Fearless Predictions - Phoenix

Those of you working the night shift will get first crack at this week's predictions for the NASCAR drivers who will finish in the top 10 at Phoenix International Raceway. Last week's predictions went 2-2, leaving us with a season record of 47-81.

One from the front: No matter how anyone tries to spin it, the Chase for the Sprint Cup has become a two-driver competition. One of the competitors, Tony Stewart, is starting for the People's Pitstop. The other one, Carl Edwards, will start in the 9th spot and is therefore eligible for this pick.

One from the back: It's pretty safe to say that Kyle Busch is ticked off. First, NASCAR suspended him for a Nationwide race and a Sprint Cup race for wrecking Ron Hornaday. Then M&Ms pulled itself off his car for the last two weekends of the season. Then he qualified 34th after having to change an engine. And if there's anything we've learned about Kyle Busch over the years, it's that he does some of his best driving when he's ticked off at the world.

Two from the middle: If Jimmie Johnson wants to make this more than a two-man race, he has to do something pretty extraordinary in Phoenix. He starts 16th this week, but finishing there is no longer an option.

And let's have a shout-out for Paul Menard, who starts 11th in this race. Menard started this year on Yahoo Sports' C List, the list for every random driver who decides to put a car together for a particular race. And after the year he's had, including a win at Indianapolis, it's safe to say he won't be on that list in 2012.

We'll be back with the results of our football polls.

The Last Time We Were in Talladega

Normally on this blog, the "Last Time We Were in" posts are pretty straightforward. After all, the tracks remain the same, most of the drivers remain the same, and the conditions by and large remain, if not the same, then close enough for us to draw conclusions about one race from the one previously run on this track.

But this time, things are different. And not just in the pseudo-marketing "This Is Talladega" sense. Things have changed significantly in the six months since the NASCAR drivers made their last visit to Talladega Superspeedway, the largest oval track on the circuit.

First, we have the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Six months ago, Jimmie Johnson won on this track. Last week, he walked away from a horrible wreck with his body intact, but not his Chase chances. Now, instead of fine-tuning his championship run, he needs to swing for the proverbial fences.

Second, we have the rule changes. The April race was dominated by the recently discovered two-by-two racing pattern, which got less than glowing reviews from everyone involved. Now, NASCAR has tweaked the cars to prevent drivers from partnering up like members of a bobsled team.

(Oh, and if you're worried about the rule changes turning Talladega into a short track, check out these practice speeds.)

Third, and most recently, we have Dan Wheldon. Even though he didn't race in a single stock car race, his death certainly has had an impact on the entire racing community. Even SI has noticed.

Oh, and as far as our performance in the April race in Talladega, the People's Pitstop scored an impressive 367 points, fueled by Johnson's aforementioned victory. Can we repeat that feat? That depends on you. The NASCAR lineup polls will stay open for a few more hours. But the qualifying session is Saturday, so you need to get your votes in now.

We'll be back with the results.

Learning from Dan Wheldon

Chances are you've heard and read far more in the past few days about a handshake than about a death.

Most of the injuries that take place in sports are the type than can ruin games, but not lives. Dan Wheldon's death Sunday in Las Vegas could ruin an entire sport.

Auto racing has always been and probably always will be a dangerous sport. But as technology advances, there are things the people who run auto racing can do to reduce the risks. Unfortunately, it took Dale Earnhardt's death to get NASCAR to require things like the Hans device and the Safer barrier. These measures, though imperfectly implemented, have been shown to save lives. For evidence, we need look no further than Saturday night's race in Charlotte, where Jimmie Johnson walked away from the type of wreck that could just as easily have taken his life.

Wheldon's death took place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which has implemented the safety features mandated by NASCAR. None of those features could save Wheldon once his car went airborne over a track already strewn with wreckage. If the folks who run open-wheel racing want to memorialize Wheldon in something other than a chassis, they will ask themselves some hard questions. Was the field for this season-ending race too big for a track that small? Did a $5 million incentive persuade a driver to risk his life needlessly and recklessly? Are there things that can be done to the cars themselves to keep them on the ground in an accident? After all, that's why NASCAR drivers will be using restrictor plates Sunday at Talladega.

Meanwhile, there's something you can do to make sure Wheldon didn't die in vain. From time to time, you might hear somebody say "These safety measures are taking all the fun out of racing." The next time you hear someone say that, hit him.

Very, very hard.

Remember that we are taking votes on the free agent wide receiver poll through Wednesday night. The People's Pigskin needs someone to take the roster spot being vacated by the recently released Mike Sims-Walker. Thanks for voting, and encourage a friend to do the same.

We'll be back with the results of that poll.

Fearless Predictions - Charlotte

OK, so the quest to lift our NASCAR predictions to .500 for the season will fall a little short. Big deal. We can still finish this season with a bang. Here are this week's picks for the Sprint Cup drivers to finish in the top 10. Last week's forecasts went 2-2, leaving us with a season record of 41-71.

One from the front: It's hard to ignore Jimmie Johnson (who starts 9th tonight) at this time of year and at Charlotte Motor Speedway in particular. He has a whopping six wins on this track. And he finished 3rd in this race last year on his way to a fifth straight Sprint Cup title. Let someone eles pick another driver from the top 10.

One from the back: The pickings in the bottom 10 are as supermodel slim as ever. This week, we'll take a flyer on Dave Blaney, who starts 35th and has finished in that position or better in the last five races. You don't do that if you're going to start and park.

Two from the middle: Don't count Kevin Harvick out of it yet. He's starting 14th tonight, but he's still 2nd in the points standings. Also, he's finished in the top 10 in five of the last six races this season, and he won the 600-mile race at Charlotte in May. And you have to respect a driver willing to wreck his wife just to star in an ESPN commercial.
For our final pick, we're going to reach all the way back to the 20th starting spot for Kurt Busch. He finished in the top five here in May, and he won a race here last year. Besides, the best way to snuff out questions about your crew chief is to have a strong day at the track.

Remember that you can still vote on the fantasy football polls on right side of this page while you watch the race. The People's Pigskin needs to mount a comeback, and we need your help to assemble the lineup. Please vote now.

We'll be back with the football poll results.

Fearless Predictions - Kansas

As we approach Columbus Day, it's time for the NASCAR predictions to chart a course to undiscovered territory: the .500 mark. But it won't be easy. Last week's picks went 1-3, leaving us with a season record of 39-69.
One from the front: The one pick that worked for us last week was Carl Edwards. He starts in second place this week and finished second in Saturday's Nationwide race at Kansas Speedway to Brad Keselowski, who starts for the People's Pitstop. He also has finished in the top 10 the last two times the Sprint Cup drivers have taken on this track.
One from the back: This week, we find Juan Pablo Montoya in 34th place, but this pick is more of a prayer. We are praying that Montoya can avoid all the people who have reason to have grudges against him.
Two from the middle: Here are a few things you should know about Kurt Busch, who starts 17th in this race. His win last week in Dover was his fourth top 10 finish in five weeks. He jumped five spots in the point standings, to a very respectable (and in contention) fourth place. And he finished ninth at the Kansas race in June.
And then we have last week's runner-up, Jimmie Johnson. Yes, he starts in 19th place this week. But he's finished in the top 10 in the last five Kansas races. And speaking of five, there's always this.
There are still a few hours to vote on the People's Pigskin lineup for this week. Get your votes in now. We'll be back with those results.

Fearless Predictions - Chicago

We'll have our second fantasy football selection set of the season shortly. For now, let's ease you into your Sunday morning with some predictions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who will finish in the top 10 at today's Chase-opening race at Chicagoland Speedway. Last week's forecasts went a pedestrian 2-2, leaving us with a season record of 34-62.
One from the front: Kurt Busch has plenty going for him this week. He's starting third, putting him in front of all the other Chase drivers. He has five top 10 finishes on this track. He has finished in the top 10 the last two weeks. And he certainly wouldn't be the first champion in the history of sports to have angry confrontations with reporters.
One from the back: We haven't had a lot of luck lately trying to pick a driver from the bottom 10. This week, we'll try Mike Bliss, who starts 42nd. Since joining the Sprint Cup series in May, his worst finish has been 36th. In other words, he (unlike some other drivers we could select) has avoided the "start and park" disease.
Two from the middle: This is the time Jimmie Johnson, who starts 12th this week. usually puts the pedal to the metal. He has finished in the top 10 in five of the last six weeks. He has seven top 10 finishes at Chicagoland. And then there's the whole "Five Time" thing.
OK, Dale Earnhardt Jr. It's time, in the words of Woody Harrelson to nut up or shut up. You're in the Chase for the first time since 2008. You're at a track where you have won before. You're starting in the 19th spot for this race. If you want to stay in Madison Avenue's sights for something other than your name, you need to produce some results.
And we need to produce some fantasy football poll results and predictions. Those will come shortly.

A NASCAR Playoff Primer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some wins are more equal than others.

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

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

Fearless Predictions - Richmond

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

Fearless Predictions - Bristol

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

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.

Fearless Predictions - Indianapolis

Remember last Monday, when we said that the People's Pitstop's results at Indianapolis Motor Speedway were better than a brick to the head? Well, the predictions for top 10 finishers for that race felt exactly like a brick to the head. We went 0 for 4 last week, lowering our season record to 22-50. Therefore, all NASCAR fans are advised to take this week's forecasts for Pocono Raceway with at least a grain of salt.
One from the front: Our predictions need all the help they can get, so we're going all the way to the front with Joey Logano, whose list of "youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup driver ever to" achievements now includes being the youngest ever to win the Pocono pole. This is the type of track where you can start at the front and stay there, especially if Mother Nature decides to end things early.
One from the back: Again, the pickings are slim in the back 10. We'll go with Landon Cassill, who starts 36th and at least spent some time in the top five last week at Indianapolis. Let's just hope he can keep his car (and Kasey Kahne's) on the track this week.
Two from the middle: Ryan Newman starts 12th in this race and, despite his eighth-place spot in driver points, will need to keep running well to make the Chase. Fortunately, "running well" is something Newman does quite well at Pocono; he has eight top 10 finishes here, including a victory in 2003.
But if you don't want to go that far back in time for a good trend, you can simply look to Jimmie Johnson, who starts in 18th place this week. He had finished in the top 10 the last three times NASCAR has taken its act here. Oh, and for those of you who insist on taking a long-term view, he won both Pocono races back in 2004.
Enjoy the race, everybody. We'll be back with the results.

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.

Another Poll Needs Your Vote

The people who bring you this fine fantasy Web site did not watch the Espys on Tuesday night.
But that's OK; Golden Tate watched enough of it for all of us.
The young Seattle Seahawks receiver was watching the ESPN award show and saw the nominees for Best Male Athlete. In addition to eventual winner Dirk Nowitzki, the nominees included an old friend of ours: Jimmie Johnson.
Tate responded the way lots of people respond to such news these days. He sent out a message on Twitter:

"Jimmy Johnson up for best athlete???? Um nooo .. Driving a car does not show athleticism"

Of course, Tate later erased that message from his Twitter page. (That's one of the real drawbacks of Twitter. It's too easy to say something and then pretend later that you didn't say it.) But it drew attention to an age-old question: Are NASCAR drivers really athletes?
The Internet took the story and ran with it. They even set up a poll asking its fans whether Tate was right. As of 8 p.m. Thursday night, we NASCAR fans were losing. That's why we need you, the Internet, to come to the defense of Johnson and all his fellow NASCAR drivers. If it's not too late, visit that poll, and see if we can't turn it around.
As for Mr. Tate and his comparison of athletes, we can offer this from a fantasy perspective. As of Thursday, Jimmie Johnson is sixth in Yahoo fantasy points among Sprint Cup drivers. Last season, Tate ranked 120th in ESPN fantasy points among wide receivers.
So we've got this going for us; Johnson is a better fantasy athlete than Tate.
Oh, and once you're down turning that poll around, don't forget to vote in the polls for the People's Pitstop lineup. We need to set our lineup on Thursday night, so please vote now.
We'll be back with the results.

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

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

Um ... Oops

If the people who bring you the People's Pigskin were invited to speak at one of the many graduation ceremonies taking place this month, we would offer two pieces of advice.
First, never let anyone take pictures of your genitalia. It never turns out well.
Second, always remember to hit "Save."
The people who bring you this fantasy NASCAR blog failed to hit "Save" at a crucial moment. In the words of a famous politician we screwed up.
As a result of failing to hit "Save" on Thursday night, we failed to deliver the roster you selected for Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway. We have the same eight drivers we had last week.
However, if the qualifying session is any indication, our cupboard is anything but bare.
A List: Jimmie Johnson qualified 12th, or 11 places ahead of Carl Edwards, and get a starting spot.
B List: This was a real dogfight. Clint Bowyer qualified 9th, but he will join Dale Earnhardt Jr. (9th) on the bench, because of the superior efforts turned in by Ryan Newman (5th) and Kasey Kahne (6th).
C List: Maybe it should no longer be surprising when Paul Menard has a surprisingly strong session, but it is surprising nonetheless. He qualified 3rd, earning a starting spot for himself and 3 bonus points for the People's Pitstop. David Ragan will start 34th.
We will be back with our fearless predictions, which we hope will turn out better than our roster-saving.

A Tough Run in the Irish Hills

This week wasn't quite as bad for the People's Pitstop, but no one will be mentioning it in our Hall of Fame speech, either.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored a grand total of 258 points during Sunday's race at Michigan International Speedway. Our season of total of 4,169 is good enough to keep us in first place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league on Yahoo Sports, but the top of the standings are pretty tight. We lead the new runner-up, speedway41, by only 110 points.
Here are the complete results from the Irish Hills.
Jimmie Johnson: Started 21st, finished 27th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 38 fantasy points. Is it possible that there was a Hendrick Curse in effect on Sunday? Johnson spun out before many of his fans had gotten to their seats, and he was playing catch-up for the rest of the race. He plunged three spots in the points standings, and he probably took a lot of fantasy teams with him.
Kasey Kahne: Started 8th, finished 28th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 36 fantasy points. Michigan is known as a place where fuel efficiency mattered. And it bit Kahne in the tailpipe. He ran out of gas on his way to his pit box. His engine stalled, and he fell two laps behind trying to restart his car. It's a good thing Kahne is getting out of Red Bull Racing while the getting is good.
Ryan Newman: Started 13th, finished 6th, 3 laps led and 90 fantasy points. It was a good week for the Rocket Man to have a solid outing. Newman's car celebrated both the U.S. Army's birthday and Hall of Famer Bud Moore.
Paul Menard: Started 9th, finished 4th, 2 laps led and 94 fantasy points. You know your career is on the right track when columnists admit to rooting (even briefly) for you to win the race.
Now, it's time to turn our attention to this week's race at Sonoma's Infineon Raceway, a road course. No, NASCAR has not eliminated road races, which are certainly a different breed from the oval races that dominate the schedule. And there's a good chance this week's lineup for the People's Pitstop will look different from last week's roster. But that's up to you. The polls are now open, and they will stay open until Thursday night. Feel free to vote now.

The People's Choice - Michigan

Some people may be impressed with the way Rory McIlroy is playing golf right now, but we at this Web site are more impressed with the way you, the Internet, keep coming out to support and vote for the People's Pitstop. Thanks to your votes, and Saturday's qualifying session, here are the drivers who will represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team during Sunday's race at Michigan International Speedway, the state's true Big House.
A List: The voting produced a dead heat between Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. The qualifying session nearly produced the same thing. Johnson qualified 21st, just 2 spots ahead of Edwards, and gets the starting nod as a result.
B List: You don't necessarily have to win a People's Pitstop poll to start for it. Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr. tied for first place, followed by Kasey Kahne and (on the strength of the points tiebreaker) Clint Bowyer. Kahne drove his car to the 8th qualifying spot and into our starting lineup. Newman did likewise by qualifying 13th, beating out Earnhardt (15th) and Bowyer (27th).
C List: Three drivers have been monopolizing the votes in this poll as of late. This week, the pollsters were split between Paul Menard and David Ragan. Menard settled the matter by qualifying 9th, while Ragan settled for 20th and a spot on our virtual bench.
We'll be back with the weekly predictions.

Fearless Predictions - Pocono

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