It's now Monday, but nerves probably are still frayed from Saturday night's NASCAR race at Darlington Speedway. The good news is that the People's Pitstop emerged from that race in far better shape than Clint Bowyer's car did. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team scored 292 points this week. That's nowhere near our best performance of the season, but it gives us a season total of 2,914 points, which is good enough to maintain the top spot in the always-competitive 9beersfantasysportsgroup league.
Here are the scoring details.
Carl Edwards: Started 4th, finished 2nd, 57 laps led and 99 fantasy points. Edwards must be developing a taste for silver; this is the third second-place finish this season in a Sprint Cup race. At least he can console himself with his return to first place in Yahoo's Power Rankings.
Ryan Newman: Started 2nd, finished 5th, 28 laps led and 97 fantasy points. Newman had a strong weekend, starting with his domination of the rain-shortened practice session. Of the combatants in last week's grudge match, he definitely emerged in the stronger position. And speaking of that grudge match...
Juan Pablo Montoya: Started 16th, finished 23rd (2 laps behind the leaders) and 46 fantasy points. Instead of trying to figure out one of the toughest tracks on the NASCAR schedule, Montoya spent his Saturday night trying to make new friends, like Jimmie Johnson.
David Ragan: Started 11th, finished 21st (1 lap behind the leaders) and 50 fantasy points. The People's Pitstop benched the eventual winner of this race in favor of a driver whose highlight was literally tearing into Brian Vickers' car.
South Carolina is now in NASCAR's rear view mirror. Up next is the Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway. The new lineup polls are now open, and they will remain open until Friday night. Remember that we need you to select two drivers from the A List, four from the B List and two from the C List to represent the People's Pitstop this week. You're the reason we made it to the top, and you're the only way we can stay there, so feel free to vote now.
Showing posts with label Darlington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Darlington. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Fearless Predictions - Darlington
Before everyone turns their attention to the other people racing today, it's time to offer our weekly predictions for the NASCAR drivers who will finish in the top 10 tonight at Darlington Raceway. Last week's forecasts returned to their usual performance level by going 1-3, leaving us with a season record of 8-20.
One from the front: It has worked before, so we'll go with Jeff Gordon again this week. He starts fifth in this race and has seven victories on this track. If he can just avoid the non-SAFER-barrier walls, he should do just fine.
One from the back: They say experience is essential at Darlington. Well, Ken Schrader starts 40th but has experience to spare. The soon-to-be-56-year-old has 737 races under his belt. Let's just hope he didn't send a cardboard cutout to drive for him again.
Two from the middle: Kyle Busch starts 14th tonight and won Friday night's Nationwide race on this track. Jimmie Johnson starts 19th and has his usual resume.
Enjoy the races, everyone. We'll be back with results and fresh polls.
One from the front: It has worked before, so we'll go with Jeff Gordon again this week. He starts fifth in this race and has seven victories on this track. If he can just avoid the non-SAFER-barrier walls, he should do just fine.
One from the back: They say experience is essential at Darlington. Well, Ken Schrader starts 40th but has experience to spare. The soon-to-be-56-year-old has 737 races under his belt. Let's just hope he didn't send a cardboard cutout to drive for him again.
Two from the middle: Kyle Busch starts 14th tonight and won Friday night's Nationwide race on this track. Jimmie Johnson starts 19th and has his usual resume.
Enjoy the races, everyone. We'll be back with results and fresh polls.
Friday, May 6, 2011
The People's Choice - Darlington
Does it feel like this week just fly by? Maybe it's because the People's Pitstop had a short week of voting. But it doesn't matter. You, the Internet, came through again. Thanks to you, we have a roster of Sprint Cup drivers for this week's NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway. Remember that this is a Saturday night race, so that everyone can spend time with their moms on Mother's Day.
Here are the results of this week's lineup polls.
A List. It should come as absolutely no surprise that Kyle Busch, the winner of last week's race in Richmond, also won this week's poll. The runner-up is Carl Edwards, who may not be doing many backflips but does lead in the point standings. As usual, the better qualifier will start.
B List. This race was almost as tight as the one Jimmie Johnson won a few weeks ago at Talladega. We must have drawn all the Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans this week; he won this poll. Clint Bowyer took second place. And we have a three-way tie for third place. In situations like this, we go to the driver points tiebreaker. That means Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya make it into our lineup, while A.J. Allmendinger has to wait until next week.
C List. Two drivers with kind-of-similar names tied for the most votes in this survey. David Ragan and Regan Smith will compete for a starting spot on the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team.
We will update this post when the qualifying session is over. In the meantime, enjoy your Friday, and don't forget to send those flowers to you know who.
UPDATED 10:30 P.M. And make sure you thank your mother for making you so smart. Once again, we leave the qualifying session with bonus points: 5 from Newman, who qualified second, and 1 from Edwards, who qualified fourth. They will be joined in the starting lineup by Ragan (11th) and Montoya (16th).
We'll be back with the predictions.
Here are the results of this week's lineup polls.
A List. It should come as absolutely no surprise that Kyle Busch, the winner of last week's race in Richmond, also won this week's poll. The runner-up is Carl Edwards, who may not be doing many backflips but does lead in the point standings. As usual, the better qualifier will start.
B List. This race was almost as tight as the one Jimmie Johnson won a few weeks ago at Talladega. We must have drawn all the Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans this week; he won this poll. Clint Bowyer took second place. And we have a three-way tie for third place. In situations like this, we go to the driver points tiebreaker. That means Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya make it into our lineup, while A.J. Allmendinger has to wait until next week.
C List. Two drivers with kind-of-similar names tied for the most votes in this survey. David Ragan and Regan Smith will compete for a starting spot on the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team.
UPDATED 10:30 P.M. And make sure you thank your mother for making you so smart. Once again, we leave the qualifying session with bonus points: 5 from Newman, who qualified second, and 1 from Edwards, who qualified fourth. They will be joined in the starting lineup by Ragan (11th) and Montoya (16th).
We'll be back with the predictions.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
It's Official--You Rock!
You, the Internet, clearly have this whole fantasy NASCAR thing figured out.
For the second race in a row, your choices have put the People's Pitstop at the top of the 9beersfantasysportsforum standings. This week, the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up 311 points at Richmond International Raceway. Our season total is now 2,622.
For those of you wondering, in the words of David Byrne, "How did we get here?," here's a look at the results.
Kyle Busch: Started 20th, finished 1st, 235 laps led and 110 fantasy points. That's right; our A List driver led more than half of the 400 laps in this race. And it turns out that he had just enough fuel to complete the 400 laps; the Victory Lane celebration was delayed because he ran out of gas on the way there.
Clint Bowyer: Started 3rd, finished 6th, 18 laps led and 93 fantasy points, including the 3 bonus points he earned from the qualifying session. A driver getting this much "when will he break through" buzz is one worthy of our continued attention, even if he is spending his down time hosting Twitter parties.
Mark Martin: Started 5th, finished 14th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 64 fantasy points. Yes, Martin, NASCAR's biggest rap fan, was in our lineup because of a mistake on our part, but it turned out to be a happy accident. He finished six spots ahead of Ryan Newman, who would have started had everything gone according to plan. But Martin's plan probably did not involve getting caught up in a Jeff Gordon wreck.
Bobby Labonte: Started 14th, finished 24th (3 laps behind the leaders) and 44 fantasy points. Labonte was another driver collected in the Gordon wreck.
Now, the People's Pitstop tries to make it three in a row as NASCAR takes its act to Darlington Raceway. This is another Saturday night race--even the Frances won't mess with Mother--with a Friday qualifying session, so this week's lineup polls will close on Thursday night. Remember that you're voting for 2 A List drivers, 4 B List drivers and 2 C List drivers. Feel free to vote now, and tell a friend.
For the second race in a row, your choices have put the People's Pitstop at the top of the 9beersfantasysportsforum standings. This week, the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up 311 points at Richmond International Raceway. Our season total is now 2,622.
For those of you wondering, in the words of David Byrne, "How did we get here?," here's a look at the results.
Kyle Busch: Started 20th, finished 1st, 235 laps led and 110 fantasy points. That's right; our A List driver led more than half of the 400 laps in this race. And it turns out that he had just enough fuel to complete the 400 laps; the Victory Lane celebration was delayed because he ran out of gas on the way there.
Clint Bowyer: Started 3rd, finished 6th, 18 laps led and 93 fantasy points, including the 3 bonus points he earned from the qualifying session. A driver getting this much "when will he break through" buzz is one worthy of our continued attention, even if he is spending his down time hosting Twitter parties.
Mark Martin: Started 5th, finished 14th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 64 fantasy points. Yes, Martin, NASCAR's biggest rap fan, was in our lineup because of a mistake on our part, but it turned out to be a happy accident. He finished six spots ahead of Ryan Newman, who would have started had everything gone according to plan. But Martin's plan probably did not involve getting caught up in a Jeff Gordon wreck.
Bobby Labonte: Started 14th, finished 24th (3 laps behind the leaders) and 44 fantasy points. Labonte was another driver collected in the Gordon wreck.
Now, the People's Pitstop tries to make it three in a row as NASCAR takes its act to Darlington Raceway. This is another Saturday night race--even the Frances won't mess with Mother--with a Friday qualifying session, so this week's lineup polls will close on Thursday night. Remember that you're voting for 2 A List drivers, 4 B List drivers and 2 C List drivers. Feel free to vote now, and tell a friend.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Another Uneven Week (and New Polls)
The People's Pitstop tried to tame the Lady in Black Saturday night. Instead, we earned a stripe of our own.
The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team scored 251 points this week. Our season total is 251, bringing us up to a tie for 101,631st overall on Yahoo Sports and leaving us at 143rd in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here's the breakdown:
Jeff Gordon: Started 2nd, finished 4th, 110 laps led and 109 fantasy points. That total includes 5 bonus points for qualifying so well and 20 bonus points for leading more laps than anyone else. All that's missing from Gordon's season so far is a win.
Jeff Burton: Started 11th, finished 8th, 31 laps led and 86 fantasy points. Burton's total includes 10 bonus points for leading a lap. At one point late in the race, he and Gordon were in first and second place. Too bad neither one could seal the deal. And it's too bad you don't get bonus points for having the fastest lap of the race.
And just like last week, the results take a turn for the worse at this point.
Joey Logano: Started 13th, finished 27th (4 laps behind the leaders) and 38 bonus points. Logano had trouble late in the race and never really got a chance to recover.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 12th, finished 37th (189 laps behind the leaders) and 18 fantasy points. A.J. got an early start on his trip home for Mother's Day by getting into a scary wreck with Jimmie Johnson.
But one of the good things about a season as long as NASCAR's is that there always seems to be time to catch up. This week, the Sprint Cup series heads to Dover, and once again you, the Internet, get to pick our lineup. The polls are open and will stay open until Thursday night. Please vote now.
The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team scored 251 points this week. Our season total is 251, bringing us up to a tie for 101,631st overall on Yahoo Sports and leaving us at 143rd in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here's the breakdown:
Jeff Gordon: Started 2nd, finished 4th, 110 laps led and 109 fantasy points. That total includes 5 bonus points for qualifying so well and 20 bonus points for leading more laps than anyone else. All that's missing from Gordon's season so far is a win.
Jeff Burton: Started 11th, finished 8th, 31 laps led and 86 fantasy points. Burton's total includes 10 bonus points for leading a lap. At one point late in the race, he and Gordon were in first and second place. Too bad neither one could seal the deal. And it's too bad you don't get bonus points for having the fastest lap of the race.
And just like last week, the results take a turn for the worse at this point.
Joey Logano: Started 13th, finished 27th (4 laps behind the leaders) and 38 bonus points. Logano had trouble late in the race and never really got a chance to recover.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 12th, finished 37th (189 laps behind the leaders) and 18 fantasy points. A.J. got an early start on his trip home for Mother's Day by getting into a scary wreck with Jimmie Johnson.
But one of the good things about a season as long as NASCAR's is that there always seems to be time to catch up. This week, the Sprint Cup series heads to Dover, and once again you, the Internet, get to pick our lineup. The polls are open and will stay open until Thursday night. Please vote now.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Fearless Predictions - Darlington
Before we all sit down with this site's unofficial beverage and watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup race, it's time to predict the top 10 finishers at Saturday night's race. Last week's version of the predictions went 5-5, leaving us with a season record of 41-49.
1. Kyle Busch. The driver that many NASCAR fans love to hate found his way to victory lane last week. And he has the team that can put him there again.
2. Jeff Gordon. Not only does he lead active drivers with seven victories at Darlington, but he also has 17 top five finishes. He's tied for the most among active NASCAR drivers...
3. Mark Martin. ...with this guy.
4. Greg Biffle. Yes, he fell out of the top 10 this week, but he's still fifth in driver points, and he still leads all drivers with seven finishes in the top 10.
5. Jamie McMurray. Quick, guess the only driver who has won more than one pole this season. Nope, try again. Nope, guess again...
6. Kevin Harvick. While everyone else was focusing last week on the Hendrick Family Feud, Happy Harvick was busy taking the lead in driver points.
7. Jimmie Johnson. Yes, he gave up the points lead last week, but he still finished in the top 10, and he has the most top five finishes so far this season (five). Oh, and there's the four...well, you know.
8. Denny Hamlin. Follow the numbers on this one. Driver No. 11 has four finishes in the top 10, three finishes in the top five and two wins, and tonight he starts eighth.
9 and 10. Brian Vickers and David Reutimann. This week we have a pair of medium-to-long shots. They won't be hard to find when the green flag waves, since they'll be next to each other in the second row.
Enjoy the race, and if you're a mother, enjoy NASCAR's gift to you: On your big day, none of the people in your life will have "But the race is on" as an excuse for not paying attention to you.
1. Kyle Busch. The driver that many NASCAR fans love to hate found his way to victory lane last week. And he has the team that can put him there again.
2. Jeff Gordon. Not only does he lead active drivers with seven victories at Darlington, but he also has 17 top five finishes. He's tied for the most among active NASCAR drivers...
3. Mark Martin. ...with this guy.
4. Greg Biffle. Yes, he fell out of the top 10 this week, but he's still fifth in driver points, and he still leads all drivers with seven finishes in the top 10.
5. Jamie McMurray. Quick, guess the only driver who has won more than one pole this season. Nope, try again. Nope, guess again...
6. Kevin Harvick. While everyone else was focusing last week on the Hendrick Family Feud, Happy Harvick was busy taking the lead in driver points.
7. Jimmie Johnson. Yes, he gave up the points lead last week, but he still finished in the top 10, and he has the most top five finishes so far this season (five). Oh, and there's the four...well, you know.
8. Denny Hamlin. Follow the numbers on this one. Driver No. 11 has four finishes in the top 10, three finishes in the top five and two wins, and tonight he starts eighth.
9 and 10. Brian Vickers and David Reutimann. This week we have a pair of medium-to-long shots. They won't be hard to find when the green flag waves, since they'll be next to each other in the second row.
Enjoy the race, and if you're a mother, enjoy NASCAR's gift to you: On your big day, none of the people in your life will have "But the race is on" as an excuse for not paying attention to you.
Friday, May 7, 2010
The People's Choice - Darlington
Sorry this post is so late. I was mourning two things: the end of JaMarcus Russell's career with the Oakland Raiders and the end of Ryan Leaf's reign as the biggest draft bust in the National Football League's history. We'll miss you, Ryan.
Anyway, you, the Internet, have spoken, and since we now have the qualifying results, we can reveal the full lineup the People's Pitstop will field for Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington.
A List. This poll produced the clearest winner of all: Jeff Gordon. And you, the Internet, may be on to something. Gordon qualified second for Saturday's race, earning the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team 5 bonus points right off the bat. Jimmie Johnson will sit on the bench.
B List. One clear winner emerged in this poll: Jeff Burton, who qualified 11th. After Burton, there was a big tie that was broken when Joey Logano qualified 13th. The bench spots go to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth.
C List. Again, we had a tie that was broken by Friday's qualifying session. Your winner (and starter) is A.J. Allmendinger, who qualified 12th. Scott Speed will get a spot on the bench.
The poll results appear below. The new poll is about Mr. Russell's future. Feel free to vote now, even if you're this guy. We'll be back with our predictions for the top 10 finishers.
[polldaddy poll=3148931] [polldaddy poll=3148946] [polldaddy poll=3148953]
Anyway, you, the Internet, have spoken, and since we now have the qualifying results, we can reveal the full lineup the People's Pitstop will field for Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington.
A List. This poll produced the clearest winner of all: Jeff Gordon. And you, the Internet, may be on to something. Gordon qualified second for Saturday's race, earning the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team 5 bonus points right off the bat. Jimmie Johnson will sit on the bench.
B List. One clear winner emerged in this poll: Jeff Burton, who qualified 11th. After Burton, there was a big tie that was broken when Joey Logano qualified 13th. The bench spots go to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth.
C List. Again, we had a tie that was broken by Friday's qualifying session. Your winner (and starter) is A.J. Allmendinger, who qualified 12th. Scott Speed will get a spot on the bench.
The poll results appear below. The new poll is about Mr. Russell's future. Feel free to vote now, even if you're this guy. We'll be back with our predictions for the top 10 finishers.
[polldaddy poll=3148931] [polldaddy poll=3148946] [polldaddy poll=3148953]
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The People's Facts - Showtime Southern 500
There's still time for you, the Internet, to pick the People's Pitstop lineup for this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race (another Saturday Night Special) at Darlington. Here is some basic information about the venue of the week.
Track basics: Darlington Raceway, the South Carolina track "Too Tough to Tame," is a 1.366-mile oval with an odd shape (more on that below). It's also one of NASCAR's more historic tracks, having hosted its first race in 1950. At this track, drivers try to get as close as they can to the outer wall whenever possible. Many of them get too close, earning themselves a Darlington stripe.
Recent winners: Mark Martin (2009), Kyle Busch (2008), Jeff Gordon (2007)
Who wins here a lot: Jeff Gordon, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Gordon. Mr. DuPont has won seven Sprint Cup races here. No other active NASCAR driver has more than two wins.
So what's with the odd shape? You'd think a body as powerful as NASCAR would be able to dictate the shape of the tracks it uses, right down to the curvature of its press box. And these days, that would probably be true. But that wasn't the case in 1949, when, according to the track's official history, Harold Brasington started "a project known locally as “Harold’s Folly” to shape a 1-1/4 mile speedway on land that had once produced peanuts and cotton."
Unfortunately, Brasington had to answer to a higher authority. (No, not that one.)
"Brasington's plan called for a true oval, but the racetrack's design had to be changed in order to satisfy Sherman Ramsey, the landowner, who did not want his nearby minnow pond disturbed. The west end of the track (Turns 3 and 4) was narrowed to accommodate the fishing hole, creating Darlington's distinctive egg-shaped design."
As always, if you need to learn more, you can click here to download a PDF from the fine folks at Yahoo Sports. We'll be back with more thoughts.
Track basics: Darlington Raceway, the South Carolina track "Too Tough to Tame," is a 1.366-mile oval with an odd shape (more on that below). It's also one of NASCAR's more historic tracks, having hosted its first race in 1950. At this track, drivers try to get as close as they can to the outer wall whenever possible. Many of them get too close, earning themselves a Darlington stripe.
Recent winners: Mark Martin (2009), Kyle Busch (2008), Jeff Gordon (2007)
Who wins here a lot: Jeff Gordon, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Gordon. Mr. DuPont has won seven Sprint Cup races here. No other active NASCAR driver has more than two wins.
So what's with the odd shape? You'd think a body as powerful as NASCAR would be able to dictate the shape of the tracks it uses, right down to the curvature of its press box. And these days, that would probably be true. But that wasn't the case in 1949, when, according to the track's official history, Harold Brasington started "a project known locally as “Harold’s Folly” to shape a 1-1/4 mile speedway on land that had once produced peanuts and cotton."
Unfortunately, Brasington had to answer to a higher authority. (No, not that one.)
"Brasington's plan called for a true oval, but the racetrack's design had to be changed in order to satisfy Sherman Ramsey, the landowner, who did not want his nearby minnow pond disturbed. The west end of the track (Turns 3 and 4) was narrowed to accommodate the fishing hole, creating Darlington's distinctive egg-shaped design."
As always, if you need to learn more, you can click here to download a PDF from the fine folks at Yahoo Sports. We'll be back with more thoughts.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Richmond Split Decision (and New Polls)
For the People's Pitstop, it was both the best of times and worst of times Saturday night.
The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team managed to put up 265 points during the NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Richmond. However, our season total of 2,564 points leaves us tied for 104,061st overall and tied for 142nd in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here are the details:
Kyle Busch: Started 1st, finished 1st, 226 laps led and 120 fantasy points. That total includes 20 bonus points for leading the most laps and 10 bonus points for starting on the pole. For only the second time this season, the People's Pitstop managed to start the NASCAR driver who won the race.
Kevin Harvick: Started 7th, finished 3rd, 1 lap led and 96 fantasy points. Leading that single lap gave Harvick 10 bonus points. Finishing that well put him on the top of the NASCAR driver points list.
And that's where the good news ends.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 25th, finished 32nd (3 laps behind the leaders) and 28 fantasy points. One would hope the off-the-track controversy isn't bleeding over to Earnhardt's on-the-track performance.
Sam Hornish Jr.: Started 27th, finished 36th (13 laps behind the leaders) and 20 fantasy points. You can read a long (and stilted) report from Penske, or you can just understand this: Hornish couldn't get out of his own way.
Now it's time for you, the Internet, to regroup and get ready for another Saturday night race, this one at Darlington. The lineup polls are up and ready for voting. The NFL rookie poll is closed, and you can see the results below. We'll be back with more information about this week's race site.
[polldaddy poll=3102728]
The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team managed to put up 265 points during the NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Richmond. However, our season total of 2,564 points leaves us tied for 104,061st overall and tied for 142nd in the Fans of From the Marbles league. Here are the details:
Kyle Busch: Started 1st, finished 1st, 226 laps led and 120 fantasy points. That total includes 20 bonus points for leading the most laps and 10 bonus points for starting on the pole. For only the second time this season, the People's Pitstop managed to start the NASCAR driver who won the race.
Kevin Harvick: Started 7th, finished 3rd, 1 lap led and 96 fantasy points. Leading that single lap gave Harvick 10 bonus points. Finishing that well put him on the top of the NASCAR driver points list.
And that's where the good news ends.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 25th, finished 32nd (3 laps behind the leaders) and 28 fantasy points. One would hope the off-the-track controversy isn't bleeding over to Earnhardt's on-the-track performance.
Sam Hornish Jr.: Started 27th, finished 36th (13 laps behind the leaders) and 20 fantasy points. You can read a long (and stilted) report from Penske, or you can just understand this: Hornish couldn't get out of his own way.
Now it's time for you, the Internet, to regroup and get ready for another Saturday night race, this one at Darlington. The lineup polls are up and ready for voting. The NFL rookie poll is closed, and you can see the results below. We'll be back with more information about this week's race site.
[polldaddy poll=3102728]
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