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Our Heroes Return to Daytona!!!

What:Pepsi 400 (Race 18 of 34)
Where:Daytona International Speedway, FL
When:Saturday night, July 3, CBS

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

That's right, folks, it's time once again for some big-time restrictor-plate racing. After a pointless week of speed averaging in the seventies, get ready for some 200-miles-per-hour action!

Now, you know who I think is going to win, but the rest of you are going to have a real hard time not picking the rainbow warrior to win this race. He won the spring race here from the pole, holding off Darth Earnhardt on the last lap for an exciting win. He won last week, and he finished second in the three races before that one. And the most compelling point of all: he's Jeff Gordon. I may not cheer for him, but I respect him. On the track, that is. Off the track he's a mindless tool of corporate excrescence. If I spelled that last word right, I deserve the bonus points for this week.

But wait, loyal readers -- do you remember who had the outside pole at Daytona? Rookie Tony Stewart. He wasn't a factor in that race because of engine trouble, but he's had a heck of a rookie year so far. Could he steal the win from Jeffie? And don't forget that DJ got in a big fat wreck early in the spring event. Who knows what he could've done if he'd stayed upright. Jeff Burton was also knocked out of contention, engine failure being his major malfunction. The same thing happened to the undisputed master of restrictor-plate racing, Texas Thunder Mr. Atlanta Master of the Monster Prince of Poconos Nemesis of Nemechek Bobby Labonte. If Bobby's dialed in the way he has been over the last month, number 24 may never find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Don't forget this race will be run at night, so setup will be extra crucial here. Teams known for doing some of their best work before the race starts, such as the teams of Skinner and Earnhardt, will be formidable opponents. Wallace doesn't necessarily run better at night, but a whole lot of wrecks seem to happen in his vicinity once the sun goes down. And we all know that the wrecking crew of Nemecheck, Rudd, and Bodine lose their vision as darkness encroaches, so expect some spectacular wrecks. I predict one one these three guys will be out of it before lap 50. Ernie Irvan has been trying to become respectable lately, so I'm not so sure we'll hear his usual "It was one of them racin' deals" speech. Ward Burton has been trying to replace Irvan as a member of NASCAR's four horsemen, so don't be surprised if he doesn't finish in the top 40.

Surprises? Think veterans, and think money. The teams with serious resources have a couple guys working on their restrictor-plate cars year round. That's not the kind of thing a Bodine or a Dave Marics team can afford to do. It's the guys who know how to race here and who have the money to achieve their goals that you need to think about. You're thinking "Yeah, veterans with money. That's the ticket." Let me put a ghost in that machine: Loy Allen. In 1994, Allen became the first rookie ever to win the Daytona 500. That's like saying the first game he ever played in was the Super Bowl, and he won it. He got in a horrendous wreck later that year, and it wasn't until the Hollywood Video team junked Ricky Craven a few weeks ago that Loy got a Winston Cup ride. Now let me put a ghost inside the ghost in the machine: Sterling Marlin. He dominated this track in the early 90's. He was in the top five a couple weeks ago. Could he be ready to make a charge?

Now that I've completely rocked your world, make your picks. And listen up, folks. We've begun the second half of the season. This is where every week, every pick counts. You can be off the pace early in the year and come back strong, a la Mr. September Harry Gantt, but you've got to have all four wheels on the ground to cut the mustard down the back stretch. It's summer, and people are going to DNF. People are going to start hurting. People are going to lose faith. We're through the looking glass, people. Can you handle the truth?

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

Should NASCAR run races on silly road courses, like the one they ran on last week?