How Did My Pre-Season Predictions Go?

by Grandstand Bob

Part of the joy of being a fan is being able to shoot your mouth off about things you don't know that much about and enjoy the comfort of being able to criticize from a distance. Our beliefs come out of our passions, and without our passions, there would really be no reason to follow a sport.

I shared with readers my beliefs and passions throughout the season, starting with my prediction before the Daytona 500. I was way off on some things, but eerily close on others. Take a look at how I did.

• Bill Elliott wins the Daytona 500, fades into mediocrity, and then retires. Inexplicably, he continues to win Most Popular Driver.

He'll be around a little longer, and he'll continue to win this award. Nothing against Bill -- a classy guy, but who votes on this thing?

• Jeremy Mayfield wins three races, spends most of the season in the top ten, and gets tired of people referring to him as the next Jeff Gordon.

I was way off on this one. A least the commercial got him noticed. Maybe that team will gel next year.

• Childress fires or reassigns half of the #31 crew, after Robby Gordon burns up all of his provisionals. Robby then complains loudly and publicly that the #29 car gets more attention than he, and laments how he could do so much better if he could get with a good team.

Harvick's crew is now Gordon's and vice-versa. Despite a few early set-backs, Robby is probably here to stay. I guess the third time is the charm.

• Jeff Green talks about how Jeff Green should be winning races if only Jeff Green could get a break. Jeff Green believes that Jeff Green is the next big thing. Jeff Green.

Humbling thing, this Winston Cup racing, isn't.

• Johnny Benson gets his first win and finishes in the top ten in points.

Half right on this one. Johnny's getting there.

• Terry Labonte grows tired of Jeff Gordon lapping him and accepts a position of consultant for Rick Hendrick OR Robin Pemberton looks in the engineering department of Petty Enterprises, runs away screaming, to find a nice home with Hendrick where he returns Terry to prominence.

Can't someone figure out a way for this classy guy and talented driver to get back to the top. It's painful watching Terry as an also-ran.

• NASCAR blackflags Rusty Wallace at least once every four races, boosting Rusty’s popularity and propping him up as Jeff Gordon’s nemesis. Rusty quietly stews in his piles of millions.

Rusty kept on the right side of the law for most of this season. NASCAR needs him for his outspoken nature and knowledge. Maybe that's why they backed off.

• Bobby Hamilton finds a pimple on his own butt and remembers that what comes around will eventually come around the track and hit you back.

Bobby who?

• Buckshot Jones wrecks more cars than the monster truck Gravedigger. Richard is afraid to let him drive to the store by himself.

Ray Charles could see this one coming. It still amazes me how far daddy's money can take someone.

• Geoffrey Bodine changes his name back to Geoff. Only Benny Parsons seems to notice.

At least it takes the heat off of Terry.

• Casey Atwood wins a short-track race. Elliott Sadler doesn’t.

Casey will be back, and I really hope Elliott does well with Yates.

• Tony Stewart finally punches a fan and then tells a reporter that he was stupid for not knowing that his “claustrophobia” sometimes makes him punch people. NASCAR puts him on “second-level probation” and makes him promise to be good or they’ll “tell” Joe Gibbs. To spite them, Tony wins the championship.

Damn, I'm good! I will, though, admit that my attitude toward Tony changed 180 degrees from the beginning of the year. Most of us are probably a lot more like him than we realize, and one-on-one, he's a great guy. I hope NASCAR can bend a little to keep him around.

• Dale Jarrett and Mark Martin miss their crew chiefs. They win three races between them.

OK, maybe I'm not that good. The Martin-Busch change really seemed to click, especially later in the year. Welcome back Todd. Dale needs you.

• Michael Waltrip, after a secret meeting with Theresa, announces that he’ll be in the broadcast booth next year. His popularity soars.

The inevitable postponed for another year. Can't say that I'm disappointed. How can you not like Michael?

• Junior wins the most races, but not the championship.

Screw Mike! I want to be like Junior! The kid will do well, even under the tremendous burden of his father's legacy. In the meantime, tune your scanners to his frequency. You won't be disappointed.

• Ward Burton runs well at Rockingham and Darlington, and then Darlington and Rockingham.

And Daytona . . .

• Jeff Burton leaves Roush for one of the vacated Childress rides.

This very talented team is in trouble. For evidence, look no further than the crew chief change. Jeff will be a champion someday, but some things must change.

• Ryan Newman wins Rookie of the Year. After an ugly Bristol incident, he and Harvick develop NASCAR’s next rivalry.

The Rookie of the Year race was something that no one could have predicted. Newman and Johnson are both class acts. NASCAR got what they wanted in those two. Maybe next year we can get a couple more Kevin Harvicks.

• Fans beg for high-banked, half-mile ovals, and ISC builds more 1.5-mile flat tracks.

Fans are stupid anyway. If they didn't have money, we'd just as soon get rid of them.

Grandstand Bob Profile and Past Columns

note: This opinions expressed in this column are those of writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of ARS Racing Outlet or its parent company, Beydler and Bell, LLC.