Welcome Race Fans! This is the Debris In Turn 3 Pre Race. I hope all the DIT3 owners are feeling well this weekend. (Shoutout to 2018 Champ/ 2019 Wave Arounder Winner, White Flag Lap, who was quite under the weather when I talked to him before the Vegas race.) Steve, I told you, it's NOT Coronavirus. Here, in the northeast, I feel like we've been lucky because the winter weather has been relatively mild. I have avoided the flu bug. Most likely because I haven't had to expose myself to the elements while working, like in previous years & I've spent extra time out on eastern Long Island, lately while house-sitting this week. Seeing all the Coronavirus news, does NOT make me want to go back to New York City. Look, I LOVE NYC. But, it's a cesspool. Come on, now. Let's be honest. It smells like pee pee. All the time.... Soon, the season will start to change and all the local tracks will get back to racing. The BIG news this week in my opinion, is not the BOUNTY by Harvick for a Cup Series driver to beat Kyle Busch in the Gander Trucks, but the 6x Champion in the Whelen Modified Touring Series, Doug Coby announcing he is going to be back this season in a brand new deal for himself. The first race on the modified schedule is March 21st at South Boston Speedway. That's a DON'T MISS RACE.
The Auto Club 400 is TOMORROW (SUN 3.1 - 3:30pm) Check those fantasy teams! Who's fast / Who's slow? Qualifying is this afternoon and positions gained seem to be paying off early in the season so gambling with guys down in the grid is one way to go. I haven't seen any penalties issued yet that will affect the grid, but there's still a few tech sessions left this weekend. Fantrax lets you keep a roster in place week to week, but make sure to manage the fluctuating prices against the cap as well as making picks after the field qualifies in order to maximize your score.
Could this be the BIG Bowman the Showman and Y.R.Blaney bout we didn't know we needed? Of course it is. We've been craving these kind of battles! Now, if only Ross Crashtain can hold on for a few more miles than he did in the first two races this season, maybe a couple heavyweights get to duke it out in their Fords and Chevys for the checkers in the final laps. California has a lot of room for racing. I suspect a race that has only yellows for the stage break. The midfielders are running a decent pace with their new alliances and there may not be much of a threat in losing a lap on the big 2 mile track. No need for pushing the envelope on the rough Fontana surface when a stage caution is coming up to take break and formulate your strategy with everyone else on pit road while chatting with crew chiefs on Whats App.
Last week was the first time I can remember Dan and I finished 1 - 2 in a race. He stole my best bet in Vegas. He took Stenhouse Jr after I posted I was taking him & he scored the most fantasy points w/66. Then again, I did take his pick too. Jimmie Johnson did pretty well also getting 57 last Sunday. We'll make "best - bet" picks on IG later today after Qualifying so we can take into account their salary cap hit, Q position, and double check the speed chart in pracky.
Dan and I are also playing another game against one another and everyone in the league, the people listening to the podcast, or just passing us by on internet, called, "IF YOUR AINT LAST, YOURE LAST" (lowest points/pick em) It's a season long game and Dan is off to a perfect start getting one point in each of the first two races. His pick today is Timmy Hill in the 66 car. He only went out in first practice and was 5 seconds off the pace. I took Reed Sorenson in the 77. He was not as slow as Hill, but the Spire machine was 2.5 seconds behind the leader on the chart. We are both taking some highly ranked cars in this game for the California race. You can participate by voting in the poll here:
IF YOU AINT LAST YOURE LAST
http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=5e547790e4b0bd55452d430e
Follow us on social media and keep up with DIT3 during the week and get ready for
Race Day. Keep the the Driver Intro thread going on the Fantrax site and get in touch with other DIT3 players if they're going to any races this season. There's a thread started about that too. We're planning on the Islip 300 Modified Race at Riverbed in May and hope to make some more plans to a Cup race this summer.
Enjoy the Cali race.
MM