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NASCAR Astro-Predictions ~ The Chase

by Clance' McClannahan, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 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.

September 15, 2010 10:04 pm UTC 3 Comments

The Chase has begun, and as always, there is an element of anticipation in the week to week scrutiny of what the outcome of each race will be. Assumptions, guesstimates, hunches, deductions, statistics, and theory all play into the excitement of which driver is going to take The 2010 Sprint Cup Championship. My way of predicting happens to be the Astrological Aspects going on in each driver’s Progressed Horoscope, based on the Natal, or birth chart of where, what day, year and what time they were born. Astrology is just another way of statistical projection.

A progressed chart is one that you look at from a specific date, to another specific date in the future. Aspects are complex, some long term, some shorter, some for only a few minutes. Some aspects increase the intensity of another aspect, and some mute or mellow another. The phase of the Moon and which sign it is currently passing through affect’s not only the driver’, but the overall race. When the Moon is called Void of Course, that means it is passing from one sign into another, yet not quite in either. When a race is run during that time, ( which can last from minutes to hours)…Throw everything out the window, because anything goes.

What I want to take a look at in this post is the long term projections from Loudon through Homestead. As we go from week to week, not only will I be looking at driver aspects, I will be looking at the layover and combination of their crew chief’s aspects as well. I also, when something is significantly opposite, or the same between two or more driver’s look at the layovers of their charts to compare what may or may not happen. The latitude and longitude of each course is also taken into consideration. There is your short little lesson in Astrology.

I am going to start out with a short over view of the dates I see issues with, with each driver, during the run for The Chase. This week I will be posting the ‘scope’s a tad off schedule. I will be posting the pertinent aspects each week on Tuesdays for each driver and course.

Let’s start with our points leader, Denny Hamlin.

Denny has a lot going on with Jupiter at this time in his life. Jupiter represents wisdom. It is a planet of freedom, tolerance and plenty. Jupiter is said to bring great good fortune, and its influence is to expand the effect of everything it comes into contact with. From this planet all good things come and it is seen as avuncular, jolly, moderate and kind. Denny has both positive and negative influences going on with Jupiter.

I see two different transits happening at the same time that may be an issue for Denny. Saturn is in direct opposition to Denny’s Moon from Sept. 13, until Sept. 29th. This is one of the most emotionally trying influences.

From Sept. 14th until Sept. 30th, Saturn is conjunct Saturn in Denny’s Chart. This is an influence that only happens to everyone once every 29 years, and generally starts at age 29-30. It is always a time of endings and new beginnings. This aspect is one of the the most influential and important times in life.

It’s something is going to shift for Denny, whether it’s a huge jump or drop in point standing’s, this is when it’s going to happen. Loudon and Dover may very well be, Denny’s make or break.

Jimmie Johnson is 2nd in points, but I am saving JJ for last. You will see why.

Kevin Harvick has Jupiter square Mars as a major influence since May and continues until early January. It’s main significance is insight and skill. June 2010 until beginning of February 2011, Jupiter is trine Kevin’s Saturn, signifying clarity of intention and patience, single purpose of goals. At the end of Oct., around Martinsville and Talledega, Kevin’s Saturn transitions into some not so positive conjunctions of confinement. The aspects of influence continue through the end of The Chase. Restricted by circumstances or other “Officials” could impose heavy burdens that greatly restrict his freedom of movement. These transits sometimes precede some incident or accident which affect self or other’s, and thereby restrict’s one’s freedom of choice at that time. It is a time Kevin needs to be very, very careful not to raise the wrath of NASCAR.

Kyle Busch…What can I say? I am not going to bother to go into the what’s and why’s. All I am going to say, is “Sorry, Buddy, your ‘scope SUCKS.” It’s not going to be Kybu’s year. I have no doubt it will be someday, but 2010? Not gonna happen.

Kurt Busch’s ‘scope is near perfect until mid Nov., right around Phoenix and Homestead. The only reason I say near perfect is because I do see some challenges with the exact same Saturnian aspect’s during that time as Kevin Harvick does earlier in The Chase. Again, Kurt too, needs to be very careful of accidents, penalties and fines. If he can avoid them, Kurt may well earn another Championship this year.

Tony Stewart has the same aspect going on from Sept 18 until Oct. 4th, as does Denny Hamlin, Saturn opposition Moon. It will be a very difficult time emotionally for Smoke. Loudon, Dover and Kansas will be the challenging races for Tony. Unlike Denny, Tony’s Natal chart gives him a life long ability to overcome tremendous odds. Don’t count him out of contention until you see what happens after Kansas.

Greg Biffle may very well be the dark horse who flies from the backstretch to win the Chase. All of the Biff’s aspect’s are long term and positive, except for one Major Moon opposition. This opposition affects his self perception. If Greg can believe he can win the Chase, he will. If not…It will be a constant internal struggle that could be overwhelming. His crew is going to make all the difference in the world should this happen. He can do it. The alignment is there.

Jeff Gordon is in his last year of a seven year transit of Uranus through his ‘scope. Uranus symbolizes destruction, and then re-evolution. Most of Jeff’s aspects are all aspects of ruthlessness, as he prepares to re-emerge as the Champion he is, possibly in 2011. He will have to keep a tight reign on his desire for it to happen this year, or he could find himself placing 12th.

Carl Edwards also has major life change aspects surrounding him. This is Carl’s time, to learn to keep his ego in check. The major aspect I see in Carl’s ‘scope, that I see may affect him the most during The Chase, is the same Saturnian conjunction that is in Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch’s ‘scopes. Beware of penalties, fines and accidents. Unfortunately for Carl, this transit has been with him all year and doesn’t end until 2011. Sept. of 2011 to be exact.

Jeff Burton Astrologically, and unfortunately, is standing in the same line as Kyle Busch. I hate to say that…and I hope I am wrong. I hope I am missing this by a mile. We always have the week to week small aspects and overlays that can change the scenery a bit.

Matt Kenseth has a ‘scope which is pretty positive, except for one aspect. Matt’s Saturn is in opposition to Mercury from Sept. 24th until Oct. 10th. Again, we are seeing issues surrounding the Dover and Kentucky races, plus Fontana for Kenseth. Although this will not be an especially easy time for Matt, is does not have to be a negative matter. The one aspect of this influence is rigidity of thought. If Matt and crew can stay flexible through this time and not become disheartened or discouraged, they can hang in there. If not, consider Kenseth out of the running by Charlotte.

Clint Boyer has a ‘scope that indicates a lot of learning, and further training. His Saturn is trine his Sun from Oct. 1st, until Oct. 17th. Kansas, Fontana, and Charlotte may well be excellent races for Clint. By Homestead however, Clint will have the same Saturniun conjunction as Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards. If he can get through Phoenix and Homestead without incurring any penalties and fines, he may very well find himself in contention for The Championship.

Now what you have all been waiting for: Jimmie Johnson.

Double J’s ‘scope is perfect, as is Chad Knaus’s, once more. ( All the long term aspect’s that JJ and Chad have had for years, comes to an end in 2011. ) The only difference I see for The 2010 Chase, is that JJ has some serious competition this year.

I mean serious.

I think 2010 is going to be the best Chase for the Championship yet.

Filed under: NASCAR, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, NASCAR Predictions, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing

Tagged with: NASCAR, NASCAR Astro-Predictions, NASCAR astrology, NASCAR expert picks, NASCAR Fantasy picks, NASCAR fantasy racing, NASCAR picks, NASCAR Predictions, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, The Church of The Great Oval

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Brickyard Fantasy Racing Live Chat: Thursday at 7 PM ET

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

July 22, 2009 4:02 pm UTC No Comments

It’s Eric McClung’s turn to host an hour or so of NASCAR fantasy racing talk “LIVE” at 7 PM ET Thursday night. You can sign up to be reminded below. Let Eric help you set your teams for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard this Sunday! Click here to go to the Bench Racers Live page, where it all happens every Thursday.

Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Live blogs, NASCAR, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming

Tagged with: Brickyard 400, Fantasy live chat, NASCAR Fantasy picks

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One and Done: Daytona 500

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 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.

February 13, 2009 7:50 pm UTC 1 Comment

Hey folks, as the new fantasy racing editor here at On Pit Row, I’ve decided to completely overhaul my weekly column for the site. The “Quick Hits” column that ran last year most likely won’t show up at all this year; this new column, geared towards participants in our One and Done game here, is its replacement. (I have kept the five-bullet-point list, however; see below for how it’s been modified to work in the new column.)

If you haven’t registered for One and Done yet, hurry up! Click “Fantasy Racing” at the top of the page and sign up. If you have, then this column should be weekly required reading for you. I’ll be going through every race this year, offering suggestions on which drivers you may want to select on any given weekend.

For those of you who don’t know the rules of One and Done, they’re pretty simple: each week, you pick one driver out of the whole Sprint Cup Series. However many points he accumulates is however many points you accumulate. The kicker? You can’t pick that driver again – hence the title “One and Done.” Simple, right?

Anyways, let’s cut to the chase for this weekend’s event – NASCAR’s marquee race, the Daytona 500. Since we haven’t run any races yet, every driver is open to every player. Although it’s tempting to save all the projected Chase drivers until the end of the season, I suggest that you go big at Daytona. Why not? Get your season off to a good start. Pick a driver who’s got the best chance at scoring 195 points.

Without further ado, here are the five drivers you should strongly consider selecting this weekend:

5. Regan Smith, starting 42nd: For two reasons: first of all, Jeremy Mayfield isn’t on the list, and second of all, because some folks may want to pick an underdog. We know that underdogs can perform well at Daytona (see Lepage, Kevin), leading to a sponsorship windfall. We know that Smith can win on a superspeedway (AHEM!). But most importantly, we know that Smith has never failed to finish a Sprint Cup race, nor has he had a DNF in any major NASCAR series since November 9, 2007, in a Truck race at Phoenix. And we all know that finishing at Daytona is half the battle (see Shelmerdine, Kirk).

4. Jamie McMurray, starting 21st: He was strong in the Bud Shootout, and he’ll be running the same car in the 500. If not for that last lap pass by Kevin Harvick, McMurray would have won it. Although his career stats at Daytona don’t say much (average finish 25.8, 5 DNFs), it’s the present that decides races, not the past, and the present looks bright for Jamie Mac.

3. Kyle Busch, starting 4th: Hate Rowdy all you want, but he’s good. He, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano have all been working on setups together this weekend to try and bring the Harley J. Earl Trophy to Joe Gibbs Racing. Don’t be surprised if multiple Gibbs cars are together at the end of the race, or if this one pulls the win off.

2. Jeff Gordon, starting 3rd: Gordon’s hungry for his first points win since October 2007. He finally got to bring daughter Ella to Victory Lane on Thursday and is undoubtedly anxious to do it again. And let’s be honest: not only is he strong at Daytona (32 starts, 6 wins, 17 top-10s), he’s gotta be anxious to make up for finishing 39th in this race last year.

1. Mark Martin, starting 2nd: Dick Berggren has commented on how confident Martin looks this weekend, and for good reason. Even though Rowdy blocked him off in their Duel, Martin could do whatever he wanted with his car on the track. He easily passed Brian Vickers in a drag race to the finish as the cars exited turn 4, and that ability to out-accelerate other cars in the tri-oval is huge. We could theoretically see a repeat of 2007, but with Martin on the other end of the battle.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Filed under: Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, NASCAR, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Regan Smith

Tagged with: Dick Berggren, Duel150, Duels at Daytona, Fantasy racing, NASCAR Fantasy picks, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing

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Could Juan Pablo Montoya Win the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard?

by Charlie Turner

July 27, 2008 11:34 am UTC 2 Comments

Get this. Juan Pablo Montoya has an average start, mid-race position and finish of second at the Brickyard. At least he does in his lone NASCAR race there. Of course he’s won the Indy 500, in a former, open-wheeled life. So maybe we should give his single season NASCAR stats more credit they would seem to deserve.

Indy should be a good track for Montoya. Besides his history of success there, the track is flat and fast, traits that play into JPM’s fantastic car control. He could win this race, if the car and the team are up to it. And that, I doubt.

Tony Stewart, 2007′s Indy winner has the best Loop Stats for Indy. The Loop Data cover the last three Allstate 400s, only. Smoke has the top Driver Rating at 121.4 and has led 109 laps and has a stat best 76 Fastest Laps. But going back, beyond the three Loop stat years, Tony has two wins and four top fives, six top tens and a pole. His average finish is 7.6. He drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, which fields, maybe the best cars in Cup this year. He looks like a favorite.

Friday at Indy, Stewart-Haas Racing showed off the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet that Stewart himself will drive in 2009. Tony was excited. He also talked about all the things that the team has yet to do in preparation for Daytona in February. As good as he is, I just think that the distractions of his new venture cancel many of his apparent pluses for any race this year. I can’t pick Stewart to win.

The list of drivers I like at Indy is short. There is, I think, a reason that all but two of the winners of this race have been NASCAR Cup Series champs at some point in their careers. It takes a special driver to win the Brickyard. You don’t get the big, three wide packs of the plate tracks – and no “big one” wrecks that thin the field of quality contenders. You sometimes get flukey seeming winners at Daytona and Talladega. Not at Indy. Long green flag runs also separate the quality.

Kevin Harvick is one of only two Brickyard winners to have never been a Cup champ. His Ave Finish is 7.7. He’s run 432 Loop laps in the top fifteen – 90% and a stat best. Three top fives and five top tens go with a second best Ave Running Position of 8.1. Happy is the third best Driver Rated at 108.7. Harvick could win again.

Matt Kenseth could win his first. The #17 team has been coming on of late. Matt has the fourth best DR of 102.9 He’s good at Indy, with four top fives and five top tens. He runs up front as his Ave Running Position of 8.5 and 404 Laps in the top fifteen show.

Mark Martin has been telling anyone with a pen or microphone that he WILL win this weekend at the Brickyard. And he has a history at the track that shows he could pull it off. He suffers from the same weakness as Montoya though. Can his team measure up? If it can, Mark’s five top fives, nine top tens and fifth best Driver Rating of 102.9 says he has the stuff.

Beyond the Loop top five, the Hendrick threesome of Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr are contenders. So are 2008′s strongmen, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards. Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton and Brian Vickers could do it too.

But Matt Kenseth is my choice. He’s paid the dues and has the pedigree, to join the exclusive company of Brickyard 400 winners. If you have to go outside of the establishment, take Carl Edwards.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler – ON PIT ROW

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Clint Boyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Hendrick Motorsports, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: blog, Brickyard, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Fantasy racing, Indy, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, motorsports, NASCAR, NASCAR Fantasy picks, Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart

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Who is NASCAR’s Monster of the Midway?

by Charlie Turner

July 12, 2008 7:22 am UTC 1 Comment

NASCAR’s Loop data for Chicagoland Speedway pulls stats from only the three most recent races run at the midwest ~~cookie cutter~~, er, intermediate track. There have been seven races held at the facility.

Twelve drivers have Loop Driver Ratings above 90.00. Seven have ratings of 102.3 or higher. Those are big numbers.

Matt Kenseth leads with 126.2 and an average of 462 points gained per race. Matt has category leading stats of 146 Fastest Lap, an amazing 792 Laps in the Top Fifteen (98.5% of all laps in three races) an Ave Position of 3.9 and 289 Laps Led – 35.9% of the total. Kenseth is looking good to continue his recent resurgence.

Second best is Kevin Harvick at 114.6 DR. Kevin is a two time winner at Chicagoland Speedway but leads only in the Quality Passes Loop stat with 75.0.

Another two time winner, new Sprint Cup team owner, Tony Stewart, is next at 112.2. Can Smoke keep focused on the current year as he plans for 2009 and Stewart-Haas Racing’s debut? This is where Stewart started his 2007 summer hot streak. Why not again?

The next four in the Loop are Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Only Earnhardt has won at Chicagoland.. Brian Vickers has an Ave Start of 3.5 and Kyle Busch an Ave Mid Race Position of 3.0. Jimmy Johnson is, well, Jimmy Johnson.

This has not been a particularly good track for 2008 stallwarts of Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne or Clint Bowyer. But Jeff Gordon has a win on the track and a twelfth best Loop Rating.

I would pick Stewart if not for the all the distractions of the week. I’m looking at Kenseth to win for the first time in 2008. The upset special is, if you can ever call him an upset, Jeff Gordon.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, Chicagoland Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmy Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: blog, Chicagoland Speeddway, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, Kyle Busch, motorsports, NASCAR, NASCAR fantasy game, NASCAR Fantasy picks, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart

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Loose in Turn 3 must Die!

by Charlie Turner

July 4, 2008 4:27 pm UTC 1 Comment

Does life ever get in the way of YOUR pastimes? Sometimes life gets in the way of mine. This blog is mostly a blast for me to write in. This week it has been a monster. Hence the title of this post – a reference to the old horror movies I grew up loving. Maybe next week’s version of the Loose in Turn 3 experiment will be attack of the two-headed Turn 3. Until then, check out my part in this serial, right here.

What will become of Dale Earnhardt Inc?

Charlie: If Martin Truex Jr and Mark Martin both leave the team – and their sponsors go too - DEI looks like a buy-out candidate to me. How about this scenario? Dale Junior wants to take his Nationwide Series team where the money is – Sprint Cup. Tony Stewart wants to own at least a share of a Chevy team. DEI has top thirty five owner’s on the #8 and the #1. Junior and Smoke partner up and buy Theresa Earnhardt out, with Tony driving one car, someone else – maybe Brad Kesolowski - in the other. Junior stays with Hendrick Motorsports, as his daddy did with RCR. There are holes in the argument, I know. But it would be one hell of a story.

Bruce: If Truex and Martin leave, DEI becomes a museum. Otherwise, I can’t punch too many holes your idea Charlie. Actually, I wouldn’t want to. Maybe once Tony and Jr. take DEI over, they can move the 8 back to Jr. in HMS. LOL.

TZ: The notion of Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. co-owning DEI is a pipe-dream at best. Stewart will wind up in an ownership role once he’s done driving … Jr. will bring JR Motorsports to the Cup level within the next couple of years … and, DEI will continue to press forward in its same crummy state for the next few years before either someone else in the family that’s not named Dale takes over, or they just fold altogether.

That’s what we think. What do you think?

Check out Bruce’s NASCAR Bits for this slippage in the third turn…

Do you think Kurt Busch giving up his points to Sam Hornish hurt the team overall?

And TZ at Do You Nascar has this…

With the recent folding of Chip Ganassi’s #40 operation due to lack of sponsorship, is this a trend that we can continue to expect in NASCAR with other teams that have struggled with sponsorship…. teams like Yates Racing?

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Inc., JR Motorsports, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR Rumors, Robert Yates Racing, Sam Hornish Jr, Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart, Turn 2 posts