Aaron's 499 Pick 'Em

the standings.
after round 8 of 36 (Subway 500, Phoenix)

1. 75 points - geoffrey miller (1 race win 4-Top 5's, 4-Top 10s)
2. 45 points - trevor sager (1 race win, 1-Top 5, 4-Top 10s)
3. 20 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 3 - Top 10s)


Picks for the Aaron's 499 from Talladega.

geoffrey miller (75 points) -tony stewart.

trevor sager (45 points) - jimmie johnson.

drew owen (20 points) - david gililland.

Round 8 Pick 'Em Champ: Geoffrey Miller

the standings.
after round 7 of 36 (Samsung 500, Texas)

1. 75 points - geoffrey miller (1 race win 4-Top 5's, 4-Top 10s)
2. 45 points - trevor sager (1 race win, 1-Top 5, 4-Top 10s)
3. 20 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 3 - Top 10s)


geoffrey miller (55 points + 20 points) - jeff gordon. Gordon finally pulls in a victory this season and at Phoenix.

trevor sager (40 points + 5 points) - matt kenseth. A decent car and a decent run.

drew owen (20 points + 0point) - dale earnhardt jr. A late caution hurt pretty bad. Drew is now 2-5 when picking Junior to score points.

Subway Fresh Fit 500 Pick 'Em

the standings.
after round 7 of 36 (Samsung 500, Texas)

1. 55 points - geoffrey miller (4-Top 5's, 5-Top 10s)
2. 40 points - trevor sager (1 race win, 1-Top 5, 3-Top 10s)*
3. 20 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 2 - Top 10s)

Picks for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 from Phoenix.

geoffrey miller (55 points) - jeff gordon.

trevor sager (40 points) - matt kenseth.

drew owen (20 points) - dale earnhardt jr.

Round 7 Pick 'em Champ: Geoffrey Miller

the standings.
after round 7 of 36 (Samsung 500, Texas)

1. 55 points - geoffrey miller (4-Top 5's, 4-Top 10s)
2. 40 points - trevor sager (1 race win, 1-Top 5, 3-Top 10s)
3. 20 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 2 - Top 10s)


geoffrey miller (45 points + 10 points) - greg biffle. A solid day for this Roush driver.

trevor sager (35 points + 5 points) - tony stewart. Again, Trevor gets Stewart's lack of self control.

drew owen (20 points + 0point) - dale earnhardt jr. Had the car to beat today, but Tony Stewart allowed him to get taken out.

a new feature on rough clarity, a spreadsheet of the year's pick 'em results. (click to enlarge)

Samsung 500 Pick 'em

the standings.
after round 6 of 36 (Goody's Cool Orange 500, Martinsville)

1. 45 points - geoffrey miller (4-Top 5's, 4-Top 10s)
2. 35 points - trevor sager (1 race win, 1-Top 5, 3-Top 10s)*
3. 20 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 2 - Top 10s)

Picks for the Samsung 500 live from Texas.

geoffrey miller (45 points) - greg biffle.

trevor sager (35 points) - tony stewart.

drew owen (20 points) - dale earnhardt jr.

Round 6 Pick 'Em Champ: Geoffrey Miller

the standings.
after round 6 of 36 (Goody's Cool Orange 500, Martinsville)

1. 45 points - geoffrey miller (4-Top 5's, 4-Top 10s)
2. 35 points - trevor sager (1 race win, 1-Top 5, 3-Top 10s)*
3. 20 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 2 - Top 10s)


geoffrey miller (35 points + 10 points) - jeff gordon. I'm mighty pissed about finishing second. A 20 point lead would be really nice.

trevor sager (35 points + 0 points) - tony stewart Tony Stewart wasn't nearly the factor that many thought he would be.

drew owen (15 points + 5 point) - dale earnhardt jr. Junior led the most laps today but couldn't hang on towards the end. That 8 car ran well in clean air, and Drew is slowly clawing back in this.

picks for Goody's Cool Orange 500 live from Martinsville.

trevor sager (35 points) - tony stewart.

geoffrey miller (35 points) - jeff gordon.

drew owen (10 points) - dale earnhardt jr.

the standings.
after round 5 of 36 (Food City 500, Bristol)

1. 35 points - trevor sager (1 race win, 1-Top 10)
2. 35 points - geoffrey miller (3 - Top 5s, 3-Top 10s)*
3. 15 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 2 - Top 10s)
*= trevor still leads the standings due to race-wins tiebreaker.

Round 5 pick 'em champ: Geoffrey Miller

the standings.
after round 5 of 36 (Food City 500, Bristol)

1. 35 points - trevor sager (1 race win, 1-Top 10)
2. 35 points - geoffrey miller (3 - Top 5s, 3-Top 10s)*
3. 15 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 2 - Top 10s)
*= trevor still leads the standings due to race-wins tiebreaker.
well, the COT was a success in its first race.

trevor sager (35 points + 0 points) - matt kenseth. In a race that was not typical for recent Matt at Martinsville, the only time Kenseth played a role all day was with an early caution. Matt got into the UPS Toyota of Dale Jarrett, ending his day. Jarrett was none too pleased after the race, and neither were the fans hoping to get free curly fries on Monday. Kenseth wound up 11th.

geoffrey miller (25 points + 10 points) - jeff gordon. In what was ultimately a statement day for the 24 bunch, Gordon started on the pole and fell back dramatically to as far as 27th. However, the DuPont Chevy hit pit road nearly every chance it could and the crew adjusted on it all day. A 3rd place is a great day for these guys -- in what is looking like a start to a year for championship contention.

drew owen (10 points + 5 point) - dale earnhardt jr. The Budweiser chevy came home with its best finish of the year at Bristol with a 7th place, and for the first time since Daytona, Drew has collected some points. He's scrapping back into it.

Food City 500 pick 'em

just getting the picks in before today's race at bristol. yeah, it's been one of those weeks. anyways, today starts a new era for nascar as the car of tomorrow rolls out for its first race in competition. today's forecast is also a new era for bristol as last year at this time, snow was a threat. today? a heat wave could push temperatures into record digits in the 80s. boy, that race track will be slick today. enjoy the race, here's the picks.

trevor sager (25 points) - matt kenseth.
trevor feels that matt got a bad break going out first in qualifying and that he will run strong today. kenseth did win the last race at bristol, but that was with a different car. he'll start 38th.

geoffrey miller (20 points) - jeff gordon.
is this turning into a battle of who has the better favorite driver? looks it this week. man, i'd love to break the cycle, but when gordon is starting on the pole and looking good to start the season -- it's tough to pick against him. of course, this is bristol.

drew owen (10 points) - dale earnhardt jr.
3 weeks and no points. thats a tough start for drew. a 31st-place starting spot for dale jr. doesn't look promising for drew, but you have to remember that the 8 car went to victory lane from 30th spot in 2004 at the night race in bristol.

the standings.
after round 4 of 36 (Kobalt Tools 500, Atlanta)

1. 35 points - trevor sager (1 pick 'em win, 2 Top-10s, 1 top 5)
2. 25 points - geoffrey miller (2 - Top 5s)
2. 10 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 1 - Top 10)

Round 4 pick 'em champ: Trevor Sager

the standings.
after round 4 of 36 (Kobalt Tools 500, Atlanta)

1. 35 points - trevor sager (1 pick 'em win, 1-Top 10)
2. 25 points - geoffrey miller (2 - Top 5s)
2. 10 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 1 - Top 10)

this week, trevor pads his point lead and drew continues the slide. I didn't get to watch the race, so analysis is few and far.

trevor sager (25 points + 10 points) - carl edwards. Carl ended up 8th. it was trevor's only victory of the day, and the only team that didn't choke. i would blame shelly smith.


geoffrey miller (20 points + 5 points) - jeff gordon. Gordon, who had a strong race car, wound up 12th after problems in the pits.

drew owen (10 points + 0 point) - dale earnhardt jr. Dale Jr. criticized his pit crew for not making good adjustments, and Drew should be right there -- he hasn't scored points since Daytona.

Kobalt Tools 500 Pick 'em

trevor sager (25 points) - carl edwards.
trevor is hoping that carl snaps a drought in the win column this week, mainly so his transporter driver can shave. and because trevor thinks the backflip is cute.

geoffrey miller (20 points) - jeff gordon.
i've gotta go with my man for the third week. it seems like this weekend the 24 car could be in victory lane because he's starting 5th and the car was stellar last week at a similar track.

drew owen (10 points) - dale earnhardt jr.
after a two week point scoring drought, drew needs some points badly. he figures the budweiser car will get him there this week.

the standings.
after round 3 of 36 (UAW Daimler Chrysler 400, Las Vegas)

1. 25 points - trevor sager (1 pick 'em win)
2. 20 points - geoffrey miller (2 - Top 5s)
2. 10 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 1 - Top 10)

pick 'em round 3 champ: geoffrey miller

the standings.

after round 3 of 36 (UAW Daimler Chrysler 400, Las Vegas)

1. 25 points - trevor sager (1 pick 'em win)
2. 20 points - geoffrey miller (2 - Top 5s)
2. 10 points - drew owen (1 - Top 5, 1 - Top 10)

Well, your rough clarity host took his first overall victory in the NASCAR pick 'em contest with Jeff Gordon's 2nd place finish Sunday at Las Vegas. I took the 24 car for the second straight week, and the bet paid off, as Gordon had his 3rd top-ten finish of the year, placing him 2nd in points, 6 behind Mark Martin. As for the rest of the pick 'em contenders, Trevor had a a good day at the beginning, but Kurt Busch really faltered late and wound up 26th. Drew would have taken the 5 points from Trev, but Kasey Kahne wrecked his second race car of the weekend with less than 30 laps to go, leaving Drew with second goose egg.

Next week: The NNS visits Atlanta for a 500 mile event. Eat a peach.

UAW Daimler-Chrysler 400 pick 'em

After a week off for a visit south of the border by the Busch Series, the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series roars back to life this weekend in what can best be described as a crapshoot -- and no pun intended. Sure, the race is at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but luck will definitely play into determining who makes the trip to Victory Lane. The track has been completely reconfigured with more banking, the pit road entry has drastically changed, and the tires -- in the mind of the drivers -- are horrendous. So what's that mean for this week's pick 'em? We'll be extremely lucky to come up with a driver that doesn't end up in the wall.

trevor sager (20 points) - kurt busch.
pick 'em leader sager goes with the hometown boy this weekend at Vegas, as he expects the #2 Miller Lite Dodge to be near the front. Busch starts 10th on Sunday.

drew owen (10 points) - kasey kahne.
drew hopes to get back in the points this weekend by picking Kasey Kahne, Sunday's polesitter for the 400. it would be a fitting pick, have a daimler-chrysler company vehicle take home the trophy.

geoffrey miller (10 points) - jeff gordon.
"Cliche or not, I'm gonna stick with my driver for the second-straight week. Last year, this would have been a different story due to the 24's struggles on the 1.5 milers, but I see a new consistency in this team during the first two races. It's going to pay off again on Sunday -- with quite a bit of luck, obviously."

the standings.

after round 2 of 36

1. 20 points - trevor sager (1 pick 'em win)
2. 10 points - drew owen* (1 - Top 5, 1 - Top 10)
3. 10 points - geoffrey miller* (1 - Top 5)

* = standings were decided by tiebreaker rule.

pick' em round 2 champ: Trevor Sager

the standings.

after round 2 of 36

1. 20 points - trevor sager (1 pick 'em win)
2. 10 points - drew owen* (1 - Top 5, 1 - Top 10)
3. 10 points - geoffrey miller* (1 - Top 5)

* = standings were decided by tiebreaker rule.

Wow, boys, wow. Our three picks this week at California? They finished 1, 2, 3. Matt Kenseth (Trevor, scoring 20 points) took the win, Jeff Gordon (Geoffrey, scoring 5 points) took 2nd, and Jimmie Johnson (Drew, scoring 0 points) came home third.

On a side note, that really sucks for Drew not to get any points for a third place finish, but as NASCAR should be, winning matters. "That's just the way the cookie crumbles."

We do have a tie for second this week, so it's time to institute the rules for a tie, mainly in the case of an end-of-season tie. Also, I'm looking at splitting up the season into parts, maybe a halfway champion or a Chase of the Cup style format? Feedback is much appreciated. The tie-break rules will be at the bottom of the post, partly according to the NASCAR rulebook.

Excellent job this week, guys, see ya at Vegas in two weeks. And Trev, nice comeback after posting the goose egg at Daytona.

Official Tiebreak Rules for 2007 pick 'em

1. # of Pick 'Em Race Wins
2. # of Top Fives (by Drivers Chosen)
3. # of Top Tens (by Drivers Chosen)
4. Coin Toss

see y'all in vegas.

auto club 500 picks.

the 2007 nascar pick 'em contest selections for the auto club 500 on sunday in california are (in order of current standings):

drew owen (10 points) -- jimmie johnson

"since a chevy hasnt won at fontana in the last 2 races there, i think a chevy is due, and since the only chevy's that have won there in the past couple of years are hendrick cars, im gonna call jimmie to win it"
--
geoffrey miller (5 points) -- jeff gordon

"i have to go with the 24 car this weekend because of the excellent performance at california last year by the dupont crew. gordon was in the top 5 late in the race until battery troubles knocked him back in the spring, and a miscue on pit road prevented the victory in the fall edition, despite leading quite a bit. enjoy that 24 in victory lane on sunday, boys."
--
trevor sager (0 points) -- matt kenseth

"Matt Kenseth will defend his Auto Club 500 trophy this Sunday in the Carhartt Fusion's 1st apperance of '07."

pick 'em round 1 champ: drew owen

congratulations to drew "pb" owen on taking the first week of nascar pick 'em. drew chose david gilliland, the rookie who sat on the pole and led quite a bit early on in the race. the #38 m&m's machine scored an 8th place finish after having some troubles in the pits and rallying back late. i chose ricky rudd, who got caught up in a late race wreck and came home 26th, and trevor might have had the pick of the day until disaster struck on lap 150 when his driver, kurt busch, and tony stewart tangled while leading. busch wound up 41st.

the standings.

after round 1 of 36

1. 10 points - drew owen
2. 5 points - geoffrey miller
3. 0 points - trevor sager

up next: auto club 500, sunday 2/25, california speedway

reward.

so what's gonna be the award for winning 2007 pick em championship? i think dinner at a fast food joint of preference, and some form of trophy? maybe there could be an interesting bet laid down.

ideas?

we pick 'em.

the contestants.

Trevor Sager

Drew Owen

Geoffrey Miller


here's the challenge, pick the winner of each nascar nextel cup series event this season. win the season championship by scoring the most points. if your driver wins? you score 20 points. if no one's driver wins? the closest person's driver earns 10 points. regardless, the second place person's driver earns 5 points and the third place earns 0. confused? i dont care. just play along.

here are your picks for the 2007 DAYTONA 500.

Geoffrey Miller - #88 Ricky Rudd (starting 2nd)
"i'd have a different opinion if that 24 was starting up front"

Drew Owen - #38 David Gilliland (starting 1st)
"pullin for Jr. but Gilliand to win it"

Trevor Sager - #2 Kurt Busch (starting 4th)
"of course ive gotta pull from matt the brat kenseth but im thinkin this is Kurt Busch's year."

happy racing, boys. we'll check the points on monday.