Race Picks San Diego: Spade Racing vs. AI

Join me as I test my wits against various AI programs in picking the 2026 Cup races.  Once they’ve made their picks, I’ll make my normal Favorite, Next Favorite, and Dark Horse picks (in addition to my regular O’Reilly & Truck Series picks).  At the end of the year we’ll see who knows more—me, or a soulless machine gobbling up water and electricity.

Claude Sonnet 4.6 AI (3 wins) sez: My pick (is) Shane van Gisbergen. He's the overwhelming favorite per most NASCAR analysts — since 2025 on road courses he's 6 for 8 at finishing 1st with a 2.0 average finish, the best Driver Rating by a healthy margin, and a perfect 2-for-2 record winning new debuting road courses (Chicago and Mexico City).

Truck Series (2 wins) Navy 250 Friday 7pm on FS1: KADEN HONEYCUTT—and I still think “Kaden Honeycutt” sounds like a WWE NXT name.

O’Reilly Series (3 wins) United Rentals 250 Saturday 5pm ET on CW: JUSTIN ALLGAIER—from the superspeedway that thinks its a road course to the military base that thinks its a road course.

Cup Series Anduril Race the Base 250 Sunday 4pm on Prime  FAVORITE (1 win): DENNY HAMLIN—he’s a modern-day Harry Gant, without the chaw.  NEXT FAVORITE (2 wins): ROSS CHASTAIN—do they allow watermelons on-base?  DARK HORSE (1 win): AJ ALLMENDINGER—Kaulig’s gotta win SOMEhow this year, right?

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

Spade Racing Opens a 2026 Donruss Hobby Box of Cards—Pack 3 of 16

It’s back to a hobby back for the first official 2026 cards.  Join me as I go through all 16 packs of 8 cards each!

Pack 3: Metal Took, Time to Cook, and a Distinctive Look

First Look: My first memorabilia piece of the set!  I’ve often wondered what happened to the pieces from these cars they CAN’T use, like curved parts—do they become paperweights at JRM?

To the Back: Alright, time for this team to start contending, right?  RIGHT?

Say What: “Looking like a middle school English teacher?  That’s incredible!”

Final Rating: 7 seconds for Prime to load 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

www.moxoc.com

Foundational Bricks—The 1994 Brickyard 400: 24th, Jimmy Hensley

Join me as I take a look back every Monday at the starting lineup for one of the biggest races in NASCAR history, the inaugural Brickyard 400. 

Starting 24th: Jimmy Hensley #55 Bondo/Mar-Hyde RaDius Motorsports Ford

Finished: 32nd

A 1994 Jimmy Hensley trading
card (found on eBay)

Career Highlights: 1992 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, one-time Cup Series pole winner, three-time Busch Series championship runner-up, “raised the roof” after a Truck Series win.

Total Brickyard 400 Starts: 2

Best Brickyard 400 Finish: 32nd (1994, 95)

1994 Fun Fact: Jimmy saved the best for last in 1994, finishing a season-best twelfth in the season finale at Atlanta.  And never forget—he never stopped driving his oil truck during the week.

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