| Are they still racing stock cars?It seems like a | | | | comparisons, I like Loudon as the most direct |
| loooong time since Daytona, doesn't it? When the | | | | resemblance, but I'll take a look at patterns from |
| Smokeless Set takes the checkers at Las Vegas | | | | all three other "flatties," too: Phoenix, Martinsville |
| Motor Speedway this Sunday afternoon, it'll have | | | | and Richmond. None of these tracks are as big or |
| been a full three weeks since the 500, a span | | | | as wide as Vegas, however; this place is its own |
| during which the boys held a boring Fontana race | | | | entity.Matt Kenseth won the 2003 and 2004 |
| that saw the stands half-filled, and then took a | | | | events, and was a heavy favorite to three-peat |
| week off to celebrate, uh, some Christian holiday | | | | before finishing eighth here last spring. Jimmie |
| I probably don't understand. And it's not exactly | | | | Johnson was king in the desert a year ago: he led |
| the time of year that's going to make the public | | | | five times for a total of 107 laps, and put an end |
| rush out and think "NASCAR." A mere few hours | | | | to Kenseth's streak. The Smokeless Set has only |
| after the race on Sunday, the NCAA will | | | | been running here since 1998, and has only |
| announce its March Madness brackets, sending | | | | featured six winners: Kenseth, Johnson, Mark |
| stock-car racing toward the kind of anonymity it | | | | Martin ('98), Jeff Burton ('99 and '00), Jeff Gordon |
| experiences only one other time each year: when | | | | ('01) and Sterling Marlin ('02). Burton's dominance |
| the NFL kicks off.Nevertheless, Nextel Cup racing | | | | here came at a time when he was lapping the |
| is about to get good. The flattish-tracked Vegas | | | | field at both Phoenix and New Hampshire, which |
| race has the potential to be a bit strung-out and | | | | gives those track comparisons even more |
| boring, but there have been several good events | | | | credence. So who'll roll nothing but sevens on |
| here. Even better, the boys head down to | | | | Sunday? Read on.Two weeks ago: Greg Biffle |
| ridiculously fast Atlanta next week, and then | | | | dominated the first Fontana event, but blew up |
| comes Thunder Alley in Bristol. Three more | | | | late, and when he did, I threw stuff around my |
| different driving experiences, you're not likely to | | | | apartment. However, Biffle's loss was my gain: his |
| find.What can we say about Vegas? (I mean: | | | | teammate Kenseth, whom I'd also selected and |
| what can we say about the track. I know what | | | | at more favorable odds, took the lead after The |
| we can say about the city. It's fun. And where's | | | | Biff failed, and won the event outright. Considering |
| my wallet?) The 1.5-miler in the desert doesn't | | | | I also had Kenseth over Tony Stewart, it was a |
| drive anything like the high-banked 1.5-milers in | | | | double-win for me: +4.44 units for the week. |
| places like Texas, Charlotte or Atlanta. Its corners | | | | That puts me at +1.44 for the season.Christopher |
| are banked a mere 12 degrees, which puts it on | | | | Harris is a featured writer for the Professional |
| par with venues like New Hampshire and (believe | | | | Handicappers League. |
| it or not) Martinsville. When looking for | | | | |