Picks/Michigan/SundayAfternoon
 

I'm about to start building it here....

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!

I don't know exactly who all to say this to... I know 77GP Jerry, zjerry Jerry, and JuniorCar Brent are all fathers.... so I want to make sure I say Happy Fathers Day to those them. I need to get my dad something for Fathers day... have a few things in mind.

If anyone else here is a father, please tell me and I will include a Fathers Day remark to you in this part.

Points, Intro, and Congratulatory Remarks

Congrats to adgm2005, 2 poitns paying victories in 3 races!!! We seem to be on this pattern where people win every other race two times... if the trend continues, lougreen will win Michigan... and that makes sense because...

Defending Winner: lougreen03


Also, a congrats to Carl Martin for taking that Segment points lead and maintaining his overall lead... but Brent is creeping back up there after Carl....

Overall:

1) carlm54stl 1499 Leader
2) JuniorCar 1476 -23
3) bblackstone 92 1432 -67
4) Cowboy6622 1411 -88
5) SupplySgt 1407 -92
6) zJerry 76 1400 -99
7) Leprechaun93 1398 -101
8) lougreen03 1397 -102
9) 02 Earnhardt 1388 -111
10) montecarlo3831 1386 -113
11) 03JGMonte 1322 -177
12) butch049 1301 -198
13) 77GP 1265 -234
14) silverfish 1217 -282
15) RocknSS04 1142
16) STUMPMI 1141
17) SuperSportSteve 928
18) 01 Monte SS 908
19) adgm2005 895
20) 06 Mistre SS 428
21) Teacher 306
22) Ricks 2006 SS 213
23) yutzybrian 211
24) Racebound2 83
25) Possum 77
26) 04chevyboy 76
27) Emily666 61
28) SSMeansSuperSexy 60
29) mousehouse 54


Segment 2 Points

1) carlm54stl 549 Leader
2) Leprechuan 93 547 -2
3) 02 Earnhardt 522 -27
4) lougreen03 511 -38
5) bblackstone 84 511-38
6) JuniorCar 510 -39
7) SupplySgt 503 -46
8) Cowboy6622 501 -48
9) STUMPMI 492 -57
10) zjerry 488 -61
11) silverfish33 478 -71
12) montecarlo3831 449 -100
13) 03JGMonte 437 -112
14) adgm2005 423 -126
15) 77GP 414 -135
16) butch049 356 -193
17) SupersportSteve 243 -205
18) RocknSS04 220 -228
19) Ricks 2006 SS 213 -235
20) 01 Monte SS 68
21) SSmeansSuperSexy 60
22) 06 Mistre SS 45


Michigan History

This track is goign to be fast this year. And it is, in a sense, a throwback ot the original days. This place came along on the schedule in 1969, in a time when this sport was really growing superspeedways like weeds. Talladega, Michigan, Pocono, Texas World Speedway, Ontario Motor Speedway (last two now defunct) all came along in that same time period. It was also a time period of building cars that could defy what was previously thought possible... Torino Talladegas and winged Daytonas loved a lot of the tracks I just listed (except Pcoono... built 1970, didn't run a race until '74.)

But here are the pictures of this track at construction...

Jim Heddle photo
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e.../michigan8.jpg

In 1969, the Torino Talladegas domianted. this was meant to be a 600 mile race, but they learned how long that was and that race was actually rain shortened at about 400 miles... and they decided that was about right. Thats what the race ahs been ever sinced.

Smyle Media, photo taken from University of Racing diecasts
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e.../michigan2.jpg

From a Charger forum...
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e.../michigan6.jpg

This is Ben Arnold.... guy who just never could find his way into a big team.
Racers Reunion Photo
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e.../michigan5.jpg

This track also became a showodwn between Petty and Pearson in some of thier famous duals....

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e.../michigan3.jpg

Photo form HowStuffWorks
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e.../michigan4.jpg


In 1971, some weird stuff happens. Today, people talk about this race in manufacturers terms... since the manufacturers are so close. However, 1971 when they came to Michigan, a weird situation developed. The manufacturers had just backed out of racing, and David Pearson of all people had a low point in his career finding a ride. He refused to run with Holman-Moody.

He ended up driving a Pontiac GTO, first race for one of these cars ever, I believe he ran like 5th with it in one of the most un-competitive Michigan races ever. Basically, the Wood Bros 21 was fast, Pettys 43 was fast, and Allisons #12 fast, and that was it.

Here is Pearsons GTO.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e.../michigan1.jpg


And the guy who won the 1971 Motor State 400... Bobby Allison, driving the older, yet more aerodynamic, 1969 Mercury Cyclone....

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e.../michigan7.jpg





This track is dangerous too. Ernie Irvan. lost his eye here. Dr. Jerry Punch may very well have saved his life because in the early 90s, the ydidn't have full medical personal at the track during practice sessions. Punch was covering the race yet was actually the first person on the scene to begin caring for Irvan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdrB8X61Ax4


And... dare we say... this is where Dale Jr won his last race.........


This Week at Michigan

We are seeing some weird stuff this season. Cautions are down at tracks that normally have them... like Texas, Charlotte, Bristol... yet up at places like Dover and the now repaved Pocono. Michigan is generally a track that a saw a lot of green flag runs and even back in 1998, had a caution free race won by Dale Jarrett.

This year, it is repaved, like Pocono. The paving company was careful to try to reproduce the old characteristics. But with ne wpavement comes new grip. It will probably be single grove. Despite all the "action" at Pocono, drivers still talked about how important it was to get track position because it just seemed like it was really tough to pass. But that's everywhere with the COT too. I think emphasis should be placed on qualifying when making picks this week.

So we have to see what w'ere going to get for race. We know we may see qualifying speeds near 200 mph... the tire tets here saw corner entry speeds over 210 mph. That's crazy fast! And with such relatively flat corners... it creates a dangerous track that may be too fast. If it's too fast and too on teh edge, the drivers will be scared to pass.

Also, with high speeds, drafting and slingshooting at teh ends of the straightaways may be a strategy... it may look like a race from 30 years ago fi we have that much speed.

We have to see if we're going to get a lot of green flag racing, or a lto of cautions (relatively speaking) like we had at Dover or Pocono.

Durability is going to be tough this week. With such high speeds at such sustained rates, its' goign to be tough really to see which teams hold up. We haev seen Kyle Busch have engine issues two weeks in a row. Do you want to chance going with him a third time? Do you? Are you sure?

Chevrolet teams, despite what I like to say about Furd power, seem to have the best durability... they're the least liekly to go to the garage with even ignition issues. That should definitely be taken into account. And that bit leads us to this weeks teams....



CHEVROLET TEAMS

Hendrick

Hendrick is kicking butt. I find it a borderline miracel taht the Toyotas beat them this week. Jimmie had the best car on teh track and was passing when no one else could. Yet all they talked about was Logano and Martin. Stupid. Come on TNT, get it together. Jeff Gordon is just overly stricken with bad luck. Kasey Kahne was going to be a factor and maybe could have helped me win Pocono, but hit that wall. Dale Jr is just getting closer and closer to winning those races. Any Hendrick team, save maybe Gordon with his luck, should be a great pick at Michigan

Childress

Harvick loves speed and going fast. I think Harvick should be a solid pick at Michigan. The rest of that team is going to be more of the same, I think.

However, Burton seems to be goign from a 20 something driver to a teen something driver.

Stewart-Haas

I think we are getting into Smoke season.. those boring, long, fast, flat summer tracks are good Tony STewart race tracks. Also, Ryan Newman is one of your better flat trackers. These two fat@$$es might just make some noise at Michigan.

FORD TEAMs

Fords have traiditonally run well at Michigan.

Roush

Biffle may be going into some sort of experimentation mode. I thought Dover might be a fluke... ti's a chase race, and he had a bad handling car at a race he normally runs well at. Then this week, he was having engine issues. Last year, Edwards went to crap mid season only to come right back, and admitted later that the team had been doing a lot of testing over the summer when they pretty mcuh realized they were in the chase becasue of their stride and their position in points. So Biffle might be in that same testing mode.

Kenseth seems to be somewhere in the middle and running strong. Kenseth is a good driver at Michigan.

Edwards got his first cup start here at Michigan, and ended a 2 year winless streak here in 2007.... I remember being pissed off at church camp as an Edwards fan because I had seen every race that year, and missed the one Edwards won.

Petty

Ambrose and Almirola have gone from totally reeking to only stinking. Almirola seems to have turned a corner now that he has Mike Ford, Hamsters old crew chief. That's pretty cool, I guess. He was on the pole at Charlotte, ran great at Dover, and made a ltitel splash at Dover....

TOYOTA TEAMS

Do you trust their reliabilty? Well, do you, punk?

Joe Gibbs Racing

Kyle Busch has blown two engines in a row... anyone want to chance it for a third time? He is good at Michigan when he is running.... yet so is Denny. And for some reason or other, Denny doesn't seem to have the engine issues at JGR that Busch and Logano do. I know each driver has their own way they like their engines built to perform, maybe Busch is having that problem.

Hamlin is getting good at this time of year too. He won last year, he's run well here many times, so you have ot think he will be a factor barring a blown engine.

Micahel Waltrip Racing

They should have won Pocono... but Martins engine failure at Kansas that cost me that win just sticks with me on this team. Bowyer has had problems... Truex seems to be unaffected. They're a whole new team this year with their new line up and competition director. So I'm interested in seeing how they do... I do'nt think they're ready to win yet, but what cna you do.

DODGE TEAMS

Penske

Keselowski was having issues and Allmendinger hit a wall. Brad K comes out of nowhere ever time he ever wins it seems, he isn't very momentum driven. But with the high speeds, this team just doesn't seem to have the reliability. I'm also wondering if, at this point in the season, how much support ar ethey still getting from Dodge since Dodge knows they're lsoing this team to Ford Motor Company next year? This is about the part in the season wehre I expect them to start dropping off if Dodge is going to abandon them as a lame duck team.



My Picks


Man... what to do this week. Johnson is good... but he has run out of gas a few times and been beaten at teh end several times. Hamlin has it going on right now... but he is a Toyota. I like Edwards, but every time that car switches sponsors, it goes to crap. I like Kenseth, I like Harvick, and I like all the Hendrick cars, and I even like Aric Almirola a little bit.... but I'm going to wait for some practice and qualifying ot go down and make a decision then.

qwerty
 

14-48-17

Here's my pick's , I 'll be at Father's day car show with one of my son's..
1) Tony Stewart
2) Jimmie Johnson
3) Kevin Harvick

temp picks
88-48-29

1. #48 Jimmie Johnson 2. #11 Denny Hamlin 3. #88 Dale jr.<center>http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...enLoans400.png<center>http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...8628074101.gif

Johnson
Gordon
Kenseth

Dale Earnhardt Jr
Jimmie Johnson
Denny Hamlin

I will go with
Gordon(Jeff)
Harvick
Stewart

Just a quick heads up. Just arrived and got my first glimpse on the track of the newly paved MIS. Wow what a difference! Going to try to do picks and video in my phone. Not sure how to post them here with this new windows phone. Oh yea 1 more thing... When did Denny Hamlin have interstate battery's as a sponsor? Found a wreck in the gate 9 dump of 1 with his name above the door????? Its so smashed up..u can't even tell what body style it is! Lol

Do you think this car could be a Nationwide/Busch car? Interstate Batteries has sponsored the whole Gibbs organization for a long time.... back in the early 90s, even.


First time to my knowledge was Dale Jarrett in 1992....

http://images30.fotki.com/v472/photo...1992ref-vi.jpg


Interstate Batteries stayed on that 18 car until I believe when Bobby Labonte left... then M&M's came in and sort of took it over.

Hamlin has probably had Interstate on the car several times in Nationwide

1. Dale Jr
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Kasey Kahne

I think it is a nationwide car. Yes terday we met up with a gentleman who's in charge of a certain team that's going to allow us into the "cup garage" Thursday during testing. Since I'm not allowed at this moment to mention what team..but I can say it's a Chevrolet team :p. We hung out with him most of the day. He even came to our campsite and had dinner with us! He bought filet mignon. Along with some kabobs that we grilled to perfection. And of course I asked permission if pics were allowed and he said sure! No problem.;) So Thursdays going to be an awesome day! Today the teams start arriving so after breakfast. I'm heading back to the track and see what I can see. Will try to keep yall up to date!

NASCAR is not nearly as secretive about stuff as you would sometimes like to think they are. The thing is, if you look at those garages ,the cars are close together in open stalls. IT's really easy to slip over and sneak a peak at what is under anotehr guys car, waht the other guys suspension looks like, etc. They're very fan friendly. If they have something they want to hide, they will take it and go off into the hauler and shut the door to work on it and then bring it back out. Same way with the shops....


Plus, NASCAR puts them into such a box that there isn't really much you can see that would be very beneficial for anotehr team to know.... unless it's REALLY illegal.

Sometimes, Formual 1 guys have their own personal bay with admittance only for those on the team, they'll put up curtains to hide the car and their telemetry reports.... NASCAR isn't like that at all.


Glad you're getting to see around the shop!! That's going to be a really cool experience.

And by the way, "It's a Chevrolet team." only narrows it down by about half. That's like saying I'm dating someone and then say, "Oh, it's a woman." Well, that's about half the population. ;) (And I know that may sound mean, but I'm just being sarcastic/funny)


It's going to be a really cool thing for you... let us know what the chemistry and attitudes of the team is like when you're around!

nice! when i went to Chicago last year i had hot pit passes the whole weekend, could pretty much go where ever i wanted to go. Hoping i get to go do the same thing if money allows it this September and maybe three times next year with both Kansas races and the Chicago race.

The rule at MIS is that noone from the general public is ever allowed in the cup garage....

However, We will have to mind our P's and Q's. We CANNOT ask for auto raphs, or ask for a picture with any of the drivers...This would also get the team kicked out of the race and future races at MIS...after reaading his crdentials and the rules he has to follow (team)..Its a stick situation in that respect. But takeing photos in general is no problem...

Is what i guess i should have said....about pics etc...
So far its been a great experience...Once again the "fellas" came by our camp and hung out tossed back a few as well as gave us a few team items as a way of saying were glad we met and are happy to have you aboard! I guess they meant it like were temporarily part of there team support system...

Also tonight theres a general party in the pits that they invited us to participate in..(all the teams will be there)...

Were about to head out to the pits (garage) so thats all i have for now..But we were generally surprised they came to our campground to just "Hangout"!

I look forward to the pics and finding out what the "mystery team" is!

Dale Earnhardt Jr is undeniably fast... fast long run averages, fast short run times, consistent in both test sessions.... guy is doing great. I might accidently have to pick Dale Jr this week.... but can Steve Retarte really make the right call at the end of this race?


Also, Biffle, Stewart, Johnson, and MARK MARTIN were all really, really fast!

Jr has got to be the odds on guy. That 55 is the team that always blow's it at race's end this year.

This mystery team thing is awesome - its all awesome. Racing, like this, is an awesome story. We probably aren't talking about Dale Jr and gang here, but racing is so cool for being so fan involved, and whoever we're talking about here is the best for getting the whole symbiant cycle thing here and "keeping it real". I can't wait for this story to unfold ,with pictures, cuz it sounds like the greatest Nascar story ever told on the MCF!

But the Morgan Sheppard story is still 2nd best!

Morgan Shepheard still runs Nationwide, if Morgans bear takes a $hit on STUMPMI, then Brent's story gets knocked down to about 5th place, and it's still teh 2nd best story ever told.

But if Kevin Harvick took a **** on Brent..... well, taht would be even better than anything that ever happens to anyone.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...arvick****.jpg

Mark Martin screwed me out of that Kansas win.... I still think about that one every week.... especially when I'm looking at Toyotas.

No car has qualified at over 200 mph since the infamous pole time by Bill Elliott at Talladega in 1987 that was 212 mph. I might actually take the time to watch qualifying.... this is exciting!

Pemberton thinks the higher temperatures, more rubber laid down, and wider grove will slow the speeds. Uhm, doesn't more rubber = more grip? Wider grove means you can swing wider? I think speeds are going to stay the same or go up... higher temperatures are the only thing workign towards lower speeds here... but I'm not NASCAR, and I ohpe they know what they're doing.

MY PICKS #1 Jimmie Johnson #2 Hamlin #3 Kenseth

its solid green not 2 tone like your pic for sure....but it is the same green...im going to have to take a pic of it...

I've pretty well mapped out in my head who I'm going to pick... not oging to say who though, but will say it MIGHT an all Chevy team like last week. I feel like that is a good way to go. I've got a couple of Fords and a Toyota I'm looking at too. I'm going to wait and watch some qualifying first

The road to my house is being repaved, and I ddidn't want to run my Torino tonight to the cruise in. A friend of mine let me drive his Chevrolet Nova to the show... man that was a car!! I got to drive a real car in that Chevrolet!!! That thing was awesome to drive... had its quirks like all old cars, but that's that. Maybe Chevrolet is the way I need to pick these things.


I'm also going to be at my brothers house during the race for Fathers Day... he's invited us all over. I don't know when I'l lget home to do the math on this one.

added another practice session for tomorrow night. changing the left side tire for the cup race.

Thank you for pointing that out. This is going to be important. For one, if NASCAR doesn't allow engine swaps, there are going to be more miles on their engines than the builders were planning for, and the teams are already running lots of laps on their cars.


Also, it will be vital to see who can adapt their setups to the new tire compound and hold up over a long run, which I believe we will have lots of long runs making that most important.


I don't know if I will make picks before seeing how that test session shakes out.

Harvick
Edwards
Biffel

See if it works again:)

kyle busch

kevin harvick

jimmy johnson

Biffle
Kenseth
Harvick

Two people I don't like to pick, but have to just because they're so fast right now...

1) Tony Stewart
2) Kevin Harvick
3) Jimmie Johnson

These are the same pics as zjerry... going to come down to our order.

I repainted the hood of the Torino this morning because it had a crack that I tried ot mickey mouse fix and it didn't work... welded the seam back together and repaitned that, along with the tops of hte fenders which had knicks in them from apparently my belt or something hitting it as I leaned over the car... quite embarassing.

But that, combined with the road being repaved yesterday means I have driven Chevrolets to two car shows this weekend.... drove my friends Nova last night while he drove their families other '50 Chevrolet that was just restored (and painted by me, btw.). Great car! Plus, I won yet another 50/50... I got to win another one of these races soon.... I'll take any of them, dangit I want to win a race!!!

Here I am at the cruise in .... beside 2 cars I painted, the '50 Chevrolet 4 door for a friend of mine, and my dads '68 Fairlane.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...eadlights2.jpg


And June 17th is the 3 year anniversary of my court date.... I had a speed competition dropped, plead guilty to Careless and Reckless, and then got a Prayer for Judgment on the Careless and Reckless..... I got off really well for what I did. And the vehicle I commited such atrocious events in? A Monte Carlo....

I kind of want Biffle, but he had a bad run at Dover and was missing a cylinder at Pocono... I feel like they're experimenting with stuff for the Chase. They're either going to win the race or blow up trying. I think Kenseth may be doing the same thing, and Edwards just doens't have luck... heck he had fuel delivery issues in qualifying and will be playing catch up all race.


Changing the tire compound seems to have messed up Jr... he said "that ain't cool." I feel like the teams I posted ahve the most versatile set ups and fastest on teh new compoun,d plus they have the track position to win the race.


I see a lot of green flag racing in this thing... need to start up front and run there all day!!!

Hamlin
Dale Jr
Kenseth

I'm going with the tried and true for me. It hasn't gotten me a win (got me close a couple times), but it's kept me consistently in the upper section of the standings.

Biffle
Harvick
Jr

The window closes at 12:16. Happy racing to all. And Happy Fathers Day to all our MCF NASCAR Fantasy dads out there.

Harvick
Biffle
Jr

Since it is raining, I'm willing to extend the deadline. You are free to post picks or edit picks, but with this word of caution: the window closes wehn the track dries. If the engines crank, you're too late.

Wonder how long it'll take to finish drying the track. Works for me though as it gave me time to get home from church. Gives me time now to go grab a bite to eat.

Ready for some RACING!<center>http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...tl/JJQL400.jpg

Fire 'em up! Figured I'd help out and mark the time the command to fire engines was given.

It's jr!

He's lookin good now. Somehow Biffle is hanging on to his car. Harvick is way back in the pack.

EDIT: There goes Kyle with engine trouble again.

Poor Pyle Buschit....