Fearless Predictions - Dover

Dover International Raceway has a special place in our hearts here at this blog for reasons we've covered in the past. This week, it gets to host a Chase race, and we're proud to bring you yet another set of predictions for which Sprint Cup drivers will finish in the top 10. Last week's predictions went a dismal 1-3, lowering our season record to 38-66.
One from the front: Carl Edwards is fourth in both driver points and in this week's grid. He won this race in 2007, and, if you're into more recent history, he won the Nationwide Series race on this track Saturday.
One from the back: The fantasy racing gods gave us a gift this week by having Jeff Gordon qualify 34th for this race. Yes, that's 10th from the back, so that makes a driver with four Cup championships, four Dover wins, and three wins this season eligible for this pick. Thank you. The obligatory sacrifice is being prepared.
Two from the middle: Speaking of three-time winners this season, Brad Keselowski qualified 15th. Since he's not starting for the People's Pitstop this week, that makes him eligible for this pick.
And we'll keep the "three win" theme going by heading back to 20th place, where we find Ryan Newman. The Rocket Man has three wins on this track and four top 10 finishes in the last six races of this season.
Be sure to get those last-minute votes for the People's Pigskin lineup in while you can. Those polls will close later tonight. We'll be back with the results.

Fearless Predictions - New Hampshire

Like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, the predictions have been fighting their way back into the realm of respectability. For those of you just joining us, these forecasts tell you which Sprint Cup drivers will finish in the top 10 every week. Last week's predictions went 3-1, lifting our season record to 37-63. Now, let's see how high we can lift that record between now and Homestead.
One from the front: He's ineligible for the People's Pitstop lineup, since he's already started for us nine times, but that doesn't mean we can't benefit somehow from Ryan Newman. He won the last time NASCAR was in New Hampshire, and he starts from the pole for this race.
One from the back: The bottom 10 is the usual driver wasteland, so we'll pick Mike Bliss again. He's starting 40th, but he finished in 25th place last week. That means he's trying to get to the front.
Two from the middle: Many of the drivers we could pick from the middle are already in the People's Pitstop lineup this week. One driver who isn't is Tony Stewart, who starts 20th. He won last week and finished 2nd the last time we were in New Hampshire. If he is a legitimate contender for the Sprint Cup, he'll demonstrate it this week.
For the final pick, we're going to reach deep into the starting order (and the point standings) for Denny Hamlin. He starts 28th, but he can't stay there if he wants to make a run at the Sprint Cup. Fortunately, this is a track that has treated him well. He won at New Hampshire in 2007 and finished in the top five there in the summer.
We'll be back with the results of our fantasy football lineup polls. They are still taking votes for a little bit longer. Get your votes in now.

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.

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.

Now, Where Were We?

The people who bring you this fine blog could be spending their time waiting for the National Football League owners and players to finally get their collective act together and reach an agreement. But that's turning out to be as fruitful and productive as this.
Instead, we can turn our attention back to fantasy NASCAR.
After a (mostly) uneventful week off, the Sprint Cup drivers are getting back into their cars next weekend at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And the People's Pitstop needs your help picking the drivers who will represent us there.
For those of you just joining us, here's a quick rundown of how this little experiment in fantasy democracy works.
Yahoo Sports makes its fantasy players select eight drivers each week. Two must come from the A List, which are the top 10 drivers from last season. Four must come from the B List, which are the next 15 drivers from last season. Two must come from the C List, which is made up of everyone else who gets into a NASCAR vehicle. We select these eight drivers before the qualifying session. After qualifying, we pick one of our A List drivers, two of our B List drivers and one of our C List drivers to start. We get points if a driver qualifies in the top four. We get points if our drivers lead at least one lap during the race, and we get points for how well our drivers finish. The longer our drivers can keep from doing something like this on the track, the better our odds of scoring well.
How do we pick the drivers who will represent us each week? We don't. You do.
You will see three polls on the right side of this Web page. You, the Internet, vote in those polls. We compile the results, and the drivers with the most points get picked for our roster each week (using driver points to serve as a tiebreaker). The drivers on our roster who qualify the best start for us each race.
As you can see, our team's fate is up to you. Our goal is to win the competitive 9beersfantasysportstavern league. The People's Pitstop currently sits in second place. With your help, we can leap back into first. So feel free to start voting now, and tell your friends to do the same. Thanks.
Hopefully, we'll be back with some football news.
P.S. If you look at the second poll, you'll see the words "LAST TIME" after Ryan Newman's name. That's because Yahoo allows us to start a certain driver only nine times over the course of a season. Newman has started eight times for us so far, including last week, which went particularly well. If we start him this week, he's unavailable to us the rest of the season.

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.

Back in the Groove

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

The People's Choice - Kentucky

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

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 - Charlotte

Throw another hot dog on the grill, or anything else you like; we at the People's Pigskin don't judge. It's a Sunday packed with racing, whether your favorite drivers are in Monaco or Indianapolis or Charlotte Motor Speedway. If you chose option C from that list, then you'll be interested in reading our predictions for the Sprint Cup drivers who will finish in the top 10 in the NASCAR marathon, aka the Coca-Cola 600. Our most recent forecasts went a respectable 2-2 at Dover, but our season record is a less-than-respectable 10-26, so don't read them while operating heavy machinery (or taking a test drive with Kyle Busch).
One from the front: Your picks for the People's Pitstop this week left us with a smaller field of eligible drivers. We'll go with Jimmie Johnson, whose long list of career accomplishments includes six victories on this track. And, as longtime readers of this blog know, he starts 6th in this race.
One from the back: Jamie McMurray is starting back in 35th place. That makes this pick supremely easy. Last year, he finished 2nd in the 600 and then won the fall race in Charlotte. This year, the man who grew up in Joplin, Missouri, is representing a community devastated by last week's tornado. If there's anyone motivated to charge to the front, it's McMurray.
Two from the middle: Ryan Newman starts 12th, and we discussed his nine poles on this track in our last post. Now we need to consider a single win by Matt Kenseth, who starts 19th. He won Saturday's Nationwide race. How is that remarkable? It was the first Nationwide race he has entered all season.
Enjoy today's racing, but keep in mind why we call it Memorial Day. We'll be back with results.

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).

Surviving Darlington

It's now Monday, but nerves probably are still frayed from Saturday night's NASCAR race at Darlington Speedway. The good news is that the People's Pitstop emerged from that race in far better shape than Clint Bowyer's car did. The Internet's favorite fantasy racing team scored 292 points this week. That's nowhere near our best performance of the season, but it gives us a season total of 2,914 points, which is good enough to maintain the top spot in the always-competitive 9beersfantasysportsgroup league.
Here are the scoring details.
Carl Edwards: Started 4th, finished 2nd, 57 laps led and 99 fantasy points. Edwards must be developing a taste for silver; this is the third second-place finish this season in a Sprint Cup race. At least he can console himself with his return to first place in Yahoo's Power Rankings.
Ryan Newman: Started 2nd, finished 5th, 28 laps led and 97 fantasy points. Newman had a strong weekend, starting with his domination of the rain-shortened practice session. Of the combatants in last week's grudge match, he definitely emerged in the stronger position. And speaking of that grudge match...
Juan Pablo Montoya: Started 16th, finished 23rd (2 laps behind the leaders) and 46 fantasy points. Instead of trying to figure out one of the toughest tracks on the NASCAR schedule, Montoya spent his Saturday night trying to make new friends, like Jimmie Johnson.
David Ragan: Started 11th, finished 21st (1 lap behind the leaders) and 50 fantasy points. The People's Pitstop benched the eventual winner of this race in favor of a driver whose highlight was literally tearing into Brian Vickers' car.
South Carolina is now in NASCAR's rear view mirror. Up next is the Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway. The new lineup polls are now open, and they will remain open until Friday night. Remember that we need you to select two drivers from the A List, four from the B List and two from the C List to represent the People's Pitstop this week. You're the reason we made it to the top, and you're the only way we can stay there, so feel free to vote now.

The People's Choice - Darlington

Does it feel like this week just fly by? Maybe it's because the People's Pitstop had a short week of voting. But it doesn't matter. You, the Internet, came through again. Thanks to you, we have a roster of Sprint Cup drivers for this week's NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway. Remember that this is a Saturday night race, so that everyone can spend time with their moms on Mother's Day.
Here are the results of this week's lineup polls.
A List. It should come as absolutely no surprise that Kyle Busch, the winner of last week's race in Richmond, also won this week's poll. The runner-up is Carl Edwards, who may not be doing many backflips but does lead in the point standings. As usual, the better qualifier will start.
B List. This race was almost as tight as the one Jimmie Johnson won a few weeks ago at Talladega. We must have drawn all the Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans this week; he won this poll. Clint Bowyer took second place. And we have a three-way tie for third place. In situations like this, we go to the driver points tiebreaker. That means Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya make it into our lineup, while A.J. Allmendinger has to wait until next week.
C List. Two drivers with kind-of-similar names tied for the most votes in this survey. David Ragan and Regan Smith will compete for a starting spot on the Internet's favorite fantasy racing team.
We will update this post when the qualifying session is over. In the meantime, enjoy your Friday, and don't forget to send those flowers to you know who.
UPDATED 10:30 P.M. And make sure you thank your mother for making you so smart. Once again, we leave the qualifying session with bonus points: 5 from Newman, who qualified second, and 1 from Edwards, who qualified fourth. They will be joined in the starting lineup by Ragan (11th) and Montoya (16th).
We'll be back with the predictions.

The People's Choice - Richmond

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