Wrapping Up a NASCAR Season

Thanks for your patience over the past few days as the people who bring you this fine fantasy sports blog have been on the road. We are back home, and another auto racing season is in the books. The People's Pitstop is proud of its performance over the past 10 months, concluding with a 280-point outing on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Our season total of 9,550 dropped us one spot to 5th place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. Congratulations to Dale Jr Amp National Guard 88 for winning the league.
And here are the final results of 2011 for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team.
Carl Edwards: Started 1st, finished 2nd, 119 laps led and 118 fantasy points. Edwards did everything except what he needed to do to get his first Sprint Cup: win. However, longtime readers will recall that we anticipated that.
Brad Keselowski: Started 5th, finished 20th (1 lap behind the leaders), 11 laps led and 62 fantasy points. Keselowski is certainly someone to watch for 2012. As long as no one asks him about fuel injection.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 12th, finished 15th and 62 fantasy points. As it turns out, 15 was the number to describe Allmendinger's weekend. With his 15th place finish in Homestead, he secured 15th place in the final NASCAR standings.
Bobby Labonte: Started 35th, finished 27th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 38 fantasy points.
Thanks to all of you for helping the People's Pitstop achieve all it achieved this season. And remember that the People's Pigskin still has some meat left on its season. A fresh set of polls are now open for voting through Wednesday night.
We'll be back with the football results.

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.

This Season's Not Over Yet

Martinsville Speedway may be one of the shortest tracks on the NASCAR circuit, but it's big enough to alter the Chase race as well as the fate of the People's Pitstop.

The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored 260 points during Sunday's Chase race at Martinsville. Our season total of 8,655 lifted us into a tie for fourth place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league with SteelerFan4Tony.

As we start dreaming of a top three finish, let's look as this week's results.

Kyle Busch: Started 6th, finished 27th (7 laps behind the leaders), 126 laps led and 58 fantasy points. It just goes to show that one tire flying off your car can ruin your whole day.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 9th, finished 7th and 78 fantasy points. That was Earnhardt's ninth and final start for the People's Pitstop this season. In his nine starts, he had an average finish of 15.7 and an average score of 66.3. Strangely, Talladega Superspeedway was the site of his best performance for us (95 points and a 4th-place finish in April) and his worst performance for us (52 points and a 25th-place finish in October). And Earnhardt would probably be the first to tell you that, even though he made the Chase this year, his team is still not where it wants to be. Fortunately, Hendrick Motorsports seems willing to give him another shot in 2012.

Brad Keselowski: Started 3rd, finished 17th and 58 fantasy points. If only Keselowski could have that last restart back.

Regan Smith: Started 26th, finished 13th and 66 fantasy points. It's a truly remarkable finish when you consider that Smith had to overcome the damage he suffered when Dave Blaney got into him early in the race.

That leaves us with three races to make our mark. The next stop is Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway. The polls are now open and will stay open through Thursday evening. Get your votes in now.

We'll be back with the fantasy football results.

The People's Choice - Martinsville

In addition to wreaking havoc with football games up and down the East Coast, Saturday's storm of rain and snow washed out the qualifying session for this weekend's Sprint Cup race. However, it did not stop you, the Internet, from voting on the People's Pitstop lineup. Here are the drivers who will represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team at Sunday's Chase race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.

A List: Somebody must think Jimmie Johnson still has a chance to win a sixth straight Sprint Cup. He won this week's poll over runner-up Kyle Busch. However, with qualifying washed out, the order for this race is set by driver points. Busch (6th) starts one spot ahead of Johnson and will earn a spot in our starting lineup as a result. Let's just hope NASCAR doesn't give out penalties for bad singing.

B List: Because of a computer error, this poll ended quicker than the other two. That might be why we had a four-place tie involving Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski and Kasey Kahne. By virture of points, Keselowski (3rd) and Earnhardt (9th) get starts, while Kahne (14th) and Allmendinger (16th) get spots on the bench. This will be Earnhardt's ninth and final start for the People's Pitstop this season. Let's hope he makes the most of it.

C List: To heck with foot injuries, the people said. The winner of this poll was Bobby Labonte. David Gilliland tied for second place with Regan Smith, who gets the roster spot by virtue of the driver point tiebreaker. Speaking of points, Smith (26th) gets the starting nod over Labonte (29th). So much for .

We'll be back later today with predictions for Sunday's NASCAR race. In the meantime, be sure to get those votes in for the fantasy football polls. We need to get the People's Pigskin out of its losing streak, and your votes can help make it happen. Thanks.

A Kansas Comeback

Don't count the People's Pitstop out just yet.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team piled up 308 points during Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway. The season total of 7,956 lifted us two spots in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league, to 4th place. We are just over 100 points behind the leader, so winning the championship is more than a mere mathematical possibility.
Here are the more detailed results.
Kevin Harvick: Started 14th, finished 6th and 80 fantasy points. These results probably would look even better if we hadn't benched the eventual race winner. Harvick slipped just enough late in the race to trail Carl Edwards in the points standings by a single point.
Kasey Kahne: Started 5th, finished 2nd and 88 fantasy points. The remarkable thing isn't that Kahne got so close to the front but never led a lap. It's that he got so close to the front after an early problem on pit row left him in 40th place.
Brad Keselowski: Started 12th, finished 3rd, 5 laps led and 96 fantasy points. The truly encouraging thing about Keselowski's day is that he was hungry for more when it ended. He'll be somebody to watch next year on the A List.
Regan Smith: Started 16th, finished 24th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 44 fantasy points. Frankly, this is probably as good as we can expect from the C List drivers available to us for the rest of the season.
And if you debated whether to watch this race or the Sunday afternoon NFL games (or if you sprained your finger switching back and forth), this is the week for you. NASCAR is taking its act to Saturday night for a Chase race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The qualifying session is scheduled for Thursday, so we're going to need to pick our drivers by Wednesday night. The polls are now open. Please note that both Kahne and A.J. Allmendinger are down to their last starts for us. And please vote accordingly.
We'll be back with the fantasy football results.

The People's Choice - Kansas

Clint Bowyer may be switching teams, but we at this blog are glad that you, the Internet, are demonstrating your loyalty. You turned out yet again to pick a roster for the People's Pitstop. Your votes, combined with Friday's qualifying session, have combined to produce this starting lineup for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team for Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway.
A List: You could call this week's poll the Once and Future Kings poll. There was a tie between Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson. We will start Harvick, who qualified 14th, or five spots in front of Johnson.
B List: Apologies to anyone who voted for Ryan Newman. His appearance in this poll was erroneous, since he's already used up his nine starts for us this season. Among drivers who may still represent the People's Pitstop, the top two vote getters were Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr., followed by Kasey Kahne and A.J. Allmendinger. The two K drivers, Kahne (5th) and Keselowski (12th) will start over Earnhardt (18th) and Allmendinger (22nd).
C List: The new champion of this "everybody else" poll appears to be Regan Smith. He got the most votes, and his 16th-place qualifying spot earns him a starting place over poll runner-up David Gilliland (30th).
Remember that you have until Saturday night to decide what to do this week with the People's Pigskin. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team needs your help to bounce back, so be sure to vote in the polls on the right. Thanks.
We'll be back with your weekly dose of NASCAR predictions.

Fearless Predictions - Dover

Dover International Raceway has a special place in our hearts here at this blog for reasons we've covered in the past. This week, it gets to host a Chase race, and we're proud to bring you yet another set of predictions for which Sprint Cup drivers will finish in the top 10. Last week's predictions went a dismal 1-3, lowering our season record to 38-66.
One from the front: Carl Edwards is fourth in both driver points and in this week's grid. He won this race in 2007, and, if you're into more recent history, he won the Nationwide Series race on this track Saturday.
One from the back: The fantasy racing gods gave us a gift this week by having Jeff Gordon qualify 34th for this race. Yes, that's 10th from the back, so that makes a driver with four Cup championships, four Dover wins, and three wins this season eligible for this pick. Thank you. The obligatory sacrifice is being prepared.
Two from the middle: Speaking of three-time winners this season, Brad Keselowski qualified 15th. Since he's not starting for the People's Pitstop this week, that makes him eligible for this pick.
And we'll keep the "three win" theme going by heading back to 20th place, where we find Ryan Newman. The Rocket Man has three wins on this track and four top 10 finishes in the last six races of this season.
Be sure to get those last-minute votes for the People's Pigskin lineup in while you can. Those polls will close later tonight. We'll be back with the results.

Have We Run Out of Gas?

Tony Stewart was able to hold on Monday, but the People's Pitstop was not so fortunate.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored only 192 points during the rain-delayed Chase-opening race at Chicagoland Speedway. The performance was bad enough that our season total of 7,146 points dropped us from first place to third place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. We trail Jeff Gordon Dupont 24 by 63 points and SteelerFan4Tony by 6.
Here are the unpleasant details.
Jeff Gordon: Started 23rd, finished 24th (2 laps behind the leaders) and 44 fantasy points. Gordon was one of the most notable victims of Monday's fuel-strategy finish.
Brad Keselowski: Started 6th, finished 5th, 4 laps led and 92 fantasy points. By far the brightest spot on our roster, Keselowski had enough sense to lead some laps during a caution midway through the race and enough gas to stay on the lead lap at the end.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 18th, finished 27th (2 laps behind the leaders) and 38 fantasy points. This Tweet might have summed it all up: "Greg [crew chief Greg Erwin] and the boys kept swinging at it, but didn't get where we needed." 
Bobby Labonte: Started 11th, finished 38th (31 laps behind the leaders) and 18 fantasy points. And our drivers who weren't running out of fuel were having trouble with their fuel system.
But this race, like the one for the Sprint Cup itself, is far from over. We have a great chance to rebound at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but we need your help. And quickly. The lineup polls are now open. They will close Thursday night to accommodate a qualifying session scheduled for Friday. Please get those votes in now.

The People's Choice - Chicago

Another work week has come and gone, and you, the Internet, found time once again to vote on the People's Pitstop lineup. Your votes, combined with Saturday's qualifying session, give us these starters for Sunday's NASCAR race at Chicagoland Speedway, the first race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
A List: As we've said before, it's hard to bet against Jeff Gordon these days. He won this week's poll, with Kevin Harvick as the runner-up, and he will start by virtue of qualifying 23rd (versus 30th for Harvick).
B List: Brad Keselowski is having a heck of a run these days, too. He won this week's B List poll, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Allmendinger and Mark Martin. The only thing Keselowski didn't do was earn us bonus points. He did get a start by qualifying 6th. Allmendinger (18th) beat out Earnhardt (19th) and Martin (25th) for the other starting spot.
C List: This poll resulted in a tie between Bobby Labonte and David Gilliland. The qualifying session turned out...differently. Labonte (11th) easily earned a starting spot over Gilliland (38th).
We'll be back with some predictions for both the NASCAR race and the People's League fantasy football matchups. Speaking of which, you still have time to vote on the players who will take the field for the People's Pigskin this week, so please vote 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 - Atlanta

Today's post could be called a hybrid, since it covered both fantasy football and NASCAR.
Let's take care of the football news first. You, the Internet, were kind enough to vote in our polls about the People's Pigskin and which players it should target first in Monday night's People's League draft. You decided that we should target Larry Fitzgerald as our primary wide receiver (OK, as long as we don't have to pay him) and Jason Witten as our tight end. Those are the players we will try to pick up for those positions.
Now, we turn our attention to NASCAR. The Sprint Cup drivers will spend their Sunday night taking on Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the people who bring you the People's Pitstop will spend it hoping the drivers we pick for the top 10 don't make us look like clowns. Last week's forecasts went 2-2, lifting our season record to 29-59. All in all, it's still been a better season than Jerry Lewis is having.
One from the front: It probably wouldn't shock you to learn that Jeff Gordon has won four Sprint Cup races at Atlanta. It also probably won't shock you to learn that he's finished in the top 10 in four of the last five races. Given all this, it probably shouldn't shock you that Gordon starts tonight in 5th place.
One from the back: The pickings in the back 10 are particularly meager for this race. If hard pressed, we'll go with Dave Blaney, who starts 35th tonight and sits highest among the bottom 10 drivers in point standings (30th).
Two from the middle: Brad Keselowski did not qualify well enough (14th) to earn a starting spot this week, but a busted oil pan has been his team's only misstep since the Road America test. Keselowski has finished in the top 10 in the last five races, including two that he won outright.
Right in front of him tonight, in the 13th starting spot, we find Denny Hamlin. He currently holds the final wild card spot, but he probably would prefer one of the top 10 automatic qualifying spots. And he got a top 10 finish last week at Bristol.
Enjoy the race (and the telethon), everybody. We'll be back with results and new polls.

Staying on Top in Tennessee

You, the Internet, were asked to help the People's Pigskin remain at the top of the charts, and you delivered like these guys.
The People's Pigskin scored 251 points at NASCAR's Saturday night Sprint Cup special at Bristol Motor Speedway. That gives us a season total of 6,532, which is good enough to increase our lead in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. Our lead over Jeff Gordon Dupont 24 has expanded to 108 points. And we'd like it to keep growing.
Here is the Bristol breakdown.
Carl Edwards: Started 2nd, finished 9th and 79 fantasy points. Edwards came close to finding the lead several times. But he, like two fellow drivers, found something just as good Saturday night: a clinched Chase berth.
Brad Keselowski: Started 8th, finished 1st, 89 laps led and 100 fantasy points. By winning for the third time this season (only Kyle Busch has more checkered flags), Keselowski might as well have wrapped up a spot in the Chase. Even if he doesn't somehow move from 11th place into the top 10 in the driver standings, he has certainly wrapped up a wild card spot.
Mark Martin: Started 5th, finished 38th and 16 fantasy points. The only thing Martin found Saturday night was trouble.
Regan Smith: Started 12th, finished 18th and 56 fantasy points. It's never good when the press release about your driver starts with the phrase "The performance was better than the result." In the wish-it-were-dead language of PR, that means "He had a bad night, but if we don't say good things about him, no one will."
Now, let's discuss the new set of polls. And there are plenty of them.
We'll start with the three on the bottom. They will help select the People's Pitstop lineup for the Labor Day weekend race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. That race is Sunday night, and the qualifying session is on a Saturday. That means the polls will close Friday night. You know the drill.
The two polls on the top are for the Internet's favorite fantasy football team, the People's Pigskin. You have already told us to target Adrian Peterson at running back and (in a neck-related revote) Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Now we need you to tell us which wide receiver and tight end should be in our sights. Those polls will close on Saturday night. Please vote now.

The People's Choice - Bristol

A certain portion of our fans are battening down the hatches, while others are (trying to) get the heck out of Dodge as Irene makes its way up the Atlantic Coast. But skies are sunny at Thunder Valley, aka Bristol Motor Speedway, where NASCAR has set up shop for the second time this season. And you, the Internet, picked a heck of a roster for the People's Pitstop as it tries to stay atop the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. Here are the selections.
A List: Clearly, you paid attention to what happened the last time we were at this track. The winner of this poll was Kyle Busch, followed by a whisker by Carl Edwards. But when the qualifying session came, it wasn't that close. Edwards qualified 2nd (versus 23rd for Busch) and earned himself a starting spot, along with a 5-point bonus for the People's Pitstop.
B List: The voting was close in this poll. Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned the win, followed by Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer. The qualifying session separated the contenders from the pretenders. Martin (5th) and Keselowski (8th) earned starts, while Bowyer (16th) and Earnhardt (22nd) will watch from the bench.
C List: Life is full of surprises, and this poll provided one of them. The winner here was Regan Smith, followed by Bobby Labonte. That was the order in qualifying, too. Smith (12th) will start. Labonte (30th) will sit.
We'll be back with the predictions with this race. In the meantime, remember that the fantasy football polls are still open. Get those votes in while you can.

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.

While (Most of) You Were Working

Mother Nature forced a lot of people to sneak peeks at the office wait until they got home to learn about this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen. Was it worth the wait? Kind of.
The People's Pitstop did manage to score 277 points during the final road race on the NASCAR calendar. Our season total of 5,989 leaves us in second place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league on Yahoo Sports, but we trail Jeff Gordon Dupont 24 by only 44 points. First place is within sight. We can get there.
In the meantime, here's how we got here.
Jimmie Johnson: Started 4th, finished 10th, 1 lap led and 83 fantasy points. Johnson was in the lead as late as lap 65 of this race, according to USA Today's lap-by-lap report. Maybe he's just biding his time until the Chase, which, barring something truly catastrophic, he should make easily.
Ryan Newman: Started 6th, finished 16th and 60 fantasy points. That was the ninth and final start of the season for Newman. For the season, he gave us 759 points, or an average of 84.3 per start. His average finish was 8th. His best performance for the People's Pitstop was his victory at New Hampshire, where he scored 120 points. His worst performance was at Sonoma, where he finished 25th and scored only 42 points. And here's a stat from the we-can't-make-this-stuff-up category: In each of his first four starts for us, Newman finished 5th.
Brad Keselowski: Started 12th, finished 2nd, 2 laps led and 98 fantasy points. Keselowski nearly made it two wins in a row, but he got passed at what seemed like the last possible moment by Marcos Ambrose, who won his first Sprint Cup race. Toss him a Fosters.
David Ragan: Started 16th, finished 28th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 36 fantasy points. Ragan's day ended just short of the finish, when he got together with David Reutimann.
Ragan and his fellow drivers (all except Ambrose) will try to rebound this weekend in a return trip to Michigan International Speedway. The new lineup polls are now open, but they will close Thursday evening, because qualifying is scheduled for Friday. Feel free to vote now.
We'll be back with an update -- and a poll -- on fantasy football.

The People's Choice - Watkins Glen

For a good portion of the football fans in the audience, football (pre)season has already begun. For the rest, the season will begin sometime between now and Monday. But while everyone waits their way through exhibition season and prays for the best possible outcome -- namely, that no one gets hurt playing a meaningless series of downs -- the NASCAR season rolls on.
This week, the Sprint Cup drivers make their first and only visit of the season to New York state, with a road race at Watkins Glen. You, the Internet, were asked to pick a lineup for the People's Pitstop, and you did. Your votes, along with Saturday morning's qualifying session, have produced these results.
A List: A surprising number of drivers got votes this week, but the top two were Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart. When qualifying was said and done, Johnson was in 4th place, just three spots ahead of Stewart. Johnson gets a starting spot and a bonus point for the People's Pitstop. Let's just hope he can steer clear of Kurt Busch.
B List: Again, the votes were spread far and wide, but four of the usual suspects snagged the roster spots: Brad Keselowski (of "I can win on a busted ankle" fame), Ryan Newman, Mark Martin and Kasey Kahne. Marcos Ambrose, the road specialist who nearly got the pole, was on the losing end of a driver points tiebreaker. Newman (6th) and Keselowski (12th) got starting spots over Kahne (18th) and Martin (22nd). For Newman, it will be the final start for the People's Pitstop this season. Hope he makes it count.
C List: Stop me if you've heard this one before. The top two votegetters were (drumroll, please) David Ragan and Paul Menard. Ragan qualified 16th, while Menard qualified 32nd. This means that both of your favorite C List drivers will have the dreaded "LAST TIME" attached to their names in next week's polls.
By the way, if you haven't signed up for the People's League, spots are still available. This is your chance to match your fantasy football wits with the People's Pigskin and other talented players. (Don't worry, you don't have to base your team moves on polls. You can feel free to go with your gut.) You can join the fun by clicking here.
Enjoy the Saturday night football games. We'll be back with the predictions.

Flying High in the Poconos

Some weeks, it all just comes together. The People's Pigskin had one of those weeks, and we have you, the Internet, to thank for it.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team racked up 302 points this weekend at Pocono Raceway. It was the second time in nine weeks we cleared the 300-point barrier. Our season total of 5,712 still leaves us in second place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league, but we have trailed our deficit against Jeff Gordon Dupont 24 to just 53 points.
Here are the juicy details.
Carl Edwards: Started 4th, finished 7th, 2 laps led and 89 fantasy points. Edwards stayed in the top 10 pretty much throughout the race. Guess that's what a new contract will do for you.
Brad Keselowski: Started 13th, finished 1st (as in ... winning!), 19 laps led and 100 fantasy points. Maybe Keselowski should bust up his ankle every week. With his second victory of the season, he went from hanging on the edge of the top 20 to all but wrapping up a wild card spot.
Kasey Kahne: Started 2nd, finished 28th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 41 fantasy points. Any glimmer of hope Kahne's team had left evaporated when he got together with a certain driver. Which one? Here's a hint: He has his own Facebook fan page (sort of).
Paul Menard: Started 7th, finished 10th and 72 fantasy points. Menard showed his Indianapolis victory was no fluke. Unfortunately, he's proven so reliable for you, the Internet, that he has only one start left for us this season. That's why he, like Ryan Newman, now sports the "LAST TIME" next to his name in this week's polls.
Speaking of which, the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are taking their act on the road again with a race at Watkins Glen. We have qualifying on Saturday, so these polls will stay up through Friday evening. Please feel free to vote now, and invite everyone you know to do the same. You can be the spark that lifts us back to the top.

The People's Choice - Pocono

Now that the Pro Football Hall of Fame has finished its induction ceremonies, we can turn our attention back to the People's Pitstop and its effort to retake the lead in the 9beersfantasysportstavern fantasy NASCAR league. You, the Internet, voted on our lineup, and the drivers who got the most votes used the qualifying session to demonstrate whether they deserved to start for us this Sunday at Pocono Raceway. Here are the drivers who proved both popular and worthy.
A List: It should surprise absolutely no one that Jeff Gordon, who has more wins on this track than any other active Sprint Cup driver, won this poll. Carl Edwards tied for second but got the roster spot by virtue of the points tiebreaker. What was truly surprising was Gordon's performance during the qualifying session. He wound up in 31st place, while Edwards qualified fourth, earning a starting spot for himself and a bonus point for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team.
B List: The top four vote-getters in this poll were Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and (in a points tiebreaker) Mark Martin. The qualifying session put Keselowski (13th) ahead of Earnhardt (19th) and Martin (25th). But Kahne was the star of our show. He qualified second, behind only record-setting polesitter Joey Logano, and got us 5 bonus points in the process.
C List: It feels as if this poll is going to come down to David Ragan and Paul Menard every week until one of these drivers runs out of starts. This week, Ragan won the poll, but Menard qualified better (7th vs. 15th), so he'll start for the eighth time for the People's Pitstop.
Thanks again to everyone who took the trouble to vote. We'll be back with the weekly predictions.

Fearless Predictions - Kentucky

Whether you're spending the weekend working on your bucket list or your honey-do list, we're glad you've taken a moment to check out our predictions for NASCAR drivers who will finish in the top 10 at Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Motor Speedway. Last week's forecasts went a respectable 2-2, lifting our season record to 18-42.
One from the front: Even though this is the Sprint Cup debut for Kentucky, there is still some useful history here. For example, Brad Keselowski, who starts 6th tonight, has four top-four finishes on this track in Nationwide Series races, including a win on Friday night.
One from the back: It's a good thing the rule here is to pick a driver starting in the back 10, instead of the back nine. That's because the only driver back here whom most racing fans could pick out of a police lineup is Jamie McMurray, who starts 34th.
Two from the middle: One thing that might have gotten lost in the hoopla over David Ragan's Daytona win last week was the fact that Matt Kenseth had a car good enough to push Ragan to the checkered flag. This week, Kenseth starts 13th and can focus on his own car's chances.
Two spots behind him, in 15th place, we find Joey Logano, who has both short- and long-term history on his side. In the long-term category (or as long-term as you can get with a driver who still looks like he's late for geometry class), Logano has three Nationwide wins at Kentucky. In the short-term category, he has finished in the top 10 in the last two Sprint Cup races. Either fact would be good enough to pick him.
Enjoy the race, everybody. We'll be back with results.