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.

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.

Better Than a Brick to the Head

Many people weren't happy that Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway turned into a contest of MPG instead of MPH, but the way we see it, things could have gone a lot worse.
The People's Pitstop did manage to score 256 points at this weekend's NASCAR race, including the 18 we pocketed for having the three top qualifiers. Our season total of 5,410 is good enough to keep us in second place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league, though Jeff Gordon Dupont 24's lead has grown to 105 points.
Here are all the gasoline-infused details.
Jimmie Johnson: Started 3rd, finished 19th, 1 lap led and 67 fantasy points. Johnson just hasn't been his usual self this season. Maybe part of him is still freaked out by a certain shower visitor. (Here's a hint: If you're going to talk to Mr. Johnson while he's in the shower, you'd better answer to the name "Mrs. Johnson.")
Joey Logano: Started 20th, finished 25th and 42 fantasy points. The only noise Logano made on Sunday was in his postrace comments (about halfway down this Toyota quote sheet), when he said, "Seems like anyone can win these things these says." Almost anyone, apparently.
Kasey Kahne: Started 2nd, finished 18th, 48 laps led and 81 fantasy points. Kahne pocketed 10 bonus points for leading the most laps. Kahne dominated the first quarter of the race, but a late spinout by Landon Cassill forced him on to the grass, which did enough damage to the front end to ruin his chances.
David Ragan: Started 1st, finished 23rd, 1 lap led and 66 fantasy points. Yes, we started the polesitter and benched the driver who won the whole thing. These things happen in fantasy sports.
But fantasy sports is a week-by-week thing. A win or loss one week doesn't necessarily guarantee results next week. And this week, NASCAR sends its Sprint Cup drivers back to the tricky triangle of Pocono Raceway. We have until Friday night to select the People's Pitstop lineup, and the polls are now open. Please feel free to vote now.

The People's Choice - Indianapolis

Sorry this post is late. Guess that "holding out for a new contract" idea was pretty lame.
Anyway, you, the Internet, were asked to select the People's Pitstop roster for Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And, as we shall see shortly, you did a heck of a job with your selections.
A List: Two former winners on this track dominated this poll. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon got to qualify their way into the starting lineup. Johnson took the starting spot by qualifying third, and he got the People's Pitstop 3 bonus points for doing so.
B List: The voters were all over the map this week. The top four vote-getters were Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano. Logano (20th) edged out Earnhardt (22nd) and Newman (23rd) for one of the two starting spots. Kahne took the other one by storm. He qualified second, earning the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team 5 points.
C List: This poll was the piece de resistance. For the umpteenth time, you selected David Ragan and Paul Menard for our roster. Ragan made the most of this opportunity. He put his car on the freaking pole and got us 10 bonus points.
That's right; before they even drop the green flag on this race, we have scored 18 points.
Hopefully, we can keep this dominance going during the race and with our predictions, which are coming up in the next post.

Back in the Groove

It certainly isn't saying much, but the People's Pitstop had a much better Saturday night than many of the people who had tickets to the race at Kentucky Speedway.
While lots of fans were wondering why NASCAR hates them, the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team was racking up 302 points. We remain in second place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league with a season total of 4,872, but we now trail Jeff Gordon Dupont 24 by only 86 points.
Here's how we got there.
Kyle Busch: Started 1st, finished 1st, 125 laps led and 110 fantasy points. It's been a while since any driver dominated a Sprint Cup race the way Busch did. It's also been a while since a Busch sat at the top of the point standings, but he's there now.
Clint Bowyer: Started 20th, finished 35th and 22 fantasy points. You could be forgiven for thinking Bowyer got caught in traffic on the way to the track. And if the Sporting News is to be believed, he's in danger of getting caught on the outside of the Chase.
Ryan Newman: Started 18th, finished 4th and 84 fantasy points. Newman, on the other hand, solidified his status in the top 10 with his best performance of the season.
David Ragan: Started 8th, finished 8th, 3 laps led and 86 fantasy points. Ragan followed up the first Sprint Cup win of his career by bouncing back from an early spin.
Next up for the Sprint Cup drivers is the northernmost stop on the tour: New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The qualifying session is Friday, so the polls will close on Thursday. Hopefully, the parking lots in Kentucky will be empty by then.

The People's Choice - Kentucky

For the first time in its history, NASCAR takes its Sprint Cup act to Kentucky, home of good whiskey, fast horses and scandalous basketball teams. We at the People's Pitstop are prepared, thanks to all of you who voted in our lineup polls. Now, let's see who will represent us Saturday night.
A List: This poll produced a tie between Kyle Busch and new points leader Kevin Harvick. The qualifying session was a little more definitive. Busch claimed the pole and the starting spot, while Harvick settled for 19th place.
B List: Our survey here produced a three-way tie among Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman and Mark Martin, with A.J. Allmendinger barely behind in fourth place. "Barely behind" also could describe the qualifying results, with Newman (18th) and Bowyer (20th) edging out Allmendinger (23rd) and Martin (28th) for the starting lineup.
C List: If this were baseball, you get the feeling David Ragan and Paul Menard would have been called up to the majors by now. Once again, they dominated this week's voting, and they rewarded the voters' faith with top 10 starting spots. Ragan (8th) outqualified Menard and will represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team on Saturday.
We'll be back with this week's predictions.

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.

At Least, WE Had Plenty of Gas

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car couldn't go the distance, but the People's Pitstop could. Not only did the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team rack up 330 points during Sunday's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but we scored more points than any other team in the prestigious 9beersfantasysportstavern league on Yahoo Sports. Our season total of 3,460 is good enough to keep us in first place.
Here's how we did it, with a little help from you-know-who.
Carl Edwards: Started 3rd, finished 16th, 61 laps led and 73 fantasy points. Edwards did his best work early in the race. Still, he remains your points leader. (Yes, even the New York Times noticed.)
Clint Bowyer: Started 10th, finished 15th and 62 fantasy points. Bowyer was the only driver in our starting lineup not to lead at least one of the race's 402 laps. Maybe he'll get that done this week in his home state, where he'll even race a truck.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 2nd, finished 5th, 5 laps led and 97 fantasy points. Like Edwards, Allmendinger had his best results early in the race, before the sun set. But he did collect his first top five finish of the season, and he was one of the many drivers whose standing improved when Earnhardt's gas tank went dry. But if you want a golden horseshoe, look for...
David Ragan: Started 8th, finished 2nd, 7 laps led and 98 fantasy points. Ragan was actually a lap behind the leaders when, at lap 396 (4 laps before the checkered flag was scheduled to fly), Jimmie Johnson blew his engine. Ragan got the "lucky dog" pass back to the lead lap, and he made the most of it.
The People's Pitstop certainly has momentum. Let's see how far it gets us as NASCAR heads for the heartland for Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway. The qualifying session is Saturday morning, so this week's polls will close Friday night. Get your votes in now, and help the People's Pitstop keep its wheels turning.

The People's Choice - Charlotte

This post got caught in the Memorial Day weekend traffic, but better late than never.
This week was a short one for voting, but you, the Internet, came through with your picks for the People's Pitstop. Thanks to you, the Web's favorite fantasy NASCAR team is a little like Casey Kasem: All our starters are in the top 10.
A List: The people must have been impressed with the way Carl Edwards performed last Saturday. (Well, for the most part, anyway.) He won this poll handily over runner-up Jimmie Johnson. He also won a starting spot by qualifying 3rd, three spots ahead of Johnson. As a result, we get an extra 3 bonus points.
B List: This race was considerably tighter. Ryan Newman squeaked out a victory over Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger, who tied for second place. However, the man with nine poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway could not outqualify Allmendinger (2nd) and Bowyer (10th), both of whom earned starting spots over Newman (12th) and Earnhardt (25th; he should stick to fan votes). In fact, Allmendinger got us 5 bonus points for getting on the front row.
C List: Two of the usual suspects rose to the top of this poll. David Ragan beat Paul Menard in terms of both votes and qualifying (8th vs. 16th).
We'll be back sometime before the race with predictions.

Surviving Darlington

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.

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.

The People's Choice - Richmond

Another week has come and gone. Some people have become superstars, others have become spouses, and the People's Pigskin has settled into its new home on Blogger. We'd like to thank those of you who made the move with us and voted on the People's Pitstop's lineup for this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Here are the drivers who will be driving for starting spots during Friday's qualifying session at Richmond International Raceway.
A List. Kyle Busch may not be everybody's favorite driver, but he did win this week's poll. Jimmie Johnson, who was last seen winning the Talladega race by a whisker, came in second. Both get roster spots for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team.
B List. Clint Bowyer is still hunting for his first win of the 2011 season, but that didn't stop him from winning our poll. There was a three-way tie for second involving Ryan Newman, A.J. Allmendinger and Martin Truex Jr. All three get to take the track Friday with a chance to start for us.
C List. It's a good thing we have two roster spots available here. Two drivers got all the votes--a young one (25-year-old David Ragan) and a not-so-young one (Bobby Labonte, who is days away from turning 47).
We will update this post when the qualifying session is over. In the meantime, enjoy the draft. And before you assume the NFL draft concluded on Thursday night, consider this fact: Twenty-eight current members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were drafted in the second round, including Jack Lambert, Mike Singletary and Thurman Thomas. Nineteen Hall of Famers were drafted in the third round, including Ray Nitschke and this guy.
EDITED 9:00 P.M. The good news comes first. Bowyer qualified third for this race, earning a starting spot for himself and 3 bonus points for the People's Pitstop. Next comes the awkward moment: Instead of Martin Truex Jr., we mistakenly put Mark Martin on the roster. The saving grace is that Martin qualified 5th, beating Newman (13th), Allmendinger (18th) and Truex (21st).
As for the other starters, Busch (20th) beat Johnson (30th) for the A List slot. Labonte (14th) outfoxed Ragan (27th) for the C List slot.
Well, it could be worse. We could be on the Chicago Bears staff.

The People's Choice - Talladega

There will be no need to update this post later; we already know who's starting for the People's Pitstop. The qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway is over, and you won't believe how the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team did.
A List: This poll ended in a dead heat between Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. The start goes to Johnson, who qualified 2nd, or 18 places ahead of Edwards.
B List: The people who vote on this poll clearly knew that Talladega is a restrictor plate track. They gave the win in this poll to Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has a strong history on such tracks. Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman tied for second, and Mark Martin squeaked his way into the fourth spot. But there was no squeaking when it came time to qualify. Martin (3rd) and Earnhardt (4th) earned the starting spots over Bowyer (10th) and Newman (23rd).
C List: Even the drivers from the fantasy equivalent of the discount rack found their way to the front of the pack. Paul Menard and David Ragan tied for the top spot in this poll, again. And Menard qualifed 5th, or two spots ahead of Ragan.
If you've been paying attention, you know that we got bonus points from Johnson (5), Martin (3) and Earnhardt (1). And this is definitely the first time in People's Pitstop history that all our starters come from the top five.
We will be back tomorrow with another set of predictions. In the meantime, we have a poll about the fact that NASCAR makes its drivers wear plates for this race. Jeff Gordon, who won the pole, made his thoughts clear. Now it's your turn. Feel free to vote now.
Here are the lineup poll results.
[polldaddy poll=4913685] [polldaddy poll=4913695] [polldaddy poll=4913709]

Knocking on the Door

Sorry this post is so late. Would you believe we were waiting on the verdict? No? Didn't think so...
Anyway, the People's Pitstop is red hot. We scored 376 points during last week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. That lifted our season total to 1,944, and it leaves us in second place in the prestigious and competitive 9beersfantasysportstavern group on Yahoo Sports. And you know something? We can catch the group's leader, Wild Kyle, who sits only 21 points ahead of us.
Here are the details.
Matt Kenseth: Started 4th, finished 1st, 169 laps led and 111 fantasy points. Kenseth picked one heck of a time to break that winless streak. And picked a great way to do it; the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team got a 10-point bonus for having the driver who led the most laps.
Clint Bowyer: Started 3rd, finished 2nd, 44 laps led and 101 fantasy points. What's better than having the best driver in a race? Having the two best drivers, especially when one of them had to make a top-notch save to stay in the top two.
Juan Pablo Montoya: Started 14th, finished 13th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 66 fantasy points. Montoya is this week's "driver who failed to lead a lap" in our lineup. But he's keeping himself in top 10 lists like this one from the Sporting News.
David Ragan: Started 1st, finished 7th, 11 laps led and 98 fantasy points. No, getting his first career pole was not a fluke. He'll be a contender for the Pitstop's lineup for some time to come.
Speaking of the lineup, it's time to pick a new one. NASCAR takes its act to Talladega Superspeedway, where Ragan has his best average finish and will try to avoid the big one. The qualifying session is Saturday, so the polls will stay open until Friday night. Please vote now. Keep your hot streak going--because it's your hot streak.

The People's Choice - Texas

It doesn't matter how long or short the voting period is. You, the Internet, come out in droves to vote on the People's Pitstop's lineup week after week. Thanks to you, we have a roster of drivers to represent us at Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.
A List: It's a good thing we have two spots to offer from this poll, because it ended in a tie between Kevin Harvick (aka the winner of back to back races) and Matt Kenseth (aka the other guy to win this poll).
B List: He might not have a stock car win on an oval track yet, but Juan Pablo Montoya does have a win in a People's Pitstop poll. He beat a field that included Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Allmendinger and Clint Bowyer, all of whom join him on this week's roster.
C List: Maybe you just like the color brown. Or maybe you're impressed that he finished in the top 10 last week at Martinsville. Either way, David Ragan is your winner here. He'll be joined in the lineup by a familiar C List face: Paul Menard.
As usual, the qualifying session will determine which of these racers start and which will ride the pine. Thanks for voting. The results appear below. And a new poll about everyone's favorite golf tournament is now available for voting.
We'll upate this post when the qualifying session is complete.
UPDATED 9:50 P.M. Maybe you voters should consider buying extra Powerball tickets this week. Ragan got his first career pole, and we got 10 bonus points for having the foresight to pick him. Bowyer qualified third and got us 3 bonus points, while Kenseth qualified fourth and got us a single bonus point. They'll be joined in the starting lineup by Montoya, who qualified a relatively modest 14th.
We'll be back with some fearless predictions.
[polldaddy poll=4845921] [polldaddy poll=4845935] [polldaddy poll=4845947]

The Climb Continues

This week's NASCAR Sprint Cup race could have gone much better for the People's Pitstop, but we'll take what we got.
What the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team got was 255 points at Martinsville Speedway. The season total is now 1,568, and we moved up one spot, to fifth place, in the highly competitive 9beersfantasysportstavern group on Yahoo Sports. And here's how we did it.
Denny Hamlin: Started 5th, finished 12th, 89 laps led and 78 fantasy points. Hamlin surprised even the experts by having to pit early and being less than his usually dominant self in Martinsville.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 6th, finished 14th, 6 laps led and 74 fantasy points. Mr. Allmendinger was one of only two Ford drivers to lead this race. Maybe they should fetch some of the cars they lent to American Idol.
David Ragan: Started 14th, finished 8th and 76 fantasy points. Ironically, the People's Pitstop's only top 10 starting driver at the finish was also the only one who did not lead a lap.
And yes, we've saved the worst for last.
Kasey Kahne: Started 3rd, finished 39th (281 laps behind the leaders), 1 lap led and 27 fantasy points. To the long list of things you never want to hear about your NASCAR driver, you can add this gem from Mike Joy: "That might be the hardest hit I've ever seen at this small a race track."
Everybody walked away, though, and now they can walk (or fly, really) to Fort Worth for a Saturday night shootout at Texas Motor Speedway. The lineup polls for the People's Pitstop are now open, but they will close Thursday night, so we can submit a roster in time for Friday's qualifying session. Please vote now. We'll be back.
(Oh, and by the way, here are the results for the Final Four poll. Apparently, the people who read this poll are not into underdogs.)
[polldaddy poll=4832562]

The People's Choice - Martinsville

We're back from our sojourn in Las Vegas. We'd like to tell you all about the ultimate margaritas, the Michael Jackson impersonator, the world's dumbest roulette player, the 70 beers, the roller coaster, the lions and the man lying unconscious on the Strip, but what happens there stays there. (Really, it's in the contract.)
It's back to work for the People's Pitstop, but you, the Internet, did not take this week off. You came out and selected a lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway. Here are your results.
A List. You must have seen something in Jimmie Johnson's near-win last week in Fontana. The five-time defending Sprint Cup champion won this poll, followed by Denny Hamlin.
B List: This race was a lot closer. Three drivers (Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin Truex Jr. and Kasey Kahne) tied for first place, while A.J. Allmendinger came in fourth. Good thing we have four spots -- two starting and two bench -- to give them.
C List: Only two drivers received votes in this poll. One of them, surprise, surprise, was Paul Menard. The other was David Ragan. You know the drill by now. Whoever qualifies better will start. The other one will sit.
Thanks again for voting. The results appear below, and a new poll about college basketball's big event is available for voting. We will update this post after the qualifying session.
UPDATED 2 P.M. Kahne has spent a lot of time on our bench this season. Not this week; he qualified 3rd and earned the People's Pitstop 3 bonus points. The other starters are Hamlin (5th), Allmendinger (6th) and Ragan (14th). That's right; Paul Menard, who qualified 16th, finally gets a seat on the bench.
We'll be back with a fresh set of predictions.
[polldaddy poll=4801881] [polldaddy poll=4801961] [polldaddy poll=4802021]

The People's Choice - Fontana

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