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.

Some Bad Signs Are Easy to See

Not everyone can win a fantasy sports championship. Somebody has to end up on the bottom. And it's not always that person who abandons the team after two or three bad weeks. Sometimes, it's someone who failed to see the warning signs.
For example, it's a bad sign if your starting quarterback is the subject of a billboard campaign to be replaced by this guy.
It's also a bad sign if your starting receiver has to deal with Darrelle Revis after the receiver's injured teammate called him overhyped. All-Pro defensive backs tend to take their anger out on whichever receiver is handy.
It's certainly not a good sign if you mistakenly based your drafting strategy on Grantland.com's Bad Quarterback League draft. ("Hmm, Simmons says he's worth a first-round pick. I'm glad I...what? Their scoring is based on what?!?)
On a related note, it's not the best of signs if your starting quarterback just inspired Bill Simmons to coin a new term to describe a truly awful play.
Of course, the bad signs aren't limited to fantasy football. They can also pop up in fantasy NASCAR.
For instance, one bad sign would be if your driver's sponsor were planning to pull out of the sport, and most fans responded with a collective shrug.
Another bad sign would be if one of your starting drivers were accused of spinning out on purpose to help your teammate win a race.
It's also a terrible sign if your star driver got suspended for testing positive for marijuana, and your driver reacted by saying it was medical marijuana. (Right, and that stuff in Michael Waltrip's engine was food coloring, too.)
Avoid signs like these, and maybe you can add a trophy like this to your mantle this fall.
In the meantime, help us get our own glory by voting in the lineup polls on your right. The fantasy NASCAR polls will close tonight. The fantasy football polls will close Saturday night.
We'll be back with the racing results.

Hanging in There

The People's Pitstop scored 222 points in the severely delayed Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It wasn't an impressive outing, but our season total of 6,754 allows us to hang on to the top spot in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. We lead Dale Jr Amp National Guard 88 by 96 points.
Here are the scoring details from a soggy and historic race.
Kyle Busch: Started 3rd, finished 23rd, 19 laps led and 59 fantasy points. Busch found the front early but found nothing but trouble later in the race, including a pass-through penalty that essentially took him out of the running -- and out of first place in the driver standings.
Clint Bowyer: Started 2nd, finished 36th, 8 laps led and 35 fantasy points. Bowyer also got to the lead early in the race, but he couldn't stay away from the wall (or Juan Pablo Montoya).
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 11th, finished 10th and 72 fantasy points. You know you've had better fantasy NASCAR days when your top scorer is someone who makes people say, "Oh, yeah, he finished in the top 10, and he still has a shot at the Chase."
Paul Menard: Started 22nd, finished 18th and 56 fantasy points. That was Menard's ninth and final start for the People's Pitstop this season, and his time with us ended, not with a bang, but with a whimper. In his nine starts, he racked up 630 points, or an average of 70 a race. His best performance for us was in Michigan in June, when he finished 4th and scored 94 points. His worst was in New Hampshire, when he finished 24th and scored 44. And yes, we missed out on his first Sprint Cup win. But we'll hear from him next season, when he makes Yahoo's B List (at least).
We at the People's Pitstop have already turned our attention to the upcoming week, including the NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway. Again, the polls are open, so get started on your voting. Thanks.

The People's Choice - Atlanta

Mother Nature can mess with your football game, but she can't stop you, the Internet, from showing your love for the People's Pitstop. You voted for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who should represent us this Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Your votes, along with Saturday afternoon's qualifying session, have produced these results.
A List: It shouldn't be surprising that the winners of this poll are also the top two drivers in points: Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. By qualifying 3rd (or 14 spots in front of Johnson), Busch earned himself a starting spot and the Pitstop 3 bonus points.
B List: This poll came down to the proverbial wire. Brad Keselowski won -- something he's been doing quite frequently of late -- followed by A.J. Allmendinger, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and, in driver-points tiebreaker, Clint Bowyer. Bowyer qualified 2nd (earning us 5 bonus points), while Allmendinger qualified 11th. They will start, while Keselowski (14th) and Earnhardt (29th) will sit.
C List: The usual suspects rose to the top of this poll -- Paul Menard and Regan Smith. Menard qualified 22nd, while Smith qualified 26th. This means that Menard will make his ninth and final start of the season for the People's Pitstop. Let's hope he makes the most of it.
And if you want to make the most of your experience here at this site, don't forget to vote for the wide receiver and tight end you think the People's Pigskin should target in Monday night's fantasy football draft.
We'll be back with some predictions for Sunday's race and the results of the football polls.

Fearless Predictions - Michigan

As we creep closer to another fantasy football season, we have results from our first football poll of the season. We asked you, the Internet, which quarterback the People's Pigskin should target first in our upcoming draft. You overwhelmingly chose Peyton Manning, so we'll have to hope his most recent neck surgery causes him to miss as many games as his previous neck surgery (none). We'll also have to hope he's available when our team drafts.
In the meantime, we have some races to consider. The NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers take on Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, and it's time to offer some predictions for top 10 finishers. Last week's forecasts went 1-3, lowering our season record to 25-55. That's a batting average of .312, which is good if you're Shane Victorino but not so good if you're a fantasy NASCAR site. Time to raise the average.
One from the front: Ryan Newman is ineligible for the People's Pitstop, having used up his nine starts, but he's still eligible for our predictions. This week, he's starting in third place, and he's seeking his third victory at Michigan.
One from the back: Clint Bowyer didn't do himself any favors by qualifying 35th, but he did us a huge favor by giving us someone to pick to come out of the back 10. He's one of several drivers on the bubble as the Chase for the Sprint Cup (NASCAR's version of the playoffs) approaches. He currently sits 11th in driver points, and since he has no wins so far this season, he's going to need to work his way into the top 10 to ensure a playoff berth.
Two from the middle: It's safe to say Kurt Busch didn't have a good time at last week at Watkins Glen, where he finished 38th and dropped two spots in driver points. Fortunately, he should have a better time at Michigan, where he's already won twice and finished eight times in the top 10. He starts 13th.
For those interested in more recent history, you can look to Paul Menard, who starts 11th this week and finished in fourth place at the last Michigan race in June.
Enjoy the race. We'll be back with the results.

Flying High in the Poconos

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

The People's Choice - Pocono

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

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.

As NASCAR Takes a Timeout

New Hampshire is known as the Granite State, so you could say that the People's Pitstop had a solid weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored 282 points during Sunday's Sprint Cup race. The season total is now 5,154. We remain in second place in the always-competitive 9beersfantasysportstavern league on Yahoo Sports, trailing Jeff Gordon Dupont 24 by 93 points. Translation: We are still within range of the lead, but we haven't made up any ground.
Here are the detailed results.
Kevin Harvick: Started 18th, finished 21st and 50 fantasy points. It must be hard to pass drivers when you're wearing handcuffs.
Ryan Newman: Started 1st, finished 1st, 119 laps led and 120 fantasy points. That's the maximum number of points you can get on Yahoo Sports from a single driver. It includes 10 points for winning the pole, 10 for leading a lap, 10 for leading the most laps and 90 for finishing in first place. Newman needed a win to solidify his Chase chances, and he got it. (Incidentally, Newman has only one start left for us this season, so we need to make it count.)
Clint Bowyer: Started 12th, finished 17th, 3 laps led and 68 fantasy points. Last fall's debacle on this track had to be in the back of this team's mind, but they were able to keep Bowyer on the track during a caution and gained him (and us) some bonus points for leading a lap.
Paul Menard: Started 9th, finished 24th and 44 fantasy points. As far down as he is in the points standings, especially after dropping three spots on Sunday, Menard is going to need a win and the equivalent of a Hail Mary to get into the Chase.
But he won't get much of a chance to do anything this week. NASCAR is giving the Sprint Cup folks the week off. The next race will be July 31 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The lineup polls will return this weekend. In the meantime, we have a poll about the still-lingering NFL lockout. There may be a resolution soon, but we are going to take the "Believe it when they sign it" position. Feel free to vote on the poll. Thanks.

The People's Choice - New Hampshire

As we approach the dog days of summer and the end of qualifying for the Chase, the People's Pitstop has reason to be optimistic.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team sits just outside first place heading into Sunday's Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But thanks to you, the Internet, we have a strong team taking the track this week.
A List: Once again, this poll came down to a qualifying showdown between Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. This time, Harvick won the faceoff by qualifying 18th, just one spot in front of Busch, so he will make his first start for us this season.
B List: Four of the usual suspects won the right to qualify from this list: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer and A.J Allmendinger. Bowyer's 12th-place put him ahead of Earnhardt and Allmendinger, but Newman put himself in front of everybody. That's right; he won the freaking pole! And we get 10 bonus points for seeing it coming.
C List: You, the Internet, have decided that David Ragan and Paul Menard will share this starting spot until they run out of chances. This week, it's Menard's turn; he qualified 9th.
We'll be back with the weekly predictions.

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.

Coasting Into the Summer Season

In the end, every week can't be like last week.
The People's Pitstop took its foot off the gas pedal this week at Kansas Speedway. We scored only 223 points. However, like Brad Keselowski, the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team managed to hang on to first place with a season total of 3,683. Our lead in the 9beersfantasysportstaven league has narrowed to 112 points.
Here is the detailed scoring breakdown.
Kyle Busch: Started 3rd, finished 12th, 11 laps led and 81 fantasy points. If it weren't for Mr. Pink Car in a Pink Suit, our day would have been much worse. Busch was the only starter to lead a lap, and he was the only one to end the race on the lead lap.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 26th, finished 27th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 38 fantasy points. Despite a paint job made famous by Richard Petty, Allmendinger didn't look much like the King. And he can't afford many more outings like this; halfway through NASCAR's regular season, Allmendinger sits 16th in driver points, and he get only four more starts for the People's Pitstop.
Mark Martin: Started 18th, finished 21st (1 lap behind the leaders) and 50 fantasy points. Martin has finished outside the top 10 in five of the last six races. Maybe he's the one who needs a new paint job.
Paul Menard: Started 9th, finished 19th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 54 fantasy points. At least his owner didn't humiliate his team by taking a cheap shot at a rival driver...oops, scratch that.
According to Yahoo Sports, the "spring" segment of the NASCAR season is over. The action now moves to the summer segment (and to TNT) with the first of two races at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania, home to Sukanya Roy, this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. We won't ask you to spell words like stromuhr, but we will ask you to pick our lineup. The qualifying session is scheduled for Saturday, so you have until Friday to vote in our polls. Invite a friend to vote, too. The more, the merrier.
We'll be back with a look at how things stand for different drivers.

The People's Choice - Kansas

This post will be brief, but we would like to thank those of you who voted on the People's Pitstop lineup this week. Here are the drivers who will represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team during Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway.
A List: This week, the poll ended with a tie between two drivers who know how to win races: Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. They both know how to qualify too: Busch earned the starting spot (and a 3-point bonus for the People's Pitstop) for qualifying 3rd, while Harvick qualified 10th.
B List: Ties are the order of the day at this blog. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer tied for first place in this poll. A.J. Allmendinger was all alone in third, while Mark Martin edged out a host of drivers for the final roster spot by virtue of points. He also edged his way into a starting spot by qualifying 18th. Allmendinger go the other starting spot by qualifying 26th, just ahead of both Bowyer (27th) and Earnhardt (28th).
C List: We had a three-way tie between Paul Menard and the Regan/Ragan twins. Menard outdid them both in qualifying (9th) and gets the starting nod.
We'll be back with some predictions.

The People's Choice - Dover

The people who bring you this fine Web site spent most of this week dealing with NASCAR's probation officer.

(Photo assist to Jack Cone of 9beersfantasysportstavern fame.)

Fortunately, while we were keeping an eye on his single bullet, you, the Internet, were busy selecting the Sprint Cup drivers who should represent the People's Pitstop during Sunday's race at Dover International Speedway. Here are the drivers who made the cut. (No, not that one.)
A List: Carl Edwards had to settle for second last week, but he comes in first in this poll. He'll take the track along with poll runner-up Jimmie Johnson for a qualifying session that will determine our starter.
B List: Ryan Newman knows how to respond to a feud. He finished in the top 10 last week and won this week's lineup poll. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne tied for second, and Clint Bowyer, the driver who had the most legitimate reason to be ticked off at either Kyle Busch or Kevin Harvick last week, squeaks out fourth place. Two of them will start for the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team.
C List: Regan Smith may have his first win in the Sprint Cup series, but he'll have to wait to say the same about our surveys. Paul Menard dominated the voting, and Smith was lucky come in second.
We'll update this post after Saturday's qualifying session. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend activities, and if you're planning to visit this week's race site, don't forget to check out the Dover Downs sports book, where you can bet on this site's other sport.
UPDATED 4:30 P.M. Mother Nature decided that we didn't need no steeenkin qualifying. The session was rained out, so NASCAR implemented its new rule setting the field according to lap times from the first practice session. That means Johnson earns yet another pole, as well as a starting spot for the People's Pitstop. The three drivers joining him as starters are Earnhardt (3rd), Kahne (4th) and Smith (11th).

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]

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 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]