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Chase History: Chicagoland Speedway

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.

September 14, 2011 2:04 pm UTC No Comments

How’s it going, OPR readers? Long time no talk. Turns out life continued to get in my way of writing anything decent for the majority of this Sprint Cup season, but for the final 10 races of the year I’m back with something fresh and different – a little column on the history of the Chase for the Sprint Cup at each of this year’s 10 tracks.

But, of course, NASCAR can’t make anything easy for me, as the opening track on the schedule, the Chicagoland Speedway, has never actually hosted a Chase race. No matter. This week, we’ll start instead with how drivers have propelled themselves into the Chase with good runs at Chicagoland.

2007: After a busted fuel pump at Bristol and a late race caution at Phoenix robbed him of two sure-fire wins, Tony Stewart entered the second half of the Cup season solidly in the Chase, but without any wins to boost his fortunes. But a dominant performance at Chicago spurred on a run of three wins in four races, including his first career Brickyard 400 win. These three victories propelled Stewart to second in points and the third seed of the Chase that season.

2008: In his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch established himself as a tour de force on the Sprint Cup circuit, taking eight victories. Perhaps the most dominant came at Chicago, as he started from the pole, led 165 laps, and even beat leader and two-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson at his own game, passing him on the final restart to take his seventh win of the year.

2009: Mark Martin had struggled with consistency all season, often going from inside the Chase to out of it and back again over the span of just two races. He had won in two of his previous eight starts entering the Chicago race weekend, but only had one other top-10 in that span, and was coming off two finishes of 35th or worse in his previous three races. After winning the LifeLock.com 400, however, he began a run of five finishes of seventh or better in the final seven races before the Chase, cementing his eligibility. His four wins also gave him the points lead.

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Chicagoland Speedway

Tagged with: Chase for the Cup, Chicagoland Speedway, jimmie johnson, Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart

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Fantasy Pick’Em: 2011 Pocono 500

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

June 9, 2011 6:12 pm UTC No Comments

Oh, god, Pocono. 500 miles of it. This weekend’s Sprint Cup race is going to feel like an even longer event than the Coca-Cola 600, and that’s saying something. A big, fast track, plus the scorching summer heat, should make Pocono one of the greatest tests of endurance on this year’s schedule, as it usually is.

More importantly, though, Pocono signals the start of the second half of the Sprint Cup “regular season,” where the top drivers will jostle for Chase positions. A solid performance is more important now than ever, as currently struggling teams look to establish momentum for the Race to the Chase and sneak in by virtue of race wins or even the lower part of the top 10 in points.

So, with that in mind, who looks good this weekend?

Denny Hamlin: Look, I may be feeling some of the heat stroke from Pocono already, but I’m not an idiot. Not only is Hamlin the sport’s best Pocono driver, he also fits that label of “struggling” (well, somewhat; they’ve begun to pick it up recently) and will probably need some race wins to guarantee himself a Chase spot. With all that in mind, there’s no better place for him to do it than Pocono, and probably no better driver to pick for the same reasons.

Tony Stewart: Smoke has always been pretty good at Pocono, but four finishes of third or better in his past five starts at the track may very well cement him as its elite driver as of late. One of those was a win in this same race, from the pole, two years ago. And with Stewart only up 11 points on teammate Ryan Newman for the final Chase spot, he, too, could use some good runs to give him breathing room.

Brian Vickers: Here’s an interesting pick. Vickers will either give you a fantastic finish (twice a runner-up at Pocono, four top five finishes in 12 starts) or a bum-out (four of his past six finishes were 21st or worse, although all four saw him stay on the lead lap). Adding to the drama is the fact that it’s been more than a year since he’s competed at the track, owing to last year’s blood clots keeping him out of the car. Regardless, while Vickers is a high-risk pick, he leaves open the potential for high reward as well.

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, Pocono Raceway, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: Brian Vickers, Denny Hamlin, Fantasy Pick'Em, Pocono 500, Pocono Raceway, Tony Stewart

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2012, I mean, 2011 NASCAR Astro-Predictions

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.

January 25, 2011 11:24 am UTC 2 Comments

2012, I mean 2011 is a very special year, both Numerologically and Astrologically.

Are you curious about how your driver is going to do? Is Jimmie Johnson going to win again? How will Dale Jr. fare? Tony Stewart has already started his year a bit aggressively…Will Smoke be smoking hot in 2012? I mean, 2011? Will Brooklyn’s affect on new Daddy Ryan Newman change the way he drives? What about Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Carl Edwards? Will they continue to drive as phenomenally, now that they have had to choose which series they will earn point in? Will the feuds continue?

I dare YOU to use my prediction’s in your Fantasy Racing.

I dare ME to remember to play.

I dare Charlie to beat me.

I dare Steve to prove he is not an Idiot.

I dare ALL the Stat guys to a challenge of accuracy.

Stats vs. ‘Scope’s.

2011, I mean 2010, brought us some of the most exciting racing in years. Will the changes in NASCAR rules, affect the excitement for the fans, or dampen it? Will it be possible that actually winning races will matter?

We will be taking a look at all the full time NASCAR Driver’s for the first six months of the season tomorrow. I will also be looking at the year and make my predictions as to who may be the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. I have to do it early, so no one can say I cheat. Oops. 2011. So far this year I am losing in the accuracy challenge. By a year. I was spot on last year…

Well, not quite. Only 97%.

It’s tough to be a Goddess. ~ Me.

WTH?

Filed under: Nascaholics, NASCAR, NASCAR Astro-Predictions, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, NASCAR Predictions

Tagged with: Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Charlie Turner, Clance' McClannahan, jimmie johnson, Kyle Busch, NASCAR Astro-Predictions, NASCAR astrology, NASCAR Predictions, ON PIT ROW, One and Done, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Ryan Newman, Steve Wronkowicz, Tony Stewart

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Fantasy Pick’Em: 2010 AAA Texas 500

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

November 4, 2010 4:16 pm UTC No Comments

Tony Stewart practicing at Pocono

The Sprint Cup Series comes down to the final three races of the 2010 season with this weekend’s visit to Texas Motor Speedway. The AAA Texas 500 will mark the final race on a cookie-cutter 1.5-mile tri-oval this year, as the final two races take place at Phoenix and Homestead, respectively.

After everybody with a legitimate title shot managed to survive Talladega, the top three in points are now separated by under 40 points. Jimmie Johnson maintains the lead over second-place Denny Hamlin and third-place Kevin Harvick, but the margins are slim enough that anything can happen. Any of the three could come into the final two races of the year with the points lead.

Of course, they’re, by extension, the best three fantasy bets this weekend. But where’s the fun in that? Let’s make some interesting picks. I’m going to cut down from five to three this week, seeing as I just eliminated the three best available choices anyway.

My personal pick for the weekend is Tony Stewart, who somehow I have managed to avoid thus far during the Chase. Perhaps that’s been a good call – he’s had terrible luck in the Chase ever since the final two laps of the Loudon event. He has little momentum to build off of from the past few races as he lingers in the bottom half of Chase points.

But Smoke’s Texas results tell a decidedly different story. Though his peak years at the track came in 2005 and 2006, as he led double-digit laps in every event and won the fall 2006 race, he showed some muscle this spring by leading 74 laps from the pole before a late race crash eliminated any hopes of victory.

If Smoke’s bad luck is a turn-off, though, don’t forget about Mark Martin, whose 12.8 average Texas finish is fourth best of active drivers. That’s especially remarkable considering that in two of the first three Texas events ever held, Martin finished 34th or worse; however, he did win the other one, the 1998 event.

One of four drivers to run in all 19 Texas events held thus far, Martin has 10 other top-10 runs to back up that 1998 victory. Five of them have come in the past seven Texas events. And while Martin has only led three laps at the track since the spring of 2006, he’s shown the ability to keep the car out of trouble and close enough to the front to score plenty of points.

Finally, if you’re looking for a potential surprise pick, consider Martin Truex Jr. and his solid 13.9 average finish at Texas. Only two times in 10 starts has he failed to finish in the top 15, and in one of those events he led laps before his engine gave out. No, it’s not the most orthodox pick, but with only three races left in the season, who expects anything to play out predictably?

Filed under: One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Texas Motor Speedway

Tagged with: AAA Texas 500, Denny Hamlin, jimmie johnson, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr., One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Texas Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart

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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 UTC No Comments

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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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

October 27, 2010 11:32 pm UTC 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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