Already mentioned Mayfield and the success he has at this track but also keep an eye on Mark Martin and Bobby Labonte. Labonte has gotten better in each race and Martin has looked good in the last couple of races. Noticed Labonte qualified 1st today and will sit on the pole with a speed of 182. This is about 4 mph slower than Skinner's record last year...
California
- Thread starter Neemer
- Start date
Careful with Hamilton. He had the worst times in Happy Hour and ya got to think that there might be something wrong with his car. I really liked him in a couple of matchups but that was before I looked at the Happy Hour results...
If any of you fellas don't have an account at Olympic; I'd suggest go and get one before the race tomorrow. They have some REALLY good matchups....
JIMMY SPENCER -115 vs. John Andretti
ELLIOTT SADLER -115 vs. Kyle Petty
MARK MARTIN -115 vs. Jeff Burton
RON HORNADAY -120 vs. Andy Houston
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I have no clue as to why they have a matchup between Jimmy Spencer and John Andretti. Spencer had the 5th fastest time in qualifying while Andretti finished 27th. Both teams with similiar practice times. Spencer has had some pretty good finishes this year with a 9th, 4th, and 10th place. Held the outside pole position in this race just last year. Andretti is one of the drivers running for Petty Enterprises this year along with Buckshot Jones & Kyle Petty. It's no secret that Petty Enterprises is lacking in the engine department. Besides Andretti's 2nd place finish at Bristol, he's been finishing in the mid 30's most every race. I'll side with the better Dodge team in this matchup...
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Sadler & Petty is another very strange matchup. You fellas know how I feel about Kyle and his Nascar performances. I don't mean to sound like an asshole, but I really think Kyle Petty would have his hands full in the Busch as well as the truck series. He has failed to qualify this year in FIVE races so far this year. His best finish so far has been a 16th place showing in the 1st race of the season. Average finish this year is 35.2. Saddler on the other hand has actually found himself in winner's circle this year at the Bristol race. He has qualified his car in EVERY race so far this year. Average finish this year is 19.2. To tell ya the truth, I'd be extremely surprised to see Petty finish the race! If Saddler can keep his car out of trouble, this should be a cup cake "W". This is the best matchup I've seen so far...
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Mark Martin it seems as though has been getting better each and every week. It has been a really slow start for the Viagra car, but they do still have all the pieces that makes for a good Nascar team. Martin and his crew have had good qualifying and practice sessions all week long. Martin has stated this week that its the best the car has felt all year long. Finished 4th last week at Talladaga. Burton on the other hand was actually the favorite to win the Winston Cup points championship for the year 2001. Needless to say, there were lots of folks that were wrong with that assumption. Qualified 21st for the Napa race and has had decent practice runs this week. Average finish this year is 23.8 with the best being at Virginia when he finished in 3rd place. No doubt that his team has improved throughout the season, but I still think this is a matchup that Martin should handle quite easily...
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If anyone watched the race last week, you would have seen that Hornaday had one of the best cars on the track. Even the announcers for Fox were impressed with the speed of his ride. Last four races has finished in the middle of the pack with his best being in the Chrysler 400(9th). His car has qualified for EVERY Nascar race so far this year. Average finish is 26.8. Hornaday's rookie season so far this year has been very gratifying for himself and his crew. Hornaday had a fabulous Busch career and was the points champion in the Craftsman Truck Series. Houston's car on the other hand has had trouble qualifying for races so far this year in Winston Cup. He DNQ in 3 races so far this season. His best was a 17th place finish at Virginia. Hornaday has the better team and the better car and should handle Houston pretty easily....
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Some others that I am looking at:
JERRY NADEAU -130 over Bill Elliott
MAYFIELD -115 over Ward Burton
JOE NEMECHEK +100 over Ken Schrader
RICKY CRAVEN +100 over Robert Pressley
JIMMY SPENCER -115 vs. John Andretti
ELLIOTT SADLER -115 vs. Kyle Petty
MARK MARTIN -115 vs. Jeff Burton
RON HORNADAY -120 vs. Andy Houston
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I have no clue as to why they have a matchup between Jimmy Spencer and John Andretti. Spencer had the 5th fastest time in qualifying while Andretti finished 27th. Both teams with similiar practice times. Spencer has had some pretty good finishes this year with a 9th, 4th, and 10th place. Held the outside pole position in this race just last year. Andretti is one of the drivers running for Petty Enterprises this year along with Buckshot Jones & Kyle Petty. It's no secret that Petty Enterprises is lacking in the engine department. Besides Andretti's 2nd place finish at Bristol, he's been finishing in the mid 30's most every race. I'll side with the better Dodge team in this matchup...
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Sadler & Petty is another very strange matchup. You fellas know how I feel about Kyle and his Nascar performances. I don't mean to sound like an asshole, but I really think Kyle Petty would have his hands full in the Busch as well as the truck series. He has failed to qualify this year in FIVE races so far this year. His best finish so far has been a 16th place showing in the 1st race of the season. Average finish this year is 35.2. Saddler on the other hand has actually found himself in winner's circle this year at the Bristol race. He has qualified his car in EVERY race so far this year. Average finish this year is 19.2. To tell ya the truth, I'd be extremely surprised to see Petty finish the race! If Saddler can keep his car out of trouble, this should be a cup cake "W". This is the best matchup I've seen so far...
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Mark Martin it seems as though has been getting better each and every week. It has been a really slow start for the Viagra car, but they do still have all the pieces that makes for a good Nascar team. Martin and his crew have had good qualifying and practice sessions all week long. Martin has stated this week that its the best the car has felt all year long. Finished 4th last week at Talladaga. Burton on the other hand was actually the favorite to win the Winston Cup points championship for the year 2001. Needless to say, there were lots of folks that were wrong with that assumption. Qualified 21st for the Napa race and has had decent practice runs this week. Average finish this year is 23.8 with the best being at Virginia when he finished in 3rd place. No doubt that his team has improved throughout the season, but I still think this is a matchup that Martin should handle quite easily...
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If anyone watched the race last week, you would have seen that Hornaday had one of the best cars on the track. Even the announcers for Fox were impressed with the speed of his ride. Last four races has finished in the middle of the pack with his best being in the Chrysler 400(9th). His car has qualified for EVERY Nascar race so far this year. Average finish is 26.8. Hornaday's rookie season so far this year has been very gratifying for himself and his crew. Hornaday had a fabulous Busch career and was the points champion in the Craftsman Truck Series. Houston's car on the other hand has had trouble qualifying for races so far this year in Winston Cup. He DNQ in 3 races so far this season. His best was a 17th place finish at Virginia. Hornaday has the better team and the better car and should handle Houston pretty easily....
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Some others that I am looking at:
JERRY NADEAU -130 over Bill Elliott
MAYFIELD -115 over Ward Burton
JOE NEMECHEK +100 over Ken Schrader
RICKY CRAVEN +100 over Robert Pressley
Mark Martin says his luck is about to turn around.
After finishing fourth last week at Talladega -- his first top-5 finish of the season and second top-10 in three races -- who can argue with him?
"I think if we could make it out of Talladega in one piece, that's a sign our luck has changed for the better," he said.
What's more, Martin comes to a track where he's had a great deal of success. He has three top-15 finishes in four Winston Cup starts at California Speedway, and he won the 1998 California 500. Martin was also 10th in this race a year ago. He'll start this year's race from the 10th spot after posting a speed of 181.182.
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Jeff Gordon probably wouldn't mind if all NASCAR Winston Cup races were held in California. Gordon, driver of the DuPont Chevrolet and a native of Vallejo, Calif., has won five of the past eight Winston Cup events in his home state. He will look to make it six-for-nine this Sunday in the NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway
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Bobby Hamilton, coming off a victory last Sunday in Talladega, Ala., has finished 18th or worse in each of the four California races.
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Winston Cup driver Matt Kenseth hopes he can get back the win he thought he had last season at the race at California Speedway. Kenseth had one of the best cars and led late in the race when a decision to take four tires on a pit stop while others took two left him in third place at the finish
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Kyle Petty often feels more like a mother hen than a race driver these days, overseeing a struggling three-car team. Buckshot Jones, who joined the Petty team this year, is 37th in the standings, has not finished better than 16th and failed to make Sunday's 43-car starting field. Kyle, in his 22nd season in Winston Cup racing, has qualified for only five of the first nine races, also hasn't finished better than 16th and is 45th in the points. As far as Kyle is concerned, the problem has been inconsistency in the equipment. The equipment is not allowing the drivers and teams to do what they want to do. That's our problem at Petty Enterprises. We've got to give them better stuff."
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Hornaday, a native of Palmdale, Calif, makes his first career Winston Cup start at California Speedway in Sunday's NAPA 500. Although it's his first series start at the 2-mile track, Hornaday has plenty of experience racing out west. He owns 17 Winston West series victories, finished second in the series and was named most popular driver in 1994. He also won the NASCAR Southwest Tour series title in 1992 and 1993.
Hornaday went on to join Dale Earnhardt Inc. and won two NASCAR Truck series titles in 1996 and 1998 and competed last season in the Grand National series before being tapped to drive A.J. Foyt's No. 14 Pontiacs in the Winston Cup series this year. "They feel like I'm one of their boys and I'm holding this end up. We want to run real well here and we want to run good. Hopefully this is one of our best finishes."
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PRACTICE UPDATES
An early morning layer of fog delayed the start of what was scheduled as the day's only practice session, so the teams got about 50 minutes in the morning and 45 more after the Grand National race. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Chevrolet was second fastest behind Ward Burton's Dodge in the morning practice, but Dale Jr. got to run just a few laps before he blew an engine. Burton came back in the afternoon and topped the chart once again, followed by Todd Bodine, Sterling Marlin, Johnny Benson and Jeff Gordon.
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Jimmy Spencer qualified second here last year and starts ninth Sunday. Teammate Todd Bodine starts on the outside of the front row and was second fastest in Saturday afternoon's final practice. That's enough reason to believe their Fords might be worth keeping an eye on Sunday
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Last year's winner Mayfield starts third behind B. Labonte and T. Bodine. Last week's winner is taking a provisional. With fuel mileage in mind, the Dodges haven't been getting the greatest MPG, but the Pontiacs seem to fare well on this playing field. Ought to prove interesting.
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Hard to imagine Ward Burton coming away with a Win from here, but he apparently has the best car so far....
After finishing fourth last week at Talladega -- his first top-5 finish of the season and second top-10 in three races -- who can argue with him?
"I think if we could make it out of Talladega in one piece, that's a sign our luck has changed for the better," he said.
What's more, Martin comes to a track where he's had a great deal of success. He has three top-15 finishes in four Winston Cup starts at California Speedway, and he won the 1998 California 500. Martin was also 10th in this race a year ago. He'll start this year's race from the 10th spot after posting a speed of 181.182.
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Jeff Gordon probably wouldn't mind if all NASCAR Winston Cup races were held in California. Gordon, driver of the DuPont Chevrolet and a native of Vallejo, Calif., has won five of the past eight Winston Cup events in his home state. He will look to make it six-for-nine this Sunday in the NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway
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Bobby Hamilton, coming off a victory last Sunday in Talladega, Ala., has finished 18th or worse in each of the four California races.
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Winston Cup driver Matt Kenseth hopes he can get back the win he thought he had last season at the race at California Speedway. Kenseth had one of the best cars and led late in the race when a decision to take four tires on a pit stop while others took two left him in third place at the finish
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Kyle Petty often feels more like a mother hen than a race driver these days, overseeing a struggling three-car team. Buckshot Jones, who joined the Petty team this year, is 37th in the standings, has not finished better than 16th and failed to make Sunday's 43-car starting field. Kyle, in his 22nd season in Winston Cup racing, has qualified for only five of the first nine races, also hasn't finished better than 16th and is 45th in the points. As far as Kyle is concerned, the problem has been inconsistency in the equipment. The equipment is not allowing the drivers and teams to do what they want to do. That's our problem at Petty Enterprises. We've got to give them better stuff."
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Hornaday, a native of Palmdale, Calif, makes his first career Winston Cup start at California Speedway in Sunday's NAPA 500. Although it's his first series start at the 2-mile track, Hornaday has plenty of experience racing out west. He owns 17 Winston West series victories, finished second in the series and was named most popular driver in 1994. He also won the NASCAR Southwest Tour series title in 1992 and 1993.
Hornaday went on to join Dale Earnhardt Inc. and won two NASCAR Truck series titles in 1996 and 1998 and competed last season in the Grand National series before being tapped to drive A.J. Foyt's No. 14 Pontiacs in the Winston Cup series this year. "They feel like I'm one of their boys and I'm holding this end up. We want to run real well here and we want to run good. Hopefully this is one of our best finishes."
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PRACTICE UPDATES
An early morning layer of fog delayed the start of what was scheduled as the day's only practice session, so the teams got about 50 minutes in the morning and 45 more after the Grand National race. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Chevrolet was second fastest behind Ward Burton's Dodge in the morning practice, but Dale Jr. got to run just a few laps before he blew an engine. Burton came back in the afternoon and topped the chart once again, followed by Todd Bodine, Sterling Marlin, Johnny Benson and Jeff Gordon.
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Jimmy Spencer qualified second here last year and starts ninth Sunday. Teammate Todd Bodine starts on the outside of the front row and was second fastest in Saturday afternoon's final practice. That's enough reason to believe their Fords might be worth keeping an eye on Sunday
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Last year's winner Mayfield starts third behind B. Labonte and T. Bodine. Last week's winner is taking a provisional. With fuel mileage in mind, the Dodges haven't been getting the greatest MPG, but the Pontiacs seem to fare well on this playing field. Ought to prove interesting.
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Hard to imagine Ward Burton coming away with a Win from here, but he apparently has the best car so far....
Go figure; Petty already taking extra pit stop to correct something. 1 lap down with 1/2 race left...
It seems like every time I see Mark Martin's car, #6 sponsored by Viagra, it is on fire, has just crashed or is about to crash!
The Viagra Car... Takes a licking and keeps on ticking! It's amazing how it is back every race looking good as new! Oh.. it IS new! I get it!
I wonder if any sportsbook would take a wager on whether Martin's car will or will not finish the race intact!
AzRusty
The Viagra Car... Takes a licking and keeps on ticking! It's amazing how it is back every race looking good as new! Oh.. it IS new! I get it!
I wonder if any sportsbook would take a wager on whether Martin's car will or will not finish the race intact!
AzRusty
I will tell ya this...,,,.. he and his Viagra team haven't done chit so far this season. If I was Mark, I'd think about getting rid of that blue pill on his hood...
