Pit Picks – Auto Club 500 (California)
The spectacle that is Daytona is over and the haulers should be getting to the west coast, in preparation for what most would argue is the real season. Superspeedway races are a huge crapshoot, and aren’t usually a true measure of a teams strength. The Auto Club 500 is the race that begins to give us an idea who the contenders could be in 2009. That said, I expect Matt Kenseth to be a big factor again this week. Elliott Sadler and Michael Waltrip, not so much.
The Roush Ford’s are usually a good bet at the 2 mile tracks of California and Michigan. This race shouldn’t be an exception. One of Roush’s cars has won the spring race at California in each of the last 4 years. Don’t be surprised if Matt Kenseth goes two for two to start the 2009 Sprint Cup season.
**The numbers beside the drivers names are how many races I have them available for (9 starts per driver)
Group 1 – Matt Kenseth(9) & Carl Edwards(9)
As previously mentioned, Roush Ford’s are stellar at California. This week should be no exception. Matt Kenseth should be loaded with confidence heading into this one, with a Daytona 500 victory under his belt, after what most considered a down year in 2008. Carl Edwards is my pick to win the Championship this year, and this should be a good place to start the charge. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon aren’t bad picks in this spot either, as both have multiple (3) victories at the track.
Group 2 - Brian Vickers(9), Ryan Newman(9), David Ragan(9), Jamie McMurray(8)
Might as well stick with the Roush theme in group 2 with Ragan and McMurray for the same reasons. This second group has alot of talent in it…much of which I’d like to save for the second half of the season. Ryan Newman is always a threat for the pole and the 10 point bonus that comes with it, so I usually like to have him in my line up whether I plan on starting him or not. Toyotas with all their horsepower fit well with the 2 mile track, and Vickers is the best of the bunch in this group. Look for him to rebound from getting screwed in Daytona with a solid finish at Fontana.
Group 3 – AJ Allmendinger(8), Marcos Ambrose(9)
I still haven’t heard of any sponsorship beyond the 8 or 9 races already set for Allmendinger, so I’m going to use him for all of those races. I’m not really too excited about anyone else in this entire 3rd group, so outside of the ‘Dinger’ it’s going to be a tough group to pick race to race. I have a feeling alot of people will have used up their Bobby Labonte starts real early in the season, and I wouldn’t mind having a former Cup champion in my back pocket down the stretch. For that reason, I’m taking a Toyota as my second car here, with Ambrose getting the nod. He may not have a pile of time in a Cup car, but I do like his overall racing experience and could see him ending the season somewhere between 18th and 25th.
Those are my picks for the Auto Club 500. Of course they aren’t necessarily who I think will be the absolute best, but who I’m taking as part of my season long strategy. Good luck in your pools this weekend!
So far so good!
Vickers with the pole, and McMurray in the second row for 13 bonus points.