Amazing Race Standings: Week 7

1. Paul: 962 (+34)
2. Matt: 858 (-13)
3. Carl: 702 (-17)
4. Dawn: 689 (-27)
5. Kim: 496 (-85)

Wow, that was the most obviously exhausting leg I've seen in a while. Most of the teams woke up in the pre-dawn darkness, and then hadn't even arrived at their first task before the following morning. Trouble with a highway detour ultimately doomed the goths, although TK's inability to find a clue while airborne made it exciting until the end. I came away with added admiration for Kynt and Vyxsin -- even though they got woefully lost, they thought to haul ass to the detour on foot while waiting for a car replacement. They did bicker but never to the point of debilitation, so I'm glad they were saved by the first of two non-eliminations. If they can overcome the mysterious new "speedbump" next leg, they have as good a chance of winning as any team remaining.

Of course, if they don't, then Paul will continue to reap the benefits in the pool. He had yet another monstrous week, winning the 50 point elimination bonus, giving him a pool-best +34 points and restoring his 100 point buffer.

I split the FPF points with Carl for picking Nathan and Jennifer to win. They came in second, which was enough. This solidified my place in second, although I lost ground against Paul. Carl gained some distance from Dawn, who didn't do too bad herself by losing only 27 points.

Kim had another rough week, losing a whopping 85 points and making her the first player to drop into the 400s.

There's hope for all of us, however, because the season-end bonus points are about to kick in.
Here's the bonus structure:

One of your top 3 teams makes the top 3: +40 points per team
One of your top 2 teams makes the top 2: +80 points per team
Your top pick wins the Amazing Race: +120 points

In addition, when we get down to the finale, each of us will try to accurately predict the finishing order of the final 3 teams, and will get +50 points for each accurate prediction. So, Paul's lead is still daunting, but everyone should have at least an outside shot at winning the title of Amazing Race Genius.