Hello Angels, Bosley, Mr. X and the UnNamed One, 

Before I start on about this week’s race, let me tell you about a visit Kris and I had to the Comcast IMAX Theater yesterday.  For those of you who don’t know, NASCAR 3D opened nationwide March 12 on IMAX 3D.  Let me just tell you that this one-hour first-person “documentary,” if you can call it that, is one heck of a joy-ride.  I laughed, I cried, and for almost one-full hour, I had “perm-a-grin” on my face.  I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time.  I won’t ruin it for anyone, but I will definitely say it is a must see for you NASCAR Nextel Cup fans. 

Ok, so how did we do this week, well, if you’re a Dale Earnhardt Jr., fan, you got to see him drive to his second win in four races. Earnhardt had himself one heck of a car, but he wasn’t the car that led the most laps. That was Tony Stewart.  Stewart was the car to beat early in the race and Earnhardt definitely challenged him.  When Earnhardt eventually passed Stewart they touched, and Stewart’s car’s handling became an issue.  Stewart eventually recovered but could only finish seventh.

Other than that, there were really no significant happenings “on” the track.  Matt Kenseth’s ordeal happened when he was going off-the-track on to pit road.  His brakes locked up and he spun down pit road.  He was penalized for breaking one of NASCAR’s rules and fell down one-lap.  Kenseth, not to be counted out, worked his way back on the lead lap and eventually finished sixth.

Ok, so where did we all finish after the Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, well, I wish I could say we all did well, but we continue to have problems with our driver picks.

Dylan (Jen W), we’re really excited to see that you’re with us again this season.  Unfortunately, you picked a driver, Jimmy Spenser, who didn’t enter into today’s race.  Your remaining drivers were hot and cold.  Jamie McMurray and Elliott Sadler were cold.  McMurray blew an engine and finished 37th, while Sadler and his crew missed the car setup and finished several laps down in 29th. On the complete flip side, Jeremy Mayfield and Earnhardt were on fire.  The two drivers finished one and two.  Unfortunately Dylan, I cannot calculate an average finshed for you.  The only thing I can do is award you the Charlie’s Angels’ Fantasy Racing League GOLDEN CABOOSE award for the fourth race of this NEXTEL Cup season.  Much better luck next week.

Bosley, (Jude) this week was not so kind to you as last week was.  Jamie McMurray blew an engine early on in the race, while Rusty Wallace and Scott Wimmer and their crew all missed the setup of their respective cars.  McMurray finished 37th, Wallace 35th and Wimmer 27th.  Saving you from the Golden Caboose Award is, one, having all five drivers in the field, and two, Stewart and Ryan Newman on your team.  Stewart finished seventh, while Newman, Today’s pole sitter, finished fifth.  Your average finish is still a disappointing 22.2.  Much better luck next week.

Tiffany (Jen Y), like bosley before you, three of your drivers had set up and engine problems. Casey Mears was a logical choice for you this week, considering how well he’s been doing this season.  He was even doing well today running most of the day in the top-10.  Unfortunately after a late-race pit stop, he blew an engine and retired earlier than he, his sponsors and definitely his fans wanted, in 34th.  Kevin Harvick was never a threat and finished 32nd.  Sadler started fifth, but quickly faded and fell back several laps finishing 29th.  On the opposite side of the spectrum today is rookie-phenom Kasey Kahne finishing third today.  You also have the race winner, Earnhardt on your team as well. Something tells me that to you, your average finish is a disappointing 19.8.  Better luck next week.

Kris (Peggy) your team did better this week, but still had problems. Ricky Rudd’s crew missed his set up and he finished 31st.  Sadler finished 29th and Brian Vickers was never a threat, finishing two laps down in 21st spot.  Jimmie Johnson is rebounding from his troubles at Rockingham three weeks ago by finishing fourth, and your top driver is Earnhardt and his win.  Your average finish today is a not-so-bad 17.2

UnNamed One (Ray), Rudd’s and Sadler’s 31st and 29th place finishes respectively teamed up to cause havoc on your team this week.  This is because your remaining drivers finished in the top-10.  Sadler’s teammate, Dale Jarrett had a decent day but was never a threat for the win.  He finished ninth.  Greg Biffle brushed the wall a time or two or three, but still managed an eighth-place finish, and Kenseth finished sixth after his spin.  Your average finish is a nice 16.6.  Better luck next week.

The two drivers that caused my team problems this week is Brendan Gaughn and Sadler who finished 33rd and 29th respectively.  Jeff Gordon caught my attention in a bad way when he fell back after his car started mishandling, even though he led the race for more than 25 laps.  He ended the race almost on the tail end of the lead lap, in 10th place.  Johnson is doing well again and finished fourth.  My top driver is Kahne and his third top-three finish in a row.  My average finish is a 16 even. 

Julie (Sally) you did the driver shuffle this week and it paid off for you. Your only hiccup is Mears and his engine failure late in the race.  He finished 34th.  Bobby Labonte missed his set-up, which is hard to believe considering his team has won at Atlanta six times.  He finished 18th.  Joe Nemachek finished in a quiet 15th place.  Kenseth was anything but quiet and finished sixth, while Kahne is showing all the other rookies what he’s made of by finishing third.  Your average finish this week is a decent 15.2.  Nice job.

Natalie (Donna), all your drivers made it into the field today, including Dave Blaney, who you traded this week for Kasey Kahne.  Not a bad trade, but for the record, Blaney finished 11th.  Kahne third of course…Your worst driver today is Sadler in 29th.  Labonte in 18th didn’t hurt you too badly either.  Jarrett and Johnson round out your team with ninth and fourth place finishes respectively.  Your average finish is a very respectable 12.6.  Congratulations on getting your first decent average finish. Let’s hope that you continue to keep on this track.

Kelly (Sarah) Gaughn and his 33rd place finish was your only blemish of he day today, if you don’t count Labonte’s 18th place finish that is.  Stewart still had a good day with his seventh, while Kahne definitely helped you with his third place finish. Helping you the most is having NASCAR’s current most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., on your team, and the fact that he won today.  You have a nice average finish of 12.4. 

Sabrina (Susan), You didn’t change any drivers this week and it paid off for you too. Brian Vickers is having a decent rookie year and finished his fourth race of the season in 21st place.  Robby Gordon is having an unremarkable season so far, but did manage to finish 17th.  Mark Martin finished 14th, while your “Italian Stallion,” Stewart finished seventh.  Your top driver, Earnhardt is also the race winner today.  Your average finish is an even 12…just a squeaker in front of Kelly and Natalie.  Nice job.

Mr. X (Dave), the only thing stopping you from being our Top Angel today is Gaughn and his 33rd place finish.  Your remaining four drivers all finished in the top-10. Kenseth finished sixth, while Newman finished fifth and Kahne finished third, while Earnhardt went on to win the race. Your average finish is also a top-10 average of 9.6.  Nice job.

For the second week in a row, Jill (Jennie) you are our CHARLIE’S ANGELS’ FANTASY RACING LEAGUE TOP ANGEL AWARD winner.  I would hardly call an 18th place finish bad, but Labonte’s 18th place finish was the worst on your team today.  While everyone was trying get rid of Dave Blaney from their teams, you chose him this week and it paid off for you.  He finished 11th.  Newman’s fifth, Johnson’s fourth, and Kahne’s third combined to help you to a TOP ANGEL average finish of 8.2.  Congratulations.

As you can see from the average finishes this week, it was a close competition for our “middle-of-the-pack teams.” This is what the competition is all about.  Jill, Mr. X will maintain his lead in our overall points for segment one, but you are gaining on him.  The two of you are definitely pulling away from the rest of the pack though. Don’t forget to check the RPM.ESPM Stockcar Challenge Web site to view the final results on Monday morning.

Next week’s race is the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington International Raceway.  Don’t forget to update your drivers’ list before the 1 p.m. Eastern Time on March 21.  If you do update your drivers, please remember to send me a copy of the line-up so I have the up-to-date information.

Good luck Angels,