Picks/Pocono/SunAfternoon
#1
06-02-2013, 03:59 PM
Picks/Pocono/SunAfternoon
You can always tell when I'm disappointed with my weeks results... I make the thread for the next race REALLY fast. I was hoping to take the points lead and maintain the Segemnt lead, but thanks to several top drivers having bad luck, I was able to minimize damages anyway.
but it's on to Pocono... a place I tend to alright at...
MAJOR ADMINISTRATIVE ANNOUNCEMENT
In two weeks, I will be taking a sabattical from my position as commissioner of this league. I will be taking a vacation down Route 66, down the old "Mother Road" in my 1968 Ford Torino. I will be leaving on either Friday, June 14th on the afternoon, or I will be leaving on Saturday, June 15th in the early morning. This means that I will do all of the rundown and commentary for Michigan, but I will not be doing the points for that race. I will be gone until approximately June 28th. This means that I will also not be doing the rundown for Sonoma or Kentucky, but I think I might be in town in time to do points for Kentucky. If not, my substitute should be handling it.
In my place, I have already made arrangements for Carl Martin (carlm54stl) to write these rundown threads and for Jerry and Hunter Smith (77GP and Silverfish33) to handle the points for those two weeks. These gentlemen will be in charge of all calls and moderating decisions while I am absent.
Points and Congratulatory Remarks
Congrats to 03JGMonte on taking the win at Dover!!
Congrats to Keane for maintaining that points lead, with several members moving within that "hail marry" zone of taking it and also several members in position to start making a run at the overall championship.
Congrats to butch049 for taking the Segment lead... but he'll have to put together some solid races to maintain it because there are 5 members in close striking range for that Segmetn now!!!
Overall:
1) Leprechaun93 1279 Leader
2) Cowboy6622 1271 -8
3) SSmeansSuperSexy 1253 -26
4) monte carlo 3831 1243 -36
5) MnteCrloSS47 1236 -43
6) butch049 1220 -59
7) Ricks 2006 SS 1217 -62
8) STUMPMI 1198 -81
9) 02 Earnhardt 1190 -89
10) 77GP 1183 -96
11) 03JGMonte 1162 -117
12) SupplySgt 1147 -132
13) silverfish33 1140 -139
14) BlazedSS 1131 -148
15) RocknSS04 1122 -156
16) zjerry 1114 -164
17) carlm54stl 1064 -221
18) 06MistreSS 869
19) BocaReject 180
20) DarrynSami 115
21) Lorenzo 114
Segment 2
1) butch049 389 Leader
2) cowboy6622 384 -5
3) STUMPMI 367 -22
4) MnteCrloSS47 365 -24
5) Leprechaun93 361 -28
6) 03JGMonte 349 -40
7) Blazed SS 344 -45
8) Ricks 2006 SS 337 -52
9) 77GP 331 -58
10) monte carlo 3831 329 -60
11) 02 Earnhardt 319 -70
12) zjerry 315 -74
13) SupplySgt 314 -75
14) SSmeansSuperSexy 312 -77
15) silverfish33 297 -92
16) carlm54stl 293 -96
17) Ricks 2006 SS 263 -126
***** Members 03JGMonte, zjerry, Leprechaun93, and MnteCrloSS47 were given a 6 point penalty a piece when Brad Keselowski's car was found too low in post race inspection at Dover
Schedule6
This Week in Pocono
This is a track that really tests a team. It's a place you have ot have everything. With two extremely long straightaways, a short chute, and three distinct turns, one has to have a great set up and a ton of power to pull down the straightaways. Also, those straightaways are highly taxing on an engine because of of the difference in speed, especially turn three, and the high speeds going down into turn 1. Engines see a 75-80 mph difference of speed on a lap. Plus, the new gearing rules let the teams shift, so you have that much more variance. Engines may be the most important thing at Pocono.
CHEVROLET TEAMS
With power and platform being both at a peak this weekend, I suppose the Chevrolets are the team to beat.
Hendrick
The top Chevrolet team is something to watch this weekend. Jimmie Johnson probably would have won last year if not for impending rain and thunderstorms and that last lap crash that parted the seas for Jeff Gordon. In the race before that, he got struck with pit road penaltie.s
However, Jimmie is just having bad luck. He hasn't won Pocono in a while, but he has run well. Plus, he's had bad luck at two of his better tracks, Charlotte and Dover. It's a miracle he's still the points leader by such a large margin to boot. He has plenty of top 5's here.
Dale Jr had a transmission problem last year and is generally just "Decent" at Pocono. all he has been this year is "decent" and he seems to be fading a little so I wouldn't sweat him.
Kasey Kahne is having a little bad luck.... hopefully Dover won't crush him too much. But Pocono has been hit and miss for him. With a Chevrolet team, he might be great though. He won here in 2008 and got a top 10 the same year, but then his next top 5 was a 2nd when that crash happened here last year. I don't know about Kahne.
Then there is Jeff Gordon. the last two shortened races here were won by Jeff Gordon. Plus, he has a lot of top 5's and top 10;s. But right now, Gordon seems to be on this "run good one week, crash the next". This should be the crash week unless he breaks the string.
Childress Racing
Burton ran decent, Menard is having his regular fall off. But Kevin Harvick seems to be getting his lucky horseshoe placed firmly back in his @$$ and has top very strong runs going. He generally runs in the teens here or top 10 anyway, and has been the source of controversy in the infamous "wife wears the firesuit" remark coming at this track. He's hot though.... so you have to think about the closer.
Stewart Haas
To me, Stewart ran like junk all day and somehow won. Newman lost his head, and Danica ran here traditional mid 30s. I've got to think that Dover may have been an accident. However, Pocono is one of this better tracks, Stewart has a lot of good finishes here and has even driven from last to win here. Look out for Smoke, but I still think he is a long shot considering his record this year.
Furniture Row
Kurt Busch knows how to get the job done, and with Chevrolet power this week, I've got to think Kurt Busch is a contender this weekend.... a few tough luck finishes but if he can break that, he'll be in great shape.
Earnhardt Ganassi
Suddenly, they're contenders. Juan Montoya has been a threat to win twice at tracks he isn't even good at. And he's alright at Pocono anyway! With that tunnel turn mimicking Indianapolis, you have to think JPM might actually pull one out of the bag.
McMurray is so so but his luck just isn't with him like the 42 is.
TOYOTA TEAMS
I think any Toyota team has to be a risky move. With two engines going this week, one going at Charlotte, and on top of that we know how tough they are on engines at Pocono... I think any Toyota may lead a lot of laps but you're betting your points when you take one.
Joe Gibbs
Denny Hamlin is great here and if he could get his season turned around anywhere, it's Pocono. He has swept this track in his rookie year, won a couple times since, and had great finishes here since he was a rookie. If not for Toyota engine issues, you'd have to be nearly a fool not to take Denny Hamlin. But his powerplant makes him a risky move...
Kyle Busch has always been just "ok" here but with how hard he is on his engine,s refer back to my Toyota statement.
And Matt Kenseth... heck, he wasn't as good as his Roush teammates here back in teh day, and here at Gibbs he might be as great as anyone, but he has that TRD engine...
Micheal Waltrip Racing
I don't really see the poitn in going on about Toyota engines. I'll just let what I've said go.
FORD TEAMS
The Ford's seem to have issues... don't know if it's power, handling, or drivers. I finally have to come on out and admit it.
Roush
Biffle and Edwards have both been great here over the years, but what can you really say about them right now. Edwards might get the job done with a top 5-top 10 at the end of the race and be good, but can we depend on him right now? If he's great in practice, I think he might be a go.
Stenhouse... meh, first time coming here, so who knows.
Penske
Keselowski knows how to get the job done nad he has Paul Wolfe back. Keselowski isn't a joke at Pocono... would have had a great finish last year if not for that incident on the last lap and rain falling.
Logano won here last year but that's like his only top 10 here. So Logano might be kind of a bet.
Logano was running 4th that year Harvick messed him up and he ended up going for a long loopy spin and making the firesuit remark.
Petty
This is the time of year the Petty team falls apart. Almirola wasn't good at Dover, nor was Ambrose, so we've got to think that maybe these guys arne't going to do good at Pocono.
My Picks...
I'm not touching a Toyota. I really want a Ford. But I've got to think with the way these races go at the end, you better have three Chevrolets...
1) Kurt Busch
2) Jimmie Johnson
3) Kevin Harvick
Wow, what a risque group!
but it's on to Pocono... a place I tend to alright at...
MAJOR ADMINISTRATIVE ANNOUNCEMENT
In two weeks, I will be taking a sabattical from my position as commissioner of this league. I will be taking a vacation down Route 66, down the old "Mother Road" in my 1968 Ford Torino. I will be leaving on either Friday, June 14th on the afternoon, or I will be leaving on Saturday, June 15th in the early morning. This means that I will do all of the rundown and commentary for Michigan, but I will not be doing the points for that race. I will be gone until approximately June 28th. This means that I will also not be doing the rundown for Sonoma or Kentucky, but I think I might be in town in time to do points for Kentucky. If not, my substitute should be handling it.
In my place, I have already made arrangements for Carl Martin (carlm54stl) to write these rundown threads and for Jerry and Hunter Smith (77GP and Silverfish33) to handle the points for those two weeks. These gentlemen will be in charge of all calls and moderating decisions while I am absent.
Points and Congratulatory Remarks
Congrats to 03JGMonte on taking the win at Dover!!
Congrats to Keane for maintaining that points lead, with several members moving within that "hail marry" zone of taking it and also several members in position to start making a run at the overall championship.
Congrats to butch049 for taking the Segment lead... but he'll have to put together some solid races to maintain it because there are 5 members in close striking range for that Segmetn now!!!
Overall:
1) Leprechaun93 1279 Leader
2) Cowboy6622 1271 -8
3) SSmeansSuperSexy 1253 -26
4) monte carlo 3831 1243 -36
5) MnteCrloSS47 1236 -43
6) butch049 1220 -59
7) Ricks 2006 SS 1217 -62
8) STUMPMI 1198 -81
9) 02 Earnhardt 1190 -89
10) 77GP 1183 -96
11) 03JGMonte 1162 -117
12) SupplySgt 1147 -132
13) silverfish33 1140 -139
14) BlazedSS 1131 -148
15) RocknSS04 1122 -156
16) zjerry 1114 -164
17) carlm54stl 1064 -221
18) 06MistreSS 869
19) BocaReject 180
20) DarrynSami 115
21) Lorenzo 114
Segment 2
1) butch049 389 Leader
2) cowboy6622 384 -5
3) STUMPMI 367 -22
4) MnteCrloSS47 365 -24
5) Leprechaun93 361 -28
6) 03JGMonte 349 -40
7) Blazed SS 344 -45
8) Ricks 2006 SS 337 -52
9) 77GP 331 -58
10) monte carlo 3831 329 -60
11) 02 Earnhardt 319 -70
12) zjerry 315 -74
13) SupplySgt 314 -75
14) SSmeansSuperSexy 312 -77
15) silverfish33 297 -92
16) carlm54stl 293 -96
17) Ricks 2006 SS 263 -126
***** Members 03JGMonte, zjerry, Leprechaun93, and MnteCrloSS47 were given a 6 point penalty a piece when Brad Keselowski's car was found too low in post race inspection at Dover
Schedule6
This Week in Pocono
This is a track that really tests a team. It's a place you have ot have everything. With two extremely long straightaways, a short chute, and three distinct turns, one has to have a great set up and a ton of power to pull down the straightaways. Also, those straightaways are highly taxing on an engine because of of the difference in speed, especially turn three, and the high speeds going down into turn 1. Engines see a 75-80 mph difference of speed on a lap. Plus, the new gearing rules let the teams shift, so you have that much more variance. Engines may be the most important thing at Pocono.
CHEVROLET TEAMS
With power and platform being both at a peak this weekend, I suppose the Chevrolets are the team to beat.
Hendrick
The top Chevrolet team is something to watch this weekend. Jimmie Johnson probably would have won last year if not for impending rain and thunderstorms and that last lap crash that parted the seas for Jeff Gordon. In the race before that, he got struck with pit road penaltie.s
However, Jimmie is just having bad luck. He hasn't won Pocono in a while, but he has run well. Plus, he's had bad luck at two of his better tracks, Charlotte and Dover. It's a miracle he's still the points leader by such a large margin to boot. He has plenty of top 5's here.
Dale Jr had a transmission problem last year and is generally just "Decent" at Pocono. all he has been this year is "decent" and he seems to be fading a little so I wouldn't sweat him.
Kasey Kahne is having a little bad luck.... hopefully Dover won't crush him too much. But Pocono has been hit and miss for him. With a Chevrolet team, he might be great though. He won here in 2008 and got a top 10 the same year, but then his next top 5 was a 2nd when that crash happened here last year. I don't know about Kahne.
Then there is Jeff Gordon. the last two shortened races here were won by Jeff Gordon. Plus, he has a lot of top 5's and top 10;s. But right now, Gordon seems to be on this "run good one week, crash the next". This should be the crash week unless he breaks the string.
Childress Racing
Burton ran decent, Menard is having his regular fall off. But Kevin Harvick seems to be getting his lucky horseshoe placed firmly back in his @$$ and has top very strong runs going. He generally runs in the teens here or top 10 anyway, and has been the source of controversy in the infamous "wife wears the firesuit" remark coming at this track. He's hot though.... so you have to think about the closer.
Stewart Haas
To me, Stewart ran like junk all day and somehow won. Newman lost his head, and Danica ran here traditional mid 30s. I've got to think that Dover may have been an accident. However, Pocono is one of this better tracks, Stewart has a lot of good finishes here and has even driven from last to win here. Look out for Smoke, but I still think he is a long shot considering his record this year.
Furniture Row
Kurt Busch knows how to get the job done, and with Chevrolet power this week, I've got to think Kurt Busch is a contender this weekend.... a few tough luck finishes but if he can break that, he'll be in great shape.
Earnhardt Ganassi
Suddenly, they're contenders. Juan Montoya has been a threat to win twice at tracks he isn't even good at. And he's alright at Pocono anyway! With that tunnel turn mimicking Indianapolis, you have to think JPM might actually pull one out of the bag.
McMurray is so so but his luck just isn't with him like the 42 is.
TOYOTA TEAMS
I think any Toyota team has to be a risky move. With two engines going this week, one going at Charlotte, and on top of that we know how tough they are on engines at Pocono... I think any Toyota may lead a lot of laps but you're betting your points when you take one.
Joe Gibbs
Denny Hamlin is great here and if he could get his season turned around anywhere, it's Pocono. He has swept this track in his rookie year, won a couple times since, and had great finishes here since he was a rookie. If not for Toyota engine issues, you'd have to be nearly a fool not to take Denny Hamlin. But his powerplant makes him a risky move...
Kyle Busch has always been just "ok" here but with how hard he is on his engine,s refer back to my Toyota statement.
And Matt Kenseth... heck, he wasn't as good as his Roush teammates here back in teh day, and here at Gibbs he might be as great as anyone, but he has that TRD engine...
Micheal Waltrip Racing
I don't really see the poitn in going on about Toyota engines. I'll just let what I've said go.
FORD TEAMS
The Ford's seem to have issues... don't know if it's power, handling, or drivers. I finally have to come on out and admit it.
Roush
Biffle and Edwards have both been great here over the years, but what can you really say about them right now. Edwards might get the job done with a top 5-top 10 at the end of the race and be good, but can we depend on him right now? If he's great in practice, I think he might be a go.
Stenhouse... meh, first time coming here, so who knows.
Penske
Keselowski knows how to get the job done nad he has Paul Wolfe back. Keselowski isn't a joke at Pocono... would have had a great finish last year if not for that incident on the last lap and rain falling.
Logano won here last year but that's like his only top 10 here. So Logano might be kind of a bet.
Logano was running 4th that year Harvick messed him up and he ended up going for a long loopy spin and making the firesuit remark.
Petty
This is the time of year the Petty team falls apart. Almirola wasn't good at Dover, nor was Ambrose, so we've got to think that maybe these guys arne't going to do good at Pocono.
My Picks...
I'm not touching a Toyota. I really want a Ford. But I've got to think with the way these races go at the end, you better have three Chevrolets...
1) Kurt Busch
2) Jimmie Johnson
3) Kevin Harvick
Wow, what a risque group!
Last edited by Cowboy6622; 06-09-2013 at 07:31 AM.
#3
06-02-2013, 06:45 PM
Route 66
You can always tell when I'm disappointed with my weeks results... I make the thread for the next race REALLY fast. I was hoping to take the points lead and maintain the Segemnt lead, but thanks to several top drivers having bad luck, I was able to minimize damages anyway.
but it's on to Pocono... a place I tend to alright at...
MAJOR ADMINISTRATIVE ANNOUNCEMENT
In two weeks, I will be taking a sabattical from my position as commissioner of this league. I will be taking a vacation down Route 66, down the old "Mother Road" in my 1968 Ford Torino. I will be leaving on either Friday, June 14th on the afternoon, or I will be leaving on Saturday, June 15th in the early morning. This means that I will do all of the rundown and commentary for Michigan, but I will not be doing the points for that race. I will be gone until approximately June 28th. This means that I will also not be doing the rundown for Sonoma or Kentucky, but I think I might be in town in time to do points for Kentucky. If not, my substitute should be handling it.
In my place, I have already made arrangements for Carl Martin (carlm54stl) to write these rundown threads and for Jerry and Hunter Smith (77GP and Silverfish33) to handle the points for those two weeks. These gentlemen will be in charge of all calls and moderating decisions while I am absent.
Points and Congratulatory Remarks
Congrats to 03JGMonte on taking the win at Dover!!
Congrats to Keane for maintaining that points lead, with several members moving within that "hail marry" zone of taking it and also several members in position to start making a run at the overall championship.
Congrats to butch049 for taking the Segment lead... but he'll have to put together some solid races to maintain it because there are 5 members in close striking range for that Segmetn now!!!
Overall:
1) Leprechaun93 1285 Leader
2) Cowboy6622 1271 -14
3) SSmeansSuperSexy 1253 -32
4) monte carlo 3831 1243 -42
5) MnteCrloSS47 1242 -43
6) butch049 1220 -65
7) Ricks 2006 SS 1217 -68
8) STUMPMI 1198 -87
9) 02 Earnhardt 1190 -95
10) 77GP 1183 -102
11) 03JGMonte 1168 -117
12) SupplySgt 1147 -138
13) silverfish33 1140 -145
14) BlazedSS 1131 -154
15) RocknSS04 1122 -163
16) zjerry 1120 -165
17) carlm54stl 1064 -221
Segment
1) butch049 389 Leader
2) cowboy6622 384 -5
3) MnteCrloSS47 371 -18
4) Leprechaun93 367 -22
5) STUMPMI 367 -22
6) 03JGMonte 355 -34
7) Blazed SS 344 -45
8) Ricks 2006 SS 337 -52
9) 77GP 331 -58
10) monte carlo 3831 329 -60
11) zjerry 321 -68
12) 02 Earnhardt 319 -70
13) SupplySgt 314 -75
14) SSmeansSuperSexy 312 -77
15) silverfish33 297 -82
16) carlm54stl 293 -86
17) Ricks 2006 SS 263 -116
This Week in Pocono
This is a track that really tests a team. It's a place you have ot have everything. With two extremely long straightaways, a short chute, and three distinct turns, one has to have a great set up and a ton of power to pull down the straightaways. Also, those straightaways are highly taxing on an engine because of of the difference in speed, especially turn three, and the high speeds going down into turn 1. Engines see a 75-80 mph difference of speed on a lap. Plus, the new gearing rules let the teams shift, so you have that much more variance. Engines may be the most important thing at Pocono.
CHEVROLET TEAMS
With power and platform being both at a peak this weekend, I suppose the Chevrolets are the team to beat.
Hendrick
The top Chevrolet team is something to watch this weekend. Jimmie Johnson probably would have won last year if not for impending rain and thunderstorms and that last lap crash that parted the seas for Jeff Gordon. In the race before that, he got struck with pit road penaltie.s
However, Jimmie is just having bad luck. He hasn't won Pocono in a while, but he has run well. Plus, he's had bad luck at two of his better tracks, Charlotte and Dover. It's a miracle he's still the points leader by such a large margin to boot. He has plenty of top 5's here.
Dale Jr had a transmission problem last year and is generally just "Decent" at Pocono. all he has been this year is "decent" and he seems to be fading a little so I wouldn't sweat him.
Kasey Kahne is having a little bad luck.... hopefully Dover won't crush him too much. But Pocono has been hit and miss for him. With a Chevrolet team, he might be great though. He won here in 2008 and got a top 10 the same year, but then his next top 5 was a 2nd when that crash happened here last year. I don't know about Kahne.
Then there is Jeff Gordon. the last two shortened races here were won by Jeff Gordon. Plus, he has a lot of top 5's and top 10;s. But right now, Gordon seems to be on this "run good one week, crash the next". This should be the crash week unless he breaks the string.
Childress Racing
Burton ran decent, Menard is having his regular fall off. But Kevin Harvick seems to be getting his lucky horseshoe placed firmly back in his @$$ and has top very strong runs going. He generally runs in the teens here or top 10 anyway, and has been the source of controversy in the infamous "wife wears the firesuit" remark coming at this track. He's hot though.... so you have to think about the closer.
Stewart Haas
To me, Stewart ran like junk all day and somehow won. Newman lost his head, and Danica ran here traditional mid 30s. I've got to think that Dover may have been an accident. However, Pocono is one of this better tracks, Stewart has a lot of good finishes here and has even driven from last to win here. Look out for Smoke, but I still think he is a long shot considering his record this year.
Furniture Row
Kurt Busch knows how to get the job done, and with Chevrolet power this week, I've got to think Kurt Busch is a contender this weekend.... a few tough luck finishes but if he can break that, he'll be in great shape.
Earnhardt Ganassi
Suddenly, they're contenders. Juan Montoya has been a threat to win twice at tracks he isn't even good at. And he's alright at Pocono anyway! With that tunnel turn mimicking Indianapolis, you have to think JPM might actually pull one out of the bag.
McMurray is so so but his luck just isn't with him like the 42 is.
TOYOTA TEAMS
I think any Toyota team has to be a risky move. With two engines going this week, one going at Charlotte, and on top of that we know how tough they are on engines at Pocono... I think any Toyota may lead a lot of laps but you're betting your points when you take one.
Joe Gibbs
Denny Hamlin is great here and if he could get his season turned around anywhere, it's Pocono. He has swept this track in his rookie year, won a couple times since, and had great finishes here since he was a rookie. If not for Toyota engine issues, you'd have to be nearly a fool not to take Denny Hamlin. But his powerplant makes him a risky move...
Kyle Busch has always been just "ok" here but with how hard he is on his engine,s refer back to my Toyota statement.
And Matt Kenseth... heck, he wasn't as good as his Roush teammates here back in teh day, and here at Gibbs he might be as great as anyone, but he has that TRD engine...
Micheal Waltrip Racing
I don't really see the poitn in going on about Toyota engines. I'll just let what I've said go.
FORD TEAMS
The Ford's seem to have issues... don't know if it's power, handling, or drivers. I finally have to come on out and admit it.
Roush
Biffle and Edwards have both been great here over the years, but what can you really say about them right now. Edwards might get the job done with a top 5-top 10 at the end of the race and be good, but can we depend on him right now? If he's great in practice, I think he might be a go.
Stenhouse... meh, first time coming here, so who knows.
Penske
Keselowski knows how to get the job done nad he has Paul Wolfe back. Keselowski isn't a joke at Pocono... would have had a great finish last year if not for that incident on the last lap and rain falling.
Logano won here last year but that's like his only top 10 here. So Logano might be kind of a bet.
Logano was running 4th that year Harvick messed him up and he ended up going for a long loopy spin and making the firesuit remark.
Petty
This is the time of year the Petty team falls apart. Almirola wasn't good at Dover, nor was Ambrose, so we've got to think that maybe these guys arne't going to do good at Pocono.
My Picks...
I'm not touching a Toyota. I really want a Ford. But I've got to think with the way these races go at the end, you better have three Chevrolets...
1) Kurt Busch
2) Juan Pablo Montoya
3) Kevin Harvick
Wow, what a risque group!
but it's on to Pocono... a place I tend to alright at...
MAJOR ADMINISTRATIVE ANNOUNCEMENT
In two weeks, I will be taking a sabattical from my position as commissioner of this league. I will be taking a vacation down Route 66, down the old "Mother Road" in my 1968 Ford Torino. I will be leaving on either Friday, June 14th on the afternoon, or I will be leaving on Saturday, June 15th in the early morning. This means that I will do all of the rundown and commentary for Michigan, but I will not be doing the points for that race. I will be gone until approximately June 28th. This means that I will also not be doing the rundown for Sonoma or Kentucky, but I think I might be in town in time to do points for Kentucky. If not, my substitute should be handling it.
In my place, I have already made arrangements for Carl Martin (carlm54stl) to write these rundown threads and for Jerry and Hunter Smith (77GP and Silverfish33) to handle the points for those two weeks. These gentlemen will be in charge of all calls and moderating decisions while I am absent.
Points and Congratulatory Remarks
Congrats to 03JGMonte on taking the win at Dover!!
Congrats to Keane for maintaining that points lead, with several members moving within that "hail marry" zone of taking it and also several members in position to start making a run at the overall championship.
Congrats to butch049 for taking the Segment lead... but he'll have to put together some solid races to maintain it because there are 5 members in close striking range for that Segmetn now!!!
Overall:
1) Leprechaun93 1285 Leader
2) Cowboy6622 1271 -14
3) SSmeansSuperSexy 1253 -32
4) monte carlo 3831 1243 -42
5) MnteCrloSS47 1242 -43
6) butch049 1220 -65
7) Ricks 2006 SS 1217 -68
8) STUMPMI 1198 -87
9) 02 Earnhardt 1190 -95
10) 77GP 1183 -102
11) 03JGMonte 1168 -117
12) SupplySgt 1147 -138
13) silverfish33 1140 -145
14) BlazedSS 1131 -154
15) RocknSS04 1122 -163
16) zjerry 1120 -165
17) carlm54stl 1064 -221
Segment
1) butch049 389 Leader
2) cowboy6622 384 -5
3) MnteCrloSS47 371 -18
4) Leprechaun93 367 -22
5) STUMPMI 367 -22
6) 03JGMonte 355 -34
7) Blazed SS 344 -45
8) Ricks 2006 SS 337 -52
9) 77GP 331 -58
10) monte carlo 3831 329 -60
11) zjerry 321 -68
12) 02 Earnhardt 319 -70
13) SupplySgt 314 -75
14) SSmeansSuperSexy 312 -77
15) silverfish33 297 -82
16) carlm54stl 293 -86
17) Ricks 2006 SS 263 -116
This Week in Pocono
This is a track that really tests a team. It's a place you have ot have everything. With two extremely long straightaways, a short chute, and three distinct turns, one has to have a great set up and a ton of power to pull down the straightaways. Also, those straightaways are highly taxing on an engine because of of the difference in speed, especially turn three, and the high speeds going down into turn 1. Engines see a 75-80 mph difference of speed on a lap. Plus, the new gearing rules let the teams shift, so you have that much more variance. Engines may be the most important thing at Pocono.
CHEVROLET TEAMS
With power and platform being both at a peak this weekend, I suppose the Chevrolets are the team to beat.
Hendrick
The top Chevrolet team is something to watch this weekend. Jimmie Johnson probably would have won last year if not for impending rain and thunderstorms and that last lap crash that parted the seas for Jeff Gordon. In the race before that, he got struck with pit road penaltie.s
However, Jimmie is just having bad luck. He hasn't won Pocono in a while, but he has run well. Plus, he's had bad luck at two of his better tracks, Charlotte and Dover. It's a miracle he's still the points leader by such a large margin to boot. He has plenty of top 5's here.
Dale Jr had a transmission problem last year and is generally just "Decent" at Pocono. all he has been this year is "decent" and he seems to be fading a little so I wouldn't sweat him.
Kasey Kahne is having a little bad luck.... hopefully Dover won't crush him too much. But Pocono has been hit and miss for him. With a Chevrolet team, he might be great though. He won here in 2008 and got a top 10 the same year, but then his next top 5 was a 2nd when that crash happened here last year. I don't know about Kahne.
Then there is Jeff Gordon. the last two shortened races here were won by Jeff Gordon. Plus, he has a lot of top 5's and top 10;s. But right now, Gordon seems to be on this "run good one week, crash the next". This should be the crash week unless he breaks the string.
Childress Racing
Burton ran decent, Menard is having his regular fall off. But Kevin Harvick seems to be getting his lucky horseshoe placed firmly back in his @$$ and has top very strong runs going. He generally runs in the teens here or top 10 anyway, and has been the source of controversy in the infamous "wife wears the firesuit" remark coming at this track. He's hot though.... so you have to think about the closer.
Stewart Haas
To me, Stewart ran like junk all day and somehow won. Newman lost his head, and Danica ran here traditional mid 30s. I've got to think that Dover may have been an accident. However, Pocono is one of this better tracks, Stewart has a lot of good finishes here and has even driven from last to win here. Look out for Smoke, but I still think he is a long shot considering his record this year.
Furniture Row
Kurt Busch knows how to get the job done, and with Chevrolet power this week, I've got to think Kurt Busch is a contender this weekend.... a few tough luck finishes but if he can break that, he'll be in great shape.
Earnhardt Ganassi
Suddenly, they're contenders. Juan Montoya has been a threat to win twice at tracks he isn't even good at. And he's alright at Pocono anyway! With that tunnel turn mimicking Indianapolis, you have to think JPM might actually pull one out of the bag.
McMurray is so so but his luck just isn't with him like the 42 is.
TOYOTA TEAMS
I think any Toyota team has to be a risky move. With two engines going this week, one going at Charlotte, and on top of that we know how tough they are on engines at Pocono... I think any Toyota may lead a lot of laps but you're betting your points when you take one.
Joe Gibbs
Denny Hamlin is great here and if he could get his season turned around anywhere, it's Pocono. He has swept this track in his rookie year, won a couple times since, and had great finishes here since he was a rookie. If not for Toyota engine issues, you'd have to be nearly a fool not to take Denny Hamlin. But his powerplant makes him a risky move...
Kyle Busch has always been just "ok" here but with how hard he is on his engine,s refer back to my Toyota statement.
And Matt Kenseth... heck, he wasn't as good as his Roush teammates here back in teh day, and here at Gibbs he might be as great as anyone, but he has that TRD engine...
Micheal Waltrip Racing
I don't really see the poitn in going on about Toyota engines. I'll just let what I've said go.
FORD TEAMS
The Ford's seem to have issues... don't know if it's power, handling, or drivers. I finally have to come on out and admit it.
Roush
Biffle and Edwards have both been great here over the years, but what can you really say about them right now. Edwards might get the job done with a top 5-top 10 at the end of the race and be good, but can we depend on him right now? If he's great in practice, I think he might be a go.
Stenhouse... meh, first time coming here, so who knows.
Penske
Keselowski knows how to get the job done nad he has Paul Wolfe back. Keselowski isn't a joke at Pocono... would have had a great finish last year if not for that incident on the last lap and rain falling.
Logano won here last year but that's like his only top 10 here. So Logano might be kind of a bet.
Logano was running 4th that year Harvick messed him up and he ended up going for a long loopy spin and making the firesuit remark.
Petty
This is the time of year the Petty team falls apart. Almirola wasn't good at Dover, nor was Ambrose, so we've got to think that maybe these guys arne't going to do good at Pocono.
My Picks...
I'm not touching a Toyota. I really want a Ford. But I've got to think with the way these races go at the end, you better have three Chevrolets...
1) Kurt Busch
2) Juan Pablo Montoya
3) Kevin Harvick
Wow, what a risque group!
#4
06-02-2013, 06:47 PM
All I can say now is there is only one way in this MCF nascar picks...... and that is up!!!!!! Very disappointed!!!!!
#7
06-03-2013, 08:29 AM
What di you guys think will happen to brad keselowski? his crew chief is already on probatiin and on his first week back, he was found to be too low in post race inspection. nasca almodt always penalizes for height infractions...
#8
06-03-2013, 08:41 AM
maybe I will move up the points ladder since I didnt picked him in quite a while!
