinsville. They gave this poll to Tony Stewart, with Kevin Harvick coming in second. And Stewart must still have something left in the tank. He qualified 5th, or 16 spots in front of Harvick, and will start for us this week.

B List: The votes in this poll were all over the proverbial map. In first place, we had a tie between Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose. But maybe the voters were on to something. Keselowski (8th) and Ambrose (12th) earned starting spots over A.J. Allmendinger (26th) and Jeff Burton (31st). Interestingly, Ambrose will be making his first start of the season for us.

C List: This poll has fallen into a predictable pattern. As expected, Regan Smith won the vote over Bobby Labonte. As we might expect by now, Smith (10th) qualified better than Labonte (32nd). Therefore, as Yahoo Sports rules dictate, Smith will be making his ninth and final start for the People's Pitstop on Sunday.

By the way, if you haven't already, feel free to add your voice to the lineup polls for the People's Pigskin. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team is trying to pull out of a tailspin, and we'll need your help to avenge an earlier loss against the Arcadia Roses. Thanks.

We'll be back with some racing predictions.

Fearless Predictions - Kansas

To accompany your morning cup of coffee -- or any other beverage you use to start your day -- we at the People's Pigskin are proud to present predictions for NASCAR drivers who will finish in the top 10 in Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway. We are not proud of the quality of these picks so far. Last week's forecasts went 0-4, dropping our season record to 10-30.
One from the front: It's awfully hard to pick against Carl Edwards these days. He's leading the pack in driver points, and he starts this race in 7th place. Also, he considers this his home track. If he can keep enough gas in the tank, he should do well here.
One from the back: How did Marcos Ambrose land in 35th place? No matter; we'll take it. The Tasmanian Devil has finished in the top 10 in the last two points races. (Three if you include the Sprint Showdown.)
Two from the middle: By landing a second Sprint Cup race, Kansas Speedway became even more important for those hoping to lift the cup. And for these picks, we will go with two drivers who have won here twice before and are looking to become the first three-time winner: Tony Stewart, who starts 13th, and Greg Biffle, who starts 14th and won the last time the top NASCAR drivers were here.
Take these picks with as many grains of salt as you wish. And enjoy the race. We'll be back with results.

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.

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.

The People's Choice - Fontana

Some people are getting ready to watch college kids compete for spots in the Final Four. Some are getting ready for the start of baseball season, the only season that holds a candle to NASCAR's in terms of length. But we at the People's Pigskin are thanking you, the Internet, for coming out again in droves to vote on our lineup. Here are the drivers that will represent the People's Pitstop this weekend in Fontana, California.
A List: The winner of this poll is someone who was winning back when Charlie Sheen was just a guy in a troubled marriage. Five-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson took this poll. He and Carl Edwards will compete during qualifying for a chance to start for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team on Sunday.
B List: Don't let people tell you stock car racing is strictly for Americans. This poll was won by Colombia's Juan Pablo Montoya. The runners-up were some usual suspects (Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne), but the final spot went to a Tasmanian named Marcos Ambrose. The two drivers who qualify the best will start.
C List: UPS representative David Ragan won this poll, followed by Bobby Labonte.
Thanks once again for voting. The results appear below, and a new poll on rule changes is available for your votes now. We'll try to update this post once the qualifying session is over.
UPDATED 9:45 P.M. You guys are good. And so is Montoya, who took the pole and will earn us a 10-point bonus. He's joined in the starting lineup by Ragan (who qualified 6th), Newman (9th) and Johnson (16th).
[polldaddy poll=4759885] [polldaddy poll=4759909] [polldaddy poll=4759927]

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 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.