Greetings to all! Hope everybody had a very Happy Easter. It was certainly nice hearing people worship God and Jesus our Savior last weekend instead of the Hendrick boys. I'd say they deserved it, wouldn't you?
If you didn't get to watch the Texas race 2 weeks ago, you missed nothing. The race was unarguably the most boring I've seen all year, and the announcers were their usual selves, drooling over anything with a bow-tie on the bumper. In the end, Jeff Gordon broke a 47-race winless streak, as well as winning at Texas for the first time ever, both of which I was very aware of after the conclusion of the event, thanks to Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, and of course, Darrell Waltrip.
However, I will give kudos to Mr. Waltrip for his Fox pre-race show rant about NASCAR not allowing the drivers to be themselves. I responded with my own article on Playerpress.com. Now, hopefully someone's listening.
Last weekend, the NASCAR Nationwide Series raced at Nashville Superspeedway, which is actually only 1 1/4 miles long. Joey Logano earned the victory in his Gamestop Toyota, and took home the coolest trophy in NASCAR, the Gibson Guitar. I guess that would make him the "Guitar Hero".
Wow, that was bad.
On that note, time for some picks. 2 weeks ago, I correctly predicted 2 top 5 drivers(affectionately called "top-5ers on this site). Thankfully, they just so happened to be the 2 guys who have won the last 4 Phoenix races, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Naturally, they're in by default. And all 5 of my picks from Texas finished in the top 15. And as I improve, my comment wall gets quieter and quieter. I miss Ruel.
Here's this week's potential top 5:
5.Greg Biffle
4.Jeff Gordon
3.Kyle Busch
2.Jimmie Johnson
1.Denny Hamlin
Hamlin bumps Johnson out of the way to win it. That's how I see it playing out. Unfortunately, for Yours Truly, I will not be able to catch the race this weekend. I will be spending an extra weekend not worshipping anything with a bow-tie on the bumper, and instead worshipping our higher powers. This week, you the fans will have to fill me, the Hopper, in on what went down in the dessert. Unless my family is kind enough to tape it. In which case, I hope I've been nice enough to them over the course of the past 16 years. My fate depends on them this weekend. That's all folks! Have a Happy Sunday!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Samsung 500 Preview
Okay, so Martinsville wasn't the best race ever. But at least it wasn't boring like it usually is. In fact, come to think of it, none of the races(except California, by default) have been "boring" this season. They've all had at least some excitement, or at least intermittent caution flags.
While I wasn't too thrilled with the outcome of the race(i.e. the winner), I could not complain. For the first time all year, all 5 of Hopper's picks finished on the lead lap. And, Hopper had 3 correct drivers in his top 5, a season best. Hopper also missed winning by one measly Jimmie Johnson bump. Sigh.
Now, on to Texas. I'd like to predict 10 cautions. And since this is my blog, I will. I'm still waiting on the Junior/Vickers retaliation deal. I don't know whose turn it is, but somebody please hit somebody. Oh, by the way, I finally got my NASCAR '09 game to work. Turns out, the key was to actually play other video games for awhile first, and then put the game I really want to play into the console. The answer always ends up being so simple!
Ok, I can see you're bored. Time for picks:
5.Jeff Gordon
4.Jimmie Johnson
3.Denny Hamlin
2.Carl Edwards
1.Kurt Busch
Kurt will get 'er done this week. And of course, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th place drivers all earned themselves a spot based on last week's performance. That's all for this week. Have a Happy Sunday!
Note: The Easter Bunny is coming next week, so no picks! Unless you want me to predict the outcome of the Nationwide race.
While I wasn't too thrilled with the outcome of the race(i.e. the winner), I could not complain. For the first time all year, all 5 of Hopper's picks finished on the lead lap. And, Hopper had 3 correct drivers in his top 5, a season best. Hopper also missed winning by one measly Jimmie Johnson bump. Sigh.
Now, on to Texas. I'd like to predict 10 cautions. And since this is my blog, I will. I'm still waiting on the Junior/Vickers retaliation deal. I don't know whose turn it is, but somebody please hit somebody. Oh, by the way, I finally got my NASCAR '09 game to work. Turns out, the key was to actually play other video games for awhile first, and then put the game I really want to play into the console. The answer always ends up being so simple!
Ok, I can see you're bored. Time for picks:
5.Jeff Gordon
4.Jimmie Johnson
3.Denny Hamlin
2.Carl Edwards
1.Kurt Busch
Kurt will get 'er done this week. And of course, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th place drivers all earned themselves a spot based on last week's performance. That's all for this week. Have a Happy Sunday!
Note: The Easter Bunny is coming next week, so no picks! Unless you want me to predict the outcome of the Nationwide race.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 Preview
Microsoft's XBox 360s are flawless. Darrell Waltrip is the most knowledgeable mind ever to walk the planet. Last week, I totally meant to pick Kyle Busch instead of Kurt.
What do these 3 statements have in common? None of them are true, but they sure do sound good. Well, okay, two of them don't.
For anyone wishing to follow up on the status of my beloved NASCAR '09 game, I do indeed have an update for you. The darn thing still won't cooperate. At least I had Bristol's excitement to cheer me up last Sunday though, right?
Well, the cars were in Bristol. They ran a race. But it all seemed so hollow. When, after 500 laps, the biggest skirmish of the day involved only Todd Bodine and Michael Waltrip, I felt as if I had just watched a Talladega race, only without a "Big One". It was like watching something as trivial as rain cancel the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. In other words, something was missing.
So, I've gone through the week trying to tell myself that Martinsville will be better. Haha, yeah right. Martinsville calls itself a short track, but very seldom do you see any big wrecks there(Okay NASCAR gods, cast your ugly wrath upon me by proving me wrong once again! This time, for the sake of the fans.).
Will Martinsville produce more than the 8 cautions we saw in northern Tennessee? Or is it southern Virginia? Who cares? My gut says no. My heart says yes. So, I'm gonna go against both and say that we will have exactly 8 caution flags.
Last week at Bristol brought be 2 top 5ers. Not bad, but it could be better. The top 5ers were Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin. Naturally, this means that both drivers have earned a spot in this week's top 5. Also, no Junior-Vickers retaliation last week, so I will carry on that prediction to Martinsville. Now, I had originally thought about picking Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon to win this week. But that seemed too logical. I mean, what would my good buddy say if I actually made a logical pick(No offense Denny Hamlin)? He wouldn't know what to do. So, without further ado, here's my Martinsville top 5:
5.Jeff Gordon
4.Jamie McMurray
3.Jimmie Johnson
2.Kurt Busch
1.Denny Hamlin
Yes, going with Denny for the repeat, and Kurt Busch with a rebound this week. Before I sign off, I'd like to thank anyone who joined the Hopper Fan Club on Facebook. After one week, we already have over a dozen members. If you have a Facebook and you haven't joined, feel free to join the Club! That's all for this week. Have a Happy Sunday!
What do these 3 statements have in common? None of them are true, but they sure do sound good. Well, okay, two of them don't.
For anyone wishing to follow up on the status of my beloved NASCAR '09 game, I do indeed have an update for you. The darn thing still won't cooperate. At least I had Bristol's excitement to cheer me up last Sunday though, right?
Well, the cars were in Bristol. They ran a race. But it all seemed so hollow. When, after 500 laps, the biggest skirmish of the day involved only Todd Bodine and Michael Waltrip, I felt as if I had just watched a Talladega race, only without a "Big One". It was like watching something as trivial as rain cancel the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. In other words, something was missing.
So, I've gone through the week trying to tell myself that Martinsville will be better. Haha, yeah right. Martinsville calls itself a short track, but very seldom do you see any big wrecks there(Okay NASCAR gods, cast your ugly wrath upon me by proving me wrong once again! This time, for the sake of the fans.).
Will Martinsville produce more than the 8 cautions we saw in northern Tennessee? Or is it southern Virginia? Who cares? My gut says no. My heart says yes. So, I'm gonna go against both and say that we will have exactly 8 caution flags.
Last week at Bristol brought be 2 top 5ers. Not bad, but it could be better. The top 5ers were Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin. Naturally, this means that both drivers have earned a spot in this week's top 5. Also, no Junior-Vickers retaliation last week, so I will carry on that prediction to Martinsville. Now, I had originally thought about picking Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon to win this week. But that seemed too logical. I mean, what would my good buddy say if I actually made a logical pick(No offense Denny Hamlin)? He wouldn't know what to do. So, without further ado, here's my Martinsville top 5:
5.Jeff Gordon
4.Jamie McMurray
3.Jimmie Johnson
2.Kurt Busch
1.Denny Hamlin
Yes, going with Denny for the repeat, and Kurt Busch with a rebound this week. Before I sign off, I'd like to thank anyone who joined the Hopper Fan Club on Facebook. After one week, we already have over a dozen members. If you have a Facebook and you haven't joined, feel free to join the Club! That's all for this week. Have a Happy Sunday!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Food City 500 Preview
Thank goodness that off-weekend is over! I didn't know what to do with myself this past weekend. I tried to get my NASCAR fix in any way I could, but no matter what I did, nothing seemed to work.
I began with sticking my NASCAR 09 XBox game into my 360, in hopes that perhaps I could quench my NASCAR thirst. Instead, all I got was a message across the screen that said, "Disk unreadable!". To this day, that's still all I've gotten. My NASCAR 09 game appears to be deceased. This makes me sad.
Still thirsty for something NASCAR, I channel surfed for awhile. Finally, I came across the Disney/Pixar movie Cars. Now, don't get me wrong, Cars is a good movie. But trying to quench your NASCAR thirst by watching that movie would be like quenching your real-life thirst by drinking a shot of highly caffeinated Pepsi. In other words, it just makes things worse.
I somehow made it through my Sunday, which quite frankly, seemed to last longer than these 4 days since. Anyway, the action at Bristol begins tomorrow with practice and qualifying for the Cup and Nationwide series. But, before we can move on to Bristol, let's briefly review Atlanta.
Let's see, Mark Martin lead from the Pole, and then Kurt Busch lead, and then Kurt Busch lead, and then Marcos Ambrose's gas man went to fetch a tire, which would have brought out a caution anyway, but the crew man is being blamed for the caution, and then Kurt Busch lead. Well, you get the picture.
In all honesty, it was good to see Kurt finally go out and show us what he, and Dodge, are still made of. Unfortunately for me, Dodge's success did nothing to help my picks record this year, although I was still able to keep my streak of picking one top 5 driver every week alive. Yes, Carl Edwards, with his third place finish, was my lone top 5er in the ATL.
Now, we can move on to Bristol. I predict 20 cautions. No, seriously. If Atlanta can have double-digit cautions then Bristol can have 20. Oh, and I'm seeing a little Brian Vickers/Dale Jr. revenge this week. I just don't know who will run into whom. And now, my top 5 picks for Bristol:
5.Denny Hamlin
4.Jeff Gordon
3.Jeff Burton
2.Carl Edwards
1.Kurt Busch
I can't tell you how much I hate picking Kurt to win this week, especially after the proverbial hex I put on a couple of Ford drivers last week. But you can't go on thinking you're a human jinx, even if your most loyal readers hint at the fact. That's all for this week. Have a Happy Sunday!
I began with sticking my NASCAR 09 XBox game into my 360, in hopes that perhaps I could quench my NASCAR thirst. Instead, all I got was a message across the screen that said, "Disk unreadable!". To this day, that's still all I've gotten. My NASCAR 09 game appears to be deceased. This makes me sad.
Still thirsty for something NASCAR, I channel surfed for awhile. Finally, I came across the Disney/Pixar movie Cars. Now, don't get me wrong, Cars is a good movie. But trying to quench your NASCAR thirst by watching that movie would be like quenching your real-life thirst by drinking a shot of highly caffeinated Pepsi. In other words, it just makes things worse.
I somehow made it through my Sunday, which quite frankly, seemed to last longer than these 4 days since. Anyway, the action at Bristol begins tomorrow with practice and qualifying for the Cup and Nationwide series. But, before we can move on to Bristol, let's briefly review Atlanta.
Let's see, Mark Martin lead from the Pole, and then Kurt Busch lead, and then Kurt Busch lead, and then Marcos Ambrose's gas man went to fetch a tire, which would have brought out a caution anyway, but the crew man is being blamed for the caution, and then Kurt Busch lead. Well, you get the picture.
In all honesty, it was good to see Kurt finally go out and show us what he, and Dodge, are still made of. Unfortunately for me, Dodge's success did nothing to help my picks record this year, although I was still able to keep my streak of picking one top 5 driver every week alive. Yes, Carl Edwards, with his third place finish, was my lone top 5er in the ATL.
Now, we can move on to Bristol. I predict 20 cautions. No, seriously. If Atlanta can have double-digit cautions then Bristol can have 20. Oh, and I'm seeing a little Brian Vickers/Dale Jr. revenge this week. I just don't know who will run into whom. And now, my top 5 picks for Bristol:
5.Denny Hamlin
4.Jeff Gordon
3.Jeff Burton
2.Carl Edwards
1.Kurt Busch
I can't tell you how much I hate picking Kurt to win this week, especially after the proverbial hex I put on a couple of Ford drivers last week. But you can't go on thinking you're a human jinx, even if your most loyal readers hint at the fact. That's all for this week. Have a Happy Sunday!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Kobalt Tools 500 Preview
The Atlanta Motor Speedway, the site of this weekend's racing action, holds a special place in Hopper's heart for two reasons. Yes, Hopper does have a heart, believe it or not. For one, it is my home track. I absolutely adore going out to the track on Friday(I hate the Sunday crowds), rummaging around the souvenir trailers and tents, and seeing all the exciting new die cast cars.
The other reason is that, come Sunday, it is one of only a few races a year that makes Hopper cry. Yes, the Atlanta races bore Hopper to tears.
The long green-flag runs are sooooooo boring. Especially when your driver isn't running at the front. And especially when your driver(s) bring out every single caution flag, as was the case in a recent Atlanta race. Which is why I will not be picking a Dodge to win this weekend, or finish in the top 5 for that matter.
You will also not see me predict 10 caution flags again this week(we had 14 last week). Mother stayed away last week(I'm referring to Ms. Nature), as promised. My only top 5er from Vegas was Kyle Busch, who won. So now, onto Atlanta.
Mother Nature appears as if she will strike again. The forecast calls for rain on Sunday. This may actually be a good thing. History suggests that Monday races are more exciting in Atlanta. Also, I predict 7 yellows if the race is run on Sunday(5 for debris or rain), and 10 if run on Monday. And now, my top 5:
5. Bobby Labonte
4. Greg Biffle
3. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch(in by default)
1. Carl Edwards
I hope I have not destroyed Mr. Labonte's weekend by calling him a top 5 pick. I seem to have that effect on people(I can hear a good buddy of mine. "Remember the playoffs. You put my kids through college."). Anyway, thanks for reading. Have a happy Sunday!
The other reason is that, come Sunday, it is one of only a few races a year that makes Hopper cry. Yes, the Atlanta races bore Hopper to tears.
The long green-flag runs are sooooooo boring. Especially when your driver isn't running at the front. And especially when your driver(s) bring out every single caution flag, as was the case in a recent Atlanta race. Which is why I will not be picking a Dodge to win this weekend, or finish in the top 5 for that matter.
You will also not see me predict 10 caution flags again this week(we had 14 last week). Mother stayed away last week(I'm referring to Ms. Nature), as promised. My only top 5er from Vegas was Kyle Busch, who won. So now, onto Atlanta.
Mother Nature appears as if she will strike again. The forecast calls for rain on Sunday. This may actually be a good thing. History suggests that Monday races are more exciting in Atlanta. Also, I predict 7 yellows if the race is run on Sunday(5 for debris or rain), and 10 if run on Monday. And now, my top 5:
5. Bobby Labonte
4. Greg Biffle
3. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch(in by default)
1. Carl Edwards
I hope I have not destroyed Mr. Labonte's weekend by calling him a top 5 pick. I seem to have that effect on people(I can hear a good buddy of mine. "Remember the playoffs. You put my kids through college."). Anyway, thanks for reading. Have a happy Sunday!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Shelby 427 Preview
Fresh off of another Matt Kenseth win, the Sprint(or whatever it's called now) Cup series heads to Sin City for the Shelby 427(or, something like that). Kenseth has been dominant thus far in the 2009 season, and leads the point standings. Of course, you don't have a choice but to lead the standings if you've done nothing but win all year.
Grandpa's own Jeff Gordon is 2nd in points, followed by Kurt Busch, which took me by surprise. Seriously, I haven't heard his name mentioned all year, except when he spun during the Duel race at Daytona. A few surprises in the top 10 include Michael Waltrip in 7th, Juan Montoya in 10th, and even Clint Bowyer, new number and all, in 6th. Just outside the top 10 include Elliott Sadler(11th), David Reutimann(12th), AJ Allmendinger(13th), and Reed Sorenson(14th).
Now onto what's really important, my predictions. Summary from California: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ was the way to go. The race was slowed 5 times, 4 of those by my good friend Ms. Nature. The racing was boring during green. I might as well have slept. 2 of my top 5ers decided to show, including Matty K. and the Biff.
This week, I 'm going to predict 10 cautions, and Mrs. Nature will finally have no effect on the race. This one will be better than California, and the finish will be better than Daytona. And, oh by the way, Matty K. will win race #3. Which leads me to my top 5:
5.Kurt Busch
4.David Ragan
3.Greg Biffle(In via my rule)
2.Kyle Busch
1.Matt Kenseth(In via my rule)
Also, a little message to JR Nation: I feel your pain. My boy(I will not mention his name) was in Junior's position 2 years ago. Do I feel sorry for you? I cannot say either way. I believe in Karma. That's all for this week. Have a happy Sunday!
Grandpa's own Jeff Gordon is 2nd in points, followed by Kurt Busch, which took me by surprise. Seriously, I haven't heard his name mentioned all year, except when he spun during the Duel race at Daytona. A few surprises in the top 10 include Michael Waltrip in 7th, Juan Montoya in 10th, and even Clint Bowyer, new number and all, in 6th. Just outside the top 10 include Elliott Sadler(11th), David Reutimann(12th), AJ Allmendinger(13th), and Reed Sorenson(14th).
Now onto what's really important, my predictions. Summary from California: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ was the way to go. The race was slowed 5 times, 4 of those by my good friend Ms. Nature. The racing was boring during green. I might as well have slept. 2 of my top 5ers decided to show, including Matty K. and the Biff.
This week, I 'm going to predict 10 cautions, and Mrs. Nature will finally have no effect on the race. This one will be better than California, and the finish will be better than Daytona. And, oh by the way, Matty K. will win race #3. Which leads me to my top 5:
5.Kurt Busch
4.David Ragan
3.Greg Biffle(In via my rule)
2.Kyle Busch
1.Matt Kenseth(In via my rule)
Also, a little message to JR Nation: I feel your pain. My boy(I will not mention his name) was in Junior's position 2 years ago. Do I feel sorry for you? I cannot say either way. I believe in Karma. That's all for this week. Have a happy Sunday!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Auto Club 500 Preview
Last week's Daytona 500 was a disappointment. Not Matt Kenseth winning, but the rain out of NASCAR's biggest race. That and the fact that NASCAR has not changed a bit(talking about the car #88 penalty, or lack thereof).
My predictions weren't too shabby considering ol' Hopper's visions were clouded by the rainclouds. The wreck wasn't as big as I thought it would be, but it was triggered by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a Toyota driver, and involved Kyle Busch. So I was close.
My winner was incorrect, but again, I could not predict a rain out. A Dodge driver did not win, but again, I cannot predict a rain out. Only one of my top-5er's placed in the top 5, but again, well, you get the idea.
I have but one prediction for California, and it ain't bold: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Here's my top 5
5.AJ Allmendinger(gets a top 5 by default)
4.David Ragan
3.Matt Kenseth
2.Greg Biffle
1.Carl Edwards
If you'll notice, AJ Allmendinger appears for a third consecutive week. Why? Because any driver who places in both my top 5, and the real top 5, gets an automatic berth in my next week's top 5. Thus Allmendinger's spot. This is where I take off. Have a happy Sunday.
My predictions weren't too shabby considering ol' Hopper's visions were clouded by the rainclouds. The wreck wasn't as big as I thought it would be, but it was triggered by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a Toyota driver, and involved Kyle Busch. So I was close.
My winner was incorrect, but again, I could not predict a rain out. A Dodge driver did not win, but again, I cannot predict a rain out. Only one of my top-5er's placed in the top 5, but again, well, you get the idea.
I have but one prediction for California, and it ain't bold: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
Here's my top 5
5.AJ Allmendinger(gets a top 5 by default)
4.David Ragan
3.Matt Kenseth
2.Greg Biffle
1.Carl Edwards
If you'll notice, AJ Allmendinger appears for a third consecutive week. Why? Because any driver who places in both my top 5, and the real top 5, gets an automatic berth in my next week's top 5. Thus Allmendinger's spot. This is where I take off. Have a happy Sunday.
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