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Click here to read the wrapup from Rockingham (race 2).
Click here to read other players' picks and comments for Rockingham.
Click here to see a breakdown of Winston Cup points.
Coming soon:Sandro's 1999 NASCAR predictions

Drivers Roll the Dice in Vegas!!!

What:Las Vegas 400
Where:Las Vegas Motor Speedway
When: 2:30 p.m. ET, March 7; ABC (that's right - prime time, baby!)

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

NASCAR is all about taking wild chances to win the prize. Where better to spin the wheel than at Las Vegas? This Sunday we've got an auto-rific race in the city that never considers, and all bets are off as to who will win.

There's going to be a new element of chance here at NASCAR's most controversial website. I've found that a number of y'all's picks tend to coincide with mine exactly. Now, I surely do appreciate your faith, and by siding with me you are siding with the best, but I'd like to see y'all out there on your own a bit, too. Sure, you don't have the time to really study up on NASCAR's 50-plus drivers, but don't forget to listen to your own heart when you make your picks. Look to Nathan "Email boy" S. for an example of a dude who's out there in Edge City when it comes to picks (for more on Edge City, see my 1999 predictions page). Who would've thought he'd get so many points by picking the cars he thought looked cool?

So here's the deal. I'm not going to tell you exactly who I'm picking for the coming race anymore. I'll give you advice ad nausea, but it's up to you to make the final call. This Sunday, for instance, I like a whole bunch of drivers. I'm probably going to go with Martin to win, but don't forget that he won last week -- not too often that Martin wins back-to-back races. Gordon didn't fare so well at this track's inaugural race last year, and I don't think he'll be looking all that good this weekend. Jarrett, on the other hand, will be on fire. He could easily whoop up on everyone, and so could Jeff Burton, the man who was so strong at Rockingham last race.

Let's pause for some track talk. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a nice 1.5 miles of track. It's real wide and it's got low banking. This is only the second year it's hosted a NASCAR WinstonCup race, so everyone's a newbie here. This track isn't about drivers, though, it's about the cars. It's a strong car that will win this race, regardless of who's behind the wheel. Drafting isn't a necessity here; if you've got the gas, you make the pass (I just made that up!). The pit stops should be smoother here than they were at Rockingham, and the wide straightaways will make for great three- and even four-car-wide racing action.

Speaking of strong cars, don't count out either of the Labonte brothers. Another guy I really like this week is Ken Schrader, who's had a strong car in each of this season's two races. Schrader and Bobby L. both drive Pontiacs. So do Andretti and the hot rookie Tony Stewart. This could be a Pontiac week, folks.

If you want to see a Chevy take the checkered, I don't know what to tell you. I like Skinner, but I don't know if I like him at Las Vegas. After two great races, I wonder if he can be big this Sunday. If anything, I see Skinner getting in a lot of trouble, ala Ernie "Wall King" Irvan. If he avoids the walls, he may be top five. More than likely, though, he won't appear in my picks.

I'll tell you who I am thinking about for this Sunday's race, though: Bill Elliott. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville has looked great the first two races of the year, and I think he's got a great race ahead of him. On top of all that, he's in a Ford. I really like the Fords this year, and when it comes to picking winners, I think you can't go wrong throwing a few Fords into the mix.

So make your controversial picks, and have a great day at the races!

Notes on making your picks

Surprise pick

Don't forget to make a surprise pick if you can think of one. Since the points race hasn't really begun yet, we'll rely on the final points total from last year. 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.

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

For more detailed explanations and instructions on how to make picks, click here. If you're ready now, go ahead and make your picks for this week's top five. 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?