Chicago Race Picks: Uncle Max vs. 13th Place

I gotta keep it short this week, as I’m going in to work today for our Fourth of July “Sidewalk Sale”.  Yeah, its never fun working on a holiday, and yeah, its never fun missing a BBQ, but on the plus side I’m getting double-overtime pay, not to mention earning some brownie points with the bosses.  Oh, and just so you know, you don’t need to actually be on the sidewalk to have a sidewalk sale.

TRUCK SERIES (3 wins) off

Saturday Afternoon XFINITY SERIES (3 wins) The Loop 110: KYLE LARSON—maybe its just me, but I don’t associate 17 with Hendrick (sorry DW).

Sunday CUP SERIES Grant Park 165: 13th Place Picks JUSTIN HALEY.  FAVORITE (1 win): KYLE LARSON—after a year’s delay, it’s time for a helluva race.  Unless it rains again.  NEXT FAVORITE: AJ ALLMENDINGER—could this be the “last hurrah” for Kaulig before a merger with Trackhouse?  Eh, possibly.  DARK HORSE: SHANE VAN GISBERGEN—back-to-back wins, hopefully with actual racing this time.

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A MOXOC Media production

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Spade Racing Opens a Box of 2023 Panini PRIZM Cards, Pack 7 of 12

PACK 7: Son of a Gun, a popularity run, and getting your hair done

FIRST LOOK: Its 2024 and STP Son of a Gun protectant is STILL USING a picture nearly identical to this on their products.

TO THE BACK: ...and look how happy Bill is to be so popular here!

SAY WHAT?: “It took me four hours to fashion my hair into a Nascar-approved helmet.”

RATING: 7 pit stalls out of 10

www.spaderacing.com updated four times weekly

www.facebook.com/spaderacing

www.twitter.com/spaderacing

Visit the store https://www.cafepress.com/spaderacing

Buy the book 100 Stock Car Racing What Ifs Unauthorized

Does this track have lights?

A MOXOC Media production

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NASCAR ROTY RANKINGS 1997: Ranking the Rookie of the Year Classes Through the Years

Join me as we take a look at every NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year class from 1972 (the start of the modern era) through 2021, going from the worst to the first in terms of overall careers of each year’s rookie class.

1997

Mike Skinner's rookie car

Winner: Mike Skinner (RCR).  Runners Up: David Green (AER), Jeff Green (Diamond Ridge), Robby Gordon (SABCO).  Aborted Attempts: none

How their careers turned out: Here’s a strange one—Robby Gordon is the only driver here to have won points-paying races in Cup.  Mike Skinner did better in Trucks, while the brothers Green did better in the then-Busch Series.  Meanwhile Robby Gordon posted wins in Cup, Xfinity, and IndyCar, AND started his own series!

“Fun” “Fact” about the runner-up: While he never won in a Cup points-paying race, Mike Skinner DID post back-to-back wins in the Japan exhibition races, which just goes to show you you never know what’s going to happen half-way around the world (hell—even Danica Patrick won in Japan!).

Ranking: #32 out of 50

www.spaderacing.com updated four times weekly

www.facebook.com/spaderacing

www.twitter.com/spaderacing

Visit the store https://www.cafepress.com/spaderacing

Buy the book 100 Stock Car Racing What Ifs Unauthorized

Does this track have lights?

A MOXOC Media production

www.moxoc.com