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October 3 , 2007

Edge of Your Seat Time
Fantasy Insight-Talladega 2
By Dennis Michelsen
Its nail biting time for NASCAR teams and fans as we head to Talladega Super Speedway this weekend. This race always has fans at the edge of their seats but the debut of the Car of Tomorrow makes this entire race a guessing game for teams and handicappers alike! NASCAR is already nervous about the high speeds seen on the last day of practice and have notified the teams that they might drop the size of the restrictor plates if speeds are too high. Adding to the anxiety of this event is that it is the last of the impound races. Teams that need to get in on speed will go into the race with a setup for qualifying while other teams will be in race mode. Will this add to the craziness with some cars not handling in the draft? If that isn't enough to add to the fun and games of this race add two virtual rookie drivers from the land of open wheels. Sam Hornish Jr and Jacques Villeneuve will attempt to qualify for the race along with 16 other go or go home drivers. Villeneuve has never sat in a Nextel Cup car except for practice yet has been approved for the largest track on the circuit during the sport's equivalent of the playoffs! So add a six-point harness and a Hans device to your easy chair this week…you are going to need it! Good luck on your fantasy picks.

Fast Facts of the Week Presented by www.nascapper.com
First Car of Tomorrow race at a track larger than one mile

Chevy has won 11 of first 13 COT races

Hendrick Motorsports has won 6 of 13 COT races

17% of winners have started on the pole

74% of winners have started in the top ten

Only 4 of 76 winners have started outside the top 20

NASCAR might change the rules package based on speeds in practice

This will be the final impound race of 2007

Rowdy Fantasy
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Fan1st Fantasy Racing
Fan1st is giving race fans a chance to win the greatest prize in Fantasy Racing history. Can you imagine being picked up for the race at your hometown airport in a private jet and flown to Daytona International Speedway? You can invite three people along for the experience of a lifetime learning what it is like to be an owner in the Busch series! Fan1st.com is the sponsor on the No. 32 car driven by driver Dave Blaney in the Busch series for owner Todd Braun. This year their Fantasy Racing game is included in their Diamond Membership package or you can purchase entry to the race game separately. Fan1st puts the fan in charge voting on important team matters! Their Fantasy Racing game has the best prize every offered and is a bargain to enter for $75 for the whole season! You build your team selecting a driver, crew chief, manufacturer, and owner in a salary cap format.

http://www.fan1st.com/index.html

Prize Note: Tom from Connecticut wins a Diamond Membership playing Fantasy Insight's FLIP FLOPS. Listen this week on www.racetalkradio.com Wednesday night at 10pm ET to see how you can play and win this week's prize!

Fantasy Racing by the Numbers
My unique Power Ratings are back and better than ever for 2007! Combining the three most important factors the numbers never lie. Separate the pretenders from the contenders each week with track type, horses for courses, and consistency factored into one easy to use Power Rating. The key numbers to remember are 80 and 250. A rating of 80 is an acceptable risk for any of the individual ratings and 250 is the cut off for the complete Power Rating. Drivers topping these minimums have a much higher percentage of top ten finishes over the past three seasons! (Only drivers meeting the minimum will be shown in the individual ratings with the top 25 for Power Ratings shown)

Picking a Winner
Each week I will attempt to handicap the winners showing the three drivers I think are most likely to come home a winner! Also the TOP ROOKIE and BEST OUTSIDE TOP 20 will be forecast so you get a complete handicapping picture for the upcoming race.

Winner-Jeff Gordon
Last Week 39th
Hendrick dominance in COT races makes Gordon the pick

Place- Jimmie Johnson
Last Week 37th
Team has tested this car for more speedway laps than anyone else

Show-Dale Earnhardt Jr
Last Week 43rd
Earnhardt name makes him the pick on a donkey versus thoroughbreds

Top Rookie-David Ragan
Last Week 28th
Can he avoid the trouble?

Outside Top 20 in Points- Aric Almirola
Last Week 12th
Talladega has featured surprise winners before