NASCAR Showdown #3: It’s Smackdown time with Gridiron Gracie vs. Jack Maverick’s Shrewd and Surprising Las Vegas Picks!
Gracie: “Jack, I gotta say, that victory lap last week felt so good. Almost as good as watching you try to explain why your ‘bold’ picks crashed and burned.”
Jack: “Oh, real funny, Gracie. You get one lucky week, and suddenly you’re the Queen of NASCAR. Enjoy it while you can, because I’m about to take over this town like I just hit the jackpot on the Vegas strip!”
Gracie: “Well, we are in Vegas, Jack, so your ‘luck-based strategy’ actually makes sense this week. But let’s get serious—there are some drivers coming in hot, and some who might just crap out. Let’s do this the right way: our top five NASCAR drivers to watch. You give one, I’ll give one, and we’ll see who really knows their stuff.”
Top 5 NASCAR Drivers to Watch
Kyle Busch (The Hometown Hero)
Jack: “Look, Rowdy’s racing at home, and you know he wants to put on a show. He’s won here before, he qualified fourth, and if his pit crew doesn’t botch a stop, he’s in the mix for a Vegas victory.”
Gracie: “I’ll admit, Vegas brings out the best in Busch. But you do realize he’s only won here once in the last decade, right? One.”
Jack: “Stats, schmatts! The crowd’s gonna be wild for him, and when Busch is feeling it, he’s dangerous.”
Christopher Bell (The Man on Fire)
Gracie: “Three straight NASCAR wins. Three. Do you know how rare that is? And if he wins four in a row, he joins some elite company. I don’t care if he only qualified 13th—he’s my top pick to watch, no question.”
Jack: “Oh great, another Bell pick. You sound like one of those people who only bets on red at the roulette wheel.”
Gracie: “Hey, if red keeps winning, I’m rolling with it. Bell’s hot, and until someone proves otherwise, he’s the one to beat.”
Joey Logano (The Man on a NASCAR Mission)
Jack: “You know, I was gonna make Logano my guy, but I thought you’d be too busy calling him a ‘letdown’ again.”
Gracie: “I’ll admit, I misjudged his bounce-back factor. He got hosed by that penalty in Phoenix and still finished 13th. Now he qualifies second? Yeah, he’s got something to prove this weekend.”
Jack: “Darn right he does. He’s about to go all-in on Sunday. I say he’s the guy to watch.”
William Byron (The Quiet Threat)
Gracie: “You know who you’re sleeping on? William Byron. He’s not flashy, he’s not loud, but he’s fast. And Vegas has been good to him in the past. I say he’s in this race late.”
Jack: “Byron? Really? That’s your pick? You’re just listing off the most ‘responsible’ NASCAR drivers at this point.”
Gracie: “Oh, sorry, should I pick someone who’s entertaining but wrecks early? Because that’s your job, Jack.”
Austin Cindric (Jack’s Longshot Gamble)
Jack: “Look, I know you’re gonna laugh, but I don’t care—I’m rolling with Austin Cindric. He starts third, he’s driving a Penske Ford, and this is Vegas, baby! Let’s go for The NASCAR Upset!“
Gracie: “Jack… I’m genuinely concerned for you. I think your chips stack is leaning a little too far to the crazy side. Might want to straighten that out before you go all in on pure chaos.”
Jack: “And when Cindric wins, I’m never letting you forget it!”
Josh Berry (The Breakout Candidate)
Gracie: “Fine, if you get a crazy longshot NASCAR pick, so do I. Josh Berry. He’s seventh on the grid, and I feel like he’s this close to breaking through. If the frontrunners take each other out, don’t be surprised if Berry steals this one.”
Jack: “Berry? Really? You’re accusing me of wild picks, and you roll out Berry?”
Gracie: “At least mine is based on logic and not just the thrill of watching the world burn.”
Final NASCAR Watchlist – Jack vs. Gracie
Jack’s 5 to Watch:
Kyle Busch (Hometown Hero)
Joey Logano (Motivated and Dangerous)
Austin Cindric (Jack’s Wild Pick)
Zane Smith (Underdog Alert)
Denny Hamlin (Always in Contention)
Gracie’s 5 to Watch:
Christopher Bell (On Fire)
William Byron (Underrated Vegas Threat)
Joey Logano (Racing with a Vengeance)
Josh Berry (Breakout Candidate)
Kyle Larson (Always a Factor)
Jack: “Alright, Gracie, let’s make this interesting. If one of my guys wins, you have to call me ‘Jack the Great’ in our next Smackdown.”
Gracie: “Oh please. And if one of my guys wins, you have to write a full paragraph about how my Seasoned Intuition is superior to your wild guessing.”
Jack: “Deal! I hope you enjoy writing my championship speech after Cindric wins!”
Gracie: “Jack, you better pray that the roulette wheel lands on your number, because otherwise? It’s Victory Lap, Part 2 for me!”
Who’s Got the Winning NASCAR Picks? Let’s Race and Find Out!
(Tune in Sunday, March 16, to see if Jack redeems himself—or if Gracie collects another NASCAR victory lap!)
Mike worked in the radio industry for 35 years which means sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek, satirical, trash talking characters to remind you laughter is good for the soul! Let’s have some fun with entertainment, movies and TV, sports, budget food and games, lifestyle and we’ll get ridiculous.
