A Quick NASCAR Update

The People's Pitstop racked up 280 fantasy points during Sunday's Chase race at Texas Motor Speedway. That leaves us with a season total of 8,935, which is good enough for sole possession of fourth place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league.

Before Kyle Busch tries to wreck us, here's the scoring recap.

Tony Stewart: Started 5th, finished 1st, 173 laps led and 110 fantasy points. It's hard to tell which is more amazing -- that this was Stewart's fourth win in this year's Chase, or that he's still trailing Carl Edwards in the driver standings.

Marcos Ambrose: Started 12th, finished 11th and 70 fantasy points. Ambrose got as close as 2nd place, but late tire changes were not enough to keep him in the top 10 at checkered flag.

Brad Keselowski: Started 8th, finished 24th (1 lap behind the leaders), 2 laps led and 54 fantasy points. It's hard to win a Sprint Cup if you can't avoid other cars on pit row.

Regan Smith: Started 10th, finished 23rd (1 lap behind the leaders) and 46 fantasy points. This was Smith's final start for the People's Pitstop this season. In his nine starts for us, he scored an average of 46.6 points and had an average finish of 22.6. His worst performances for us were his first two, at Phoenix in February and at Dover in May. In both cases, he finished 34th and scored 24 points. His best finish was last month at Martinsville, where he finished 13th and scored 66 points. And yes, we missed out on his single win of the season.

That's 34 races down and two to go. Next up is a Sunday afternoon Chase race at Phoenix International Raceway. Qualifying is Saturday, so the lineup polls will stay open through Friday night. Feel free to get your votes in now.

And, since this is Election Day, we at the People's Pigskin/Pitstop want to urge each and every one of you to get to a polling place and cast a ballot. You may not like all the people on the ballot, but this country would be worse off if we left the critical decisions about who represents us to the zealots. Yes, our troops deserve our thanks for defending our way of life, but a democratic form of government is one of the things that makes their sacrifices worthwhile.

Also, if you hear someone say today, "I don't vote. Why bother? What's the point?"...

Hit that person.

Very, very hard.

The People's Choice - Texas

We have reached the last weekend of Daylight Savings Time, one of the few things that last nearly as long as NASCAR season. But before you worry about adjusting your clock, it's time to thank you once again for voting on the polls for the People's Pitstop. Let's see who will be starting for the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team during Sunday's Chase race at Texas Motor Speedway.

A List: The voters were paying attention last week in Martinsville. They gave this poll to Tony Stewart, with Kevin Harvick coming in second. And Stewart must still have something left in the tank. He qualified 5th, or 16 spots in front of Harvick, and will start for us this week.

B List: The votes in this poll were all over the proverbial map. In first place, we had a tie between Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose. But maybe the voters were on to something. Keselowski (8th) and Ambrose (12th) earned starting spots over A.J. Allmendinger (26th) and Jeff Burton (31st). Interestingly, Ambrose will be making his first start of the season for us.

C List: This poll has fallen into a predictable pattern. As expected, Regan Smith won the vote over Bobby Labonte. As we might expect by now, Smith (10th) qualified better than Labonte (32nd). Therefore, as Yahoo Sports rules dictate, Smith will be making his ninth and final start for the People's Pitstop on Sunday.

By the way, if you haven't already, feel free to add your voice to the lineup polls for the People's Pigskin. The Internet's favorite fantasy football team is trying to pull out of a tailspin, and we'll need your help to avenge an earlier loss against the Arcadia Roses. Thanks.

We'll be back with some racing predictions.

This Season's Not Over Yet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We'll be back with the fantasy football results.

The People's Choice - Martinsville

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

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

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

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

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

Treading Water in Carolina

Under the circumstances, things could have gone worse for the People's Pitstop on Saturday night. They could have gone better, too.

The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored only 213 points during the Chase race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Our season total of 8,169 leaves us in fourth place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. We are now just over 100 points away from the current leader, Dale Jr Amp National Guard 88. In other words, it's still anybody's race.

Here's how our team's weekend went.

Carl Edwards: Started 3rd, finished 3rd, 1 lap led and 99 fantasy points. Edwards maintained his spot at the top of the point standings, but he probably lost his spot on Kyle Busch's Christmas card list.

Mark Martin: Started 13th, finished 37th (47 laps behind the leaders) and 18 fantasy points. To the growing list of "phrases you never want associated with your fantasy NASCAR driver," you may add "broken wheel hub."

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 15th, finished 19th (1 lap behind the leaders) and 54 fantasy points. Of course, having your driver's name next to the words "frustrate" and "disappoint" in a NASCAR.com story headline is no picnic, either.

Regan Smith: Started 21st, finished 22nd (2 laps behind the leaders) and 42 fantasy points. Smith might have known he had a better car than the results showed, but someone must have forgotten to tell his car that.

Next up for the NASCAR drivers is the fall race at Talladega Superspeedway. Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, so our lineup polls for the People's Pitstop will close Friday night. Please feel free to get your votes in early. NASCAR has penalties for a lot of things, but voting early in a lineup poll isn't one of them.

We'll be back with the fantasy football results.

The People's Choice - Charlotte

Watching the New York Jets implode under the weight of their own hubris has been fun for the last couple of days. But fortunately, you, the Internet, have been busy making selections for the People's Pitstop. Here are the drivers who will represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team during Saturday night's Chase race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

A List: This week's poll resulted in a tie between Carl Edwards, the current points leader and defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. Thursday evening's qualifying session put Carl Edwards in the 3rd starting spot, six points in front of Johnson and high enough to get the People's Pitstop 3 bonus points.

B List: It's a good thing we have four roster spots for this group of drivers, because we had a four-way tie involving Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and Juan Pablo Montoya. Martin (13th) and Earnhardt (15th) will start, while Keselowski (26th) and Montoya (32nd) will watch the proceedings from the bench.

C List: Another poll, another tie. We're starting to look like John Belushi in the disciplinary hearing scene of "Animal House." This tie was between the new usual suspects, Regan Smith and Bobby Labonte. And if there could have been a tie in qualifying, these two drivers probably would have done that, too. As it turns out, Smith (21st) is one spot in front of Labonte and gets the start.

Remember that the fantasy football polls are still open and will remain open until Saturday night. The People's Pigskin needs all the help it can get in getting its season back on track. Please vote now.

We'll be back with our weekly NASCAR predictions.

A Kansas Comeback

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

The People's Choice - Kansas

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

On to the NASCAR Playoffs

We'll get to the fantasy football results in just a moment. First, now that we've recovered from chasing Wes Welker, it's time to tell you about the People's Pitstop weekend. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored precisely 200 points Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. It wasn't all that impressive, but our season total of 6,954 is just good enough to keep us in first place in the 9beersfantasysportstavern league. Our lead over Dale Jr Amp National Guard 88 is down to 46 points. Obviously, we'll need all the help we can get this week, but more on that later.
Here is how we did on the last week before the Chase for the Sprint Cup, NASCAR's version of the playoffs.
Kyle Busch: Started 13th, finished 6th and 80 fantasy points. All in all, not a bad effort for someone with nothing at stake. Busch had already secured at least a tie for the top spot in the Chase standings.
Clint Bowyer: Started 5th, finished 22nd (1 lap behind the leaders) and 48 fantasy points. Bowyer came into this race having an outside shot at making the Chase. But then he got to close to you know who.
Kasey Kahne: Started 12th, finished 38th (350 laps behind the leaders) and 16 fantasy points. Given the way Kahne's night went, you might be tempted to say he's ready for his season to end. But then you have to consider the fact that his sponsor is pulling out when his season ends.
Regan Smith: Started 23rd, finished 18th and 56 fantasy points. Sometimes, the best you can hope for from your driver is a post-race headline that contains the phrase "avoids wrecks."
Now it's time for the Chase, which begins this year at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. We have a fresh set of polls available for your voting. They will close Friday night, because the qualifying session is scheduled for Saturday. (Please note the "LAST TIME" next to Bowyer's name. He's down to his ninth and final start for us.)
We'll be back as soon as possible with the football results.

The People's Choice - Richmond

There will be no bonus points for the People's Pitstop this week, but we still have a solid lineup. You, the Internet, voted on the NASCAR drivers who should represent us at Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. Your votes, combined with Friday afternoon's qualifying session, have produced these results.
A List: In the last race before the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins, you split your votes even between a driver who's locked into the Chase (Kyle Busch) and one still fighting to get in (Tony Stewart). Busch qualified 13th, or nine spots in front of Stewart, so he will get the start.
B List: The co-winners of this poll were Brad Keselowski and Clint Bowyer, followed by Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bowyer (5th) and Kahne (12th) get the starting nods over Keselowski (19th) and Earnhardt (27th).
C List: Two new favorites have settled into the top spots of this poll. Bobby Labonte got the most votes, while Regan Smith finished second. In qualifying, the order was reversed. Smith will start 23rd, or nine spots in front of Labonte.
We'll be back with predictions for this race. In the meantime, feel free to vote in the fantasy football polls still available on the right side of this page. We want the People's Pigskin lineup to be as strong as possible, and we need your help. Thanks.

Staying on Top in Tennessee

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

The People's Choice - Bristol

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

That Could Have Gone Better...

Of course, it could have gone worse, too. We could be absorbing a 6-point penalty from a failed post-race inspection.
As it stands, the People's Pitstop managed to score only 228 points at Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team managed to stay atop the 9beersfantasysportstavern league with a season total of 3,911, but our lead over SteelerFan4Tony is only 82 points.
Here are the gory details.
Carl Edwards: Started 6th, finished 37th (141 laps behind the leaders) and 18 fantasy points. We all know that Edwards has a television career waiting for him whenever he hangs up his firesuit. But we didn't expect him to log some practice time during Sunday's race.
Juan Pablo Montoya: Started 16th, finished 7th, 38 laps led and 88 fantasy points. Montoya was our only starter to lead a lap on Sunday. He was a contender to win his first oval race in a NASCAR vehicle until a couple of two-tire changes late in the race.
Clint Bowyer: Started 12th, finished 16th and 60 fantasy points. The driver who won the midweek Prelude to the Dream could not maintain his momentum on the Pennsylvania triangle. You know your driver had a mediocre day when his team's press release highlights the number of laps he spent in the top 15.
Regan Smith: Started 5th, finished 15th and 62 fantasy points. The bad news: This year's Darlington winner sits 27th in points and will need better results to get into the top 20 and be eligible for a wild card Chase spot. The better news: The Colorado-based racer doesn't need to win races to get warm coverage from his local paper.
The next stop on NASCAR's summer tour is Michigan International Speedway. The qualifying session is scheduled for Saturday, so we'll keep our lineup polls open until Friday night. You should know the drill by now: You vote for 2 drivers from the A List, 4 from the B List and 2 from the C List. Vote now, and get your friends to do the same. Thanks in advance.

The People's Choice - Pocono

This post is a little bit on the late side, but better late than never. Anyway, you, the Internet, selected another week's lineup for the People's Pitstop, and the qualifying session took care of the rest. Here are the drivers who will represent the Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway.
A List: Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick tied for the top spot in this poll, but they certainly were not that close when it came time to qualify for the race. Edwards will start 6th, while Harvick will start 32nd and will watch from our fantasy bench.
B List: There was a surprise winner in this poll: Brad Keselowski. In second place, we had a three-way tie between Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bowyer (12th) and Montoya (16th) earned starting spots over Keselowski (20th) and Earnhardt (21st).
C List: Let me know if this sounds familiar. The vote produced a dead heat between David Ragan and Regan Smith. And in this qualifying faceoff, Smith (5th) had the edge over Ragan (11th).
We'll be back before the race with the fearless predictions.

Well, That Could Have Been Worse

No one is going to call Sunday a red-letter day for the People's Pitstop, but it least we can walk away from it saying that it was only a flesh wound.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team managed to compile only 216 points during Sunday's lightly attended Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway. Still, our season total of 3,130 is good enough to keep us in first place in the always-hotly-contested 9beersfantasysportstavern group on Yahoo Fantasy Sports.
Since the qualifying session was rained out, no team earned qualifying bonus points. That's one reason this week's total was so low. Here are the other reasons.
Jimmie Johnson: Started 1st, finished 9th, 207 laps led and 94 fantasy points. That total includes 20 bonus points for leading the most laps. However, Johnson and his crew were on the wrong end of a late pit gamble that helped Matt Kenseth get out front and earn the checkered flag.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Started 3rd, finished 12th, 1 lap led and 78 fantasy points. Like Kenseth, Earnhardt took only two tires during the last pit stop. However, he never seemed to get comfortable with the track conditions. For those of you keeping score at home, his winless streak now stands at 103.
Kasey Kahne: Started 4th, finished 36th (69 laps behind the leaders) and 20 fantasy points. A late engine failure earned Kahne a spot in the Sporting News' "Good, Bad and Ugly" report. (Here's a hint: He wasn't on the "good" list.)
Regan Smith: Started 11th, finished 24th (39 laps behind the leaders) and 24 fantasy points. So much for momentum. A broken track bar mount ended Smith's day and his team's chances of getting a second call from the governor. No, not that kind.
Now, the People's Pitstop gets a week off before dealing with the longest race on the NASCAR schedule. That's because NASCAR will be holding its annual All-Star Race this Saturday. And in the spirit of democracy, we've set up a poll for this race.
Many drivers, including Smith, have already earned their spots in the race through various criteria. Two others will race their way in during a pre-race showdown. NASCAR will let the fans pick a driver to add to the race through its Fan Vote. And the people who run this poll will submit a vote for any driver who gets a vote in this poll, which will close Friday night. The winning driver will get an extra vote, so cast your votes now and give your favorite driver something to do this Saturday.

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 - 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.

Getting Better All the Time

If Jeff Gordon can break a 66-race slump, then the People's Pitstop certainly can break a 1-race one, and we did.
The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team scored 282 points during Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Phoenix, sponsored by the folks who think they invented the word "footlong." We rose 2 spots in the 9beersfantasysportstavern group rankings, to 11th place.
Here's how we did it.
Kurt Busch: Started 2nd, finished 8th, 31 laps led and 91 fantasy points, including 5 qualifying bonus points and 10 points for leading a lap. Yes, we would have gotten more if we had started his brother, but we'll take it anyway.
Ryan Newman: Started 14th, finished 5th, 7 laps led and 92 fantasy points. If the early results are any indication, Newman is leaving 2010 in his rear view mirror.
A.J. Allmendinger: Started 15th, finished 9th and 74 fantasy points. All that was missing from his Sunday was a lap led, but you get the feeling that's just a matter of time.
Regan Smith: Started 5th, finished 34th (99 laps behind the leaders) and 24 fantasy points. We all knew the Daytona 500 would have a major wreck, but the one that collected Smith on Sunday had to be a surprise.
This week, NASCAR loads up its haulers and heads to Las Vegas. And we at the People's Pitstop need your help once again in picking the eight drivers that will fill our roster in Sin City. The polls will close Thursday night, so feel free to vote now. And tell a friend.

The People's Choice - Phoenix

Thanks to all of you voted in our polls for the People's Pitstop lineup this week. The Internet's favorite fantasy NASCAR team will take the track with these drivers.
A List: This poll was all about family -- no, not that kind. The two poll winners were Kurt Busch and his brother, Kyle. Kurt qualified 2nd (giving us 5 bonus points), so he'll start over Kyle, who qualified 4th (giving us 1 bonus point).
B List: Four drivers found their way to the top of this poll, so we needed a qualifying session to select the two starters. Ryan Newman (qualified 14th) and A.J. Allmendinger (15th) sent Juan Pablo Montoya (22nd) and Mark Martin (23rd) to the bench.
C List: Michael Waltrip isn't entered in this field (thank goodness), so we needed some newcomers to step forward. Regan Smith had the votes and the lap speed (qualifying 5th) to get into the starting lineup. David Ragan will cool his heels on the bench.
The poll results appear below, and we have a new poll on the new NASCAR scoring system, because anyone who watched last season knows that what NASCAR needed to do more than anything else was change the way it keeps score. <Insert eye roll here.>
Enjoy the race. We'll be back with results.
[polldaddy poll=4612033] [polldaddy poll=4612052] [polldaddy poll=4612071]

Looking Back at Homestead

We almost did it.

The People's Pitstop rose to 102nd in the Fans of From the Marbles league during the last race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team racked up an impressive 294 points during the race at Homestead-Miami Raceway but fell just 2 spots short of the goal of finishing in the top 100 of our league.

We started the weekend with 8 qualifying bonus points. Here's how we finished.

Carl Edwards: Started 2nd, finished 1st, 190 laps led and 115 fantasy points. Now that's the way to finish a season. Edwards will have to get some attention early next season.

Jamie McMurray: Started 3rd, finished 21st and 53 fantasy points. McMurray was another driver who drew rave reviews late in the season, including praise from Darrell Waltrip.

Clint Bowyer: Started 17th, finished 12th and 68 fantasy points. Bowyer probably will spend the off-season wondering what would have happened if his car hadn't failed that inspection early in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Regan Smith: Started 10th, finished 17th and 58 fantasy points. The Sporting News takes a glass-half-full view of Smith: "He showed some strength in the Chase, twice tying a career best with 12th-place finishes."

As for the People's Pitstop, we might not have cracked the top 100, but we demonstrated that fantasy NASCAR is not exclusively for the "gearheads." In fact, you don't have to know a restrictor plate from the blue plate special to have a good time playing this game. So get out there and field a team of your own next season. We certainly will.

In the meantime, we have a fantasy football game to win, this time against the Chicago VinSethBears. There are four polls open, and they will stay open until Thursday morning. Please vote now. We'll be back with the results.