Everybody pick a driver each week. Nobody picks the same guy, picking is first come first served. The thread will be posted weekly AFTER QUALIFYING. Then, starting with the first Chase race at New Hampshire, the posters shall be assigned to the driver corresponding in the NEXTEL CUP standings. They keep this driver for the duration of the Chase. The players will also get to pick a driver out of the Chase to make things more interesting. And rack up the points for the championship.

For the second driver picked each week, you cannot pick one of the leftover chase drivers. The chase drivers not picked are effectively dead to us. Until they wreck out your guy and then you'll wish they were someplace else.


Standings

Pts.
Qual.
Pts.Back


2,323-Darren-Tinley Park
1st__JIMMIE JOHNSON
6th__Ryan Newman
Leader

2,179-SHARK
15th__CARL EDWARDS
10th__Mark Martin
-144

1,926-Baby McNown
7th__JEFF GORDON
4th__David Reutimann
-397

1,911-donspiracy
28th__CLINT BOWYER
3rd___Kurt Busch
-412

1,903-redneckmommy
31st__GREG BIFFLE
11th__Kasey Kahne
-420

1,833-City Of Fools
8th__DENNY HAMLIN
13th_A.J. Allmendinger
-490

1,815-spanky
14th_KYLE BUSCH
12th_Reed Sorenson
-508

1,813-RFDC
5th__DALE EARNHARDT JR.
2nd__Jamie McMurray
-510

1,676-Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
29th__TONY STEWART
9th___Paul Menard
-647

Chase drivers NO LONGER available:
JEFF BURTON,
KEVIN HARVICK,
MATT KENSETH.


RACE LINEUP
Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil | Phoenix International Raceway
November 9, 2008 | Race 35 of 36


POS CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR__________________________SPEED TIME BEHIND
1 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's______________________134.725 26.721 Leader
2 26 Jamie McMurray Ford IRWIN Industrial Tools_____________134.625 26.741 -0.020
3 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite___________________________134.529 26.760 -0.039
4 44 David Reutimann Toyota UPS_________________________134.514 26.763 -0.042
5 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet AMP Energy / National Guard__134.108 26.844 -0.123
6 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Alltel____________________________133.794 26.907 -0.186
7 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont_________________________133.730 26.920 -0.199
8 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Ground____________________133.685 26.929 -0.208
9 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet PEAK / Menards_________________133.591 26.948 -0.227
10 8 Mark Martin Chevrolet U.S. Army______________________133.482 26.970 -0.249
11 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Budweiser________________________133.412 26.984 -0.263
12 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target / AMP___________________133.378 26.991 -0.270
13 10 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge McDonald's___________________133.328 27.001 -0.280
14 18 Kyle Busch Toyota Pedigree_________________________133.323 27.002 -0.281
15 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot_______________________133.304 27.006 -0.285
16 5 Casey Mears Chevrolet Cheez-It / CARQUEST____________133.304 27.006 -0.285
17 66 Scott Riggs Chevrolet State Water Heaters_____________133.195 27.028 -0.307
18 347 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Little Debbie_________________133.171 27.033 -0.312
19 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil________________133.151 27.037 -0.316
20 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker_______132.993 27.069 -0.348
21 01 Regan Smith* Chevrolet DEI / Principal Financial Group____132.959 27.076 -0.355
22 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Siemens__________________________132.846 27.099 -0.378
23 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Bad Boy Mowers___________________132.846 27.099 -0.378
24 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet AT&T Mobility____________________132.836 27.101 -0.380
25 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA AUTO PARTS______________132.792 27.110 -0.389
26 42 Juan Montoya Dodge Texaco / Havoline_________________132.787 27.111 -0.390
27 7 Robby Gordon Dodge Jim Beam / Operation Homefront_______132.690 27.131 -0.410
28 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel's_____________________132.636 27.142 -0.421
29 20 Tony Stewart Toyota The Home Depot__________________132.621 27.145 -0.424
30 6 David Ragan Ford AAA Insurance________________________132.567 27.156 -0.435
31 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M / Red Cross_________________________132.543 27.161 -0.440
32 96 Ken Schrader Toyota DLP HDTV________________________132.489 27.172 -0.451
33 77 Sam Hornish Jr.* Dodge Mobil 1________________________132.387 27.193 -0.472
34 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT___________________________132.280 27.215 -0.494
35 45 Kyle Petty Dodge Wells Fargo__________________________132.120 27.248 -0.527
36 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull__________________________132.110 27.250 -0.529
37 109 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Miccosukee Resort & Gaming_____131.989 27.275 -0.554
38 84 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull__________________________131.926 27.288 -0.567
39 21 Bill Elliott Ford Little Debbie___________________________131.873 27.299 -0.578
40 28 Travis Kvapil Ford All Sport___________________________131.815 27.311 -0.590
41 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios / Betty Crocker___________131.776 27.319 -0.598
42 38 David Gilliland+ Ford Digital TV Transition________________- - -
43 70 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet Haas Automation_______________131.839 27.306 -0.585

Did Not Qualify
44 78 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet Furniture Row Racing____________- - -

+ Set by Owner Points
* Denotes Rookie

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Jamie McMurray

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I think it's between Jimmie Johnson's #48 Lowe's Chevy & Carl Edwards' #99 Office Depot Ford for the Sprint Cup title with 2 races remaining...I saw Mark Martin's #8 U.S. Army Chevy listed a couple weeks ago in the Sun-Times Media Challenge, but Aric Almirola raced in his place. The veteran Martin is my pick Sunday at Phoenix...

Please don't kick me in Menard(s).

I read somewhere here before and it's still funny.

_________________
You know me like that.

Dr. Ken is the Colonel Angus of NASCAR predictions.

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Fire Phil Emery

Kurt Busch

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

In the immortal words of Jerry Seinfeld ... "Newman."

Reed Sorenson.

_________________

HEY!! I'm 2nd with a bullet in my 25 team full-season NASCAR leauge and reeling in #1.

Go study!

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You know me like that.

How close is Jimmie Johnson to winning the Sprint Cup title for the third straight year? If the driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevy gains 57 more points on Carl Edwards and his #99 Office Depot Ford tomorrow in Phoenix, Jimmie only needs to start next Sunday in the final race of the season in Homestead, FL to clinch the title. He'd be the first NASCAR driver to three-peat since Cale Yarborough between 1976-78. If I'm an ABC Sports/ESPN executive, somebody other than Jimmie needs to win tomorrow to make next Sunday's finale relevant.

Standings

Pts.
Fin-Pts.
TotalPts.____Pts.Back


2,323-Darren-Tinley Park
1st-195__JIMMIE JOHNSON
34th-61__Ryan Newman
2,579______Leader

2,179-SHARK
4th-160__CARL EDWARDS
14th-121__Mark Martin
2,460______-119

1,911-donspiracy
12th-127__CLINT BOWYER
2nd-175___Kurt Busch
2,213______-366

1,903-redneckmommy
11th-135__GREG BIFFLE
13th-124__Kasey Kahne
2,162______-417

1,813-RFDC
6th-150__DALE EARNHARDT JR.
3rd-170__Jamie McMurray
2,133______-446

1,833-City Of Fools
5th-155__DENNY HAMLIN
16th-115_A.J. Allmendinger
2,103______-476

1,926-Baby McNown
41st-40__JEFF GORDON
25th-88__David Reutimann
2,054______-525

1,815-spanky
8th-142_KYLE BUSCH
31st-70_Reed Sorenson
2,027______-552

1,676-Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
22nd-97__TONY STEWART
26th-85___Paul Menard
1,858______-721

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Jimmie Johnson claimed the checkered flag yesterday in Phoenix, but due to ABC's prime time lineup, the finish of the race was seen on ESPN2 due to time constraints with the network. I heard that it actually rained for a time out there at Phoenix, and that it prompted a red flag stopping the race for a time Sunday afternoon. Jimmie all but clinched the Sprint Cup title with one race remaining next Sunday in Homestead, FL. Kurt Busch's #2 Miller Lite Dodge finished 2nd yesterday, Jamie McMurray's #26 Crown Royal Ford finished 3rd, Carl Edwards' #99 Office Depot Ford finished 4th & Denny Hamlin's #11 FedEx TOYOTA finished 5th. In the all-important points derby, Jimmie's #48 Lowe's Chevy leads Carl's #99 Office Depot Ford by 141 points with one race to go. All you need to know is this...If Jimmie finishes 36th or higher Sunday at the Ford 500, Jimmie is the Sprint Cup Champion for a third straight season.

That's all fine and dandy, but what does all this mean for DTP in the Nascar Pick'em?

Darren, it's all but over, and Jimmie doesn't have much in the way of appeal & personality in my opinion. It defeats the purpose of tuning in when Jimmie & Chad Knaus finds a way to win when it really matters since NASCAR adapted the "Chase for the Cup". If I'm an ESPN/ABC Sports' executive, Jimmie's win yesterday means fewer viewers Sunday, not that NASCAR is that competitive opposite the Bears & the NFL.

It means JJ will most likely park the car once eight cars are out of the race. DTP, assume that JJ will finish in the bottom half of the field.

Yes CSFMB fans, it's a two horse race going to Homestead. DTP has a 119 point lead over SHARK and everbody else is just watching and looking to sneak in on the championship podium. Look for Carl Edwards to have another great weekend as he's also in the running for the Nationwide Series title.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded