Rusty Reckons: Kentucky Gets an F

This weekend's race at Kentucky was a complete dud! Tens of thousands of fans were mired in traffic for hours upon hours just trying to get to the track. Here's one sad story of some fans who left almost 6 hours before the green flag to travel just over 30 miles to the track, and they didn't even make it. Not that I would say the on-track action was worth much anyway. The Shrub won the race in absolutely dominating fashion. At one point, he had an 8 second lead and there were less than 20 cars on the lead lap. BORING!!!!

The thousands of poor fans who tried in vain to reach the track were left sorely disappointed. This was supposed to be one of the highlights of NASCAR's summer. A new track with an energized fan base. An entire state was fired up about this event. I was fired up too. I had been looking forward to watching this Saturday night event on TV all week. I had announced to my wife more than once that I would be retiring to the man-cave for hours of interrupted left turns under the lights of the blue grass state. Little did I know that would be all I got. Yeah, there was a small bit of excitement when the track reached up and bit fan favorite Dale Jr with less than ten laps to go (further adding to my displeasure). This brought out the caution and gave us a lap or two of excitement before the Shrub pulled back out in front.

Now, Rusty is well aware that NASCAR can only do so much in regards to the action on the track. In fact, when it comes to monking with the racing, I maintain a hands-off approach. However, they should take a good hard look at traffic issues before adding a new track again or coming back to Kentucky. The fans deserve better, especially if that track is going to produce a snoozer.

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Rusty Reckons: Consistent Inconsistency

Over the years I've waxed poetic about NASCAR's bizarre rationale behind issuing penalties. The only consistency appears to be inconsistency. I mean in what world does saying a dirty word warrant a points deduction and arguably the lost of the championship, but using your car as a weapon only gets the amorphous "probation." As far as Rusty is concerned that makes about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine.

Yesterday, NASCAR ruled from on high about the recent fracas between Kyle "Shrub" Busch and car owner Richard Childress. You see, Childress is a man of principle. He doesn't take too kindly to some rascal from out west getting Johnny Ringo crazy and wrecking his race cars. After the recent dust-up between Shrub and Childress's flagship driver, Kevin "Happy" Harvick, NASCAR put Busch on probation, and Childress issued a very clear directive, "do it again, and I'm going to whup ya!"


Well, this past weekend, the Shrub was back at it again, putting his fender where it don't belong. This time it was after the race and in the Truck series (the trucks are like the 3rd tier series of NASCAR). So, Childress threw Kyle into a headlock and delivered his punishment. So, you'd think that using a truck like a weapon while on probation from another such incident would warrant a violation of said probation, right? NOPE!

NASCAR said Kyle was blameless. Big old meany Childress attacked him unprovoked. Instead of dealing with the one who time and again seems to be at the center of these issues, NASCAR laid one heck of a beat down on Childress for sticking to his guns, and doing what Shrub's daddy should have done a long time ago . . . give him an old trip to the wood shed!

Make sense to y'all? Me neither.

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Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown Part 3

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we look at the #8 and #7 positions, Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch.











Brian Vickers - Rusty makes no bones about the fact that he doesn't like Vickers as far as he can spit. Memories of Talladega will always haunt me. That aside, what Team Red Bull has done with the 83 car this year is nothing short of amazing. Vickers has only 2 career wins in Cup, and neither was a dominant victory. Needless to say this is Vickers first year in the Chase, and as I've been saying, that doesn't bode well for the championship. Vickers is the first driver I've reviewed with a win, so that does give him a head up on at least 4 other drivers. But call it a gut feeling, Rusty just doesn't see a serious title contender in the #83 team. However, Vickers will challenge for a few wins, and might even win another race. He'll have an off day or two, though, and that'll be enough to keep him somewhere around his current points position.

Position before Ranking: 12
Rusty's Power Ranking: 11











Kurt Busch - The driver of the blue deuce presents an interesting case, and one that goes against Rusty's typical consistency song and dance. Busch has had 2 DNF's in the last month (Michigan and Atlanta). When Kurt's not running towards the front, he's running towards the back . . . way back! He's won a race and tallied 7 top 5's, but has also finished worse than 20th 6 times; 4 of those worse than 30th. It's been an up and down year for the #2 team. Like Vickers, he will run up front and challenge for some wins in the Chase, but without the needed consistency, Busch will not be up front in the standings. If he's still in the hunt when they get to Dega, I'll be surprised. If can get through Dega, then he just might have a shot at his second title, and first at Penske, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Position before Richmond: 7
Rusty's Power Ranking: 8

Tomorrow: #6 Jeff Gordon, #5 Kasey Kahne

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Rusty Reckons: The Easter Bunny 250

Rusty's just funning yah! There's no such thing as the Easter Bunny 250. In fact, the Cup isn't even running this weekend. Though the Nationwide boys will be down in Nashville...good music town. Nationwide is starting a new thing this year called Dash 4 Cash. It's an effort to try and focus on the non-Cup guys.


You see, a lot of the guys running in Cup like to moonlight in a Nationwide car. It's kind of synonymous with A Rod going to play with the Triple A club. So, needless to say, the Cup guys (*cough* Kyle Busch *cough*) often dominate the series. Used to be, the Nationwide (formerly Busch), was where the up and comers could make their hay. Guys like Dale Jr. and Matt Kenseth cut their teeth competing in the second tier series.

Before the COT, the cars were different, but the differences were mostly in the engine (around 550 hp for the Nationwide, but pushing 850 for cup). Nationwide didn't adopt the new COT platform, though, meaning it still runs the more aero-dynamic cars, but with the engines still only getting around 550 hp. Now, the differences are huge. There are also some rules differences like limits on the number of tires per team. The idea being to keep the competition open to more of the teams without deep pockets. Problem is, a lot of what we used to call Busch-wackers (guys with full time Cup rides) are coming down to the Nationwide series to spoil the fun. The Dash for the Cash aims to quell that little issue.

First of four Dash 4 Cash races Saturday at Nashville

The Dash for Cash is a great idea, as far as Rusty is concerned. It's a series of four races with an extra little payout to non-Cup regular drivers if they win one of the four events. The driver (again, not a Cup regular) who accumulates the most points during those four races also gets a nice little cash bonus.

The idea is to generate attention (the events are at non-Cup tracks) and interest for the real Nationwide guys. If the Nationwide series is going to continue to function as the feeder series for the Cup, then stuff like this is crucial. The Shrub, Mr. Ed., and others who seem to be going down there week after week, need to knock it off, and let it be a place for the new guys to show their stuff. Rusty tries to steer clear of offering his opinion on how NASCAR runs things, but this is where he's going to tip his hat to the men in the tower.

This is a good one. In fact, it's almost as good as the cheddar-Bo biscuit...almost.



JR Prediction

No prediction this week, since he ain't running. Rather, Rusty's going to take the time to bask in the glory of his previous week prediction. I rarely (if ever) go out on a limb to make a prediction on who's going to victory lane. Last week, I broke with tradition and said the 24 team would break it's winless streak AND get it's first win at Texas. Well, I was right!!!!! Ole Rusty was spot on the money! Don't get used to it, though, cause a blind squirrel does find an acorn every now and then, but I'm sure going to bask in my glory while i can.

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Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?

Rusty Reckons: The Other March Madness

Rusty's cousin, Skeeter's car

Old DW says Bristol is like flying a bunch of fighter jets inside a packed gymnasium, and I don't believe I've heard a more apt description. Sheer madness! Bristol is the highest banked track in NASCAR, but also one of the shortest. The high banks make the cars go fast. The short tracks means they don't have that much room to go fast. The result means awesome freaking racing.


With the old car, the way to get around was the bump-n-run. Put a bumper on a guy, get him loose, sending him up the track, and dive underneath. Ole Dale Sr. was the expert at it, though some others have gotten pretty good at it too. The catch is competitors aren't too happy when they get bumped, which led to some heated tempers and a few fights. Translation, exciting time for the fans.

The fun starts about 13 seconds in.

The new COT has put a damper on that somewhat. With the new car, there's really 2 grooves of racing at Bristol (high and low), and the configuration of the cars is not nearly as conducive to the bump-n-run, cause of how the bumpers front to back align themselves. Some smarty pants at NASCAR did that for a reason that I'm sure, but enough about the track, what about the racing. Well, if you can take a break from your brackets for a few hours, here's what ole Rusty expects to see.

Busch boys, Gordon, and a side of Happy. Jeff and Kurt are tied among active drivers with the most career wins at Bristol, only catch is that of those 10 wins, 8 of them came over 5 years ago. So, they've not been winning a lot lately, though they've still managed good finishes. Jeff averages a 10.8 finish with 3 top 5's, and Kurt's got a 15.4 average finishing position with a win, and 2 top 5's. Jeff's been looking solid this year, and Kurt ain't doing half-bad either. I think they may continue their roll this coming weekend.

The younger Kyle won the first ever COT race at Bristol, and has run well there ever since. He's averaging a 12.5 finish with 3 top 5's. But Happy Harvick might be the real happy guy at the end of the day Sunday. While he's only won once at Bristol, the driver of the #29 has racked up 6 top 5's over the last 5 years to lead all active drivers. Not too shabby.

With all the drama that's sure to play out on the track in Bristol and the insanity of March Madness, ole Rusty's gonna be lucky to make it through the weekend. Mark my words, though, if I do, I'll be a stronger man.

JR Prediction

Well, June never really challenged for the win in Atlanta two weeks ago, and I am really starting to sweat the season. No driver this far down in the points standings at this point in the season has ever made the chase. The 88 team needs to figure out something, and they need to do it fast. June needs to calm down in the car and tell his team what he needs. Now, lucky for him, this coming week is one of his best tracks. Over the last 5 years, Junior leads all active drivers in points gained at Bristol. In fact, he's got 50 more points than the next guy on the list, the aforementioned Happy Harvick. Well, he's gotta continue that streak this coming weekend.

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Rusty Reckons: Viva Las Vegas

The fastest fellas in America return to one of the fastest cities, at least in terms of the people there. In terms of revenue, Vegas has been a boon to NASCAR. The race has been a sell-out recently, and with the big bucks on the strip, it's a good time for everyone involved. Then when they installed the progressive banking a few years ago, the racing started to get on par with the dollar signs.

For those newer fans, progressive banking is where the track is banked at different degrees vertically up the track. This creates multiple grooves of racing, which translates into more passing, running 2 wide etc. The COT has diffused some of the insanity that might have occurred with the older car, but we've still had some good racing of late.

Mr. Ed's the defending race winner, but Kyle Busch has been one of the highest rated drivers at Vegas in recent memory. The shrub also has the added advantage of starting the race from the pole, with his elder brother starting just to his outside. The Busch boys have done well at Vegas, possibly because it's their home track, but looking at the most recent speed charts they might have some serious competition. Jeff and Jimmie topped the speed charts on Saturday. Historically, Vegas has been one of Jimmie's worst tracks, but he might be feeling some pressure coming off a rather tepid start to the season. Might not see too many new faces up front this week, but Vegas should still give us some pretty exciting racing.

JR Prediction

Pure and simple, Junior needs a top 20 finish. After having engine issues at Fontana, and a weak Daytona, the 88 team is hanging precipitously onto the 35th position in points. After Bristol, NASCAR will revert to this year's points to determine who's locked in each week, meaning Junior will need to improve his position to avoid having to qualify on time. Can you imagine Junior not making a race? The stands might be empty. Lucky for Junior nation, though, all the prognosticators including yours truly is certain Junior will rebound. Vegas might not be a strong track for him, but Atlanta and Bristol certainly are. I said at the outset, Junior was going to be better on tracks he hadn't quite mastered in the past. With a little bit of pressure to perform, he might start to emerge in sin city this coming weekend.

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Rusty Reckons: 2008 in Review

Well, the long marathon of the 2008 NASCAR season has come to a close. As good ole Rusty predicted at the start of the chase, Jimmie's done the unthinkable and won a record tying third consecutive Nextel Cup. He now joins Cale Yarborough as the only driver to ever win three consecutive titles. Now, the sport has changed so much since the mid-70's, that it's hard to draw any real comparisons, but we can take note that none of the greats, not Earnhardt, not Gordon, not Pearson, not even Petty won 3 consecutive titles. Jimmie has. That, my friends, is a dynasty.

So, while Jimmie's down in Miami showering himself in champagne and lug-nuts, let's look back on some highlights and low lights from 2008.

Biggest Surprise: Kyle Busch. Ole shrub shocked the world with the uber-dominance of his race cars during the first 26 races. Once the heat was on, he seemed to pull a Tony Romo and choke up big time, though. I think I even saw his rear tire changer crying in the corner last week; "that's my driver, man, that's my driver." But for the regular season he did seem to be the car to beat every week, and I don't think anyone could have predicted that.

Sad to see ya go: Dale Jarrett. In 2008, DJ climbed out of the racecar and up into the zoo of the broadcast booth. Now, I've seen some cheesy commercials, some of which worked, some didn't. DJ's UPS farewell commercial was pretty sweet, though. What's even sweeter is I really doubt he's gonna Favre-it-up in 2008 and drive for some rink-dink team (sorry Jets fans). Classy guy, Rusty's gonna miss'em.

Biggest Disappointment: Jeff Gordon. Rusty thought Jeff was going to get his fifth title this year. He was hot at the end of 2007. He NEVER, before this year, went win-less in a season. Well, screwed that one. Don't reckon you'll be coming to Rusty for stock tips, either. BUY BUY BUY, boys!

Awesome-ist Race: It's a tie! Budweiser Shoot-Out & Smoke's win at 'Dega. Well, you had to know that Rusty was going to be a homer and pick a Junior moment, right? JR's win at the first race of the year, the non points paying Budweiser Shootout, was not so much a win as a statement. JR's move to Hendrick put a tremendous amount of pressure on the driver of the 88 car. He answered all those questions by coming out and winning the first time in an HMS seat, at Daytona, in prime-time! Smoke's win at 'Dega this fall equals it in awesomeness. Stewart seemed destined to always be a bridesmaid at Talladega, finishing second more times than I can count. In the last race in Alabama as the driver of the 20 car, he finally got that monkey off his back. Yeah, JR got caught up in the big one, but Tony won, and it was awesome!

Biggest Change for 2009: Tony Stewart. Smoke's leaving Joe Gibbs racing in 2009 to form his own team with Rocket Ryan Newman. Tony's been with his crew chief, Tony Zippersomethingorother, from the beginning. They've won 2 titles, and been in the hunt nearly every year. It'll be weird next year not having the two of them together. Kinda like Smokey with no Bandit, Luke with no Bo, or ham with no burger. Smoke, no Zippy. That's a tough ham bone to gnaw on.

And lastly,

Rusty's "throw your remote at the TV" moment: Richmond in May. JR's win-less streak stood at exactly 2 years, and with the same number of laps remaining, the shrub punted JR from the lead. Clint Bowyer won. Just a few days later, Rusty flew to Las Vegas and tried to jump in that big water fountain. Lucky for his fans on the inter-web and his momma, he was talked down by a Michigan fan. If only the Michigan fan would have known what awaited the trombones come fall . . . but I digress.

2008's been quite a season. In just a few short months, we'll be starting to get geared up for Daytona and the beginning of the 2009 season. Till then, y'all have fun with the football, and Rusty will see ya on the other side of Santa.

Rusty Reckons: 2008 Cup Chase Preview and Predictions

The Chase is here! NASCAR's innovative playoff system. Seems to me that if NASCAR can figure out an equitable playoff system for stock car racing, the NCAA could come up with a solution, but we'll leave the Rev to stand on that soap box.

So, 12 drivers made the chase, and now Rusty will try and handicap the competition and give a few tips for our dedicated readers.

1. Kyle Busch (18) - The shrub has been hot all year. He's had 8 victories in just the Sprint Cup alone. Compiled with his 10 wins in Nationwide and Trucks, there's no way to argue he's not been the hottest driver this year. The Chase presents several tracks where the shrub's already won this year, 'Dega, Hot-Lanta, and Dover, but Rusty just does just not have a good feeling about his chances. When the shrub doesn't do well, he really doesn't do well. And when added together the Chase doesn't present a great overall picture for him. Kyle only averages a 20.5 average finishing position on the 10 tracks of the Chase. It ain't the worst, but it ain't the best. Rusty predicts a strong 10 races, but shrub will slip. Prediction: 4th

2. Carl Edwards (99) - Ole Carl has quietly snuck up to the 2nd position going into the chase. He's had 5 victories this year, and a few exciting battles with the shrub this summer. Mr. Ed averages a 14th place finish at the 10 upcoming tracks, giving him a little bit of an advantage over the shrub. The chase is also full of intermediate tracks, where Carl excels; places like Kansas, Lowe's, Atlanta, and Homestead. A trophy might be in Carl's future, but not sure it'll be the Sprint Cup. Mr. Roids just moved into 2nd place in the Nationwide series, only 207 points behind leader Clint Bowyer. That 2nd place might be an omen, cause that's where Rusty's predicting he'll finish here in Cup. Prediction: 2nd

3. Jimmie Johnson (48) - Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2008 Sprint Cup Champion! Jimmie is hot, pure and simple. WIth back to back victories in pretty dominant fashion, the driver of the 48 is peaking at the right time. Like Carl, Jimmie also excels at the intermediate tracks, including an almost uber-dominance at his sponsor's home track, Lowe's Motor; 5 victories in only 14 starts. That means he's won over a 1/3 of the time he's been on the track in Concord, NC. Jimmie also has one of the best average finishes at the 10 playoff tracks, a 10.4 After 2 consecutive years being the bridesmaid (2003, 2004), Jimmie is now knocking on the door of history. Jimmie is the two time defending champ (2006, 2007), and only 1 driver has ever won 3 consecutive championships; Cale Yarborough (1976 - 1978). Jimmie will join Cale, this year. You can count on it! Prediction: Champ

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) - What a comeback year. There were big questions for June-bug moving from his daddy's team to the powerhouse of Hendrick Motorsports, but with 3 wins and staying top 3 in the points throughout most of the year, Rusty's pretty sure most questions have been answered. Now, little E's been a little off these past few weeks. For whatever reason, he just doesn't do well throughout the summer. However, starting this past week with Richmond, Junior's got some stronger tracks coming up, including 'Dega, where he's recorded a series best 5 wins. Overall, he averages a 16th place finish for the Chase. Not too shabby, but as much as it may pain me to say it, I just don't see him offering a realistic challenge for the championship. He probably needs another year learning the Hendrick organization. He'll finish with at least another victory, though. Prediction: 3rd

5. Clint Bowyer (07) - Now, I'm not going to say that anyone doesn't belong in the Chase, but Clint's going to be the closest thing to not belonging. This Kansas boy's one victory comes from the shrub punting my boy from the lead at Richmond; Clint was just in the right place at the right time. So, I just don't know that Clint's a serious challenge for the title. He qualified for the chase 12th, but will jump to 5th because of his one victory. Now, I say all that, but we must remember last year. Clint qualified for the chase without a victory in 2007, only to lay down a dominant performance at New Hampshire to take his first checkered flag of the season. Clint found something in the chase, and finished a career high 3rd in the points, albeit 346 points behind champion Jimmie Johnson. Don't bet your biscuits on a repeat performance, this year, though. Clint will slip down in the standings, and fast. Prediction: 11th

6. Denny Hamlin (11) - The fellow Chesterfield-ian (not even sure if that's a word) is on a Earnhardt hot streak. He's posted 3 consecutive 3rd place finishes, and is on fire coming into the Chase. That's the problem, though . . . Denny's been streaking this year. There's not much middle ground for the driver of the FedEx Toyota. When Denny's not finishing in the top 10, he's typically been in the back half of the pack. Hamlin's got an average finish of 14.9 over the 10 upcoming tracks and 2 wins. He starts with his best track in New Hampshire, but follows that up with his two worst. Winning the Championship is all about consistency, and that just didn't seem to be Hamlins mantra through the first 26, and I don't reckon it will be through the next 10. Prediction: 7th

7. Jeff Burton (31) - What a nice guy. I mean, I just don't know if you can find a nicer guy than Jeff Burton in this collection of the 12 best. Unfortunately, niceness don't win championships. However, i just talked about how consistency does. Jeff might be the most consistent driver over these next set of tracks. He averages between an 11th and 19th place finish on the Chase tracks, that's pretty darn consistent. With a combined average of 15.5, though, not sure that consistency is good enough to cut the mustard. Add that to the fact that he's in a bit of a slump lately, only 2 top 10's and an equal number of DNF's in the last 10 races, and you get a guy not really in a position to mae a serious challenge for the Cup. Prediction: 8th

8. Tony Stewart (20) - Tony's one of two former champions in the Chase without a victory this year, although the current slump might be hitting Smoke a little harder than the other guy. Tony's had great cars, and gave us one heck of a show at Richmond this past weekend. However, a late pit stop left him in the 2nd spot and unable to catch Jimmie who took the checkers just ahead of Tony. To say Tony wasn't happy at the end of the race would be quite an understatement. Tony looked madder than the Ole Ball Coach after 4 picks in the season opener against Rusty's Wolfpack. Looking at the 10 upcoming races, Tony has to feel confident about finally getting into victory lane. He's had a win at every track except Talladega, though he's been there in the Nationwide series. So, look for Tony to get a victory . . . or two, but he'll also have a few slip-ups, and probably only move up a few spots. Not a serious title contender this year. Let's hope it doesn't take him too long to get going with his own team, next year. NASCAR won't be the same without Tony running up front. Prediction: 6th

9. Greg Biffle (16) - Bug eyed dummy!!!! Man, I miss Sterling Marlin. Yeah, Biffle will challenge at Dega, he might do well in Atlanta, and he'll probably even win at Homestead, but other than that, he ain't going to be near the front. If you're a betting man, and want a long shot, here's your boy. He's got the talent, and he's shown some flashes of brilliance, but just not long enough to really challenge for the Cup. He'll fall slightly from his current 9th place position. Prediction: 10th

10. Jeff Gordon (24) - Jeff's had some bad luck and some bad cars, and for a myriad of reasons, he's yet to take the checkered flag this year. That's not to say that he won't be mount a challenge for the Cup. With the points now reset, Jeff is only 80 points out of first place. That doesn't bode well for those above him, cause Jeff knows how to get to victory lane, and he knows how to win a championship. Jeff's really going to put up a fight. Take a look at the numbers. Jeff averages an amazing 12.17 place finish over the 10 Chase tracks, has recorded 32 wins, 107 top 5's, and 146 top 10's. When you average that out over his 233 starts, that's a win nearly 14% of the time, a top 5 over 45% of the time, and a top 10 nearly 2/3rd's of the time. Those are some stats. Jeff might not have found victory lane in the first 26 races, but he'll find it at least once, maybe twice over the next 10. The 24 team is going to be a tough bunch of guys to beat. Prediction: 5th

11. Kevin Harvick (29) - Happy Harvick started hot this year, and he's on a bit of a hot streak right now. In the first 5 races of the year, he had 4 top 10's and a 14th place finish in the 500. In the last 10 races, he's racked up 4 top 5's and 7 top 10's. Like ole Jimmie, Happy seems to be peaking at the right time. Now, all that being said, I just don't see a serious challenge from the driver of Dale Sr.'s former ride. He averages a top 10 finish on only one of the 10 chase tracks, Homestead, and figuring that's the last race, might be a little too late at that point to mount a serious challenge. To top that off, when the 29's been bad, this year, it's been really bad. Kevin will finish higher than he qualified, but he won't challenge for the Cup. Prediction: 9th

12. Matt Kenseth (17) - Yeah, not a chance. Matt has struggled with a crew chief change this year. Rusty's pretty darn amazed he's even been able to make it into the Chase, but again that shows what consistency can do for ya. Matt's not had any DNF's this year, although he's also not had any wins, either. He may do well at a few tracks, including getting off to a good start at New Hampshire, but he'll fade. Prediction: 12th

Rusty Reckons: Bristol

THUNDER VALLEY!!!! One of Rusty's favorite tracks (also the toughest tickets to get), and it's a night race ta boot. Bristol's got some of the steepest banking on the circuit (used to be the steepest), and that makes for some exciting racing on what's called the "world's fastest half-mile". I think ole DW says it's like flying F-16's in a school gym. Rusty couldn't agree more.

Photo: ESPN

Now that Bristol's got progressive banking there's multiple grooves of racing. You can actually pass up high! Ole Dale Sr. might be shedding some tears in heaven as the days of the "bump-n-run" slowly fade into the distance, but Rusty's starting to the like the ability to pass up high.

Bristol's old school attitude requires driver's with a bit of an old school style, wheelmen we like to call them. Cars that make it to victory lane often do so with tire marks, scuffs, and even dints-n-dings on 'em cause the drivers had to claw his way to victory. That's why fans love watching the Bristol race.

Picking the right wheelman for your fantasy team is the tricky part. Continuing my rash of crazy picks, I've got a few more for you this week.

The 24 team is one of the best at Bristol. Jeff's got 5 wins at Bristol to lead all active drivers (with Kurt Busch). While he's not won there since 2002, he continues to post top 5's, 10's, and has finished outside the top 20 only once. His qualifying effort is even better, giving you an opportunity to double dip in some fantasy leagues. Rainbow boy's currently in a bit of a slump, but he WILL break out. What better place to do it than one of his best tracks.

I've already mentioned my B List pick . . . Kurt Busch. Kurt has just as many wins at Bristol as Jeff, including four consecutive victories from 2002 - 2004. Since the streak ended, he's had one more victory and 3 top 10's. The other years weren't so kind, but his streak of every other race continues, we are due for a good finish this coming weekend. Rusty likes to gamble on odd patterns, so there you go.

Lastly, the C list . . . ugh . . . it's like picking between KFC or Popeye's, when all you want is Bojangles, but never the less, Rusty's got a job to do. David Reutimann seems like just as good a gamble as anyone. He did pretty well last week, started 7th and finished 14th. For him, that's a hot streak, so let's jump on the bandwagon before he falls off.

So, there's your picks for Bristol.

A List
- J Gordon (24)
B List
- K Busch (2)
C List
- D Reutimann (44)

Rusty Reckons: California Speedway

I reckon this weekend should be another exciting race. The new car's never raced on an intermediate track like California, and if last week was any foreshadowing of this week, we could be in for some exciting racing.

That being said, I think HMS is due to come back to victory lane. Despite Roush's dominance on 2 mile tracks, HMS has been able to make the switch to the new car better than anyone. My fantasy pick for the week is the #48, but look for the #24 and #88 to be in contention as well.

And without further adieu, here is Rusty's fantasy NASCAR line-up for the weekend. I hope to make this a weekly post, so be sure to check back every Thursday (i'll get it out sooner in the future).

A List
- Jimmie Johnson (48)
B List
- Kyle Busch (18)
C List
- Dale Jarrett (44)