Race Picks Phoenix: 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 AI Sonnet 5.5 (7 wins) sez: My pick is Ryan Blaney. He won the 2025 finale at Phoenix, he was the favorite there in March, and his strength on long green-flag runs suits a track where tires wear out.

Truck Series (3 wins) Zero Carbon 150 Friday 7:30pm ET on FS2 & Fox Business: LAYNE RIGGS—ironic that a Bare Knuckle boxing organization sponsors racers who always wear gloves.

O’Reilly Series (4 wins) Timberland Pro 200 Saturday 7:30pm ET on CW: JUSTIN ALLGAIER—time for him to make a championship push.

Cup Series Freeway Insurance 3pm ET on USA  FAVORITE (2 wins): CHASE BRISCOE—I’m sticking with the lost Briscoe brother.  NEXT FAVORITE (3 wins): KYLE LARSON—salting away another championship.  DARK HORSE (2 wins): SVG—a nice little diversion from Trackhouse’s otherwise putrid season.

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

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A MOXOC Media production

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Foundational Bricks—The 1994 Brickyard 400: 41st, Lake Speed

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 41st (provisional): Lake Speed #15 Quality Care Bud Moore Engineering Ford

Finished: 15th

A 1994 Lake Speed trading
card from the Trading Card
Database

Career Highlights: One Cup Series race win, 1978 World Karting Champion, 1985 Daytona 500 runner-up, has always looked 60 years old.

Total Brickyard 400 Starts: 4

Best Brickyard 400 Finish: 12th (1997)

1994 Fun Fact: After years of running underfunded part-time schedules, Lake posted an eleventh-place points finish in 1994, his best since his RahMoc days in 1985.  And then, the following year, SPAM.

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

Returning in 2027: Kasey Kahne and…

With Kasey Kahne officially returning full-time to Nascar in the Truck Series in 2027, that got me wondering—what else should come back next year?

—The All-Star Race Plinko Board—yeah, it was gimmicky.  And yeah, it never worked.  And yeah, inverting the field is kinda passe.  But I want it back, dangit!

—Shared Pit Stalls—as inconvenient as it can be, its pretty funny when a random backmarker winds up having to shuffle its decade-old war wagon with the latest technology because a championship contender failed inspection.

—Manufacturer Service Program Sponsorships—no, not the random ToyotaCare ones that show up on Legacy MC cars when they don’t have a real sponsor.  I want the return of GM Goodwrench Service Plus!  Bring back Ford Quality Care Service!  And…um, whatever it is Dodge has!

—Local Sponsors—back in the 90’s Delaware had MBNA (which no longer exists) and DuPont (which is now essentially Axalta).  Come on, you’re telling me we couldn’t get a Dogfish Head Brewery or a Gore & Associates sponsorship for one race?

—Derrike Cope—come on, bring him back for another Cup race!

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