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NASCAR Astro-Prediction’s for Talladega

by Clance' McClannahan, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2011 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Clance' McClannahan, famous author behind The Church of The Great Oval and also one of the much appreciated Contributing Authors at Thunder Lounge.

October 31, 2010 12:07 pm CDT No Comments

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Happy Halloween!

Today’s pertinent aspect’s for the Chase contenders stunned me a tad.

Mars is the dominant aspect transiting every plant and moon in every one of the driver’s chart’s, not just the contenders.

Mars being named after the Roman and Greek God of War, doesn’t surprise me that he showing his face at “Dega. HE always does. However, normally, there are usually a few other transits and planets that show up in the daily chart.

Not today.

Literally, the Chase contenders ’scope’s are nearly identical, with the excpetion of Kurt Busch, who has a dangerous Mar’s fury happening. Tony Stewart is showing extreme assertiveness and drive, but there is a small window of the possibility of an accident /and or mechanical issues.

Carl Edwards has one Jupiter conjunction with Mars for about 20 minutes during the race and, **shudders** the theme of it would be:“Out of the air”… So does Clint Boyer. ( So do I for that manner, now I will be a wreck on the freeway. and tick my daughter off. I have my own brake and horn on the passenger side of her car, you know? )

Kyle Busch? Sorry buddy your scope still sucks today, as it has every race in the Chase.

Jeff Gordon has Mars in Opposition to his Moon. This means frustration, and out of control anger. Denny Hamlin also has the same aspect, as does Clint Boyer. All three have big wreck “squares” looking at them in the face throughout the day.

All the driver’s I did not mention are strictly the same. They want to win and they are going to do whatever thy can to do it. Will we have a big one? I believe so.

If I was forced to pick whose ’scope was really the best, it would be very hard. I am looking at Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and Tony Stewart.

But only if I was forced.

The thing is, it really doesn’t matter what I say, because the Moon is Void of Course, which means throw anything and everything out the window. It’s a wobblin’.

Anything, and I mean ANYTHING can happen,

or NOT.

BOO!

(Sing to the tune of the Mexican Cock Roach song)

Tal-la-la-Dega!

Filed under: Clance' McClannahan, NASCAR, NASCAR Astro-Predictions

Tagged with: jimmie johnson, NASCAR Astro-Predictions, NASCAR fights, NASCAR picks, Talladega, Tony Stewart

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Looks Like a Chevy vs Toyota Showdown at Talladega

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

October 30, 2010 7:57 pm CDT No Comments

Juan Pablo Montoya took his second career pole at Talladega Super Speedway and along with Clint Bowyer, gave Chevy the front row and six of the top eight spots on the grid.

Earlier, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch topped 201 MPH (lap average speed) in practice, while drafting together - which they just may do some on Sunday in the race.

The AMP Energy Juice 500 shapes up to be Fast and Fabulous, as are most races at the big track. Despite a nice qualifying showing by the Penske Racing Dodges of Kurt Busch (3rd) Sam Hornish Jr and Brad Keselowski (10th and 11th), the Racing for Glory this week shapes up to be between the Bow-tie camp and the Rice Burners.

With lots of three and four wide action, there will be plenty of the old Rubbing’s Racing talk during and after this one. And there is bound to be a big wreck or two. Maybe the Fords can shake their problems and the Dodges are for real. It is Halloween after all. Strange things do happen.

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Chase for the Cup, Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon, Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Kyle Petty, Mark Martin, NASCAR, Sam Hornish Jr, Sprint Cup Series, Talladega Superspeedway, jimmie johnson

Tagged with: Amp Energy Juice 500, Chevy racing, Dodge, Ford Racing, restrictor plates, Toyota Motorsports

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Roush-Fenway Drivers Feeling Good Vibrations? Not

by Charlie Turner

October 30, 2010 7:27 pm CDT 1 Comment

Abandon ship! Abandon ship!

That is, or maybe should be, the line of thought - theme of advice - you get from the NASCAR prognosticators, when it comes to the Roush-Fenway Racing drivers heading into Talladega.

The Roushketeers’ cars have vibrations. And there ARE no Good Vibrations in a Cup Car at a Plate Track.

Paint it however you want, but after two practices at Talladega, the following was the most positive comment that I read from a Roush driver (Greg Biffle) (thanks to SceneDaily.com) …

“Depending on the vibration, it blurs your vision a little bit because your head is vibrating against the headrest, or you’ve got to hold your head off the headrest,” he said. “You forget about it after they throw the green flag.”

Uh, no you don’t. You try to ignore it after the green flag. Then you kind of wait for the worst. No confidence - no win.

Bad Vibrations.

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, NASCAR, NASCAR Tech, Roush Racing, Talladega Superspeedway

Tagged with: restrictor plates, Roush-Fenway Racing

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Fantasy Pick’Em: 2010 Amp Energy Juice 500

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2011 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I do weekly Fantasy Pick'Em columns here at OPR, as well as the occasional opinion and analysis piece. I also provide the IZOD IndyCar Series coverage. For more on that, head to my site, OpenWheelAmerica.com. My Twitter handle is @christopherlion.

October 27, 2010 11:32 pm CDT No Comments

Kurt Busch heading out to practice at Indianapolis

Talladega Superspeedway hosts the Amp Energy Juice 500, the seventh race of this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. Three drivers – Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch – enter the race within a weekend’s points haul of leader Jimmie Johnson, with Hamlin the closest at six markers back.

Talladega is widely understood to be the most unpredictable track in the Chase, with its restrictor-plate-engineered pack racing perpetuating the threat of a 20-car accident at any corner. Any driver can encounter bad luck at Talladega. Most have. The points leader coming out of this weekend will not necessarily be the guy to win the race, it will be the guy who survives the big one – if it happens.

With that in mind, recognize that the following picks are a crapshoot.

As far as the luckiest driver at Talladega goes, it’s Kurt Busch, with only three DNFs in 19 career Talladega starts. His resultant 12.8 average finish is the sport’s best. From the end of 2004 through 2007, he had a seven-race streak at the track of single-digit finishes, though he has never actually won at the track.

Looking at a dark horse, Jamie McMurray is your best bet. This race’s defending winner, he’s doubled his career win total this year alone, as the Earnhardt Ganassi team re-establishes itself as a weekly contender. McMurray’s won half of his career races at Daytona and Talladega, the sport’s two biggest tracks and the only two to require the use of restrictor plates.

Three more for the sake of three more:

Hey, remember that time Dale Earnhardt Jr. won four Talladega races in a row? He’s still a track favorite, even if that streak ended in 2003. He’s led in his past nine Talladega starts and in 19 out of 21 career races run, which has to count for something, even as lead changes seem to become more frequent every time Sprint Cup comes to the speedway.

Tony Stewart’s only Talladega win came at this race in 2008, but it was not without controversy. Most fans believed that, despite passing Stewart below the yellow line on the final lap, Regan Smith deserved the win for passing cleanly and not wrecking his competitor. Regardless, it finally validated a solid Talladega record that includes a half-dozen runner-up finishes.

Finally, let’s look out in left field for our final pick, since it more often than not seems like at least somebody in the top ten at Talladega gets there on sheer luck. Scott Speed was that lucky gentleman in the spring of 2009, placing fifth in his debut at the track. He’s only got three starts at the track, one of which ended in a wreck, but the other result, a 15th place run this spring, wasn’t too bad either. I mean, Talladega’s a crapshoot anyway; you could really do worse than to tape a bunch of driver headshots to a dartboard and pick whomever you hit. (Not that I recommend doing that. Not that I did that for this week’s column, either… I swear.)

Filed under: One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Talladega Superspeedway

Tagged with: Amp Energy Juice 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Scott Speed, Talladega Superspeedway, Tony Stewart

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Martinsville NASCAR Shark Fin Soup

by Charlie Turner

October 25, 2010 10:12 pm CDT No Comments

NASCAR held a 4-way shootout with five races to go. When the smoke cleared, three Sprint Cup contenders stay standing. And they are closer than I thought they’d be.

Denny Hamlin did what he had to do. He was the favorite to win at venerable Martinsville. Hamlin won the pole and almost immediately went backwards from the race start. But the Joe Gibbs Racing #11 team kept their composure and clawed back to the front, actually driving away from his two chief tormentors at the end. Pressure performance.

Hamlin yelled “Who said it was over? I told you it wasn’t over!” after the race. And indeed it - The Chase to the Sprint Cup - is not over.

But there are no more short tracks, no more races in Virginia, in 2010. It gets tougher.

Kevin Harvick and the RCR #29, with pinch hit pit crew in place, didn’t get the win, but did finish third and two spots ahead of the points leader, Jimmie Johnson. Harvick gained points on Johnson and had his best career finish on a track where he has been weak before. Clutch. Very clutch.

The biggest loser was probably Jeff Gordon. Gordon looked strong early, on a track where we expected strength, but he faded to finish 20th and probably killed his 2010 drive for a fifth Cup title.

Johnson remains in front, but the lead is single digits over Hamlin, and Harvick is only 68 points back, with the wildcard at Talladega next up.

Harvick was the spring ‘Dega winner and is a top plate track racer.

It’s down to three with four to go. Like it.

Photo credit: Round girl Jen by BethAnne Heisler for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Joe Gibbs Racing, Kevin Harvick, Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR, Richard Childress Racing, jimmie johnson

Tagged with: rcr, Round girl Jen, the paperclip

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NASCAR Astro-Predictions for Martinville

by Clance' McClannahan, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2011 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Clance' McClannahan, famous author behind The Church of The Great Oval and also one of the much appreciated Contributing Authors at Thunder Lounge.

October 24, 2010 12:54 pm CDT 1 Comment

I looked at the scope’s for Martinsville the other day, and thought “No, that can’t be right”. I have been pretty grumpy this Full Moon, so I thought I will look in a day or so and do a more in-depth work up on them when I am in a better space. I did, looked deeper, no change.

The pertinent scope’s today do not belong to the Chase Contender’s, except for four. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart both have nearly identical ’scope’s during the race. Both have Venus Square Mars, which brings , good feelings, assertiveness, aggression when needed, and focus. They both enter their 10th Houses, The House of Fame today. BUT…they both have some pretty rough aspects, most of which are strictly mental, so we may or may not see or hear those struggles.

Jimmie Johnson’s scope is pretty rough. However Chad Knaus’s aspect’s are perfect as usual. I expect to see Chad’s magic today, along with a lot of frustration from Jimmie.

Kurt Busch’s scope basically says “Get ‘Er DONE!” What else can I say? There is two tiny aspect’s that are negative that last for a few minute each, that could be issues, however, other than that I look for a pretty good finish if not a win for Kurt.

Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin both show impatience, temper and aggression. This could come out ok for them if they can keep focus. If not, I see them losing some points.

The last of the four really pertinent scope’s I see is Clint Boyer. Again there are a few small moments that could indicate a crash…but I look for a good day for Clint if that doesn’t happen.

Biffle’s ’scope is fair can’t say he is going to have the day he wants. But I was totally wrong last time with him and he won, so I am going to shush…:)

I am really not sure how to read Matt Kenseth’s scope, because every aspect he has has to do with Love, as in the bunny and seal type. Not the sexually aggressiveness that can come from some Mars aspect’s. Just Venus…Venus everywhere. Hearts and Cupids.

KyBu doesn’t look great except for a very aggressive Mars square with Jupiter. Jeff Burton has a mediocre scope which I am learning means he mat have a top ten. **Or not.

Kevin Harvick entered a very strong transit, Sun in the 8th House this morning. This is the House of Money. $$$. It is in effect until the end of Nov, along with some other very good transits coming up in the next few weeks.

The Driver’s who show serious sign of winning are non- Chase contenders. Jamie MacMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kasey Kahne all have great ’scope’s. I am going to post a progressive outlook on Kasey Kahne this week. You will see a lot of synchronicity. I look forward to what’s coming up for him in 2011.

**Now the most important aspect of all, is mine. My scope is crazy right now…so I “Officially” will let you know, that I have no idea what I am talking about where anything is concerned, for the next few weeks. You may not want to pay any attention at all.:)

Cheers!

Filed under: NASCAR, NASCAR Predictions

Tagged with: Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR Astro-Predictions, NASCAR Chase for the Championship, NASCAR picks, NASCAR Predictions

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