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 - Talladega

This post is going to be short and sweet, because we want you to get some votes in on the People's Pigskin lineup. But first, we want to give you our weekly predictions for the NASCAR drivers who will finish in the top 10. Last week's forecasts went 1-3, leaving us with a season record of 42-74.
One from the front: If Jeff Gordon is going to climb back into this Chase, this has to be the week he makes a move. He starts 5th at Talladega, a track where he has won six times and finished 18 times in the top 10.
One from the back: It was a gift from the fantasy NASCAR gods when Kyle Busch qualified 34th, or just far enough in the back to qualify for this selection. He won here in 2008, and he sits only 18 points behind the Sprint Cup leader. Speaking of which...
Two from the middle: Kevin Harvick wants this Sprint Cup bad enough to wreck his wife in an ESPN commercial. So something as petty as qualifying 13th won't stop him from finding the top 10.
Another driver hungry for a championship is Tony Stewart, who starts 12th in this race. Regan Smith probaly won't drive below the bottom line to let him win again, but Stewart does have a dozen top 10 finishes here.
We'll be back with the football poll results, so get those votes in while you can.

Fearless Predictions - New Hampshire

Like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, the predictions have been fighting their way back into the realm of respectability. For those of you just joining us, these forecasts tell you which Sprint Cup drivers will finish in the top 10 every week. Last week's predictions went 3-1, lifting our season record to 37-63. Now, let's see how high we can lift that record between now and Homestead.
One from the front: He's ineligible for the People's Pitstop lineup, since he's already started for us nine times, but that doesn't mean we can't benefit somehow from Ryan Newman. He won the last time NASCAR was in New Hampshire, and he starts from the pole for this race.
One from the back: The bottom 10 is the usual driver wasteland, so we'll pick Mike Bliss again. He's starting 40th, but he finished in 25th place last week. That means he's trying to get to the front.
Two from the middle: Many of the drivers we could pick from the middle are already in the People's Pitstop lineup this week. One driver who isn't is Tony Stewart, who starts 20th. He won last week and finished 2nd the last time we were in New Hampshire. If he is a legitimate contender for the Sprint Cup, he'll demonstrate it this week.
For the final pick, we're going to reach deep into the starting order (and the point standings) for Denny Hamlin. He starts 28th, but he can't stay there if he wants to make a run at the Sprint Cup. Fortunately, this is a track that has treated him well. He won at New Hampshire in 2007 and finished in the top five there in the summer.
We'll be back with the results of our fantasy football lineup polls. They are still taking votes for a little bit longer. Get your votes in now.

A NASCAR Playoff Primer

A NASCAR season that started in February has finally reached its post-season. Twelve lucky Sprint Cup drivers will compete over the next 10 weeks (and you thought hockey had a long playoff) for the right to lift the aforementioned cup, which technially isn't a cup, but we'll save that for another post.

The Chase for the Sprint Cup begins Sunday with a race at Chicagoland Motor Speedway. And here's what the makeup of that Chase can teach us.

First of all, we have to answer the question everyone has been asking since NASCAR unveiled yet another change in its scoring procedure: Do wins matter?

Well, in one sense, they don't. Two drivers -- Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- made it into this year's Chase without winning a single race. Five other drivers, including the winner of the Darlington race and the winners of both Daytona races, are on the outside looking in. Trevor Bayne (who became ineligible the moment he decided to chase a Nationwide Series title) is the fourth Daytona 500 winner in as many years to fail to make the postseason. Bright side: We may be approaching the day when talking heads stop referring to the Daytona 500 as the Super Bowl of motorsports.

In another sense, wins do matter. At least, they matter more than a stellar regular-season performance. In most sports, the top performer of the regular season would be rewarded in some way for it -- a bye week, home field advantage, etc. In NASCAR, Kyle Busch watched his points lead evaporate the moment Kevin Harvick crossed the finish line first last week in Richmond, equalling Busch's win total for the season (four). Both drivers will start the season with 2,012 points.

And if your Chase spot came via the wild card route, wins don't matter at all. You remember Stewart and Earnhardt, who got into the Chase without a single win? They start the Chase with 2,000 points -- the same number as Brad Keselowski, who won three times this season. Jeff Gordon's three wins are worth nine bonus points. Keselowski's are not.

Some wins are more equal than others.

And if Jimmie Johnson manages to win a sixth straight Sprint Cup, no one will notice that he won only one race during the regular season.

Got all that? Good. Now vote on the polls (fantasy NASCAR and fantasy football) on the right side of the page.

Fearless Predictions - Richmond

It's going to be a busy weekend for this Website. NASCAR has a Saturday night special at Richmond International Raceway, and most of the National Football League will kick off the 2011 season on Sunday. Before those things, though, we have predictions for the Sprint Cup drivers who will finish in the top 10 tonight. Last week's forecasts went 3-1, lifting our season record to 32-60.
One from the front: Insert the Gomer Pyle "Surprise, surprise, surprise" sound effect here. Jimmie Johnson leads the pack in driver points as the Chase approaches. He finished second last week and starts fifth at Richmond, where he has won three times and finished in the top 10 in the last two races.
One from the back: The usual gang of idiots occupy the bottom 10 spots in this race, and our pick last week (Dave Blaney) developed kidney stones Monday and became the first driver to return to the garage on Tuesday. This week, we'll go with Robby Gordon, who starts 37th and at least has a top five finish at this track on his resume.
Two from the middle: Right now, how can you pick against Jeff Gordon? Last week, he not only won the race at Atlanta, earning sole possession of third place on NASCAR's all-time win list, but he also met Justin Bieber! This week, he starts 17th, but he's not a good bet to finish there.
OK, Tony Stewart. It's time to put up or shut up. True, you're starting 22nd, but you had a strong finish at Atlanta, and you have three wins on this track. You also have a tenuous hold on the 10th and final automatic berth in the Chase, and you can wrap up that playoff spot by working your way toward the front. As Robin Williams said in "Good Will Hunting," it's your move, chief.
Don't forget to get those votes in for the People's Pigskin lineup. Those polls will close Saturday night. We'll be back with predictions for the first week of the fantasy football season.

Fearless Predictions - Bristol

Tonight, instead of watching reporters throw themselves in the path of a hurricane to demonstrate why you should stay away from it, you can watch NASCAR drivers throw themselves into harm's way -- and one another -- for your entertainment. Seems like an easy choice.
The Sprint Cup drivers will take their talents to Bristol Motor Speedway, and we at the People's Pitstop will throw our talents into predicting some top 10 finishers. Last week's forecasts went 2-2, lifting our season record to 27-57.
One from the front: The Jeff Gordon renaissance continues. Last week, he finished 6th at Michigan and moved up a spot in the driver standings, to 6th place. This week, he starts 4th at a track where he has won five times and finished 14 times in the top 10.
One from the back: Tony Stewart probably would like to borrow a little bit of Gordon's mojo right about now. He starts 42nd in this race, but he has won at Bristol before. Also, even though he might not deserve it, he currently holds the 10th and final automatic berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Two from the middle: Don't look now, but the real Five Timer is moving into the position of a contender. Jimmie Johnson walks into Bristol in 2nd place in the driver standings. He won here last year and starts 13th in this race. Triskaidekaphobes, calm down. He won't stay in that position for long.
The driver he trails, Kyle Busch, is the first one to clinch a spot in this year's Chase. He did that with his big weekend in Michigan (as longtime readers of this blog will recall). He may be starting 23rd this time, but he knows how to find the front of the pack, as he did Friday night, when he won his 50th Nationwide Series race.
Obligatory reminder: The fantasy football polls are still open and will remain open through Saturday night. You will help the People's Pigskin determine which running back and which quarterback to target in our upcoming People's League draft.
Enjoy the race, everybody. If you're in Irene's path, stay safe. If you're not, pray for those who are, including the reporters.

Back Where We Belong

Kyle Busch had a big weekend. So did the People's Pitstop.
With your insight and assistance, the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team racked up 292 points during Sunday's race at Michigan International Speedway, even though none of our drivers led a single lap. Our season total of 6,281 is good enough to put us back into first place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. But we lead Jeff Gordon Dupont 24 by only 16 points, so we'll need to keep on our toes.
Here's how we got to the top.
Tony Stewart: Started 18th, finished 9th and 74 fantasy points. Despite his strong finish, Stewart told an interviewer after the race that his team was "wasting" a Chase spot. Still, you get the feeling he isn't go to offer that spot to Clint Bowyer out of the goodness of his heart.
Brad Keselowski: Started 6th, finished 3rd and 86 fantasy points. This was Keselowski's fourth straight top 10 finish. Between Keselowski's broken ankle this season and Denny Hamlin's knee surgery last season, NASCAR drivers are going to start wondering if they need to hurt themselves every season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 8th, finished 14th and 64 fantasy points. In Earnhardt's young career -- remember, he's still only 36 years old -- he has gone through more than his share of crew chiefs. With the latest disagreement about that last pit stop before the green-white-checkered finish, could he be wearing out his welcome with another one?
David Ragan: Started 7th, finished 12th and 68 fantasy points. This was Ragan's ninth and final start for the People's Pitstop. This season, the soon-to-be-B-lister scored 626 points for us, or 69.6 points per start. His average finish was 14.6. His best performance for us is a tie between the Texas race (started on the pole and finished 7th) and the 600-mile race in Charlotte (finished 2nd); he scored 98 points in each race. His worst performance for us was at Watkins Glen this month, when he scored 36 and had a heck of a wreck. And I'll bet you, the Internet, can't wait for a chance to vote for him again.
You also can't wait for the Saturday night race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Well, you don't have to wait to vote in the lineup polls, which are available right now and will close Thursday night.
For those of you who prefer fantasy football, you can vote in the running back poll that will help the People's Pigskin determine its draft strategy. That poll will stay open through Saturday night. Please vote now.

The People's Choice - Michigan

We have reached the end of another week (cause enough for anyone to celebrate), and you, the Internet, have spoken again. You were asked to help the People's Pitstop select a lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. Here, as promised, are the results.
A List: Welcome to the party, Tony Stewart. This fantasy NASCAR season just hasn't been the same without your milk-stained mug. You finished second to Carl Edwards in this week's voting, but you edged him in qualifying by starting 18th (versus 22nd for Edwards).
B List: No need to ask where the Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans are. Enough of them read this blog to help him win this week's poll. The suddenly popular Brad Keselowski was the runner-up, followed by Joey Logano and A.J. Allmendinger. And that's how they finished in the qualifying session. Earnhardt (6th) and Keselowski (8th) earn starting spots over Logano (23rd) and Allmendinger (29th).
C List: We knew we were probably going to lose a C List racer (who's probably heading for next year's B List) this weekend. It should come as a shock to absolutely no one that David Ragan and Paul Menard tied for the top spot in this week's survey. It also shouldn't be shocking that one of them is starting in the top 10. That would be Ragan, who qualified 7th and will start for the final time this season for the People's Pitstop. Menard qualified 11th and will live to earn fantasy points another day.
Thanks again for voting, and don't forget about our fantasy quarterback poll, which is still open. We'll be back with some predictions for this week's race.

Fearless Predictions - New Hampshire

TNT has its season finale today as the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers take on New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (For some, this will be a good thing.) The People's Pitstop isn't at the finish line yet, so we have time to take back first place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. We also have time to improve our record for predicting which drivers will finish in the top 10. Last week's forecasts went 2-2, leaving us with a season record of 20-44.
One from the front: Tony Stewart has all the ingredients for a strong pick. He qualified 2nd, behind only polesitter Ryan Newman (who, thanks to you, the Internet, is in our starting lineup). Stewart also has two wins on this track, and he finished second at this race last year. Finally, he sits 11th in driver points but does not have a win that would help him secure a wild card Chase spot, if necessary.
One from the back: The pickings aren't all that promising this week in the bottom 10. We'll go with Joe Nemechek, who starts 35th today and won on this track back in 1999. In fact, the victory was the first of Nemechek's career, making him one of five drivers to get his first Sprint Cup win on this track.
Two from the middle: Even if he is starting in 19th place this week, it's hard to bet against Kyle Busch these days. He leads the Sprint Cup series in driver points, and his Nationwide win on this track Saturday was the 100th of his NASCAR career.
Denny Hamlin starts in 14th place at this race, but he knows how to get to the front in New Hampshire. He finished 2nd in the fall race last year, and he beat Jeff Gordon in 2007 in the closest finish in this track's history.
Enjoy the race. We'll be back with the results.

As the Engines (and Tempers) Cool Off...

The People's Pitstop is hanging on for dear life, but at least it's hanging in there.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored 233 points during Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Sonoma County, California. Our season total of 4,402 keeps us in first place in the cutthroat 9beersfantasysportstavern league, but our lead over runner-up Jeff Gordon Dupont 24 has dwindled to 39 points. Another week like this one (without or without mistakes on our part) will put our lead in jeopardy, to say the least.
Here's what we can say about our drivers without risking a secret NASCAR fine.
Jimmie Johnson: Started 12th, finished 7th and 78 fantasy points. Last year's race winner was the only People's Pitstop starter to improve his position from start to finish.
Kasey Kahne: Started 6th, finished 20th and 52 fantasy points. Kahne was heading for a potential top five finish until he was run over by Juan Pablo Montoya, who needs to consider checking this book out of his local library.
Ryan Newman: Started 5th, finished 25th and 42 fantasy points. Newman (and any fantasy NASCAR player considering using him again) had better hope Tony Stewart was kidding on Sunday about wrecking his teammate.
Paul Menard: Started 3rd, finished 17th and 61 fantasy points. Notice that every starting driver finished on the lead lap, which was more than either Denny Hamlin or Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Stewart could say.
This week, the NASCAR caravan hauls back across the country for a Saturday night race at Daytona International Speedway. We'll have more about this race in our next post, but the lineup polls are now up and open for voting. Since qualifying is Friday, you have until Thursday night to make your votes. (And they will be reflected in this week's lineup. Cross our heart.)

Fearless Predictions - Sonoma

Thanks to the later start time (and thank goodness we don't imitiate the Chinese in this regard) we at the People's Pitstop have had a few extra hours to consider the predictions for top 10 finishers for this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Sonoma's Infineon Raceway. We'll need all the help we can get with these picks. Last week's forecasts went 0 for 4, lowering our season record to 16-36.
One from the front: There is a phrase in sports betting: "Ride the hot hand." In this case, that hand can be found on the arm of Denny Hamlin, who starts 4th in this race. He won last week's race at Michigan and has top 10 finishes in three of his last four points races.
One from the back: David Ragan may be starting 34th this week, but there's a reason he's been one of the most frequent starters so far this season for the People's Pitstop. He has four top 10 finishes under his belt this season, including a career-best runner-up finish in the Coca-Cola 600.
Two from the middle: Our first selection from this category starts 17th in this race but has won on this track before. In fact, that win was the first of his Sprint Cup career. It's Juan Pablo Montoya, who may be getting an extension soon from his team.
The other selection starts 20th in this race but has two wins on this track, to go with his two Cup titles. Tony Stewart could use a win Sunday to ease his mind. Last week he fell out of the top 10 in points, and he probably does not want to take his chances with the "wild card" rules.
Enjoy today's road race. We'll be back with results.

Fearless Predictions - Pocono

(Editor's Note: The following post was written Sunday morning but did not publish because of a Web error. We apologize for the delay.)
Sunday morning is upon us once again, and with it comes the People's Pitstop predictions for NASCAR drivers who will finish in the top 10 today at Pocono Raceway. The forecasts bounced back last week by going 3-1, raising our season record to 13-31.
One from the front: This time, we're going all the way to the front by picking Kurt Busch. He sits on the pole for this race, and he won the Pocono race where the people who bring you this blog learned what this sport is all about.
One from the back: Staying within the family, Kyle Busch has had an interesting few days. After being attacked by a rival owner, he was cast (unfairly) as the villain in the dispute. Now he finds himself starting in 34th place. He probably won't stay there very long.
Two from the middle: What do Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson have in common these days? Plenty. Both are two-time winners on this track. Both finished in the top 10 in both Pocono races last year. And they will start next to each other (Johnson in 14th, Stewart in 15th) in today's race.
Enjoy the festivities from Pennsylvania. We'll be back with results.

A Dream Worth Having

Like other athletes -- and, yes, they do qualify for that title -- NASCAR drivers do some pretty dumb things sometimes. They throw things at moving cars. They treat test drives like qualifying sessions. They treat photographers like punching bags. They do things like...well, like this.
But every now and then, they do things that make you proud to wear their T-shirts.
Tonight, Tony Stewart is hosting his annual Prelude to the Dream competition at his Eldora Speedway in Ohio. Stewart and 23 of his closest friends will compete in a series of dirt races to raise money for four worthy children's hospitals. The drivers are divided into four teams, each one competing for a certain hospital. Absolutely no fantasy points are on the line, but the winning team's hospital gets the biggest donation. More details about the event are available through this PDF.
All the fans have to do is order the event on pay per view. At $24.95, it seems like at least as good an investment as a Danica Patrick hat. And it's at least as worthy of your time as watching Piers Morgan react to stuff like this.
If you can't scrape up the cash, our friends at Yahoo Sports will host a chat session on the event here starting at 8 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

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.

Fearless Predictions - Fontana

This version of the fearless predictions will be brief, since the people who bring you this blog are in Las Vegas (BABY!) and will be watching this week's Sprint Cup race from one of the various sports books available here.
Here's hoping our luck at the blackjack table is better than our luck so far with these predictions for NASCAR drivers who will finish in the top 10. Once again, last week's forecasts went a pitiful 1-3, leaving us with a season record of 2-8. But here come another set of predictions anyway.
One from the front: We're going with someone who always seems to do well at tracks the size of Auto Club Speedway. Tony Stewart starts in fifth place and should be able to at least hold on to that spot.
One from the back: It's not the strongest of fields this week, in part because only 43 cars signed up for this race, so everybody qualified. When in doubt, you go with a former Sprint Cup champion. And we'll go with Bobby Labonte, who starts 34th.

Two from the middle: Lots of drivers to choose from here. Our choices are the current points leader, Kurt Busch, who starts 23rd, and Jimmie Johnson, who starts 16th and owns the Fontana track.

Enjoy the race, everybody. We'll be back with results.

Fearless Predictions - Bristol

We're just hours away from the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. While you prepare your snacks and beverages, we at the People's Pigskin are busy figuring out which drivers will finish in the top 10. Once again, drivers in our starting lineup are ineligible for selection. But that doesn't excuse our going 1 for 4 in the last edition of these picks.
One from the front: We have three starters in the top 10 (Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr. and Mark Martin), so that narrows the field considerably. We'll go with the driver who won the Phoenix race and has the pole this week: Carl Edwards.
One from the back: The bottom 10 this week is a veritable "Who's That" of auto racing. Except we find a driver who's currently in 4th place in Sprint Cup points but only 36th on the starting grid. That would be Juan Pablo Montoya, who finished 7th last August on this track.
Two from the middle: Believe it or not, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished in the top 10 in the last two races this season. The networks might be able to manufacture crowd noise when he passes, but they can't manufacture a top 10 finish.
And quick, before you reach for that cup of coffee, name the driver who sits on top of the point standings as of right now. If you guessed Tony Stewart, either you know your racing stats or you peeked at one of the links earlier in this post. Either way, Stewart finished 2nd at Bristol last spring and starts in 13th place today. Pencil him in for a strong day.
We'll be back with the results. Enjoy the race.

The People's Choice - Bristol

Today, instead of focusing on what's wrong with sports (we'll cover some of that territory over the weekend), we'd like to extend a special thanks to you, the Internet. You found time during your busy bracket-filling (and shredding) schedule to vote in the lineup polls for the People's Pitstop. As a result, the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team has a roster for this week's Sprint Cup race at Brisol Motor Speedway.
A List: One driver ran away with this poll, and he should be familiar to longtime readers of this blog. Kyle Busch, last seen reporting "flames in my face," was the winner. He'll be joined in the roster by runner-up Tony Stewart. Whoever qualifies better Friday afternoon will get the starting nod.
B List: We another clear-cut winner here. That would be NAPA commercial co-star Martin Truex Jr. Three other drivers tied for second place: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin and Kasey Kahne.
C List: Paul Menard is threatening to become the first driver in People's Pitstop history to use up all his starts before Independence Day. He won this week's poll yet again, and he'll be joined in the roster by Trevor Bayne, who hopefully celebrated Saint Patrick's Day responsibly, seeing that he's still 20 years old and all.
Again, thanks for voting. The results appear below. A new poll about your weekend plans is now available for your consideration. We'll update this post once qualifying is complete.
UPDATED 11:30 P.M. At least Menard is earning your faith in him. He qualified 4th, earning not only a starting spot but a bonus point for the People's Pitstop. Busch (12th) edged out Stewart (13th). Truex (8th) and Martin (9th) beat out Kahne (10th) and Earnhardt (22nd).
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