Hello and welcome to TMR Game Week 44.
So here is, the final week! It has been a generally good season aside from the obvious seriously negative moments, but also a long haul and for once in my life I’m looking forward to the off-season break.
Housekeeping
Each week you pick 10 entries with a maximum of 7 of those coming from a single championship.
You can have any mix of races from those listed in this post, and you don’t have to use all of them.
See this page for the rules.
Email reminders will be sent on Thursdays or Fridays by either myself or Sebastian. Please leave a valid email address in the comment form.
Scores
Results
Week 43 | NASCAR Cup | |
Points | Homestead | |
1 | 50 | Stewart |
2 | 40 | Edwards |
3 | 35 | Truex Jr |
4 | 32 | Kenseth |
5 | 30 | J Gordon |
6 | 28 | Bowyer |
7 | 26 | Kahne |
8 | 24 | Harvick |
9 | 22 | Hamlin |
10 | 20 | Burton |
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Player Scores
Player | NASCAR | Week 43 |
Startledbunny | 204 | 204 |
Sebastian X | 199 | 199 |
Maverick | 189 | 189 |
Jackie | 187 | 187 |
RubberGoat | 185 | 185 |
Pat W | 181 | 181 |
Felipe Gana | 165 | 165 |
The Speedgeek | 116 | 116 |
Sean | 78 | 78 |
Dylanpt24 (80%) | 62 | |
Ryan (80%) | 62 | |
Crooked Cap (80%) | 62 | |
James (80%) | 62 | |
Jay (80%) | 62 | |
Mike Rice (80%) | 62 |
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Well done Startledbunny! The only one to break 200.
Both Sean and Speedgeek’s gambles failed to pay off and fairly spectatularly – sorry lads.
Mav was right – his not picking Bowyer saw Clint finishing in the top ten.
Please see the results produced by Sebastian for the points spread. An interesting note from him, 204 is the second highest score for a NASCAR-only week (of which we have had four instances), the only better score being Jackie’s 211 way back in February.
Leaderboard
Pos | Pre | +/- | Name | Prior | Wk 43 | Total | + |
1 | 1 | 0 | Sebastian X | 11290 | 199 | 11489 | |
2 | 2 | 0 | Sean | 11098 | 78 | 11176 | 313 |
3 | 3 | 0 | RubberGoat | 10960 | 185 | 11145 | 31 |
4 | 5 | 1 | Maverick | 10719 | 189 | 10908 | 237 |
5 | 4 | -1 | Pat W | 10722 | 181 | 10903 | 5 |
6 | 7 | 1 | Felipe Gana | 10601 | 165 | 10766 | 137 |
7 | 8 | 1 | Jackie | 10568 | 187 | 10755 | 11 |
8 | 6 | -2 | The Speedgeek | 10620 | 116 | 10736 | 19 |
9 | 9 | 0 | Startledbunny | 10267 | 204 | 10471 | 265 |
10 | 10 | 0 | Dylanpt24 | 9661 | 62 | 9723 | 748 |
11 | 11 | 0 | Ryan | 9229 | 62 | 9291 | 432 |
12 | 12 | 0 | The Crooked Cap | 8834 | 62 | 8896 | 395 |
13 | 13 | 0 | James | 8355 | 62 | 8417 | 479 |
14 | 14 | 0 | Jay | 7886 | 62 | 7948 | 469 |
15 | 15 | 0 | Mike Rice | 7370 | 62 | 7432 | 516 |
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Sean’s gamble sees Rubbergoat jump on his tail.
I’ve got my own battle to worry about as I’ve got to somehow beat Maverick by 5 points this week to get that lost place back!
Speedgeek lost two places, but that’s a close three-way battle for 6th so there is all to play for going into the final week.
Races This Week
F1 Brazilian GP Interlagos
I do love Interlagos as a pure race track. It was a genius decision to end the year here. Whilst there may not be the extra frisson of a title battle going into this year’s race, I am still expecting a pretty decent one. Even if Vettel does waltz off into the distance it looks as though the McLarens might be able to bring back the gap by the chequered flag – and if the race up front isn’t great, the midfield battle for points will surely be excellent.
Remember, even though there is only one race you can still only pick 7 drivers from one series, you can’t use all ten slots. If you do I’ll take the first 7 listed.
Good luck!
Just F1 to close out the season – feels a bit like the final stage of the Tour de France except there are a couple of close battles that could swing either way on the back of a single retirement and, perhaps more importantly, some rain is forecast.
Thanks for the great competition Pat, if nothing else you persuaded me to watch NASCAR a bit and was duly rewarded at the weekend. Must say, I count myself fortunate to have leapfrogged you after you went with Truex.
Will give this some thought. Short of Jackie shooting out Vettel’s tyre again, I can see this swinging on the Massa-Rosberg-Schumacher trio and who can keep it on the track.
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This has to be the most obvious seven, and on a week like this there are bound to be duplications in picks. I did think about trying something ‘clever’, but if this lot finished top-seven, I would be very annoyed I had not picked them.
Sebastian Vettel
Jenson Button
Fernando Alonso
Mark Webber
Lewis Hamilton
Felipe Massa
Nico Rosberg
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Thanks Pat for all your work on the game, it’s been great fun, shame it’s the end of an era but I’ll look forward to seeing what you write instead.
I don’t have a “feeling” this week so I’m definitely having Vettel but who else to pick? What the heck I’m going to try something a bit different so no Massa or Hamilton..
Vettel
Alonso
Button
Webber
Schumi
Rosberg
Alguersuari
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Will someone finally get a maximum score this year? I suppose Interlagos is as good as anywhere to deliver it. Still, it’s going to be the Unimaginative Seven for me, therefore I’ll attempt to get them in the right order just for the fun of it…
Vettel
Hamilton
Button
Webber
Alonso
Massa
Rosberg
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I got lucky with Truex, saw he’d had a decent run lately and picked him hoping he would score a top 12 or thereabouts and crossed fingers others would hit trouble – very pleased he got 3rd!
I’m glad people enjoyed the game and that it got you watching more series, that was the ultimate goal. 🙂
I think I can do as good a job by writing blog posts on what I like about them, and I don’t have time (or more accurately the motivation?) to do both things at once. I’m sad to end it because I enjoy playing it, but maybe not that sad since I find it draining and repetitive to run the numbers by the time we reach August/September. I’m actually working on another new racing project which I hope will be pretty interesting and I need the time to work on it.
If anyone wants to act as guest host to run the game in 2012 I am open to volunteers.
My picks:
Vettel
Button
Hamilton
Alonso
Webber
Rosberg
Schumacher
It might be his home race but I don’t have enough faith that Massa will finish it, Schumi’s the next best. I nearly put a long shot Sutil or di Resta pick in, but I’m more confident in Massa!
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No one has ever got a maximum this season or last, either for the optimum split or the split they choose. This might be the week, but I thought that in week #17 and Schumacher, whom no one picked, spoilt it by finishing sixth.
I have been thinking about volunteering to run the game next year but I am in two minds. Unless anyone else jumps into the breach, ask me in January.
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LIke everybody else, I have to thank you, Pat, for hosting the game. It’s not easy work, that’s for sure, and the last 10 weeks of the season can really get at you.
As for this week’s picks, I’m A) not going with The Obvious Seven and B) rolling the dice here, in an attempt to do a double or nothing (odds point toward: nothing) on my picks from last week.
Sebastian Vettel
Jenson Button
Lewis Hamilton
Fernando Alonso
Michael Schumacher (because I’m predicting rain, with my non-existent meterology degree)
Sebastien Buemi (because one of these days, it’s going to be Alguersuari that’s blown up and crying at the end of the day, after running easily in the points…seriously, if Jaime comes back next year and Boomer doesn’t, I may throw things)
Adrian Sutil (making a last ditch, albeit unsuccessful, attempt to stay in the sport)
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Andy, thanks again for the inspiration and help in getting the TMRG up and running. I’ll still be playing the ARFL if you’ll have me and you’re keeping it running. 🙂
I actually think Jaime’s done an impressive job this year given his experience – however I’m not yet convinced either of the two are worth keeping any more than Christian Klein was (or wasn’t).
I’m definitely keeping an eye on the weather forecast this week, I think I may need to pick a more risky team to have any hope of jumping back ahead of Mav.
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Sebastian Vettel
Lewis Hamilton
Jenson Button
Fernando Alonso
Mark Webber
Nico Rosberg
Jaime Alguersuari
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Pat,
Thanks for organising such a great game. Shame it has to end but I totally get why.
I’m gonna go with a very safe seven drivers – it’s an approach that worked OK so far this year, so no reason to change it:
1. Vettel
2. Webber
3. Button
4. Hamilton
5. Alonso
6. Massa
7. Rosberg
It’s been fun playing this year, so a big thank you once again to Pat, for Andy for the inspiration and for all of the players for the funny picks and comments. It’s been a great laugh and the only fantasy racing game I have stuck with all season…
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Think I would have picked exactly the same line-up you have Pat.
Such is our faith in Felipe? 🙂
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Alonso, Button, Hamilton, Massa, Schumacher, Vettel, Webber
I was going to take the exact same lineup as RubberGoat to defend my second position, but decided I should at least give him a (probably unlikely) shot at it.
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Pat, Thank you for all the work done to keep the game running and the invite. I enjoyed my first (and maybe only) season!
The Last Picks
1. Vettel
2. Webber
3. Button
4. Hamilton
5. Alonso
6. Schumacher
7. Sutil
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