Points, Intro, and Congratulatory Remarks

First off, life couldn't be much better for the guys on top of our overall points standings. Two weeks ago at Darlington, Carl won Darlington and took the overall AND segment points lead while his favorite driver won the race. He then went on to win the All-Star race this week! He's definitely got some momentum on his side as we go into the Coca~Cola 600.

For Brent, he did lose the points lead, but his favorite driver, Dale Jr, won a race in the All-Star opener, may have established himself as a favorite for the 600, and Brent got to shave that squirrels nest off his head.

Defending Winner: montecarlo 3831

Here is how our Overall and Segment 2 points standings are shaking out as we head into the Coca~Cola 600 at Charlotte!!!

Overall:

1) carlm54stl 1170 Leader
2) JuniorCar 1157 -13
3) montecarlo3831 1133 -37
4) bblackstone 92 1122 -48
5) Cowboy6622 1119 -51
6) SupplySgt 1089 -81
7) lougreen03 1076 -94
8) zJerry 1074 -96
9) Leprechaun93 1063 -107
10) 02 Earnhardt 1048 -122
11) RocknSS04 1027 -143
12) butch049 1011 -159
13) 03JGMonte 994 -176
14) 77GP 991 -179
15) silverfish 938 -232
16) 01 Monte SS 908 -262
17) SuperSportSteve 823 -347
18) STUMPMI 815 -355
19) adgm2005 570 -600
20) 06 Mistre SS 428
21) Teacher 306
22) yutzybrian 211
23) Ricks 2006 100
24) Racebound2 83
25) Possum 77
26) 04chevyboy 76
27) Emily666 61
28) SSMeansSuperSexy 60
29) mousehouse 54


Segment 2 Points

1) carlm54stl 220 Leader
2) Leprechuan 212 -8
3) Cowboy6622 209 -11
4) bblackstone 201 -19
5) silverfish33 199 -21
6) montecarlo3831 196 -24
7) JuniorCar 191 -29
8) lougreen03 190 -30
9) SupplySgt 185 -35
10) 02 Earnhardt 182 -38
11) STUMPMI 166 -54
12) zjerry 162 -58
13) 77GP 140 -80
14) SupersportSteve 138 -82
15) 03JGMonte 109 -121
16) RocknSS04 105 -115
17) Ricks 2006 SS 100 -120
18) adgm2005 98 -122
19) 01 Monte SS 68
20) butch049 66
21) SSmeansSuperSexy 60
22) 06 Mistre SS 45


The Segment points are very tight and will probably shake up a lot as we go through Charlotte!


Charlotte History

Most of these pictures are from the National 500. the first time all the major stars of the sport squared off with the Torino Talladega vs. the Dodge Daytona was in Charlotte. The Torinos won because the extra downforce on the Dodges was more than the Good Year tire could handle. Good YEar tires were crap even back then.

One picture, the black and white one going into Turn 1, is from 1968 World 600, which was a rain shortened event. The rest of them are from Fall 1969 or 1970.









The Dodge Daytona never won a race at Charlotte... but they certainly tried. The older, non-aerodynamic 1968 Chargers whooped the '68 Torinos in '68 though.



This Weeks Race

It's a tough one to pick. We have to figure out who has the equipment that can last 600 miles! We have to figure out who is good at Charlotte right now, and right now, those Hendrick cars look STRONG! Several cars had their moments. We all just have to wonder how indicative that race was of how the Coca~Cola 600 will go this upcoming Sunday night!!!

Also, watch practice, but think about it closely too. This is a transition race, meaning it will start in the day and end at night. All the practice sessions, to my knowledge, are at day. I'm all but willing to guarantee you that the cars that pace practice will not be in the hunt for a win unless they have a plan to adjust that car as the night goes on. Watch practice and listen to the commentators and listen to the drivers when they get out of their cars.....


And keep in mind too taht we are in a season where long green runs are the norm, and at a race that is known for long green runs during the middle of it trying to log the 600 miles that make up this race. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw another 200 lap green flag run in the middle of this race at all. Qualifying is going to be important. Not making mistakes on pit road during green flag runs will be of the utmost importance. Keeping that focus for probably well over 4 hours in a race car is going to be essential.

And by the way....

Charlotte Motor Speedway has Bojangles concession stands. Just saying.






CHEVROLET TEAMS

Hendrick Motorsports

They're back with avengance. They are lightning fast at Charlotte this weekend!! Kahne was fast, Johnson was REALLY fast, and even DALE EARNHARDT JR WAS FAST!!!! Jeff Gordon is just too plagued with bad luck right now to bother picking I think. But I will definitely have 1 and possibily 2 Hendrick cars on my team this week.

Stewart-Haas racing

Here is the problem for all you Stewart fans. Stewart has never been a consistent driver. Not even sorry to tell you that. Stewart either wins the race, or runs like crap in the teens somewhere. He won the championship by winning races, not by being consistent. That makes him and his teammate, Ryan Newman, really tough to gauge.

Richard Childress RAcing

Kevin Harvick snuck his way to 6th place in this race. Kind of like how he snuck his way into a win last year in this race. However, Charlotte is not a good Kevin Harvick and RCR kind of race. I'd say Harvick will be a good top 10 car and driver, but I wouldn't look for him to repeat his win. That team just doesn't have the mojo they had last year.

FORD TEAMS

Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway racing is strange at Charlotte. While Edwards ran great last year in the fall race (the 500), he was good in the 600 until the sun went down, and then he won the All-Star race. Usually, he runs like crap at Charlotte though. Biffle is just hot this year and may every well dominate the race, he is good at Charlotte.

But the best Roush-Fenway driver at Charlotte is by far, Matt Kenseth. He has won here a few times, runs great here even on his off years. And that guy is two points away from being the points leader. Kenseth is going to get hungry and go for the points lead this weekend.

Petty Motorsports

Ambrose seems to figure out these dog leg style tracks like Charlotte, Texas, and Atlanta. He may very well sneak out of this Coca~Cola 600 with a top 10. Almirola has been running okay in the teens this year.

TOYOTA TEAMS

Micheal Waltrip Racing

I still think this is the lead Toyota team this year. Clint Bowyer is alright at Charlotte... not excellent, but alright, and he has been running better every where he goes this year with Waltrip than he did with Childress. (except maybe Talladega). Martin Truex is also running awesome this year.

Joe Gibbs Racing

In the All-Star race, this team just didn't see mto have the tires figured out to be strong on long runs. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin were both fast for like 5 laps and then they wetn to crap.

Plus, watch the way Kyle Busch drivers race cars. He drives into the corner harder than anyone. That's 800 times he has to charge into turns 1 and 3 without screwing up. I don't trust him to do it.

Hamlin is someone I'm watching for the 600 though.

DODGE TEAMS

Yeah, welll, I could put up a bold faced term about how this is Penske racing, but we know that. Those Dodge programs have struggled on 1.5 mile programs this year. Even though they ran well i nthe All-Star, I'd want to see how they fare in practice nad qualifying before I ventured out to pick them. But, they do seem to have those fuel pick up issues resolved for once.



My Picks

I'm not comfortable making any just yet. I want to check over some statistics and maybe watch a couple of practice sessions and see who I think has that swagger and who has that setup that is going to come to life when the sun goes down.



Good luck, and enjoy the longest race of the year.

 

Here's my picks..

1) Jimmie Johnson
2) Dale Earnhardt Jr
3) Jeff Gordon

 

My locked pics for this week.

Dale Earnhardt JR
Jimmy Johnson
Kenseth

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE !

 

Gordon
Johnson
Keselowski

 

1. Almendinger
2. Paul Menard
3. Kasey Kahne

 

I edited in some old 1968-1970 pictures from Charlotte and edited in that monte carlo 3831, Chris, is our defending Coca~Cola 600 winner!!

 

Dale JR
Jimmie Johnson
Brad Keselowski

 

1. Dale Jr.
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. AJ Allmendinger

 

Dale Jr
Kahne
Johnson

 

I do'nt know if this is a case of great minds think alike, or what it is... but when I say in the rundown that "Hendrick is hot right now", damn if half the people don't just pick all Hendrick cars. Except for 77GP, don't know what is wrong with him.


And I know great minds must think alike because almost everyone (again, Jerry beging the exception) picked at least one and in most cases 2 and in one case all three of the people I was looking at picking.....