Not as much time to pick this week! Got to get some picks rolling in!!!

Introduction and Congratulatory Remarks

For full stats, check here: https://montecarloforum.com/forum/na...tistics-26054/

Congratulations to zJerry for ending 03JGMonte's streak of wins... only did it by 1 point though!! That was bad news for anyone hoping to make a run at Segment 3 though....

1) zjerry 809 Leader
2) 03JGMonte 635 765 -44
3) KidSpace 750 -59
4) Cowboy6622 724 - 85
5) Teacher 687 -122
6) lougreen03 656 -153
7) montecarlo3831 654 -155
8) nichols2k 632 -177
9) RocknSS04 632 -177
10) 77GP 600 -209
11) JuniorCar 591 -218
12) silverfish 466

Overall: look who is 2 points out of 2nd place.... WoW, 4-$ure

1) cowboy6622 2468 Leader
2) montecarlo3831 2403 -65
3) KidSpace 2401 -67
4) zjerry 2392 - 76
5) 77GP 2376 -92
6) juniorcar 2368 -100
7) RocknSS04 2361 -107
8) lougreen03 2288 -180
9) 03JGMonte 1038
10) bocareject 1009
11) nichols2k 828
12) silverfish 791
13) Teacher 687


Richmond This Week


Going to a cruise in Saturday night... not regretting it either. I'll be back by the end I hope. The last two Richmond races have been complete snoozefests!! Gibbs car up front early and of often, 3-4 cautions each, just not much happening... racing perfection my @$$. I'll be at Martinsville for short track racing. Used to be exciting... don't know if it's the chase making everyone nervous, or if the new car doesn't get along with the new track, or what the deal is.. used to be great racing at Richmond all the time though.


Joe Gibbs Racing

Not often do I put hte 'Yota gang first... but, last year, they took 1-2-3 in this race... this fall, 1-2. They have a new engine program that payed dividends at Atlanta, and at a track they are already great at, it's hard to deny that Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch will both be bad fast at Richmond!! Unless they bomb in practice and qualifying, I will have 1, maybe 2 Gibbs cars on my line up this week.


Hey 'Space, it's one of Logano's better tracks.... might wnat to watch out for him....

Hendrick Motorsports

Alan Gustafson is known for his flat track abilities.. and Jeff Gordon is on fire!! He has earned more points since Daytona than any other driver, so he is on fire at the right time!!! Jimmie is right there too, but Richmond isn't exactly his best truck... a good one, but not his best.

Mark MArtin and Dale Jr... well Brent cna throw Dale Jr. stats on us all day and talk about how great he is, but Jr. isn't backing up Brent's stats. I'd like to see Brent be right, but I don't think it's happening. Jr. makes hte chase is his best hope right now... his only goal is to not wreck this weekend nad make the chase.

Childress

Bowyer is good on this track... and this is the track he was warned last year for his rear end alignment being all screwed up. Harvick is okay here... not expecting anything out of Burton or Menard though.

Roush-Fenway

Short tracks are not and have never been Ford tracks.

Although Carl has won a Nationwide race here, his Cup numbers are just OK at best for him. Matt Kenseth is probably a safer bet for a Ford driver to win. David Ragan and Greg Biffle will probably be mid teens to 20's fodder again this week.

Stewart-Haas


I can't recall Stewart being really good here since he was at Gibbs. I may be wrong, but still. He and Newman are just "ok" and might crack the top 10. Not the best cars by long shots to me.

Petty Motorsports

They fall in there with Roush... good on fast tracks, and this isn't a fast track. Not looking for much out of Ambrose or Allmendinger this week.

Penske

Brad K is on fire, but I am concerned. He is back in his Nationwide car, and Ithin kthe reason he ran so well in Cup was because he was out of that car. He got out of it at Atlnata and said the car was just a little off all weekend... yeah, because you were busy trying to set up a Challenger to run too so you couldn't get either car perfect. He ran 14th and 15th here last year, and he had a wreck in the spring. There is no good reason to think that Brad K. won't roll out another Top 10 though... maybe contend for a win.

Kurt Busch has been okay here... the Dodges are good, so he might just crack the top 10 again this week.

Earnhardt-Ganasssi

I don't see Montoya or McMurray doing anything but run in the teens-twenties again this week.

Red Bull

Kahne is alright.. but Vickers is going backwards in a hurry.


Picks and Final Advice


I say watch out for qualifying... seems like the winning car comes from the front more times than not at Richmond. Also, watch out for Gibbs....

Good Picks:
Denny Hamlin
Kyle Busch
Joey Logano?
Jeff Gordon
Jimmie Johnson
Clint Bowyer
Brad Keselowski?
Matt Kenseth?

Bad Picks
All Ford's not Matt Kenseth
McMurray
Menard

 

Here's my pick's
1) Jimmie Johnson
2) Kyle Busch
3) Jeff Gordon

 

Darn you jerry lol beat me by 1 lol sence there still working well for me ima go with
Gordon
Johnson
Keselowski

 

Well since I am on fire and burning up the stats, lets go with:
1. Harvick
2. Jeff Gordon, not to be consused with the other Gordon
3. Bowyer
I edited this after I saw qualifying. Ridded myself of Hamlin and added Harvick as Usual. Figure he might win if I dont pick him. He is after 10 more chase bonus points. Childress cars are fast apparently, all in a row in quals. Now watch Hamlin win this thing.

 

Jimmie Johnson
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

yup i'm jumping on the bandwagon this week and going the same direction as the others

 

Time to get some picks rolling in!

Before anyone picks Boywer... sounds like he is about to leave RCR... this article says Roush is in the picture? Anyone think he might take over the 6?

Bowyer candid about Chase, coy about future - Sep 08, 2011 - NASCAR.COM


I said 2 weeks ago that Stewart had given up and he ran 3rd last week.... so what do I know, ay?

 

Kahne sucks! The guy should be homeless.

I'll do Jr. a favor and not pick him this week. I hate the style of racing they have been doing over there. Shooting for 15th every week is a recipe for failure. When you shoot for 1st and come up short, you finish 5th. Shoot for a top 5 and you finish 8th. Shoot for 15th and you run like Junior has. If Junior had pulled off a top 10 in the last 5 races his Chase spot would be locked in right now, so nobody should be so pleased over there if they make it. They haven't/ can't contend. I want to see Junior get back to trying to win - but it ain't happening this week either. Maybe Talledega.

I'll save Martin by not picking him either. But a pretty good qualifying run!

The Nationwide race wasn't to bad, but a boring finish. Richmond sucked in the spring this year. This'll be boring too...

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Carl Edwards
3. Kevin Harvick

It don't get more vanilla than that...

 

Alrighty guys... Gordon looked good in 1st practice, along with Johnson. I like Kyle Busch's chances to sweep the weekend (nationwide/cup) and this track on the cup series....

So, lets go with

1) Jeff Gordon
2) Kyle Busch
3) Jimmie Johnson


I'm off the Brad Keselowski bandwagon. I think his return to Nationwide is going to hurt him ultimately. Qualified 19th. Jimmie Johnson is hot and cold at this track.. he either wins or goes a lap down. Well, he's 3rd qualified and practice well. He's the points leader, he's peaking at the right time again. I think he is going to run well.

 

Damn Brent, we posted at the same in the thing about Jr. winning championships, and we posted our picks at the same time tonight...

 

The Bowyer/ Roush question: I say no. Roush is not the right fit and Roush has done a great job of developing a strong driver stable. He don't need to hire anymore more. But it does seem likely he'll part ways with RCR. Menard really screwed the team again, didn't he? Only Harvick makes the Chase this year and RCR will likely be back to 3 next year. I'm thinking RPM will expand with Bowyer, which is great because we need more competitive teams. But I guess we're not ahead if RCR drops 1.

The fast growing Front Row Motorsports should consider actually attempting being competitive with one of their 4 cars. A lot of room for expanding there...