- Bring your heavy jackets. Temps for the weekend will be in the upper 50's during the day and upper 20's at night. Track temperature will be a factor, as it will warm up rapidly from subfreezing temperatures the night before the race. The pit crews that adjust to rapidly rising track temperatures and adjust the cars accordingly will have those cars in the front.
- The cars that have good handling will move to the front quickly. AMS is the fastest 1.5 mile track on the circuit, and good handling is at a premium.
- Look for the usual suspects to run up front: Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards.
- Thinking of you: Bill Elliott aka Awesome Bill from Dawsonville. (Too bad the Wood Brothers are running a part-time schedule; Elliott would still be competitive with major sponsorship for a full season, IMO.)
- The teams that are struggling now need to make a strong run here to kick-start their Chase chances. I look for Kurt Busch to make a strong run to move himself closer to the top 12. Dale Earnhardt Jr NEEDS a strong top 10 finish to put himself closer to the top 12, if not break into the top 12. Consequently, those teams that have a bad run that are outside the top 12 at the start of the race will have a much steeper climb the rest of the season.
- Juan Pablo Montoya is languishing in 26th place in the standings. He's been the victim of bad racing luck this season. A good run will be the tonic the #42 team needs to kick start his season. Consequently, a bad run will put him closer to 35th going into Bristol.
- Now begins the scramble to stay within the top 35 in points, because after Bristol next week, those that are outside the top 35 are not automatic entries.
Predicted race winner: Jimmie Johnson. The #48 team is hitting on all cylinders and rips the heart out of Kevin Harvick by passing Happy on the final turn to win. The rest of the top 5: 2) Harvick; 3) Kurt Busch; 4) Jeff Gordon; 5) Matt Kenseth.
Darkhorse top 10 finisher: Scott Speed. He has shown vast improvement and will finally crack the top 10. (And thus live up to his last name.)
Weather information courtesy of www.weather.com.
10 comments:
Oh how I'd hate to see Jimmie win AGAIN! I say, "Go Carl!" QUACK, QUACK, dammit!
You dont know Quack Ragan! LOL But who doesnt love love?
Good one Jon - Kurt should be a factor considering how he dominated last year as long as he doesnt get caught up in more wrecks not of his doing. It would be great if Junior were in the mix too!
JJ, Harvick, Big Daddy and Kenseth seem to have their stuff together.
You're right, I don't know Quack!
And I don't love love . . . it just confuses me. ;p
I will be content to see any one win but the Jimmie and Chad show. Hey even Mikey Waltrip would be good .
Good G&G. Really don't want to have to see Jimmie win for the third straight week, but it could very well end up that way. Regardless, I think Gordon and Kenseth will give him a run for his money...
Nice stuff, Jon.
I hope your jinx works as well this week as it did last. LOL
I really hope that Chad is not trying to prove a point. That they can win anytime, not just during the Chase. I would have to quit watching if that's the case.
RA6AN, I think Edwards will definitely be a factor. Atlanta is where he got his first Cup win (over Jimmie, ironically). And he always seems to run his best at the ATL. It wouldn't surprise me to see him doing a postrace back flip.
Kristen, thanks. Hopefully Kurt won't get caught up in someone else's mishap. He is the defending race winner, and another win isn't out of the question. But he has history against him--no one has won back to back spring races in Atlanta since Cale Yarborough in 1968-69. As for Junior, this is the race that could make or break his year, and perhaps his career. I see a season-long battle between JJ, Happy, Kenseth, and Big Daddy for the title.
Photogr, ME TOO!
Gonger, thanks. Don't count out Jeff Gordon. That's a good choice. I think he's got that hunger in the belly back and he's loaded for bear.
Gene, thanks. I hope so too! I may have to pick JJ every week just to jinx him! But if anyone is impervious to the Jon Jinx, it's JJ. (Look at all those J's in there!!) If Chad and JJ keep winning, I may have to watch hockey and baseball until the NFL season.
JUNIOR IS ON THE POLE! JUNIOR IS ON THE POLE! GOOOOOOOOOOOO, DALE!!!
sounds good Jon. I miss Bill Elliott too.
How come he was able to be such a cool quiet champion and loved so much as opposed to the other top drivers?
Never figured that one out.
Beverly, he's been strong in practice as well. What's surprising is that JJ's been in the middle as far as practice, and he's qualified 20th.
Fireballr7, I think it's because he's always been readily accessible to the fans, and he's genuine.
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