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.
Showing posts with label All-Star. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All-Star. Show all posts
Monday, May 23, 2011
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.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
All-Star Updates
This post will offer occasional updates on tonight's All-Star festivites.
11:17 p.m. EDT The final segment of this race (only 10 laps, officially) took nearly as long to complete as the first one. That's because Kyle Busch wrecked, and then Jimmie Johnson spun out. In the end, Kurt Busch won. As I write these words, Kyle is still waiting to confront his "teammate" Denny Hamlin about the way his race ended. Good thing they won't have to contend with a 600-mile race next week or anything.
10:30 p.m. EDT The third segment is over, and now we have what has to be the most random element in the entire All-Star Race: a 10-minute break. All the teams get 10 minutes to work on their cars (but not to change the tires; at the end of the break, the cars will drive back to pit row for a mandatory four-tire change).
If anyone can explain the logic behind this, I'd love to hear it. After all, they've run a grand total of 90 laps so far, and they're getting ready to run only 10 more. And this is the third break they've had so far tonight.
If you want to put a 10-minute break into a Charlotte race, wouldn't you want to put it into the 600-mile race they'll be running a week from Sunday?
10:04 p.m. EDT The second segment just ended, and over in the Yahoo Sports chat room, we've had ... well, I'm not sure if it's a hoax or something that would have been better suited for another forum:
"10:03 [Comment From thats what she said] JENNY- I know you are on this chat since you texted me right now....i wanted to ask you if you will take my hand in marrige?"
No word yet on whether she said yes. But really, what more could she want from a future husband?
9:44 p.m. EDT The first segment of tonight's four-segment race (and, at 50 laps, the longest one by far) has just concluded. And Darrell Waltrip, in his infinite wisdom, just told the Speed TV viewers that now the exciting part of this race will begin. Thanks, DW. Thanks for telling those of us who turned on our sets in time to watch the start of this race just wasted their time.
8:48 p.m. EDT Well, I'd like to say that your vote in the All-Star poll helped put Jeff Burton over the top and into tonight's main event. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. That spot went instead to Carl Edwards. Uh, oh. One of the drivers who already qualified for the race: Brad Keselowski. Hopefully, they won't get together tonight.
8:13 p.m. EDT The Sprint Showdown has just concluded, with Martin Truex Jr. and Greg Biffle earning spots in the All-Star race. This was preceded by what may be the proudest moment of my race chatting career. The details below. To set the scene, Juan Pablo Montoya had just nearly gotten into two different wrecks by trying to squeeze other drivers off their lines.
"7:45 [Comment From peoplespigskin] Over/under on number of laps until Montoya actually wrecks someone?"
"7:46 Jay Hart: CAUTION"
"7:46 Jay Hart: JPM wrecked."
"7:47 [Comment From Robby Gordon Fan Club] peoplespigskin is a clairvoyant. Does he know tonight's Powerball numbers?"
How can I top that? Stay tuned.
11:17 p.m. EDT The final segment of this race (only 10 laps, officially) took nearly as long to complete as the first one. That's because Kyle Busch wrecked, and then Jimmie Johnson spun out. In the end, Kurt Busch won. As I write these words, Kyle is still waiting to confront his "teammate" Denny Hamlin about the way his race ended. Good thing they won't have to contend with a 600-mile race next week or anything.
10:30 p.m. EDT The third segment is over, and now we have what has to be the most random element in the entire All-Star Race: a 10-minute break. All the teams get 10 minutes to work on their cars (but not to change the tires; at the end of the break, the cars will drive back to pit row for a mandatory four-tire change).
If anyone can explain the logic behind this, I'd love to hear it. After all, they've run a grand total of 90 laps so far, and they're getting ready to run only 10 more. And this is the third break they've had so far tonight.
If you want to put a 10-minute break into a Charlotte race, wouldn't you want to put it into the 600-mile race they'll be running a week from Sunday?
10:04 p.m. EDT The second segment just ended, and over in the Yahoo Sports chat room, we've had ... well, I'm not sure if it's a hoax or something that would have been better suited for another forum:
"10:03 [Comment From thats what she said] JENNY- I know you are on this chat since you texted me right now....i wanted to ask you if you will take my hand in marrige?"
No word yet on whether she said yes. But really, what more could she want from a future husband?
9:44 p.m. EDT The first segment of tonight's four-segment race (and, at 50 laps, the longest one by far) has just concluded. And Darrell Waltrip, in his infinite wisdom, just told the Speed TV viewers that now the exciting part of this race will begin. Thanks, DW. Thanks for telling those of us who turned on our sets in time to watch the start of this race just wasted their time.
8:48 p.m. EDT Well, I'd like to say that your vote in the All-Star poll helped put Jeff Burton over the top and into tonight's main event. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. That spot went instead to Carl Edwards. Uh, oh. One of the drivers who already qualified for the race: Brad Keselowski. Hopefully, they won't get together tonight.
8:13 p.m. EDT The Sprint Showdown has just concluded, with Martin Truex Jr. and Greg Biffle earning spots in the All-Star race. This was preceded by what may be the proudest moment of my race chatting career. The details below. To set the scene, Juan Pablo Montoya had just nearly gotten into two different wrecks by trying to squeeze other drivers off their lines.
"7:45 [Comment From peoplespigskin] Over/under on number of laps until Montoya actually wrecks someone?"
"7:46 Jay Hart: CAUTION"
"7:46 Jay Hart: JPM wrecked."
"7:47 [Comment From Robby Gordon Fan Club] peoplespigskin is a clairvoyant. Does he know tonight's Powerball numbers?"
How can I top that? Stay tuned.
A Quick Pre-All-Star Post
Thanks to those of you who voted in the poll about who should get a spot tonight in the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race. Jeff Burton was the winner, and in his honor, the People's Pigskin has just cast a vote for him on NASCAR.com. The results can be found below, and a fresh poll about the race's results can be found to the right of this post.
Unfortunately, one of your options for tonight's race won't be Brian Vickers, who has been sidelined for the season by his ongoing treatment for blood clots. Fortunately, NASCAR is allowing Casey Mears to use the spot Vickers had earned to run in tonight's All-Star Race. It's nice to see NASCAR earn itself some good karma for once.
If you're still online in about an hour and a half, be sure to visit the Yahoo Sports live chat for both the Sprint Showdown and the All-Star Race. We'll try to be there.
[polldaddy poll=3228185]
Unfortunately, one of your options for tonight's race won't be Brian Vickers, who has been sidelined for the season by his ongoing treatment for blood clots. Fortunately, NASCAR is allowing Casey Mears to use the spot Vickers had earned to run in tonight's All-Star Race. It's nice to see NASCAR earn itself some good karma for once.
If you're still online in about an hour and a half, be sure to visit the Yahoo Sports live chat for both the Sprint Showdown and the All-Star Race. We'll try to be there.
[polldaddy poll=3228185]
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Dover Results and an All-Star Poll
I'm sorry this post couldn't go up sooner. I was busy installing a still in Charlotte.
Anyway, the People's Pitstop had a fairly conclusion to the spring portion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team collected 270 points at Sunday's race in Dover. That brings the season total to 3,085, good enough to move us up to 125th place in the Fans of From the Marbles fantasy league. Congratulations to Dick Trickle (the league, not the driver) for winning the spring segment of our league. Here are the details on our results:
Kurt Busch. Started 12th, finished 19th (2 laps behind the leaders), 1 lap led and 64 fantasy points.
Jeff Burton. Started 17th, finished second, 1 lap led and 98 fantasy points.
Clint Bowyer. Started 7th, finished 17th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 58 fantasy points.
Paul Menard. Started 23rd, finished 21st (2 laps behind the leaders) and 50 fantasy points.
Now the NASCAR drivers are back home in Charlotte, getting ready for the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Some drivers are preparing for Saturday's All-Star Race. Others are hoping to earn their way into that race one of two ways. They can win their way in by finishing first or second in the 30-car Sprint Showdown preceding the race. (By the way, if baseball wants to make its All-Star Weekend more exciting, it can try reserving a spot in the All-Star Game for whoever wins the Home Run Derby.) Or the drivers can hope that they win the fan vote that will decide a spot.
That's where the latest poll comes in. We've taken 10 of the drivers eligible for votes in the All-Star popularity contest. If you're favorite driver isn't on this list, it means either that driver is already in the All-Star Race or you need a new favorite driver. Anyway, the poll will stay up until Saturday. The JaMarcus Russell results appear below. We'll be back.
[polldaddy poll=3170463]
Anyway, the People's Pitstop had a fairly conclusion to the spring portion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team collected 270 points at Sunday's race in Dover. That brings the season total to 3,085, good enough to move us up to 125th place in the Fans of From the Marbles fantasy league. Congratulations to Dick Trickle (the league, not the driver) for winning the spring segment of our league. Here are the details on our results:
Kurt Busch. Started 12th, finished 19th (2 laps behind the leaders), 1 lap led and 64 fantasy points.
Jeff Burton. Started 17th, finished second, 1 lap led and 98 fantasy points.
Clint Bowyer. Started 7th, finished 17th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 58 fantasy points.
Paul Menard. Started 23rd, finished 21st (2 laps behind the leaders) and 50 fantasy points.
Now the NASCAR drivers are back home in Charlotte, getting ready for the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Some drivers are preparing for Saturday's All-Star Race. Others are hoping to earn their way into that race one of two ways. They can win their way in by finishing first or second in the 30-car Sprint Showdown preceding the race. (By the way, if baseball wants to make its All-Star Weekend more exciting, it can try reserving a spot in the All-Star Game for whoever wins the Home Run Derby.) Or the drivers can hope that they win the fan vote that will decide a spot.
That's where the latest poll comes in. We've taken 10 of the drivers eligible for votes in the All-Star popularity contest. If you're favorite driver isn't on this list, it means either that driver is already in the All-Star Race or you need a new favorite driver. Anyway, the poll will stay up until Saturday. The JaMarcus Russell results appear below. We'll be back.
[polldaddy poll=3170463]
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