Dakota Kid's NASCAR Pool

Brian Vickers hospitalized with medical condition - ESPN

2010-05-13T15:37:00.000-06:00

Don't pick Vickers this week:

Brian Vickers hospitalized with medical condition - ESPN

Picks so far - Dover

2010-05-13T15:34:00.001-06:00

Week 12

Dover	Picks
Ryan	Matt Kenseth
	Mark Martin
	Juan Pablo Montoya
	117.777
Blonde Dog



Dakota Kid	Carl Edwards
	Greg Biffle
	Ryan Newman
	119.119
Scott



Rob	Matt Kenseth
	Greg Biffle
	Clint Bowyer
	120.021
Regan	Jimmie Johnson
	Mark Martin
	Tony Stewart
	118.125
Zelda



Byron	Denny Hamlin
	Ryan Newman
	Jamie McMurray
	118.558
RaNae



Eric	Matt Kenseth
	Jeff Burton
	Clint Bowyer
	118.66
Tokyo

Who to root for/against - Southern 500

2010-05-08T10:39:00.000-06:00

Week 11

Darlington	Picks
Ryan	Jimmie Johnson
	Jeff Gordon
	Tony Stewart
	122.222
Blonde Dog	Kevin Harvick
	Kurt Busch
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dakota Kid	Jeff Gordon
	Jeff Burton
	Martin Truex Jr.
	123.123
Scott	Paul Menard
	AJ Allmendinger
	Kasey Kahne

Rob	Jimmie Johnson
	Denny Hamlin
	Ryan Newman
	121.121
Regan	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	123.125
Zelda	Kyle Busch
	Jeff Gordon
	Tony Stewart

Byron	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Kasey Kahne
	122.221
RaNae	Paul Menard
	AJ Allmendinger
	Kasey Kahne

Eric	Jimmie Johnson
	Greg Biffle
	Tony Stewart
	122.98
Tokyo	Denny Hamlin
	Kyle Busch
	Joey Logano
	124.444

Picks so far - Lady in Black

2010-05-07T13:56:00.001-06:00

Week 11

Darlington	Picks
Ryan	Jimmie Johnson
	Jeff Gordon
	Tony Stewart
	122.222
Blonde Dog	Kevin Harvick
	Kurt Busch
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dakota Kid	Jeff Gordon
	Jeff Burton
	Martin Truex Jr.
	123.123
Scott



Rob	Jimmie Johnson
	Denny Hamlin
	Ryan Newman
	121.121
Regan	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	123.125
Zelda



Byron	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Kasey Kahne
	122.221
RaNae



Eric	Jimmie Johnson
	Greg Biffle
	Tony Stewart
	122.98
Tokyo	Denny Hamlin
	Kyle Busch
	Joey Logano
	124.444

Picks so far - Lady in Black

2010-05-07T09:52:00.001-06:00

Week 11

Darlington	Picks
Ryan	Jimmie Johnson
	Jeff Gordon
	Tony Stewart
	122.222
Blonde Dog	Kevin Harvick
	Kurt Busch
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dakota Kid	Jeff Gordon
	Jeff Burton
	Martin Truex Jr.
	123.123
Scott



Rob	Jimmie Johnson
	Matt Kenseth
	Ryan Newman
	121.121
Regan	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	123.125
Zelda



Byron	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Kasey Kahne
	122.221
RaNae



Eric	Jimmie Johnson
	Greg Biffle
	Tony Stewart
	122.98
Tokyo

Picks so far - 'Dega

2010-04-22T14:40:00.000-06:00

Talladega	Picks
Ryan	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Kurt Busch
	Tony Stewart
	147.777
Blonde Dog



Dakota Kid	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Jeff Gordon
	Juan Pablo Montoya
	148.148
Scott	Jeff Gordon
	Mark Martin
	Ryan Newman
	152.1
Rob	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Carl Edwards
	150.051
Regan



Zelda



Byron



RaNae	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Matt Kenseth
	Tony Stewart
	148.9
Eric



Tokyo

Race results - Texas

2010-04-22T09:33:00.000-06:00

Another rain delayed race. Another great run by the greatest-driver-of-all-time that ended with no win. Kind of fun to hear the two four-times whining about the lack of respect from each other. And I thought Denny Hamlin had the knee surgery because his season was “over”.

In our pool, Zelda won easily with three top ten picks. Scott was the only other person under 30 points, and he picked Keselowski, so that tells you how bad the rest of us finished. Your pool organizer remains in the overall lead, but several people moved much closer this week.

The next race is ‘Dega. Qualifying is Saturday morning. You can wait till then if you need to, but please send me your picks before Friday night if possible.

Who to root for/against - Texas

2010-04-16T17:08:00.000-06:00

Week 8

Texas	Picks
Ryan	Matt Kenseth
	Greg Biffle
	Mark Martin
	147.777
Blonde Dog	Greg Biffle
	Jeff Gordon
	Juan Pablo Montoya

Dakota Kid	Tony Stewart
	Jeff Burton
	Mark Martin
	146.146
Scott	Kevin Harvick
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Brad Keselowski
	149.2
Rob	Matt Kenseth
	Greg Biffle
	Ryan Newman
	144.441
Regan	Jeff Gordon
	Greg Biffle
	Mark Martin
	144.55
Zelda	Jimmie Johnson
	Kyle Busch
	Mark Martin

Byron	Jimmie Johnson
	Jeff Gordon
	Kasey Kahne
	148.558
RaNae	Jeff Burton
	Clint Bowyer
	Kurt Busch
	148.9
Eric	Carl Edwards
	Jeff Gordon
	Kurt Busch
	139.66
Tokyo	Matt Kenseth
	Greg Biffle
	Kurt Busch
	132.55

Who to root for/against - Phoenix

2010-04-09T18:09:00.000-06:00

Week 7

Phoenix	Picks
Ryan	Jimmie Johnson
	Kurt Busch
	Carl Edwards
	107.777
Blonde Dog	Jimmie Johnson
	Kurt Busch
	Mark Martin

Dakota Kid	Jimmie Johnson
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Kyle Busch
	107.107
Scott	Greg Biffle
	Clint Bowyer
	Kyle Busch
	109.1
Rob	Jeff Burton
	Kurt Busch
	Mark Martin
	107.701
Regan	Jimmie Johnson
	Kevin Harvick
	Carl Edwards
	109.999
Zelda	Jeff Burton
	Kevin Harvick
	Joey Logano
	111.558
Byron	Clint Bowyer
	Kurt Busch
	Martin Truex Jr.
	113.211
RaNae	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Denny Hamlin
	108.7
Eric	Greg Biffle
	Kevin Harvick
	Mark Martin
	108.21
Tokyo	Jimmie Johnson
	Jeff Burton
	Carl Edwards
	110

Who to root for/against - Martinsville

2010-03-26T16:07:00.000-06:00

Week 6

Martinsville	Picks
Ryan	Kevin Harvick
	Tony Stewart
	Mark Martin
	77.777
Blonde Dog	Jimmie Johnson
	Kevin Harvick
	Juan Pablo Montoya
	76.411
Dakota Kid	Jeff Gordon
	Mark Martin
	Juan Pablo Montoya
	74.74
Scott	Jeff Gordon
	Mark Martin
	Denny Hamlin
	76.1
Rob	Jimmie Johnson
	Tony Stewart
	Denny Hamlin
	77.777
Regan	Kyle Busch
	Tony Stewart
	Mark Martin
	75.25
Zelda	Jeff Gordon
	Matt Kenseth
	Kasey Kahne
	75.221
Byron	Jimmie Johnson
	Tony Stewart
	Mark Martin
	77.312
RaNae	Jimmie Johnson
	Tony Stewart
	Carl Edwards
	74.9
Eric	Jimmie Johnson
	Tony Stewart
	Denny Hamlin
	91.5
Tokyo	Jeff Gordon
	Mark Martin
	Ryan Newman

Bristol results

2010-03-23T12:34:00.001-06:00

Week 5

Bristol	Picks
Ryan	Jeff Gordon
	Denny Hamlin
	Kyle Busch
	93.333
Blonde Dog	Kurt Busch
	Denny Hamlin
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dakota Kid	Kurt Busch
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Kyle Busch
	90.90
Scott	Clint Bowyer
	Jimmie Johnson
	Kyle Busch
	91.2
Rob	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Kyle Busch
	90.09
Regan	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Denny Hamlin
	91.156
Zelda	Mark Martin
	Kurt Busch
	Kyle Busch
	93.258
Byron	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Kasey Kahne
	94.358
RaNae	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Denny Hamlin
	91.21
Eric	Mark Martin
	Kevin Harvick
	Kyle Busch
	104.56
Tokyo	Clint Bowyer
	Denny Hamlin
	Kyle Busch
	95.555

Dale Earnhardt Jr: "bleep bleep Bristol bleep bleep Nascar"

2010-03-22T16:21:00.002-06:00

Dale Earnhardt Jr. scorches the Bristol airwaves on his radio - From the Marbles - NASCAR Blog - Yahoo! Sports

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Who to root for/against - Bristol

2010-03-19T15:27:00.000-06:00

Week 5

Bristol	Picks
Ryan	Jeff Gordon
	Denny Hamlin
	Kyle Busch
	93.333
Blonde Dog	Kurt Busch
	Denny Hamlin
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dakota Kid	Kurt Busch
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Kyle Busch
	90.90
Scott	Clint Bowyer
	Jimmie Johnson
	Kyle Busch
	91.2
Rob	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Kyle Busch
	90.09
Regan	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Denny Hamlin
	91.156
Zelda	Mark Martin
	Kurt Busch
	Kyle Busch
	93.258
Byron	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Kasey Kahne
	94.358
RaNae	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Denny Hamlin
	91.21
Eric	Mark Martin
	Kevin Harvick
	Kyle Busch
	104.56
Tokyo	Clint Bowyer
	Denny Hamlin
	Kyle Busch
	95.555

Picks so far - Bristol

2010-03-19T09:28:00.001-06:00

Week 5

Bristol	Picks
Ryan	Jeff Gordon
	Denny Hamlin
	Kyle Busch
	93.333
Blonde Dog	Kurt Busch
	Denny Hamlin
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dakota Kid	Kurt Busch
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Kyle Busch
	90.90
Scott	Clint Bowyer
	Jimmie Johnson
	Kyle Busch
	91.2
Rob	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Kyle Busch
	90.09
Regan	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Denny Hamlin
	91.156
Zelda	Mark Martin
	Kurt Busch
	Kyle Busch
	93.258
Byron	Kurt Busch
	Jeff Burton
	Kasey Kahne
	94.358
RaNae	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Denny Hamlin
	91.21
Eric	Mark Martin
	Kevin Harvick
	Kyle Busch
	104.56
Tokyo

Bristol Driver Intro Songs Revealed - SB Nation

2010-03-18T10:07:00.000-06:00

Bristol Driver Intro Songs Revealed - SB Nation

Race results - Atlanta

2010-03-11T10:20:00.001-07:00

The Blue Deuce made it two spring races in a row at Atlanta. Pretty good racing for the most part, but I think I’m going to tire of the three attempts at a green/white/checker finish. Cousin Carl lost his head, but I suppose Keselowski had it coming. NASCAR told these guys to police themselves this year, so I guess this is what’s its going to look like.

In our pool, it was a pretty bad week for everyone. Tokyo was the only one to have all his picks finish in the top twenty. But that wasn’t enough to win as RaNae picked the Blue Deuce and used the bonus points to win the money this week. Ryan moved into first place overall with RaNae just a few points back.

Sprint Cup is taking this weekend off, so no need to get picks to me this week. The next race is Bristol on March 21. So get your picks to me before qualifying next Friday.

Payback crash tests NASCAR's new tolerance - USATODAY.com

2010-03-09T10:12:00.001-07:00

Payback crash tests NASCAR's new tolerance - USATODAY.com

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AP source: Edwards won't be suspended - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

2010-03-09T09:35:00.003-07:00

AP source: Edwards won't be suspended - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

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Who to root for/against - Atlanta

2010-03-05T20:29:00.001-07:00

Week 4

Atlanta	Picks
Ryan	Kevin Harvick
	Carl Edwards
	Kurt Busch
	137.777
Blonde Dog	Clint Bowyer
	Mark Martin
	Jeff Gordon

Dakota Kid	Matt Kenseth
	Mark Martin
	Denny Hamlin
	135.135
Scott	Kevin Harvick
	Mark Martin
	Jeff Gordon
	127.123
Rob	Mark Martin
	Joey Logano
	Denny Hamlin
	137.731
Regan	Tony Stewart
	Clint Bowyer
	Jeff Gordon
	136.75
Zelda	Jimmie Johnson
	Greg Biffle
	Denny Hamlin

Byron	Kevin Harvick
	Mark Martin
	Jeff Gordon
	138.225
RaNae	Tony Stewart
	Clint Bowyer
	Kurt Busch
	128.6
Eric	Clint Bowyer
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Jeff Gordon
	139.65
Tokyo	Tony Stewart
	Kasey Kahne
	Jeff Gordon
	139.8

Deadline for Atlanta picks is...

2010-03-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

...Friday at 4:00 pm MST.

Race Results - Richmond

2008-05-06T10:37:00.001-06:00

Better watch out Kyle, you start messing with Junior nation, you could be in big trouble. Denny Hamlin led 381 laps of a 410 lap race and didn’t finish on the lead lap. What a dominating performance, but sitting on the track with a flat tire wasn’t looked at too kindly by NASCAR, they parked him for 2 laps. Mikey Waltrip got parked for the entire race, what was he thinking? I loved his brother on the TV saying “they must be hooked together or something”. Yeah, if ‘or something’ means your hot head, no talent brother is pissed and has his foot smashed to the floorboard trying to run over the 5 for cutting you off.

In our pool, Cody got his first weekly win by not picking Hamlin or Kenseth, a couple of popular picks. Not only did he win, but he moved into second place overall, just 50 points behind Regan who had his first bad week of the year. Not only did Cody win, he set the record for the most money won in a week thanks to Rob picking Kurt Busch two weeks in a row.

The next race is another Saturday night affair, this time at Darlington. The lady in black. The track too tough to tame. The track with too many nicknames. Qualifying is Friday night, you know the drill.

Bristol results

2008-03-19T16:46:00.001-06:00

It wasn’t easy, but between wrecks, steering gear box failures and fuel pickup problems, Toyota was kept out of Victory Lane this week. All three of the Gibbs cars took turns looking like the best of the day, but it was RCR who finished 1,2,3. Hendrick cars are still struggling this year. You know it’s bad when Junior is the best driver in your stable…just kidding. Gordon was never a factor, and Jimmie was up there most of the race, but faded like a bad tattoo late in the race.

In our pool, several people had good weeks. Brad had the best week and took home the money. Blond Dog, Jayson, Ryan, Cody and Byron all did well. And Byron did it with Kasey Kahne on his roster, that’s almost worth some bonus points. Regan had a solid week and is farther ahead of his closest competitor than he was last week. We had some unusual picks this week. Bobby Labonte was used for the second week in a row. That’s a record for this pool, and it didn’t turn out too good for Craig. And Scott went with the sentimental pick of DJ in his last points race (we’ll see if he stays retired or goes Mark Martin on us) and that didn’t turn out too good.

The next race is in Martinsville, on March 30th. You all get an Easter break, just like the Cup drivers. That’s right, your next picks are not due until Friday the 28th. Enjoy this Sunday afternoon with your wife, there’ll be no NASCAR to distract you.

Who to root for/against - Bristol

2008-03-14T13:41:00.000-06:00

16 looks strong this year

2008-03-12T12:56:00.001-06:00

Greg Biffle has been the fastest car a lot this season.

Toyota wins a up race

2008-03-12T11:21:00.000-06:00

For the first time in a long time, a foreign car maker won a cup race.

Race results - Atlanta

2008-03-11T16:53:00.001-06:00

Picks so far - Atlanta

2008-03-06T11:56:00.001-07:00

The Carl loses 100 points...

2008-03-06T11:39:00.002-07:00

...but keeps the win (sort of). The 100 points was expected, seems like the default penalty for messing with the TCWTW. The twist was the 10 point penalty "if" The Carl makes the chase. That's about as close as you can get to taking away a victory.

Wow, Robby got a break

2008-03-06T11:34:00.002-07:00

Robby Gordon actually won his appeal for the wrong nose at Daytona. It seemed like he was getting a raw deal , but I didn't expect them to completely wipe out the points penalty. This is big for Robby, it puts him back in the top 35, which will be very important in a couple of races.

Oil tank reservoir cover

2008-03-05T11:22:00.004-07:00

Here's a great explanation of the oil tank reservoir cover that The Carl is sure to be penalized for not having on his car at Vegas.

If you're interested in more, here's a pretty good description of the TCWTW and the forces that cars are subjected to.

Phoenix testing speeds

2008-03-04T09:23:00.001-07:00

You can find the results of Phoenix testing here. Phoenix and Atlanta are completely different tracks, but you may want to remember these for the two Phoenix races later this year.

12th place

2008-03-03T17:05:00.003-07:00

Kurt Busch and Brian Vickers are tied for 12th. Busch has the tiebreaker, so Busch is IN the top twelve, and Vickers is OUT. The widget to the left is wrong.

Race results - Vegas

2008-03-03T16:57:00.002-07:00

We had some high scores this week, the “favorites” hurt a lot of us. Stewart and Gordon crashing out hurt some of us, Johnson’s horrible day hurt quite a few people. Kyle Busch seemed like the car to beat for quite a while, before he dropped off. It was strange to see so many typically good cars getting lapped just because they couldn’t get the handle. Edwards had a strong car, and it seemed like Biffle was probably the fastest, but made a couple mistakes that cost him track position. Ford looked strong.

Three people, Scott, Bob and Rob picked the winner. But Bob and Rob also had Gordon, and since Kenseth couldn’t stay out of Gordon’s way, that took them out. Brad had a good week, but no winner’s bonus means Scott get’s his first weekly win of the year. Regan keeps his overall lead in the pool, but Rob and Ryan are right there.

The next race is in Atlanta. This will be the first time at this track for the car with the wing (TCWTW, I’m going to try to get a trademark on that). Hendrick and Roush cars have been good here, we’ll see if the wing changes that.

The top twelve order will probably change later this week when The Carl gets some points taken away for running without an oil tank cover, but I don’t think anybody will move in or out. So go ahead and make your picks early if you want. Or keep your eyes on the Phoenix testing and see if that changes your mind at all.

Feeling iffy about your picks....

2008-02-29T12:55:00.002-07:00

....here's some notes from the COT test at LVMS.

Picks so far - Vegas

2008-02-29T08:30:00.001-07:00

Who to root for/against - Cali

2008-02-22T20:59:00.001-07:00

Robby Gordon drops out of the top twelve

2008-02-21T13:51:00.003-07:00

Not that anybody picked either of these drivers, but the top twelve has changed. Robby Gordon was penalized 100 points for his Dodge bumper in the 500. So he's out, Vickers is in.

How Junior ended up with Amp/Pepsi

2008-02-20T10:37:00.002-07:00

Here's a pretty good article about went on behind the scenes when Pepsi signed Junior. Their plan is to use Junior to turn Amp into the "working man's" Red Bull. Energy drinks are a $6.5 BILLION market?

California picks so far

2008-02-20T10:26:00.006-07:00

It's Wednesday already, and qualifying is on Friday. I'll try to keep the latest picks updated here.

Week 1 Results

2008-02-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

Looks like not much has changed since last year. Regan started off the year with weekly win. I thought he might be in trouble when Harvick started complaining about engine problems on lap 5, but he held on to get a good finish. Hendrick cars looked like they had the best shot of keeping that foreign manufacturer out of the winner's circle for most of the race. But mechanical failures and bonehead moves took all four of them out of contention. Where did Dodge come from? Nobody was talking about Dodges leading up to the 500, and I guess we all bought in, we didn't have a single Dodge picked in our pool this week.

Kudos to Blond Dog for almost nailing the average race speed. The average speed was 152.672mph, Blond Dog missed it by 0.372. Ryan and Byron were also right there within 0.6mph.

Next race is in California. It's a fast track, and drafting may play a small role with the new cars. Rousch and Hendrick have been successful there, will Toyota be a factor?

California qualifying is about 6:30 Eastern on Friday. So get your picks to be before then.

Who will 'Dega fans throw beer at when the 8 and 24 are teamates?

2007-05-09T09:14:00.000-06:00

The efforts to sign #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. to a NASCAR driving contract for 2008 and beyond has reached a critical point, and the top two teams on Earnhardt’s list are the Chevrolet teams owned by Richard Childress and Rick Hendrick, according to men familiar with the negotiations. Earnhardt today is leaning toward a deal with Hendrick [NOTE: where would Earnhardt go? HMS has four Cup teams and all three drivers signed for a couple more years, unless some sort of deal with Haas CNC Racing or Ginn Racing would be worked out], largely because of Hendrick’s very strong engine program, sources here said yesterday. Earnhardt and veteran crew chief Tony Eury Jr., his cousin and close confidante as well as the man who has led him to many of his 17 Cup victories, have talked with both the Hendrick and Childress camps in recent weeks about the positives and negatives each team owner would have to offer, sources said yesterday. And Eury will have a major voice in the decision, because Earnhardt’s primary goal now, at age 32, is to win a championship.

Impound races

2007-05-04T10:16:00.000-06:00

A couple people have asked me about impound races. Here's the scoop: the Crown Royal Presents The Jim Stewart 400 at Richmond International Raceway will be the 2nd impound race of 2007, there are five impound races in 2007, both Talladega races, both Richmond races and Daytona in July.

Jayski has more info here: impound races

I missed this...

2007-05-03T17:07:00.000-06:00

....NASCAR announced Wednesday that Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Chevrolet and Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 26 Ford, have been fined $25,000 each and placed on probation until Oct. 3, 2007 for being involved in an altercation with each other's cars during this past Sunday's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

The altercation occurred during the final caution period that came on the white-flag lap.

Did anybody see this "altercation"?

Richmond picks so far

2007-05-03T17:05:00.000-06:00

'dega picks

2007-04-26T14:30:00.000-06:00

What NASCAR says to Smoke

2007-04-26T14:21:00.000-06:00

NASCAR called Tony Stewart's comments "very, very disappointing." "NASCAR has been running races since 1948, and we place the safety of the drivers at the top of the list," said spokesman Jim Hunter. "We have more people and more resources than ever officiating our races. The safety of the drivers is our first priority. It has always been that way and will continue to be that way. There are thousands of talented race drivers out there who would consider it an honor to compete in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series."

Smoke whines like a ....

2007-04-26T14:20:00.000-06:00

.... Hendrick driver

Tony Stewart accused NASCAR of "playing God" by using caution flags to orchestrate closer racing. During his Tony Stewart Live program Tuesday night on Sirius Satellite Radio, Stewart lambasted officials for throwing four yellow flags for debris during Saturday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Stewart didn't feel any of the caution periods were warranted, implying NASCAR intentionally was trying to bunch up the field by slowing the pace of the racing. "To me it's not all about the money, it's about the integrity of the sport, and when I feel our own sanctioning body isn't taking care of that, it's hard to support them and feel proud about being a driver in the Nextel Cup Series when they're throwing debris cautions," he said. "It's like playing God. They can almost dictate the race instead of the drivers doing it. It's happened too many times this year. You get so frustrated ... But enough of it's gone on that fans are writing in and talking about it. At what point does NASCAR get the hint? I guess NASCAR thinks, 'hey wrestling worked, and it was for the most part staged, so I guess it's going to work in racing, too.' "

COT height tolerance change

2007-03-30T09:26:00.001-06:00

NASCAR will give teams a half-inch tolerance instead of a quarter-inch on the minimum height requirement of the rear of the car during post-race inspection at car of tomorrow [COT] races, Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby told reporters Thursday. #16-Greg Biffle was outside the quarter-inch tolerance after a fifth-place finish at Bristol, but NASCAR won't penalize him because of the lack of benefit to the car to be that low. Darby also said that although it was procedural measurement with the car of tomorrow, it was never specified in the rulebook. He says NASCAR will continue to explore the minimum height of the rear of the car before making a steadfast rule. Darby also said that the minimum right-side weight was changed from 1,650 pounds to 1,700 pounds. As far as the problems some teams had with broken exhaust pipes, Darby said he expected that to be fixed. "The teams have been very weight conscious through this process," Darby said. "Most of the exhaust pipe failures that we saw were pipes that were constructed out of material that was much thinner than the pipes on yesterday's car were. It should be an easy fix for the teams.

Martinsville track history

2007-03-30T09:17:00.001-06:00

Martinsville Speedway was built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles and is the only charter-member track that remains on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule.

Red Byron won the first "Strictly Stock" event on the half-mile dirt track on September 7, 1947 and went on to win the first NASCAR championship in 1949. Six years later, the track was paved and Martinsville Speedway has since hosted at least two 500-mile races each year ever since.

Nestled in the Virginia Piedmont on Route 220, approximately 50 miles south of Roanoake, Va. and 50 miles north of Greensboro, N.C., Martinsville Speedway still maintains a small-track ambiance due in part to Clay Campbell, the third generation of the Earles family to manage the facility. Campbell continues his grandfather's fan friendly philosophy that includes an allotment of affordable bleacher seats that go on sale the day of the race.

Picks so far - Martinsville

2007-03-28T16:52:00.000-06:00

Drivers that must qualify on speed at Martinsville

2007-03-28T16:43:00.000-06:00

36) #4-Burton/Morgan-McClure Motorsports 331, 34 pts behind 35th
37) #22-Blaney/Bill Davis Racing 325, -40
38) #83-Vickers/Team Red Bull 322, -43
39) #44-Jarrett/Michael Waltrip Racing 320 [has 2 champ provisionals left to use], -45
40) #21-Schrader-Wood/ Wood Brothers 320, -45
41) #49-Bliss/BAM Racing 287, -78
42) #15-Menard/DEI 281, -84
43) #10-Riggs/Evernham 265, -100
44) #55-Waltrip/Michael Waltrip Racing

This is a partial list and very unofficial.

The Biff gets no penalty

2007-03-28T16:42:00.001-06:00

NASCAR will not penalize Greg Biffle's #16 team, despite the fact his Ford was found to be too low in post-race inspection at Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR vice president for competition Robin Pemberton said Wednesday. NASCAR has scheduled a news conference for Friday morning at Martinsville Speedway to explain their reasoning in detail. NASCAR took the #16 car back to its research and development center Sunday night after the Food City 500 and gave it a thorough inspection Monday. Officials determined that no unapproved adjustments had been made to the car, so NASCAR cleared the machine and returned it to Roush-Fenway Racing on Monday afternoon. The 2007 season began with a new, less tolerant approach toward rules violators, prompting many to suspect that Biffle and his team would receive a stiff penalty following the Bristol mishap. But NASCAR officials said the Car of Tomorrow is a work in progress, and that they anticipated the cars would lose some height during the race at Bristol. Officials ran eight cars through the height sticks during post-race inspection, and Biffle's was the only one that came back too low. Before making any permanent changes, NASCAR said it will likely make some rules adjustments in the future that benefit everyone.

Drivers trying to qualify on speed at Atlanta

2007-03-16T09:42:00.000-06:00

#4-Ward Burton (2/38)
#13-Joe Nemechck (3/20)
#14-Sterling Marlin (3/30)
#15-Paul Menard (3/37)
#33-Scott Wimmer (0/none)
#34-Kevin Lepage (3/52)
#36-Jeremy Mayfield (3/48)
#37-John Andretti (3/46)
#44-Dale Jarrett [Past Champ 1999](3/32)
#49-Mike Bliss (3/47)
#55-Michael Waltrip (3/56)
#70-Johnny Sauter (3/24)
#78-Kenny Wallace (3/43)
#83-Brian Vickers [won in 2006](3/41)
#84-A.J. Allmendinger (3/50)

Picks so far - Atlanta

2007-03-16T09:17:00.001-06:00

Tire notes from Atlanta

2007-03-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials

Number of Tires: Left-side -- 1,700; Right-side -- 1,700

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4066; Right-side -- D-4080

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.4 in.; Right-side -- 88.6 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 50 psi; Right Rear -- 47 psi
Minimum Recommended Inflation
: Left Front -- 22 psi; Left Rear -- 20 psi;
Right Front -- 48 psi; Right Rear -- 45 psi

Estimated Pit Window: Every 48-52 laps, based on fuel mileage.

Notes: This is the first time Goodyear has brought this specific combination of left- and right-side tires to the track . . . while the left-side code will be the same for teams in all three NASCAR series at Atlanta, Nextel Cup teams will be running a different right-side code (D-4080) to account for their smaller fuel cell . . . this is the only track at which these codes will be used in 2007 . . . the important factors in designing a tire setup for Atlanta are the high speeds and loads, as well as the relatively rough track surface . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Atlanta . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

Vegas Baby! - picks so far

2007-03-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Blond Dog sets new record

2007-03-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

For the first time in the Dakota Kid's NASCAR pool history, someone picked the top three finishers. Blond Dog picked JPM, Hamlin and Said; who finished this weekend's Busch race 1, 2, 3. That's a record that can be tied, but can never be broken.

Who to root for/against - Mexico

2007-03-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Mexico Entry List

2007-02-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

updated at 4:20pm

Looking for a reason to pick Junior at Vegas?

2007-02-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

When Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't finish the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway on Sunday, it was the 4th time in his career that he had two straight races with DNF's [did not finish]. At Texas in 2000 after two straight DNF's Earnhardt won; At Phoenix in 2004, he won; At Indy in 2006 he finished 6th; and at Las Vegas in 2007.....? (from espn)

If you've got SPEED channel....

2007-02-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

....check out "car of tomorrow" testing at Bristol.

SPEED will air a pair of 30-minute specials from the NASCAR "Car of Tomorrow" test sessions from Bristol on February 28 and March 1 at 7:00pm/et. "NASCAR is expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 cars to participate ... with some teams bringing more than one car," said Frank Wilson, SPEED VP of Production. "This is a huge test that will set the table for the rest of the NASCAR race season ... how teams handle this car will go a long way toward determining the 2007 Nextel Cup championship."

Reutimann's hard hit

2007-02-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

It looked bad on TV, and it must have been a hard hit for NASCAR to comment on it.

Official Auto Club pool results

2007-02-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Auto Club qualifying

2007-02-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

The greatest driver of all time wins the pole.

Auto Club 500 starting lineup.

Who to root for/against - Auto Club 500

2007-02-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

NASCAR TV coverage this weekend

2007-02-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a listing of the NASCAR TV coverage this weekend. Remember, in California, it's better to look good than to feel good.

Daytona 500 Results

2007-02-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Ryan	Tony Stewart	43	106
	Kyle Busch	24
	Jimmie Johnson	39

Brad	Tony Stewart	43	110
	Jimmie Johnson	39
	Denny Hamlin	28

Blonde Dog	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	32	81
	Tony Stewart	43
	Elliott Sadler	6

Jayson	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	32	98
	Tony Stewart	43
	Carl Edwards	23

Dakota Kid	Jeff Gordon	10	92
	Jimmie Johnson	39
	Tony Stewart	43

Scott	Jeff Gordon	10	58
	Greg Biffle	25
	Carl Edwards	23

Stormy	Jeff Burton	3	76
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	32
	Kurt Busch	41

Rob	Tony Stewart	43	83
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	32
	David Gilliland	8

Regan	Tony Stewart	43	92
	Jimmie Johnson	39
	Jeff Gordon	10

Craig B.	Tony Stewart	43	83
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	32
	David Gilliland	8

Steve	Jeff Gordon	10	59
	Casey Mears	20
	Martin Truex Jr.	29

Bret	Kurt Busch	41	112
	Denny Hamlin	28
	Tony Stewart	43

Cody	Kurt Busch	41	81
	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	32
	David Gilliland	8

Zelda	Tony Stewart	43	75
	Jeff Burton	3
	Martin Truex Jr.	29