Fearless predictions: Drifting through the Twilight Zone

  • Scott Whitmore
  • Friday, August 8, 2008 10:37pm
  • Sports

Remember the old beginning of “The Twilight Zone,” where the disembodied voice tells you not to try to adjust the set?

Well, that was pretty much what happened to the blog earlier Friday. Technical problems affected the paper’s Web program, and I was advised that anything I posted would need to be re-posted … so it was best to wait until the problems were resolved.

Unfortunately, that kept me from getting some important stuff into the cybersphere.

Okay, so very little of what I put out is important, but in this case I wanted to remind you that the Formula Drift cars will be at Evergreen Speedway Saturday afternoon and evening. ESPN will tape the races for later broadcast.

The following is taken from the Formula Drift Web site:

“Formula DRIFT Championship is recognized as the North American professional drifting championship series. As the first official series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme attracting fans and car enthusiasts from all walks of life. This high-skilled, high-powered motor sport where drivers intentionally maneuver their cars into well executed, controlled sideways slides at high speeds through a marked course, has more than 60 professional drivers competing in all seven competitions this year.

Judged on execution and style, rather than who finishes the course in the fastest time, Drifting is a guaranteed crowd pleaser, and is often compared to the freestyle nature of skateboarding and motocross.”

There will be an open practice starting at 11 a.m. with an autograph session starting at 3:15 p.m. and opening ceremonies at 5 p.m.

Check out www.evergreenspeedway.com for all the details.

On to the picks …

Rain may or may not hit this weekend’s NASCAR races at Watkins Glen. NASCAR has said Saturday’s Nationwide race will go rain or shine … watch out Joey Logano!

Weeks ago as part of the NASCAR Race to the Chase Media Challenge, I picked Tony Stewart to win Sunday’s Sprint Cup race. Hopefully Smoke can get me back inside the top-25.

For Saturday’s Nationwide race, I’m going to say Patrick Carpentier improves on his second-place finish on the road course in Montreal.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is running in Nashville on Saturday. I’m not sure why, but I’m going to say Ted Musgrave wins it. Musgrave had never finished worse than fourth at Nashville before coming in eighth last year.

Helio Castroneves qualified sixth, but needs a win to cut the points lead of polesitter Scott Dixon. The Dancing Man hasn’t won yet this year, and Penske cars run well at Kentucky, so there is no better time.

We have two local racers competing in national series this weekend, so I’m going to put on my Homer T-shirt, eat a doughnut and root for Tayler Malsam and Carl Skerlong.

Malsam, a resident of Mill Creek, Wash., will be running in Saturday’s ARCA RE/MAX Toyota 150 at Nashville. The race will be broadcast live at 1:30 p.m. on the SPEED channel. Malsam will be driving Cunningham Motorsports’ No. 4 Dodge Charger, which is co-sponsored by Fire-Down Graphics of Monroe, Wash.

Skerlong, of Mukilteo, Wash., will race twice this weekend as the Atlantic Championship series runs its second and final doubleheader of the season. Skerlong qualified ninth for Saturday’s opener at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Qualifying for Sunday’s closer will be conducted before the first race.

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