Pick 6: California 500

6. Mark Martin- Another top-5 could get the ageless wonder thinking about running the full schedule. I just can't imagine if heading into week 5 (Bristol, Martin's first scheduled week off) he is in the top-5 or 10 in points, that he wouldn't continue to run. That 2nd place finish in the Daytona 500 was no fluke.

5. Matt Kenseth- He won this race a year ago. He is, however, heading into his second consecutive week without crew chief Robbie Reiser, who was suspended. Always good for a top-15 and definitely a top-10 this weekend.

4. Jeff Gordon- Has had success in California in the past (3 wins). Last week he stumbled into a top-10 finish. That could have been that little spark of luck that Gordon needed to get things headed in the right direction.

3. Tony Stewart- The last time he finished 43rd in the Daytona 500 he won the 2002 championship. That 43rd was definitely a fluke. If he doesn't win this week, then he will be in the top-5.

2. Clint Bowyer- Ran strong last season at Fontana and has won there in the Busch Series. Richard Childress Racing is back with a vengence and looking to dominate this year. This would be a great week to make a strong statement, as RCR did last Sunday.

1. Kevin Harvick- The Daytona 500 champion looks like a serious contender after just one week. His win wasn't a fluke (notice a flukey theme?). That was one of the strongest last lap charges that I have ever seen. Could very well start the season off with two consecutive victories. California is his home state and that is his home track, so watch out for the Ronald McDonald car!

Photo: http://i.eurosport.com/2007/02/19/338928-1774621-458-238.jpg

Daytona Statement

The hot NASCAR stories of the past few weeks have been Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s contract situation and the teams that got caught cheating prior to the running of Sunday's Daytona 500. Below those headlines was Tony Stewart. The "man on a mission" after missing the Chase for the Nextel Cup. All signs and analysts pointed to Stewart making a big statement in the 500. He made a statement, but it was made to t.v. cameras following his crash that landed him a 43rd place finish. Flying under the radar all week, however, were the Richard Childress Racing teams. All the talk was about Tony Stewart's inevitable victory after his Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duel 150 wins. When it was all on the line and the season had officially started, the RCR cars rose to the occasion. Kevin Harvick (29) claimed his first Daytona 500 victory over Mark Martin (01) by the slimmest of margins. Jeff Burton took advantage of the last lap crash that took out Kyle Busch (5), Matt Kenseth (17) and others to finish 3rd. The third car in the RCR stable driven by Clint Bowyer (07) finished 18th after sliding across the finish line on his roof. At the time of the crash Bowyer was running near the top-10.

It was RCR's second Daytona 500 win. The first came in 1998 with Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel of the #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet. Harvick also won the Busch Series race on Saturday afternoon to become only the fourth driver to sweep both the Daytona 300 and 500.

So, a statement was made this weekend. But, it wasn't by Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson as most of us thought it would be. It was the RCR cars, most notably Harvick. He had been 0 for his life at Daytona until this weekend. He and his Childress teammates let it be clearly known that last season's resurgence was no fluke and that this year should be a lot better than last.

Could Harvick, Burton or Bowyer win the Nextel Cup? Yeah, they each have the talent and equipment available to do so. I picked Carl Edwards and I will stand by that. However, it would not surprise me to see an RCR car hoisting the cup in Homestead this November.

They may not win it all this year at the Welcome, N.C. based organization. They did make the rest of NASCAR and its fans stand up and take notice. The RoushFenway, Hendrick and Joe Gibbs dominated decade has come to an end. RCR is poised to reclaim the glory it enjoyed with the Intimidator at the forefront of its racing operation. The Kevin Harvick Champion Chardonnay 2007 from Childress' vineyards has a snazzy ring to it.

Which was worse? MJ's suit or Wake Forest's play

Carolina celebrated two anniversaries on Saturday, the 1957 and '82 National Championship teams. The likes of Lennie Rosenbluth, Michael Jordan and Dean Smith among others were in attendance. The game, which was over at halftime, pitted the Tar Heels against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. Carolina won by 37, 104-67. The fans stuck around to see the greats from the Tar Heel past and to see if the Heels would score 100 points. If they reach that mark Tar Heel fans get a special deal on biscuits at Bojangles.

What has happened in Winston-Salem? Have the powers that be taken all the money they used to put in basketball and put into the football program? Do they not understand that if it were not for the basketball team that there would be no football team. One good year on the grid iron doesn't seem to warrant the new football school argument.

I think the answer is blaring from head coach Skip Prosser's desk across the famed field hockey field. The answer of course is Skip happened. He entered riding the wave that Dave Odom had created and ran with it. He had some solid recruiting classes to rely on and even landed a prize recruit himslef by the name of Chris Paul.

A blind man could have seen that Paul was going to leave early. Anyone in their right mind would take instant financial security over the stress and rigorous curriculum that is Wake Forest. The only man that apparently didn't see this happening, Skip. Maybe he bought into the hype that Paul said he wasn't going anywhere, and maybe even a little bit of that lands on Paul's shoulders. However, a guy like Ishmael Smith is about a year or two late.

When you lose a guy like Paul you expect to take a step or two back. But, to go from top-3 in the conference to the Demon Doormats means that there were about 15-20 steps taken backward.

Prosser's game management has been exposed over the past two years. His great recruiting classes seemed to cover that up for a little while. However, his last two squads have been out worked, out classed, out performed and out talented. Their last 2 records are case and point of that.

Maybe it is time for those powers that be that are still fat and happy from their Orange Bowl appearance to take a look at their crown jewel, the basketball program. Bones McKinney is probably spinning like fishing reel in his grave at the sight of what has been going on in Winston-Salem. I'm not even sure if McKinney knew there was a football team at Wake Forest.

Should Prosser get one more year? Yes, probably. But, there had been no heat applied to that seat of his. He just stands there sipping from his Gatorade cup that he leaves conveinently placed on teh scorer's table to ensure he gets that check in the mail. Maybe if he had some heat to deal with, then the small private school could be more like their Durham counterpart, successful. With Coach K in Durham, Roy Williams in Chapel Hill and now Sidney Lowe in Raleigh the margin for error for the Demon Deacon basketball program is the slimmest it has been since the days of Everett Case, Frank McGuire and Vic Bubas.

Weekly Pick 6: Daytona 500

Most fantasy racing leagues only allow you to pick 5 drivers for any given weekend. Lucky for you, I find way too much time in my weekends and weekdays to give you 6 drivers who should perform well in the upcoming race. That gives you (those of you brave eough to take fantasy advice from me) 6 drivers to fill 5 spots. Here are my picks starting with 6 for this weekend's Daytona 500.

6. Reed Sorenson 5. Juan Pablo Montoya 4. David Stremme
-If you like taking risks with a few of your picks, then pacing all of these guys on your team wouldn't be a bad idea. I put them together because I picked them for all teh same reasons. They all drive for Chip Ganassi. They all looked good in qualifying. Montoya and Stremme qualified 4th and 3rd, respectively. While Sorenson's 44th best time doesn't look impressive to the naked eye, it was to me. His first lap was on pace with his top-5 teammates; however, a problem heading into the second lap caused the team (who was locked into the 500 by owners' points) to side with caution and pulled the car into the garage. Sorenson should make a statement in his Gatorade 150 on Thursday. None of the 3 may win the race, a top-5 or top-10 is definitely a possibility.

3. Ricky Rudd
-The 50 year old is back and appears to be rejuvinated after a year off. Powered by the Yates/Rousch engine in his 88 Snickers Ford Fusion Rudd secured a front row start for the 500 by qualifying second to his Yates teammate David Gilliland. Gilliland came close to making my list, but this is his first trip to Daytona; and, his performance last fall at Talladega after claiming the pole award was less than stellar. Look for Rudd to seriously contend for the resurgent Robert Yates Racing.

2. Jimmie Johnson
-The defending NEXTEL Cup and Daytona 500 champion is back for another attempt to claim it all. He has a lot going for him and seems poised to defend his title. When the series heads to Daytona the Hendricks' teams will be the favorites. just like at Talladega, DEI is always favored. The Lowe's team looks to get off to a great start in order to become the first team/driver since Jeff Gordon and the Dupont team claimed consecutive titles in the late-90s. Winner? Quite possibly. Top-5? Definitely.

1. Jeff Gordon
-I know that I am going to be called a homer on this for sure, but the fact is that just as Dale Jr. is always teh favorite heading into Talladega, Gordon will almost always be the favorite at Daytona. He has won more restrictor plate races than any other active driver and has 3 Daytona 500s to his name. He will definitely finish near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday and may very well walk away with the win. The only challengers that I really see are Rudd, Johnson, Tony Stewart and maybe Dale Jr. (if he can be given the opportuinty by the media to concentrate on racing instead of his status at DEI). Gordon is always a solid pick at just about any track except Texas and Phoenix. So, picking him here will definitely get you some points and quite possibly a season opening win.

None of this stuff is guaranteed. That is what makes sports great! They're like politics without the real world consequences of war, taxes and election scandals. It's all fun and entertainment. It should make an exciting weekend for all 2 or 3 of you who read this junk and the none of you who will follow my advice. In any event...I'm never wrong. BOOGITY, BOOGITY, BOOGITY...LET'S GO RACIN' BOYS!!

NASCAR Preview

Plain and simple, no one knows what is going to happen in November. Not even me! I know that is shocking to everyone. I'm going to take a guess at what the final 12 will look like at season's end. No lengthy explanations because none of this means anything right now.

Best of the rest:
Denny Hamlin--Sophomore slump, just like for Carl Edwards last season.
Juan Pablo Montoya--Needs one more year.
Jeff Burton--I honestly think he will win it all at RCR before he retires.
Kyle Busch--2 solid seasons to start a career. He's due to slide a little bit this year.
Robby Gordon--Hooking up with Ford will make have this team finishing first among the single car teams.
Kevin Harvick--Misses the Chase by less than 15 points.

My final 12 looks like...

12. Ricky Rudd, 88 Snickers Ford--Re-energized after a year away from the track, Rudd will help restore some credibility to Robert Yates Racing. He's a proven winner. Don't be surprised if he steals a win or 2 at a track like Talladega or Atlanta.

11. Clint Bowyer, 07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet--After a successful rookie year Bowyer should make some real noise at the resurgent Richard Childress Racing. He's a pure racer and showed promise last year that will come to the forefront this year.

10. Bobby Labonte, 43 Cheerios Dodge--First appearance for Petty Enterprises in the Chase. One win, or maybe, even 2 for the past champion

9. Reed Sorenson, 41 Target Dodge--I'm going way out on limb with this one. But, I truly believe he has the ability to get in the Chase and win at least one race.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 8 Budweiser Chevrolet--Contract negotiations keep me from picking him to win it all this year. A future RCR or Joe Gibbs Racing employee? Probably.

7. Jimmie Johnson, 48 Lowe's Chevrolet--The defending Nextel Cup champion has been in the top 5 every full year of his career. It just seems like something has got to give. No one has repeated since Johnson's car owner, Jeff Gordon, did it in the late 90s. Still a great year is ahead for these guys.

6. Matt Kenseth, 17 DeWalt Ford--This Wisconsin boy is solid. I wouldn't ever pick him to finish outside of the Chase. Jack Rousch's personal war against Toyota may keep one his drivers from winning it all.

5. Casey Mears, 25 National Guard Chevrolet--The famed 25 car of the Hendrick stable has been overshadowed by the 24 and 48 for the past several years. Casey Mears is the right man to take it back into the limelight.

4. Jeff Gordon, 24 Dupont Chevrolet--He could very well win it all this year. With a baby girl on the way and a finally steady personal life, the four time champion seems more ready than ever to get the seaosn under way.

3. Tony Stewart, 20 Home Depot Chevrolet--Not so fat Tony is everyone's favorite to win the NEXTEL cup, except for mine. It seems too safe to pick him to win it. So, I will put him in my top-5, but I just do not feel that it is his year.

2. Kasey Kahne, 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge--This will be a great race to watch between Kahne and the person I have pegged to win the cup. Kahne is a future multiple champion, and this year could make #1.

1. Carl Edwards, 99 Office Depot Ford--After missing the Chase last year Edwards has his favorite crew chief back. Don't expect another winless and Chaseless year for him. Expect him to win at least 4 races at the intermediate tracks, and to ultimately win the championship.

Rookie of the Year: I'm going way out on a limb here, but I'm going with Juan Pablo Montoya.
Comeback driver of the year: Tony Stewart? That's hard to imagine him being the comeback driver of the year.
Crewchief of the Year: Steve Letarte. He and Jeff Gordon seem to have built a relationship not seen on the Dupont team since Ray Evernham left to build his dodge team.

Sid's Kids rise to the occasion

The NC State Wolfpack went into the UNC game this past Saturday as a 17 point underdog. It was, however, evident from the start that Sidney Lowe's Wolfpack didn't believe what the odds makers had to say. The Wolfpack scored the first 4 points of the game and the most they trailed by was 6 points early in the first half.

The Pack led by as many as 12 points early, but the Tar Heels tied the score at 36 with just over 5 seconds remaining in the half. The Pack's Gavin Grant received the inbounds pass and drove the length of the floor for a lay up, making the halftime score 38-36 in favor of State. That layup seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game.

Carolina made several runs at the Pack in the second half. The Heels even took a one point lead at one point in the second half. But everytime the Heels made a run the Pack had an answer for them. The heavily favored Tar Heels would eventually fall to the Wolfpack 83-79.

As the crowd rushed the floor I sat back and thought about what had just taken place. For the first time in my four years at NC State we had beaten the dreaded Tar Heels. It was Sidney Lowe's first win in his first attempt against Carolina. It was a moment that will stick with me forever. I have been to many great sporting events (Orange Bowl, NCAA/ACC tourneys, countless races), but none compared to that win on Saturday. We could go the rest of the season without a win and I woud feel comfortable with the state of State basketball.

Many compared the atmosphere inside the RBC Center to the atmosphere surrounding State basketball in the 1980s. I can't remember ever seeing a Wolfpack team play with so much passion and desire. I was proud to say that I was an NC State basketball fan. I can't say that about previous seasons.

Sidney Lowe is proving himself to be the right man for the job. He has an undermanned team, and has been able to get the most out of them that he possibly could. He has a long way to go yet, but he is on the right path. It is safe to say that this will be the only year that there is such a big diparity between the Wolfpack and its Tobacco Road rivals, Duke and UNC. Lowe has several top recruits coming in combined with other commits and a transfer.

The red blazer that Lowe wore on Saturday looked eerily similar to someone else. No, not me and my red blazer that I was wearing. But, the late Jim Valvano. Ok, so only the wardrobe is similar. The blazer caught my eye and I knew for the first time in a long time we had a coach that took this rivalry seriously.

The final tally for the Pack was 83. 1983 was a magical year for NC State. A Jim Valvano coached and Sidney Lowe led basketball team shocked the world by defeating the defending national champion Tar Heels twice en route to the Pack's second national title.

Now, I am not saying that this year's team is headed for the same fate as the '83 team. However, I am saying that this could quite possibly be the beginning of something special. The underdog Pack made a statement on Saturday. A statement that it was not going to settle for last place in the conference and claw its way into a chance to make teh tournament. Whether the team gets there or not will depend on a lot of things. First of all the Pack needs to keep winnning. And maybe, just maybe, they can catch a few breaks and get to where noone (including myself) thought they would get.

The person that I felt the best for Saturday afternoon was senior point guard Engin Atsur. He was o for his career against the Heels. He has also spent much of this season as a cheerleader. But, on Saturday afternoon the heart of the Wolfpack made his presence known for a second straight game with 12 points and 10 assists against the Heels. He may not go down of one of the Wolfpack all time greats, but in my mind he deserves to at least make an argument. I doubt his jersey will be retired, but the #14 should mean a lot to all of the Wolfpack Nation.

If the Pack can make a run at the NCAA tournament, then great. But, if they don't they will still have had a successful season. The previous 5 State teams made the NCAAs, and none of them made me as proud as this year's squad has. Pride, passion and fire is something that this team has lacked over the past several years. One win doesn't make a season. The win against Carolina, although a huge win, only counts once. It just meant a lot to see that passion back. Tobacco Road basketball is better off when Carolina, Duke and State are all good. If Wake Forest could get it together, then the global warming would be solved because the Big Four would be back at the top of the college basketball universe. The first win is the hardest one to get. 'Sid's Kids' have their first win against the Tar Heels, and hopefully there are many more to come.