First off, for the usual congratulatory remarks... congrats to JuniorCar for his win at Texas.... he picks with his heart, and his heart has been in the right place for these mile and a halfs. That could come in handy as we come to a lot of the cookie cutter tracks later in the year. But there are about 10 of us now who are participating in this thing who would love to beat him... here are the points going into Talladega... and you know there abotu to get shaken up!

1) RocknSS 725 Leader
2) BocaReject 715 -10
3) Cowboy6622 700 -25
4) JuniorCar 692 - 33
5) 77GP 684 -41
6) KidSpace 642 - 83
7) montecarlo3831 615 - 110
8) zjerry 594 - 131
9) lougreen03 556 - 169
10) carlm54sl 374
11) 03JGMonte 100

Well, off to what is probably at least a couple of you guys favorite track. This is a place where anything can happen. And if nothing else, the track is known for its speed. The first race here was so fast, and the tires were falling off so much, that Richard Petty and several of the other top drivers of the time boycotted the racing, forming the PDA (Professional Drivers Association), a union of race car drivers demanding better wages and safer tracing. It lasted about a week.... all the drivers were back at the next race and the whole thing pretty much went over like a fart in the breeze. The reason it failed was that NASCAR managed to put on a successful race without the top stars of NASCAR. Richard Brickhouse won the first race at Talladega due to this.

But many other crazy incidents have happened here too..... take for instance, in the '80s, someone stole the pace car moments before the command to fire engines at Talladega....

YouTube - Crazy nut steals pace car

In the brief moment you can see the driver, it appears to be a young Boris Said.

It is also the only track to my knowledge in the modern era of NASCAR that a car has actually gone over the wall and left the track... happened several times in the 50's and 60's, but since then... I think this was the only time it has ever happened...

YouTube - Car Flips Over the Wall NASCAR Crash at Talladega

So how do you pick for a crazy race like this? Well, I explain how I make my picks in this video... one I made special just for you guys!!!

YouTube - Monte Carlo Forum, Talladega Picks

So if you want my picks... there they are... I'll post them in words later for those who don't want to watch my 1:32 video... but I won't post them here just yet to encourage you to give my youtube video about 10-15 views.

While I think there will be some swings this week in the points due to Talladega's nature.... keep in mind that Nocturnx won the Daytona 500 with 85 points... the fewest a race winner has ever had so far in the MCF Fantasy history.

As for the season so far.... I think this year is going to come down to the Roush Ford's and the Childress Chevrolets. The Joe Gibbs Toyota's just aren't getting it done right now... even when they're engines hold, they're not as fast as they could be. Can't say I miss them. Plus, the Hendrick cars are good.. but they're not great. I think Harvick, Edwards, Bowyer, and Kenseth are going to be the guys to watch this year... Burton has reached that Dale Jarret/Bill Elliott stage of his career where he just can't seem to get the luck, the car, or anything on his side... Biffle is Biffle... they seem to talk about him as a long shot every year he makes the chase because the chase races are good for him.... but I don't htink so.... and Menard and Ragan... well, every team needs a good plug.

Happy picking guys... enjoy Talladega.

 

Either the hat was stacked or you're just lucky to draw those names. JK
I am gonna have to think about this one. Maybe I will ask my son.
edit: Mybe I will draw strting spots/its all a shot in the dark anyways.

 

Well.... it does seem like you'd draw bad names... but if you thin kabout it, those 3 guys had just as good of a chance as 3 bad names of coming out. I had 31 names in... top 30 plus Trevor Bayne.... they all had the same chance. I got lucky this time though.... I didn't stack the hat. My mom told me I should have showed the inside of the hat to the camera. Maybe at Daytona. LOL!

It's kind of like flipping a coin 6 times and getting it to land 6 times heads up.... well the chances are teh same of that happening as they are of getting heads, tails, heads, tails, heads, tails, or any other combo... 50/50 chance every time you flip. Relatively easy. I was surprised my luck didn't pull like Logano, Reutimann, and Regan Smith though.....

Now if I was picking with my head, I'd go Harvick, Stewart, and Jr... maybe Bowyer. in there instead of Stewart. Instead, I've got a guy with a really abd record of getting in the big one... usually after someone bump drafts him... another guy whom no one wants to work with, but has 1 win here... and another guy who was good here in the early 2000's but hasn't won here in like 5 years.


As far as guys to look out for... David Ragan would have won the 500 in my opinion if not for that call about changing lanes... Edwards is getting sneaky on some of these restricter plate races... Gordon/Johnson are a good combo, Junior is up there... Harvick and Bowyer work really well together, Paul Menard.... the Toyota's would probably blow up, and to my knowledge only one time has any of the Toyota guys won a restircter plate race and that was Pyle O'Bulschit in 2008 at the July Daytona race. Regan Smith showed some promise (SHOCKER) at Daytona when he pushed Kurt Busch across the line.... although he won that Fall '08 race but Stewart pushed him below the line and they gave it to Stewart anyway... I say off turn 4, last lap, all is fair game. And Kurt Busch at one time had the best average finish of any driver with more than 5 starts on restricter plate tracks, no idea if that's still true.

I don't tihnk the two car draft will be as predominant here as it was at Daytona... Talladega in recent years has produced big pack races with like, 2 car drafts launching out in front of it but eventually getting sucked back, and that's what I look for to happen this race.

And on another note, i think there is a conspriacy against the Ford drivers. Trevor Bayne was in the hospital Sunday over an insect bite, and Carl Edwards got sick during the race.... someone out there is trying to cut the Ford drivers chances....... Space????

 

LOL nice video Duane :P

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowboy6622

.... someone out there is trying to cut the Ford drivers chances....... Space????

LoL `Duane, I wish I had the powers ..LOL. If I did have the powers, I would be @ the Top of your Winner's List
I'm just happy not 2 be last from my guesses
I think it's a combination of NASCAR knowledge & Luck..
For me is all `LUCK....U either get it, have it or not....
I've been half-Lucky Great thread & information...Thanks


I will go search 4 the POWER LOL

 

That was cool Duane - but I call shenanigans! That was liking flipping coin aright... and it landed on its edge all 3 times!

Junior will win this one! Jimmie always a solid top 10. So is Bifle. I won't be able to pick 'em better. And I won't be able to video me making my picks because the thief got my camera's.

Only one picks figured out so far:

1. Dale Jr.

 

I seriously did this too... mom said I should have shown you guys the inside of the hat... I really did make 3 lucky draws though. Like I said... if I was going to rig the draw, I'd have rigged it to draw Kevin Harvick anyway! And you can tell I'm a little excited to draw Dale Jr. at the end too... and everyone knows as soon as you lay your bumper to bump draft Biffle, he goes for a loop.... soooooo. Oh, nad last year, we saw a situation where the only driver who would work with Jimmie Johnson was Jeff Gordon. No one wants to help 5 time become 6 time.... but it is early in the year....

 

Might as well make em now.
1>Clint Bowyer
2>Kevin Harvick
3>Carl Edwards
Shot in the dark, and if I am not mistaken, 2 of my 3 are the same from Daytona. Look where that got me. I would have picked Jr, but everyone else will so then I get no where but even. I am on a mission.

 

And 2 of those 3 are the ones I would take if I wasn't drawing them from a hat..... we got to make some stuff happen at Talladega!!!

 

ill be making my picks after so practice runs lol i liked the video Duane thats great stuff

1st Dale Jr
2nd Jimmie Johnson
3rd Trevor Bayne

24,48,5,and 88 up front, that is some crazy crap right there