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NASCAR's Turningest Race of the Year!!!

What:KMart (Race 16 of 34)
Where:Poconos Raceway
When:Sunday, June 20, TNN

(Don't want to read my insightful and witty comments? Click here to go straight to making your picks.)

This Sunday we travel to the Poconos for the next big NASCAR race. Jeremy Mayfield won this race last year. It was his first win ever, and the victory helped him hang on to the points lead. Poconos was the beginning of the end for him, however, so winning at this track may not be the best thing for a driver.

Poconos Raceway is a strangely shaped track, more like a triangle than an oval. The three tight turns and long straight-aways of this 2.5-mile track mean lots of acceleration and deceleration, putting strain and stress on engines and brakes. This race may be all about who has the best car. Not just whose engine is the strongest, but whose engine can withstand the punishment this track puts on them.

DJ, Gordon, Martin, and Burton are all great at this track. Although it'd be shameful and craven to pick them, I understand how lesser intellects will be drawn to them like Joe Nemechunk'o'concrete is drawn to the wall. If you want to walk on the wild side, however, there's plenty of danger in the Earnhardt garages. The nauseator likes this track, and his teammate Mike Skinner is the kind of guy who loves to get crazy on long straight-aways. We've all forgotten about the number 31 Lowes team, but I don't think he's done for the year quite yet.

One thing that's been missing from the top five in the Poconos is Pontiac. With the new regulations designed to make the different car makes more competitive, don't be surprised if a couple of Grand Prix machines sneak into the top five. Tony Stewart, Bobby, Kyle Petty, Ward Burton, and even Ernie "Just put that stretcher in my trunk" Irvan could blast their way into the top spots -- if their engines hold up.

And if you really feel like joining the living, remember what I told you about last week's race. Just because some of the younger guys didn't begin as fantastically as Gordon did doesn't mean they ain't racin'. My boy Steve Park turned in a sixth place finish last week, and Kenny Irwin was not far behind.

So get to making your picks, and comment about whatever you feel like. I'll be down in Charlotte this weekend, living it up with our good buddies Kevin K., Nathan S., and Tim S. I'll try to take some pictures to put up on the website, because I know how much y'all love to live vicariously through me and White Lightning.

P.S. Ricky "If I only had a brain" Craven has been fired and replaced by Loy Allen, a young gentleman from Raleigh. Thanks to my north Raleigh correspondent for this information. Notice Allen's name in place of Ricky's in the lists below. And while I'm thinking of it, if ever you should know that a driver is going to be in a race, but you can't find his name in the pull-down lists, just leave the spot blank and tell me in your comments the name of the driver.

Instructions

First of all, choose your name from the pull-down list. Then pick the names of the drivers that you think will finish in the top five. After that, you get to make your surprise pick, where you'll name a guy who isn't high in the points, but you think has a shot to get into this week's top five. It doesn't have to be one of the names you've already put in your top five. Now that the season is in full swing, let's use the current Winston Cup Points standings. Click here to check out the nicely done standings page at nascar.com. Remember, your surprise pick can't be any of the names listed in the TOP TEN of the points standings.

And hey, don't forget to pick a DNF. That's the guy you think will get a big fat Did Not Finish.

Click on the upside-down triangle at the right margin of each blank to see a list of drivers, then select a name. No typing necessary. Don't forget to tell me your name!

What's your name?

Name of First Place Driver:

Name of Second Place Driver:

Name of Third Place Driver:

Name of Fourth Place Driver:

Name of Fifth Place Driver:

Name of your surprise pick:

Choose your "DNF of the Week"

Controversial Topic of the Week

Up here in DC they keep talking about bringing in a major league baseball franchise. They say the team could play at RFK (the football team's old stadium) until they build a fancy-pants new place. Some talk about getting an expansion team, but most of the talk has to do with bringing the Montreal Expos down to DC. A few pros: economic development in the form of renovating crummy part of town, new jobs, tourist revenue, taxes; makes DC seem like a real city; other sports teams are so lame that people want to shoot themselves. Some cons: sports teams in DC are so lame people want to shoot themselves; many franchises are struggling to make ends meet, so why get into a hurting business?; there's a well established and beloved team in Baltimore.
So what do you think? Should the nation's capital have it's own baseball team? Why or why not? What should they be named?