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Get Ready to Rock at 'The Rock'!!

What: K-Mart/Duralube 400
Where: North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, North Carolina
When: 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 21, TNN
Defending Champion: Jeff Gordon

(Don't want to read my insightful and witty comments? Click here to go straight to making your picks. Want to see the wrapup pages from last week? Check up right below the NASCAR logo for the links.)

There's lots of so-called racefans that get all hepped up about Daytona and then forget about NASCAR until Taledega. They're no better than those people who only go to church on Christmas and Easter (I'm sure we don't have any of those types here, do we?). Let those people go on living their small lives, moving from one quick-fix to the next, while we stay strong and true to America's one true sport: driving souped-up cars around an oval really, really fast.

This Sunday we're at NASCAR's most contradictory track, the North Carolina Motor Speedway, located in Rockingham. It's been in NASCAR racing for over thirty years, and it's been a bastion of constancy in the world of NASCAR. But it also means drastic change. Before your heads explode with the paradox, let me explain.

After the sprawling 2.5-mile track of Daytona, each team will have to make big changes to their cars and their strategies for Rockingham's 1.017-mile track. Everything's different: suspension, tire pressure, engine strength (remember, those restrictor plates have been removed), you name it. After the 190 mile-an-hour rush of Daytona, expect speeds in the 130s. This track is great for passing, and no amount of lead is safe. Each team will be taking chances with their adjustments, because unlike Daytona's weeks of preparation, you only get one week to get everything right for "The Rock."

The changes each team makes have to be just right. Veteran drivers have an edge because of their experience at this track, but youngsters will be very aggressive because this is a relatively safe track. You can make a mistake here and not end up behind the wall. Look for lots of lead changes, familiar faces, and Jeff Gordon.

Yep, I'm going with Gordon to win the race. I don't want him to win, mind you, but I think he'll do it. He'll pull his usual stunt of hanging back with the girls for the first 375 miles, then he'll pooch up on fresh tires and steal the win. Remember, I said this race is all about making the right changes. What team makes better adjustment than the Rainbow Warriors? Man, I really don't want to see that smarmy-looking dude in the winner's circle, saying "I can't believe I won, I can't believe it's happening." Yeah, 3-time Winston Cup champion can't believe he won a race. Whatever.

But don't be surprised if you see my surprise pick, Michael Waltrip, right on his butt. He got better and better last year, and at Daytona he posted a fifth place finish (something none of us predicted). Mark Martin will be there, and Jarrett will, too. They're both ready to rock after last week's disappointing wreck (note: "unfortunate wreck" = a wreck where some good guys got knock out of the race; "disappointing wreck" = a wreck where you're one of those good guys). I like Fords on the short track, and I'll go with Mayfield with the other three fords.

I'd be a fool not to pick Bobby Labonte again, though. He may not win, but he'll tear up some asphalt. He was held back last week by a misfiring engine, but he's going to be hard to hold off this Sunday. Gordon may as well put a picture of Labonte in his rearview mirror, because that's all he's going to see on Sunday. Let's hope I've made a wrong pick and it's Bobby who steals the checkered.
Notes on making your picks

Important Changes!!! Read This Section!!!
After consulting with my statistical analyst, I've decided to amend the surprise pick option. It's still worth fifteen points, but NOW YOU ARE NO LONGER OBLIGATED TO PICK A DRIVER WHO'S ALREADY IN YOUR TOP 5. In other words, you can pick your top 5 drivers, then pick a sixth and completely different driver as your surprise. If he does finish top 5, you get fifteen points for it. This way you can pick your top five to be guys you really feel good about, and then you can get risky with your surprise without fear of losing points.

If you feel super great about your surprise pick, though, then you can also use that name in your regular top 5. Let's say I'm super sure Michael Waltrip will be top 5 this week. I can pick him as my number 3 pick and as my surprise, so I'd get 25 points if I was right. If I had only selected him as my surprise, I'd only get 15 points.

We'll still rely on the final points total from last year (let's use last year's points for through race 4). See NASCAR Online's 1998 Final Official Standings Page to see who's who. Remember, your surprise pick can't be any of the names listed in the top ten of last year's final points standings.

DNF of the Week
If you wreck your car or blow an engine, you get a DNF: Did Not Finish. These are bad. Real bad. You lose major points and you look like a rube. No driver wants a DNF. But every week there's a few guys who end up going behind the wall early. Last week some of the DNF's were John Andretti, Dale Jarrett, and Terry Labonte. Another guy who got a DNF was Joe Nemechek. This guy Joe gets a DNF about every other race, and it's usually for getting in a wreck. So I was thinking, "Why not let people pick a driver who they think will NOT finish the race?" Thanks to Nathan "Mind if I eat this 3-pound tub of potato salad?" S. and Chris "Another day, another box of stolen pens" G. for inspiration on this idea. So your last pick before comments is for a driver you think is likely to get a DNF. He doesn't have to be the first DNF of the day, he just has to NOT be running at the end of the race. You can even pick a dude who you've put in your top 5. As Chris G. said, there's some drivers who are either going to be top 5 or be upside down before the day is over. This pick will be worth ten points.

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"

Any comments for this week?