Fantasy Nascar News 2007

[Hache Man]

Mid-pack Attack: Daytona '07
Track history

Daytona International Speedway has been hosting two major NASCAR races each season since 1959. Unlike any other sport, where the goal is getting to and winning the final game at the last venue, the Super Bowl, World Series, Stanley Cup and other sport season finales, NASCAR starts its season with the Daytona 500, dubbed "The Great American Race". Drivers will compete for bragging rights in the first of 36 points races on the 2007 NEXTEL Cup schedule.
Banking in turns on the 2.5-mile track is 31 degrees. Banking in the tri-oval is 18 degrees and 3 degrees on the backstretch. The frontstretch is 3,800 feet and the backstretch is 3,400 feet.

First Cup race

The inaugural Cup race at Daytona was held on February 22, 1959. Bob Welborn won the 50 lap Qualifier two days earlier to sit on the pole in the No. 49 W.J. Ridgeway 1959 Chevrolet. Lee Petty, 3-time Series champion, won the event in his No. 42 Petty Enterprise '59 Oldsmobile.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Mid-pack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart. There were 61 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 168,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $18,386,023. Here are our picks for Sunday's Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida.



Mid-pack picks

There's one thing in common with all four of our picks this week; they're all in Chevrolets. Even though the front row is made up of Fords, the bowties ran well (and won) in the Bud Shootout and in the Duel 150s.


Sterling Marlin finished 36th in the 2006 point standings but ran a fast enough qualifying lap last Sunday to be locked in to a 500 start. He's done well at Daytona, scoring three Cup wins including back-to-back Daytona 500s in 1994-95. Marlin has an average finish of 16.4 in 49 Cup starts while racking up 21 top tens. His No. 14 Chevrolet has been among the top 15 in Pre-season Thunder testing and as high as 2nd in this week's Daytona 500 practice.


Casey Mears debuts his new Hendrick Motorsports ride in the 500. He was near the top of the speed chart in Wednesday's practice session, clocking a 3rd fastest lap of 188.135 mph under drafting conditions. We think he'll turn out to be the best pilot of the No. 25 Chevrolet in recent years.


We like sophomore driver Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 1 Chevrolet for this event. He had a win, a pole and an average finish of 8.8 in five Busch Series starts at this track. Truex had finishes of 2nd, 5th and 6th in his three IROC Daytona start. He told his crew chief during his Duel 150 qualifier race that this was the best handling car he's ever driven at Daytona.


Our deepest pick is the squeaker story of the week. Mike Wallace raced his way into the 500 with last lap dash in the second Gatorade Duel 150 qualifier to secure the final transfer position into the field. He did it by not much more than a bumper. Wallace practiced the No. 09 Chevrolet well this week posting a 2nd fastest lap during the February 14th session. He owns one Busch Series and one Craftsman Truck Series Daytona victory as well.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Chasing The Field: Daytona 500
A look at Sunday's Daytona 500 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing the Field takes a look at to see how our top 10 picks from our Daytona 500 preview article finished.<AHREF="HTTP: fantasyfootball.usatoday.com column.aspx?sport='NAS&columnid=120&articleid=27770"' content>

<A href="http://www.fantasysportspicks.com">www.fantasysportspicks.com <A href="http://www.sportspickwinners.com">www.sportspickwinners.com <A href="http://www.eog.com">www.eog.com
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<A href="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NAS&id=13">Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 43
Qualified: 3
The race: Stewart won nearly everything during this year's Speed Weeks at Daytona. The No. 20 car bested the field during the Bud Shootout and then cruised to an easy win during his Gatorade Duel 150 race. He appeared to have the equipment in place to win his first Daytona 500. Stewart thought he might have hit some debris around lap 80 when <A href="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NAS&id=23">Kyle Petty shredded a tire. The No. 20 car went to the pits to change all four tires and was blocked when David Gilliland and Robby Gordon got into each other. After not being able to move he raced out of the pits and was caught speeding. The penalty dropped him to the end of the longest line. Stewart quickly moved up through the field following the penalty and regained the lead on lap 150. While in the lead he got a little too far onto the apron and bobbled a bit. He lost a little speed due to the bobble and Kurt Busch, who was running second, got into his rear. The contact sent both cars into the outside wall and ending their chances to win the race.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 43
Average Position: 17
Laps Led: 35
Race for the Chase: Stewart is in 40th place in the championship standings 151 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished ninth in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 15.9 and finish is 17.8.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 39
Qualified: 21
The race: Johnson is the defending Daytona 500 winner, but his car didn't looked particularly fast during the Speed Weeks leading up to the race. He thought he finally got a correct setup during the final practice on Saturday. Johnson got a bit loose on lap 42 and slapped the wall. The damage to the car appeared to be minimal. Johnson's team made significant changes during the lap 65 pit stop in an attempt to tighten the car up a little bit. He fell to the back of the pack after needing to pit twice during the second caution of the race when he ran over some debris on the track. Johnson continued to struggle with his car's handling throughout the race. With 25 laps remaining in the race he lost control and smacked wall and then was hit by several cars. The damage to the car ended his day.
Highest Position: 11
Lowest Position: 41
Average Position: 25
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Johnson is in 38th place in the championship standings 144 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished 11th in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 11.4 and finish is 8.


Dale Earnhardt Jr (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 32
Qualified: 5
The race: Earnhardt Jr has been good latelyat Daytona, but he hasn't been able to find victory lane for several years. His team made some adjustments to his handling-package for the race which he thinks might get him his first win at the track since 2004. Junior had a little smoke coming out of the rear of his car during the first 10 laps of the race in turn two. It is speculated that the cause of the smoke is a tire rubbing. Junior never seemed to be happy with his car's setup. His hands could be seen throughout the race shifting back and forth to keep it on the track. He finally started to move up to the front in the final 25 laps and was in a position to finish in the top five when he got collected in the lap 197 accident. Junior suffered severe damage to the front of his car when he ran into the back of Ricky Rudd in the accident. He limped to the garage ending his day.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 35
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Earnhardt Jr is in 30th place in the championship standings 123 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
A Glimpse Ahead: Junior finished second in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 20.2 and finish is 19.3.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 24
Qualified: 8
The race: Busch had a very fast car early in the race, but complained his car was a little tight. His team made a significant track bar adjustment during the first caution which gave him even more speed. Busch seemed to take a lot of chances during the race. He blocked drivers from passing him for the opening laps until the very end. His aggressive style finally caused his downfall when he got into the side of Matt Kenseth during the final corner of the race. Rather than finishing in the top three the accident caused both Busch and Kenseth to fall outside the top 20.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 25
Average Position: 5
Laps Led: 4
Race for the Chase: Busch is in 22nd place in the championship standings 94 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished eighth in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 12.2 and finish is 13.2.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 10
Qualified: 42
The race: Gordon won his Gatorade Duel 150 race on Thursday, but the No. 24 car failed post-race inspection after the rear panel was measured about an inch too low. The infraction dropped Gordon to the 42nd starting spot in the race, but because the issue was believed to be unintentional he will be allowed to keep his victory in the race. He slightly brushed the wall in turn two on lap 14. The damage appeared to be very insignificant. His team continued to make adjustments to his car throughout the race and the changes seemed to work. Gordon moved up through the field during the final few laps and avoided the huge final lap accident to finish in 10th place.
Highest Position: 7
Lowest Position: 38
Average Position: 21
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Gordon is in eighth place in the championship standings 56 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished fifth in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 12.6 and finish is 11.8.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 27
Qualified: 10
The race: Kenseth's crew chief Robbie Reiser was suspended for four races, including the Daytona 500, after the No. 17 car failed a post-qualifying inspection. He has been one of the top crew chiefs in NASCAR for the past few seasons so not having him on the top of the pit box will certainly hurt the team. Kenseth was also docked 50 championship points. Kenseth was running in the top 10 on lap 45 when he felt he was losing a little air in his right rear tire. The problem must have just been a handling issue since he didn't need to pit early to change the tire. Kenseth car continued to be loose throughout the race no matter how many changes his team made. He still managed to guide the car into the top five and was poised for a top three finish when he and Kyle Busch crashed into each other on the final corner. The accident sent both cars spinning uncontrollably and dropped Kenseth to 27th place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 6
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is in 25th place in the championship standings 103 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished seventh in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 21.5 and finish is 11.6.


Elliott Sadler (Evernham Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 6
Qualified: 30
The race: Sadler's crew chief Rodney Childers was suspended for two races, including the Daytona 500, after Sadler's car failed a post-qualifying suspension. He was also docked 25 championship points. Sadler's car was never one of the fastest during Sunday's race, but he did an excellent job avoiding the crashes. He was in the lead group on the final laps of the race and escaped significant contact in the Kyle Busch/Matt Kenseth accident for a sixth place finish.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 39
Average Position: 23
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Sadler is in 19th place in the championship standings 65 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
A Glimpse Ahead: Sadler finished 13th in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 20.9 and finish is 21.2.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 1
Qualified: 34
The race: Harvick had a mechanical failure during the Gatorade Dual 150 qualifying race and as a result he started from 34th place. His team has worked out the issue that slowed him on Thursday and he was poised to win his first restrictor plate race. Harvick's car was great throughout the race and he used a huge push from Matt Kenseth on the final lap to shoot past Mark Martin for the lead. Martin and Harvick battled down the final straightaway with Harvick taking the checkered flag and the win by a few feet.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 37
Average Position: 10
Laps Led: 4
Race for the Chase: Harvick is first in the championship standings. He is 15 points ahead of Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick finished 15th in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 22.3 and finish is 21.1.


Casey Mears (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 20
Qualified: 17
The race: Mears took the green flag behind the wheel of the No. 25 car for the first time. He looked decent during Speed Weeks, but it might take him a few races to get comfortable in the new equipment. Mears never was much of a factor in the race, but he avoided significant damage to his car and managed a top 20 finish.
Highest Position: 4
Lowest Position: 39
Average Position: 21
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Mears is in 18th place in the championship standings 87 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
A Glimpse Ahead: Mears finished 14th in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 19.7 and finish is 20.9.


Kurt Busch (Penske Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 41
Qualified: 4
The race: Busch was the top Dodge during the Speed Weeks prior to Sunday's race. He started fourth and quickly moved into second place. Busch took the lead after the first caution pit stops. He led 95 of the first 154 laps of the race. He was running in second place when he got into the back of Tony Stewart. The contact sent both drivers into the wall and ended any chance for a strong finish. When interviewed from his garage following the incident Busch took full blame for the crash even though replays showed that Stewart clipped the apron causing him to lose speed.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 41
Average Position: 12
Laps Led: 95
Race for the Chase: Busch is in 36th place in the championship standings 140 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
A Glimpse Ahead: Junior finished 27th in his last race at California Speedway. His average career start at the track is 11.1 and finish is 12.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Auto Club 500
Fresh off a fiery finish to the Daytona 500 the NASCAR Nextel Cup series stops at California Speedway's two mile oval for the second race of the 2007 season. We have looked at past performances and season trends to predict how the field might finish during Sunday's Auto Club 500.


When: Sunday, February 25, 2007 at 3:00 p.m./et


Weather: Sunny with high around 68; wind out of the NW at 13 mph. Chance of precipitation 10%.


The Track: California Speedway

California is a 2 mile long D-shaped oval. It has intermediate (14 degree) banking on the corners which allows for drivers to run their cars nearly wide-open the entire way around the track. The aerodynamic package in the car is very important.


Key to Race: AERODYNAMIC PACKAGE RULES

This is a race that can be won or lost in the wind tunnel. The team's engineers who help determine the fastest setup are the most important people on the team prior to this race. Expect the multi-car teams like Roush, Hendrick, and RCR to have a big advantage.


Qualifying Procedures:

52 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, February 23 at 6:10 pm/et. Cars that were in the top 35 in owner's points during the 2006 season are guaranteed a spot in the race.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:

Tier 1

No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth won last year's edition of the Auto Club 500. He is still without crew chief Robbie Reiser, but with six top 10 finishes in 10 career starts at Fontana he is our top pick.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards has finished sixth or better in every Cup race he has run at California. This is one of his favorite tracks and we like his chances on Sunday.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne, like Carl Edwards, is great at California. He has four top 10 finishes, including a win, in six career starts at the track.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has finished in the top five in four of his starts at California and hasn't finished worse than 16th. He is an excellent pick.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch has finished in the top 10 in the past three races at California. He is a good pick to finish in the top five on Sunday.


Tier 2

No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle led the most laps during last February's race at California, but he blew an engine prior to taking the checkered flag. He is a great pick to finish in the top 10.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has five top 10 finishes in seven career starts at California. Look for him to get back-on-track on Sunday.
No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior brought a good car to the August race at California. We have to think he will use the same setup on Sunday so we like his chances to be in the top 10.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has won more races (three) at California than any other driver. He will finish in the top 10 on Sunday.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 14th and third at California in 2006. He is a great sleeper pick.


Tier 3

No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton did a nice job at Cali in 2006. We think he is a lock to finish in the top 15.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was great at California during his rookie season. He is another driver who should be a lock to finish in the top 15.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch captured the pole in both 2006 races at California, but his car wasn't good in traffic. We think he is a great third fantasy driver on all fantasy teams
No. 20 Tony Stewart: California is one of the four Nextel Cup tracks that Stewart has never won a race at. We think he will be in the top 15, but there are much better weeks to use him.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has never run the Cup series very well at California. He will be lucky to crack the top 15 on Sunday.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler has a victory at California on his resume. He is a decent third driver on all fantasy teams.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears was good at California in 2006. He could be even better behind the wheel of Hendrick Motorsports No. 25.
No. 01 Mark Martin: Martin has six top 10 finishes in 13 races at California including one win. He won't do as well without Roush Fenway's equipment, but he showed at Daytona he is still a good shoe.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley had one of the best races of his career during the February race at California. He is a strong option on Sunday.


Tier 4

No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has three top 10 finishes at California, but we don't expect him to be much higher than 20th on Sunday.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett has six top 10 finishes in 13 races at California. He could give Toyota a strong finish.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Finished 21st in both races at Cali in 2006. He should finish around there again.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya drove a very conservative Daytona 500. We think he will continue to be cautious until he becomes comfortable with his fellow Nextel Cup drivers.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan ran a smart race during the Daytona 500, but he has never raced at California in the Cup series. We think his chances to make the top 20 are remote.
No. 38 David Gillliland: Gilliland was the surprise of the Daytona 500. Look for him to come back to earth on Sunday.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs has been a great qualifier at California, but he has just one top 15 finish. We wouldn't use him for much more than a fifth fantasy driver.
No. 40 David Stremme: Stremme was terrible at California in 2006. We still don't recommend him.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard missed the Daytona 500, but he has tons of talent and should be one of the better rookies this season. He will make the race and could crack the top 25.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Green should be in the mid-20's on Sunday.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers missed the Daytona 500. He will make this weekend's race, but we have almost no confidence in him.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd came back to earth after an impressive qualifying effort for the Daytona 500. He will be a middle of the packer.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: Nemechek had a nice run during the Daytona 500. He could make the top 25.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin was another member of Ginn Racing who had success at Daytona. He is still a reach as a fifth member of your fantasy team.


Tier 5

No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has four top five finishes in 13 starts at California it is too bad his current car isn't nearly as reliable as his old rides.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon has been awful at California the past four races. We advise you to avoid him.
No. 21 Ken Schrader: Schrader isn't worth using in Sunday's race. He will be lucky to finish in the top 30.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney has a top 10 finish at California, but he will do well to finish around 30th.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines isn't much of an option. The best he can hope for is to crack the top 25.
No. 00 David Reutimann: Reutimann finished 38th in the Daytona 500 we think that is about where he will wind up on Sunday.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger has plenty of talent, but it might be awhile before he can get used to the Cup series.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter was a force in the Daytona 500. He will struggle to consistently make races.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Look for him to finish a few laps down at the end of the day.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty will finish around 35th.


Field Fillers

No. 37 Bill Elliott: Awesome Bill has a Past Champions provisional available to use if he doesn't make the race during qualifying. He won't factor in the race.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Ward missed the Daytona 500, but he should have much better luck making this week's race. He is still not worth using in fantasy leagues.
No. 38 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield will struggle to make the field.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss was the last car to miss making the Daytona 500. He will have better luck making Sunday's race.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Might be the slowest car to make the field
No. 39 Regan Smith: Smith will be lucky to make the race.
No. 34 Kevin Lepage: The TBA Dodge won't make Sunday's race.
No. 72 Brandon Whitt: Whitt won't make the field.


Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Matt Kenseth
2. Carl Edwards
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Jimmie Johnson

Sleepers:

1. Clint Bowyer
2. Jamie McMurray

Busts:

1. Tony Stewart
2. Kevin Harvick

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Mid-pack Attack:The Left Coast
Track history

From World War II until the end of 1983, this Fontana, California site was home of Kaiser Steel. After Kaiser went bankrupt, the site was left to deteriorate into rusting rubble. In November 1993, Roger Penske and Kaiser Ventures Inc. started discussions on cleaning up the site for a possible superspeedway. On Nov. 22, 1995, after getting race dates from NASCAR and CART, a work force that numbered in the thousands began demolition and construction. More than 21,000 tons of hazardous waste was removed. Then a million more tons of rubble was removed. The final cost of the 2-mile California Speedway was around $120-million. Since then, they have added road courses and a drag strip to the racing complex. The facility hosts NASCAR, IRL, Motorcycle Racing, NHRA, the IROC Series and Grand American sports car racing. It is also the home of six different racing schools. About 71,000 fans attended the first NASCAR Cup race in 1997.
In 1998, 15,777 seats were added raising the grandstand capacity to 86,232. The following year, 28 skyboxes were added to the rim of the grandstands, which currently hold about 92,000 fans. There is still plenty of room for expansion at this 568-acre facility. In August 2007, the speedway showcased its multi-million dollar Midway redesign which included Wolfgang Puck's Apex restaurant, a town center and new concert stage.


First Cup race

Joe Nemechek put the No. 42 Felix Sabates owned Chevrolet Monte Carlo on the pole for the June 22, 1997 California 500 Presented by NAPA with a qualifying lap of 183.015 mph. Jeff Gordon, driving the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet at an average race speed of 155.012 mph, took the inaugural win.



As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Mid-pack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth. There were 51 cars on the initial entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 92,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $6,065,926. Here are our picks for Sunday's Auto Club 500 in Fontana, California.


Mid-pack picks

Since this is only the second race of 2007, about half of the drivers who finished in the top fifteen at Daytona are still considered sleepers this early in the season. Matt Kenseth, who is 40th in the points right now, will likely be contending for the win at Fontana.

When Clint Bowyer made his first Cup appearance at the California Speedway in this race last year, he qualified back in 32nd but finished a solid 14th. He came back in September, started 3rd and finished 3rd. Bowyer did well at this track in the Busch Series as well. In four NBS starts, he scored two poles and averaged a 9th place finish. Hopefully he'll cross the line with the Goodyear's down this week.

Elliott Sadler knows how to win here (2004) but, with the exception of his 8th in the 2005 spring race, he had struggled at this track with his old team. In his first trip here with his current ride, he led some laps and finished 13th. Coming off a 6th at Daytona, Sadler's a pretty good pick for a top 15 or better this weekend.

Jamie McMurray averaged an 8.9 finish in his seven California Cup starts. McMurray has scored 28 top tens in 74 starts on these intermediate size tracks. Among active drivers with more than 5 starts at Fontana, his top ten percentage is the best. If you're going to use McMurray any time soon, this is the weekend.

In the mid-pack points range (25th) we find Greg Biffle. He'll probably be up in the top 10 in a few weeks, but he's fair game this week. With the exception of 2005 (a win and a runner-up), Biffle's Cup stats have not been impressive. This doesn't always tell the whole story. In last year's race, he led 168 of the 250 lap event but finished 42nd after his engine went south on lap 226. Fontana owes Biffle one.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Auto Club 500
A look at Sunday's Auto Club 500 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 1
Qualified: 25
The race: Kenseth has been the most dominating driver on two mile tracks in the past three seasons and he is the defending champion of the Auto Club 500. He didn't have the best qualifying effort for the race, but when the race went green he quickly moved up through the field. Kenseth took the lead on lap 30 for the first time and started to run away. He complained his car was just a little loose throughout the race, but loose is fast and he was the class of the race. He fell behind Jimmie Johnson in the final 50 laps, but a caution flag came out with 24 laps remaining and Kenseth's team got him out of the pits in first place. He held onto the lead for the remainder of the race.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 35
Average Position: 4
Laps Led: 133
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is 12th in the championship standings 103 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished second in his last race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 15.7 and finish is 8.1.


Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 29
Qualified: 21
The race: Edwards complained his car was too loose during the first 50 laps of the race. His team adjusted air pressure in the tires to help tighten the car up a bit. The adjustments worked a little, but Edwards could never get the speed he needed. He wound up finishing a very disappointing 29th place.
Highest Position: 6
Lowest Position: 39
Average Position: 28
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Edwards is 26th in the championship standings 165 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Edwards finished 26th in his last race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 20.5 and finish is 20.0.


Kasey Kahne (Evernham Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 38
Qualified: 2
The race: Kahne had a great car at the start of Sunday's race. He took the lead as soon as the race went green and held onto it for the first 20 laps. Once he lost the lead Kahne's car was much slower in traffic. Kahne joined the group of drivers who had engine issues when he coasted to the garage on lap 70 without power. He returned to the race, but was around 40 laps off the lead.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 38
Average Position: 30
Laps Led: 20
Race for the Chase: Kahne is 32nd in the championship standings 185 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kahne finished fourth in his last race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 4.3 and finish is 14.7.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 3
Qualified: 23
The race: Johnson had a great car during the practice sessions prior to Sunday's race. He only needed small air pressure adjustments during the early laps of the race. Johnson had a little issue with his ignition around lap 71. His kill switch caused the car to shutoff. He was able to re-fire without losing very many positions. The ignition issue wasn't a factor the remainder of the race. Johnson stayed in the top 10 and was one of the only cars that was able to give Matt Kenseth any pressure for the lead. He had the lead from laps 200 to 226 until a caution came out for debris. Kenseth's team had a much faster pit stop than Johnson and the No. 48 was never able to return to the lead.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 38
Average Position: 7
Laps Led: 31
Race for the Chase: Johnson is 15th in the championship standings 119 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson won his last two races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 11.8 and finish is 7.0.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 9
Qualified: 12
The race: Busch complained he was having trouble getting out of the corners. His team made a slight chassis adjustment during the second pit stop of the race. Busch fell a lap down when he made a green flag pit stop and he used a free pass during the fifth caution to get back on the lead lap. Busch got loose and scraped the wall on lap 100. He kept going and didn't lose any positions. He did a good job dealing with his loose car and managed a top 10 finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 10
Laps Led: 9
Race for the Chase: Busch is ninth in the championship standings 96 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished third in his last race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 10.7 and finish is 15.3.


Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 15
Qualified: 13
The race: Biffle led the most laps during the Auto Club 500 last season. He had just an average car during Sunday's race. He fell a lap down with 135 laps remaining in the race and needed a free pass during the sixth caution to get back on the lead lap. Biffle was able to lead lap 161 when every other driver ahead of him needed to pit. Once he pitted he fell back to 13th place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 38
Average Position: 19
Laps Led: 2
Race for the Chase: Biffle is 17th in the championship standings. He is 124 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Biffle finished eighth in his last race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 4.3 and finish is 18.0.


Jamie McMurray (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 37
Qualified: 35
The race: McMurray was collected in an accident on lap seven. His car suffered serious damage to the front and rear end. The damage was serious enough that McMurray needed to limp to the garage to get his car worked on. He would return to the track after the repairs, but wouldn't be better than 37th place.
Highest Position: 27
Lowest Position: 41
Average Position: 40
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: McMurray is 36th in the championship standings 213 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: McMurray finished 23rd in his last race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 14.3 and finish is 18.5.


Dale Earnhardt Jr (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 40
Qualified: 5
The race: Earnhardt Jr was extremely happy with his car during Saturday's practice sessions. His DEI teammate Martin Truex Jr blew an engine on lap seven which raised some questions about the strength of Junior's own engine. He blew a tire around lap 20 and had to slow down and enter the pits to have the tire changed. Junior went a lap down as a result of changing the tire during green. He got back on the lead lap prior to the fourth caution. Junior started to lose oil pressure on lap 65 signaling his engine was dying. Junior finally took his car to the garage to have it looked at on lap 69. His team fixed the car and he returned to the race about 30 laps later, but the engine didn't last long. A few laps later it blew up in a smoky mess. Junior stepped out of his car and took a bow for the crowd following the spin.
Highest Position: 5
Lowest Position: 40
Average Position: 36
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Earnhardt Jr in 40th in the championship standings 225 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Junior finished 27th in his last race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 25.1 and finish is 22.1.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 2
Qualified: 1
The race: Gordon wasn't happy with his car's setup following Saturday's Happy Hour practice so his team changed his car to match the exact setup that Jimmie Johnson was using. As a result Gordon started the race a little cautious and fell back from the pole when the race went green. His team continued to adjust his car the first few pit stops to help loosen it up a little bit. Gordon complained that his car was "junk" in turns three and four during the late laps in the race. After adjustments during the final caution Gordon was able to get into the top three and hold off teammate Jimmie Johnson for a second place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 33
Average Position: 7
Laps Led: 2
Race for the Chase: Gordon is third in the championship standings 26 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished fifth in his last race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 12.1 and finish is 14.1.


Clint Bowyer (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 6
Qualified: 6
The race: Bowyer drove his favorite car "Betsy" during Sunday's race. "Betsy" is the same car he used to finish third at California in 2006. He complained he was a little loose entering the turns early. His team made some small air pressure adjustments to help the car handle a little better. Bowyer's car was strong the entire day as he stayed in the top six for most of the race.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 34
Average Position: 6
Laps Led: 2
Race for the Chase: Bowyer is sixth in the championship standings 71 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Bowyer finished 15th in his last race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 20.0 and finish is 15.0.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
The NASCAR Cup Series moves to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. LVMS has undergone a major overhaul since last March's race we looked at this year's Vegas practice sessions, past performances, and season trends to predict how the field might finish.


When: Sunday, March 11, 2007; 4:30 p.m./et


Weather: Sunny with a high around 81; wind out of the NE at 7 mph. Chance of precipitation 10%.


The Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1.5 mile tri-oval that has been reconfigured since last March's race. The banking on the corners has been increased from 12 degrees to 20 degrees. Roush Fenway Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have dominated the track since it opened in 1998.

Key to Race: BEAT THE BIG BOYS

There have been nine races run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway since it opened and cars from the Roush Fenway and Hendrick Motorsports have won eight of them. The ability of these teams to experiment with different aero packages and setups means any of their cars could win the race.


Qualifying Procedures:

54 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, March 9 at 6:10 pm/et. Cars that were in the top 35 in owner's points during the 2006 season are guaranteed a spot in the race.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:

Top 5

No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has won the last two races at Las Vegas. He is our top pick on Sunday.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch has back-to-back top three finishes at Vegas. He is a great option.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has two wins in seven starts at Las Vegas. He is one of the favorites to find his way back to victory lane once again.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished second in the 2004 race, was running well in 2005 before crashing, and finished fourth in 2006. After a good during test session at Vegas earlier this year a top five finish is expected.
No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart has been a top five finisher at Vegas four times. There is a great chance he could find his way to victory lane for the first time at the track.


5 to 10

No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has four top five finishes, including a win at Las Vegas. He has been excellent so far this season and is a great option on Sunday.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has had back-to-back solid efforts at Vegas. He should be in the mix to win this weekend.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears has always been strong at Las Vegas. Behind the wheel of a Hendrick Motorsports car he should finish in the top 10.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle has been one of the top drivers in the past two races at Vegas. We think he will lead some laps and should crack the top 10.
No. 01 Mark Martin: Martin has seven top 10 finishes in nine races at Las Vegas, including a win. He has been terrific in the No. 01 car this season and is a great option


10 to 20

No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch seems to be a new man this season. A top 15 finish in Vegas should be expected.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton has five top 10 finishes in nine career starts in the desert. He is a decent option to crack the top 15.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler had one of the best cars at Vegas during testing. Look for him to be quick on Sunday.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 10th in his first Cup start at Vegas. He is should be in the top 15 again on Sunday.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards hasn't had much success at Vegas in his career, but Roush Fenway cars are always tough on 1.5 mile ovals. We think even though this isn't his best track he should make the top 15.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has been excellent so far this year and was fast during testing in Vegas. He is a good option in this race.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: "Front Row Joe" has finished in the top 20 in five straight races at Vegas. He should finish there once again.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley has been awesome so far this season. We think he will crack the top 20 once again this week.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has had awful luck so far this season and unfortunately this isn't a track where he has had any success during his career. We think he is a risky pick.
No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has been a mess this season. He finished second at Las Vegas in 2003, but we think a top 10 finish this week will be out of the question.


20 to 30

No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs was a rocket during the test sessions at Vegas this winter. He is a decent sleeper pick.
No. 40 David Stremme: Stremme has avoided the sophomore slump so far this season. He is a great fifth member of any fantasy team.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr has had good cars this season, but zero luck. We think he is due for a top 20 finish.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya is riding a wave of momentum following his Busch Series win in Mexico City. He won't be as aggressive in the Nextel Cup series, but we expect him to take a few more chances than he has in the first two races of this season.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has three top 10 finishes in six starts at Vegas, but he crashed and took 43rd last year. He is a risky pick this week.
No. 38 David Gilliland: The new "Candy Man" has done very well this season. He could surprise on the new faster Vegas configuration.
No. 06 David Ragan: Ragan has been impressive so far this season with two top 20 finishes. We don't think his beginners luck will last in Vegas.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon has run seven races in Vegas and has finished an average 27th. He will do better than that this year, but not much.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin has a win at Las Vegas, but we think he will be doing well to make the top 30.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has been great at Las Vegas during his career, but that was before he got behind the wheel of the 43 car.


30 to 40

No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson was awful at Vegas in 2006. A finish in the low-30s will be a big improvement for him.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers hasn't been great at Vegas during his career, but he could be Toyota's best option.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard is a talented rookie. He will make the race and could be a great sleeper pick.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd's return to NASCAR has been average. He isn't worth using on fantasy teams.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett has done nothing to earn our confidence so far this season. We advise avoiding him again this weekend.
No. 21 Jon Wood: Wood should have a decent engine, but will need to get lucky to finish in the top 30.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Wasn't good during test sessions at Vegas and isn't worth gambling on this weekend.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney will do well to finish around 35th.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines hasn't made a Cup start at Vegas since 2003. He isn't a fantasy option.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Nice guy, but no chance.


Field Fillers


No. 37 John Andretti: Will make the race, but will be lapped quickly.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield's move to Toyota has been a disaster so far. He will do well to make the race.
No. 00 David Reutimann: The "Pizza Man" has made both races and should qualify for this race.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Waltrip is one of the better field fillers, kind of a little like Kenny Wallace.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton will make the race, but should be in the rear of the field.
No. 80 Aric Armirola: Armirola ran a few decent laps during testing at Vegas this winter. He could sneak into the race.
No. 47 Ken Schrader: Schrader leaves the No. 21 car for the No. 47. He will struggle in the new ride.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger's next Cup start will be his first.
No. 39 Regan Smith: Smith is yet to make a race this season.
No. 34 Kevin Lepage: Lepage will get in the race, but don't expect much.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss will struggle to make the race.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Wallace shouldn't make the race.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: There is too strong of a field for him to make the race.
No. 72 Brandon Whitt: Whitt's car will be on the hauler after qualifying.


Brownie's Picks


Top Four:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Kyle Busch
4. Kasey Kahne


Sleepers:

1. Casey Mears
2. Greg Biffle

Busts:

1. Juan Pablo Montoya
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Mid-pack Attack: Las Vegas
Track history

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway, situated on 1600 acres northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, opened for business in 1996. The facility covers over a dozen forms of racing, including a go-kart track, a 4,000-foot drag strip, a 3/8 mile "bullring" oval, a couple of road courses, paved and dirt short tracks, motocross circuits, and a NEXTEL Cup Superspeedway. They are also home to several racing schools like the Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Mario Andretti Racing School. With Las Vegas food and entertainment nearby, and its 130,000 affordable hotel rooms available, LVMS is a favorite of race teams and fans alike. The speedway was opened September 15, 1996 with the Indy Racing League Las Vegas 500k, won by Richie Hearn. NASCAR Cup racing came to LVMS in 1998 with the Inaugural Las Vegas 400. The superspeedway is a 1.5 mile tri-oval. The backstretch runs 1,572 feet and the front is 2,275 feet.
This weekend, the Cup guys will be competing on a brand-new track configuration. The 1.5 mile track now has 20 degree banking compared to the previous 12 degrees in the turns. For the fans, pit road has been relocated 150 feet closer to the grandstands and the new fan-friendly garages will debut this weekend as well.


First Cup race

Dale Jarrett ran a 168.224 mph qualifying lap in Robert Yates Racing's No. 88 Quality Care Ford to start on the pole for the March 1, 1998 Las Vegas 400. He led 40 laps but dropped out on lap 219 after losing the engine. Mark Martin put Roush Racing's No. 6 Valvoline Ford 7th in the lineup, led 82 laps and took the inaugural victory with a race speed of 146.554 mph.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Mid-pack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton. There were 54 cars on the initial entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 142,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $6,381,100. Here are our picks for Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 in Las Vegas, Nevada.


Mid-pack picks

Since it's still early in the season, mid-packers aren't necessarily mid-pack in the point standings at this time. Some are in the top 15 but will drop like stones after four or five races. Others, deep in the standings, will likely be moving up. That said, other than the track favorites, we'll be picking from all over the standings for the next couple of weeks.

All six starts for Kurt Busch at his home town track were from the top ten in the lineup. Even with one DNF, he still managed a 16th place average finish. At Daytona, Busch led the most laps but got into a wreck with Tony Stewart and finished 41st. He's coming off a strong 7th place finish at Fontana. This might be his best shot at a top 5 or better this weekend.

Greg Biffle has an average start of 4.3, including last year's pole, for his three Cup starts at LVMS. He averaged a 7th place finish for the last two. In the Busch Series, his worst Las Vegas finish for five races was a 10th. Oh yeah, let's not forget his two starts in the Craftsman Truck Series. He started both races 5th in the lineup, finished the first in 5th and won the other.

After sliding across the finish line on his roof for an 18th place at Daytona, Clint Bowyer came back with a 6th at Fontana. For his Cup debut at LVMS last year, he posted a respectable 15th place finish. In the Busch Series, Bowyer had two top ten starts at this track with finishes of 9th in both events. We think he's been the most consistent of last year's rookie crop and should be running up front this weekend as well.

Joe Nemechek is currently 7th in the standings but might slip back after a few more races. He and Jeff Burton are the only two who have made it to the finish in all nine Cup races at this track. Nemechek has great Las Vegas Busch numbers. In nine NBS starts, he's averaged an 8.4 finish including a win in 2003. On the Cup side, he's average a 17th place finish for the past three years. With a 9th at Daytona and a 14th at Fontana, it's not a stretch to figure Nemechek for a top 15 this weekend.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
A look at Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 1
Qualified: 23
The race: Johnson had a mediocre qualifying effort, but took the lead on lap 22 after a fast pit stop. Once in the front Johnson increased the distance between himself and the field with each lap. Johnson complained his car was very, very, very loose on lap 108. His team made a few tire pressure adjustments to change the way the car handled in the corners. Johnson's team lost a tire during the lap 109 pitstop and had to do a pass-through penalty. He used the penalty to top off his tank with gas. Johnson quickly moved up through the field and was in seventh place less than 40 laps later. He got sideways exiting turn two with 90 laps remaining when Robby Gordon clipped his rear end. Johnson did an excellent job saving the car from hitting the wall and remained in third place. He passed Jeff Burton on lap 240 to take the lead and held off Jeff Gordon for his third straight victory at Las Vegas.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 25
Average Position: 6
Laps Led: 89
Race for the Chase: Johnson is fourth in the championship standings 89 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished second in his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 9.2 and finish is 10.9.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 9
Qualified: 12
The race: Busch had an impressive showing during Saturday's Busch series race. He finished second while spinning across the finish line following being bumped by Jeff Burton. He is a native of Las Vegas and wants to win at his home track very bad. Busch was running a typical Kyle Busch race, taking tons of chances, when he spun on lap 117. He managed to avoid hitting the wall, but slightly clipped the rear of Jeff Burton's car. He needed to pit to change his tires and fix the damage to his left front fender, but he managed to stay on the lead lap. With 86 laps remaining Busch complained that he feared he had a tire going down. The issue caused him to temporarily fall out of the top 10, but the tire never was a major issue.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 25
Average Position: 11
Laps Led: 4
Race for the Chase: Busch is seventh in the championship standings 113 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 27th in his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 20.8 and finish is 21.2.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 4
Qualified: 37
The race: Kenseth had a terrible qualifying effort and wasn't happy with his car's setup until midway through the race. He received a huge break when Johnny Sauter crashed and brought out a caution on lap 108 which kept Kenseth from being lapped by the race leader. His car started to handle better and better as the race went on. He managed to pass Mark Martin for fourth place in the final five laps for a fourth place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 40
Average Position: 19
Laps Led: 1
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is fifth in the championship standings 98 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished fourth in his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 23.8 and finish is 16.5.


Kasey Kahne (Evernham Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 35
Qualified: 1
The race: Kahne notched his 13th career pole and took off like a rocket when the race went green. He was really good in "clean" air and immediately opened a several second lead. Kahne lost the lead following the second caution and complained that his car was too loose once he got into traffic. His team made some adjustments, but Kahne's car continued to be extremely loose. He finally lost his car and smacked the wall in turn two on lap 252. The accident dropped him from a top 15 finish to 35th.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 35
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 13
Race for the Chase: Kahne is 36th in the championship standings 282 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kahne finished 38th in his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 10.7 and finish is 14.5.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 7
Qualified: 25
The race: Stewart came into Sunday's race not happy about the tires Goodyear provided. He felt it was going to be a very dangerous race and that the drivers needed to drive a cautious and conservative race to avoid a demolition derby from breaking out. Stewart didn't have a great car in the beginning of the race, but his team continued to make adjustments and he started to move up through the field in the final 100 laps. Stewart ran a very smart race for an excellent top 10 finish.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 33
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Stewart is 13th in the championship standings 163 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart won his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 15.7 and finish is 12.1.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 2
Qualified: 36
The race: Gordon complained he was really loose in the first 50 laps of Sunday's race. He described the tracks condition as "like driving on ice." Gordon had a little tire rub with around 170 laps remaining. The rubbing caused a little smoke to rise when he came out of the corner, but he managed to stay in the top four. Gordon took the lead for the first time on lap 109. He would lead 111 of the final 158 laps. Gordon thought he had a tire going down with 36 laps to go, but it turned out to be rubber on his tires. He never quite had enough speed to catch Jimmie Johnson for the lead, but he continued his great season with a second place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 7
Laps Led: 111
Race for the Chase: Gordon is second in the championship standings six points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished sixth in his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 13.9 and finish is 13.3.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 27
Qualified: 20
The race: Harvick had major issues finding a good setup for Sunday's race. He made a variety of changes during the practice sessions leading up to the race and still wasn't happy with how his car handled. He wasn't a factor in the race and was sent a lap down before the race was half over.
Highest Position: 15
Lowest Position: 37
Average Position: 27
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Harvick is sixth in the championship standings 106 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick finished 31st in his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 15.9 and finish is 25.2.


Casey Mears (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 40
Qualified: 34
The race: Mears crashed prior to lap 10 in Saturday's Busch race and was taken out on lap nine of Sunday's Cup race. He was hit in the side during the Cup race when Robby Gordon slid into Ward Burton sending all three cars into the wall. Mears suffered the most damage in the wreck and needed to take his car to the garage ending his chances in the race.
Highest Position: 30
Lowest Position: 43
Average Position: 41
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Mears is 34th in the championship standings 279 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Mears finished 28th in his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 18.6 and finish is 23.4.


Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 16
Qualified: 18
The race: Biffle has struggled with the new changes at Las Vegas. He crashed during a practice session during the offseason and then hit the wall during Saturday's Busch series race. He started from the middle of the pack and has done pretty well at Vegas in the past. Biffle had an issue with his fender rubbing on the right front tire of his car during the middle laps of the race. The issue forced him to not take any risks and drive a very conservative race. He was penalized after pitting outside his box following a lap 109 pitstop. The penalty caused him to fall a lap down. He was a non-factor the remainder of the race.
Highest Position: 10
Lowest Position: 35
Average Position: 25
Laps Led:
Race for the Chase: Biffle is 16th in the championship standings. He is 169 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Biffle finished fifth in his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 13.5 and finish is 12.0.


Mark Martin (Ginn Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 5
Qualified: 14
The race: Martin came to Vegas as one of the best stories of the 2007 Nextel Cup season. The veteran has taken an early lead in the standings. Martin took the lead on lap 42 after his team got him in and out of the pits during a caution quickly. He would stay in the top five for most of the remainder of the race. His team had a slight issue during a lap 220 pitstop when the right rear tire changer lost a lugnut while changing the tire. The slow stop dropped him a couple spots. He stayed in the top five and remains first in the series point standings.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 19
Average Position: 5
Laps Led: 15
Race for the Chase: Martin is first in the championship standings six points ahead of second place Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Martin finished 36th in his last race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 10.3 and finish is 16.2.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Kobalt Tools 500
The NASCAR Nextel Cup series moves to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Kobalt Tools 500. We looked at past performances, practice sessions, and season trends to shed a light on how the field might finish on Sunday afternoon.


When: Sunday, March 18, 2007; 2:10 p.m./et


Weather: Sunny with a high around 65; wind out of the WSW at 7 mph. Chance of precipitation 10%.


The Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway

Atlanta Motor Speedway is a wide, 1.5 mile oval. It has 24 degree banking on the corners. Due to the fast surface and steep banking it is known as the fastest track on the NASCAR circuit.

Key to Race: FINALLY A BACKFLIP?

This is a race that appears to be wide-open. Carl Edwards won both of the 2005 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and has finished in the top seven in four of his five career starts at the track. Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart split the two races at the track in 2006. If Edwards doesn't get to celebrate with his trademark backflip look for Kahne, Stewart, or Jimmie Johnson to be in victory lane.


Qualifying Procedures:

51 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, March 16th at 7:00 pm/et. Cars that were in the top 35 in owner's points during the 2006 season are guaranteed a spot in the race.



Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5

No. 99 Carl Edwards: In five career starts at Atlanta, Edwards has finished in the top seven four times. The back flip could return on Sunday and Edward's coach driver might finally be able to get rid of the beard he hasn't shaved since Edwards' last win in November of 2005.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne has four top five finishes in six races at Atlanta. He won the March 2006 race and there is a great chance he could find victory lane again on Sunday.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has finished in the top six in six of the last seven races at Atlanta. With the hot streak he is currently on he has to be one of the favorites to win the race.
No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart won the October race at Atlanta and has ten top ten finishes in the last 11 races at the fastest track in NASCAR.
No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has nine top ten finishes in the last 11 races at Atlanta. He could find himself in victory lane again at the ATL.


6 to 10

No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has four career wins at Atlanta and has finished in the top ten in 13 of the last 17 races at ATL. A top ten finish on Sunday is expected.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has been great at Atlanta during his career. In 14 races he has seven top ten finishes. He will be very good on Sunday.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle has led 284 laps in the past four Atlanta races. He should be in the top ten on Sunday.
No. 01 Mark Martin: Martin has finished in the top four in four of the past five races at Atlanta. He is a great bet to crack the top ten once again.


11 to 19

No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton has been good at Atlanta since joining Richard Childress Racing. A top 15 finish is nearly guaranteed.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch has finished 12th in three of the last four races at Atlanta. We expect he will finish around there again on Sunday.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was great during the October race at Atlanta. He will finish in the top 20 on Sunday.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler has never been great at Atlanta, but he should be good enough for a top 20 finish.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley cracked the top 20 in both of the 2006 races at Atlanta. He could be a sleeper on Sunday.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: He has won at ATL before, but has averaged a 32nd place finish the last five races. I guess that makes him the definition of hit-or-miss.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has been great at Atlanta during his career and has been decent so far this season. He is a sleeper pick on Sunday.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: Atlanta has been a decent track for "Front-Row Joe" during his career. He could be a sleeper on Sunday.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has won at Atlanta, but he has been terrible the past ten races at the track. Save him for another weekend.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has the potential to be great on Sunday, but we think he is too big of a risk to use on most fantasy teams.


20 to 29

No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears has struggled in his first three races with Hendrick Motorsports. We feel he will have success, but we advise waiting until he shows more consistency.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland has proved he does well at really fast tracks and there are none faster than Atlanta.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman is the maestro of qualifying at Atlanta. In the ten races at the speedway he has started from the pole six times. We like him to grab the pole, but he should finish around 25th.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson finished 10th during last year's March race at Atlanta. He is a risky pick, but he could surprise on Sunday.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 27th and 25th during last year's races Atlanta. We pick him to finish around there on Sunday.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya continues to drive conservatively. We won't recommend him until the series moves to the first road course.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin has averaged around a 17th place finish during his career at Atlanta. He could surprise some people on Sunday.
No. 40 David Stremme: Struggled at Atlanta during the 2006 season. Even though he has been better this season we can't recommend him.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Atlanta has been one of Petty's best tracks lately, but he will be lucky to finish much higher than 30th on Sunday.
No. 21 Ken Schrader: Schrader always seems to finish in the mid-20s at Atlanta. He will finish around there on Sunday.


30 to 39

No. 7 Robby Gordon: Atlanta has never been one of Gordon's better tracks, but he should be a top 30 finisher.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines has been okay the past two races this year. He should crack the top 35 on Sunday.
No. 6 David Ragan: The rookie struggled last week at Las Vegas, look for him to be up and down all season.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: He has run 11,182 laps in a Nextel Cup car at Atlanta Motor Speedway during his career. We would have more confidence if he wasn't driving for Michael Waltrip Racing.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Green is consistently in the top 30, but he never finishes well enough to help your fantasy team.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd has averaged a 28th place finish this season. He will wind up around there again on Sunday.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr has been terrible at Atlanta during three of his four career starts. He should be in the top 35 on Sunday.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: The 2007 season has been pretty forgettable for Riggs. He won't change his luck on Sunday.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard has the equipment to go fast, now if he can only qualify for the race.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney isn't an option, even if he is one of the better Toyota drivers.


Field Fillers

No. 37 Bill Elliott: Will likely need a past champion provisional to make the race.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers has made just one race so far this season. He has had success at Atlanta during his career so he should make the field.
No. 33 Scott Wimmer: Wimmer will try and qualify an additional RCR car. He should be one of the final cars in the race.
No. 34 Kevin Lepage: Won the pole for the November race at Atlanta in 1999. He should make the race.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger will struggle to make the field.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Has made all three races this season. We think his luck will run out soon.
No. 00 David Reutimann: The "Pizza Guy" is going to be lucky to make the race.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton will struggle to make the race.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Waltrip won't make the race, but he will look good with his fancy rims.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Will miss yet another race.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Hasn't made a race yet this season. That won't change this weekend.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Won't make the race.



Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Carl Edwards
2. Kasey Kahne
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Tony Stewart

Sleepers:

1. Greg Biffle
2. Mark Martin

Busts:

1. Juan Pablo Montoya
2. Kevin Harvick

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Mid-pack Attack: Hot-lanta
Track history

Fireball Roberts earned just $10,130 for winning the 1960 Dixie 300, the first race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). The purse for all the drivers totaled $39,000. In the March 2006 race, Chad Chaffin blew an engine, finished 42nd and collected $76,950. Opened in July 1960, AMS was one of the best of the new superspeedways being built all over at the time. This 1.54-mile oval is the fastest track the Cup guys compete on and is the one they fear the most. Since it is not a "restrictor plate" track and speeds top 200 mph at the end of the backstretch, drivers know if they find the wall here, they will definitely know it. The good thing about not having restrictor plates is the cars will be spread out and wrecks like the "Big One" wrecks at Daytona and Talladega aren't usually a concern at Atlanta. Bruton Smith purchased the Speedway in 1990 and has spent over $100 million improving the facility, including the nine-story structure that houses the corporate offices of AMS as well as 46 luxury condos. Recent additions also include a road course and over 53,000 more seats giving AMS a total capacity of 124,000 seats. In 1997, at a cost of $30 million, the start/finish line was moved from the south side of the track to the north side, and the configuration of the Hampton, Ga. facility changed from a 1.522- mile oval to a 1.54-mile quad-oval similar to Lowe's and Texas Motor Speedways.


First Cup race

On July 31, 1960, Fireball Roberts started on the pole for the 1960 Dixie 300 in the John Hines owned No. 22 car. Roberts led 28 laps in the 1960 Pontiac, including the last one, to win the first Cup race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway. A 22-year old Richard Petty drove the soon-to-be famous No. 43 Petty Plymouth to a 20th place finish in that race as well.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Mid-pack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne. There were 51 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 124,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $4,957,097. Here are our picks for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 in Hampton, Georgia.


Mid-pack picks

This is the track where Ryan Newman had his string of six straight Cup poles broken by a 2nd place start in March 2006. His average finish of 16.6 is not too shabby as well. He finished 8th after a 39th place start last week at Las Vegas. We think he'll be a top 5 starter and finish 15th or better this weekend.

We're going for a no-brainer pick this week with "mid-packer" Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yeah, we know, he's an easy pick but he has had a slow start so far this season and is 28th in the point standings. He has a win, pole and an average finish of 11.3 in 15 Cup starts at this track. Dale Sr. had a track record 9 wins here and Junior learned well from the master. Look for him to be running up high near the wall and up front most of the race.

After a qualifying wreck and starting at the rear of the field in a backup car, Bobby Labonte managed to lead 3 laps and finish 13th last week at Las Vegas. Now, he's at one of his favorite tracks. He leads all active drivers with six Cup wins at AMS. During the March 2006 race Labonte qualified fourth, led 13 laps but blew the engine and finished 43rd. He came back last October and finished 12th. This track owes him another victory or, at least, his 14th top ten.

A good fifth driver for your team is the veteran, Ricky Rudd. He's probably a reasonably priced pick in most fantasy games since he's currently 29th in the points. While he hasn't run a Cup race here since he was with the Wood Brothers in 2005, Rudd has 56 Atlanta Cup starts averaging a 17.6 finish. The team is digging deep to stay in the top 35 in owners points. Look for a top 15 effort from the Snickers driver on Sunday.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Kobalt Tools 500
A look at Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.
Sports Betting at Eye On Gambling - Discuss Online Sportsbooks; Handicapping; and Free Picks

Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 7
Qualified: 14
The race: Edwards won his first NASCAR race at Atlanta and says it is his favorite track on the circuit. He had a decent qualifying effort and expected a top ten finish on Sunday. Edwards never quite had enough speed to challenge for the lead on Sunday. He still managed a decent seventh place finish.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 35
Average Position: 10
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Edwards is 10th in the championship standings 158 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Edwards finished seventh in his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 29.2 and finish is 18.8.
eog.com


Kasey Kahne (Evernham Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 39
Qualified: 12
The race: Kahne took the pole and won last year's March race, but he said his car felt real loose from the start on Sunday. Kahne's day got even worse when he got tangled up in an accident on lap 231. The accident caused significant front end damage to the No. 9 car which Kahne brought to the garage for repairs.
Highest Position: 11
Lowest Position: 43
Average Position: 28
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Kahne is 36th in the championship standings 370 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kahne finished 12th in his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 13.3 and finish is 23.2.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 1
Qualified: 3
The race: Johnson started the race from the pole after Ryan Newman had to move to the back of the field due to an engine change. He started fast and led the first 36 laps of the race. He felt the right rear get a little loose following the first pit stop. Johnson's team made a little wedge adjustment to make the car slightly tighter. His car was by far the best car on the track. He came out of the pit after the final caution in second place and caught Tony Stewart with three laps remaining to take the lead. Johnson shot past Stewart causing Tony to slightly brush the wall. Johnson never looked back on his way to his second win of the 2007 season.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 19
Average Position: 2
Laps Led: 135
Race for the Chase: Johnson is fourth in the championship standings 28 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished tenth in his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 19.2 and finish is 15.5.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 2
Qualified: 13
The race: Stewart is driving the same car he used to led 146 laps during last year's race at Atlanta. He started 13th and was in the top seven after just 11 laps. Stewart complained about a vibration around lap 35. His team fixed the issue and he quickly took the lead from Jeff Gordon when the race went green. Stewart had a loose lug nut during the lap 144 caution. He came into the pits in fifth place and left in 17th. Stewart moved back up and took the lead on lap 239. He would lead all but five of the remaining laps of the race. He was passed by Jimmie Johnson on lap 323. Johnson went underneath Stewart and squeezed him a little bit into the wall causing the No. 20 to have a little damage to the right side ruining the aerodynamics.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 23
Average Position: 4
Laps Led: 121
Race for the Chase: Stewart is sixth in the championship standings 122 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished 22nd during his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 12.8 and finish is 16.6.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 14
Qualified: 22
The race: Earnhardt's car got better and better as the race went on. During the middle laps he was running in the top five and requested no changes to his setup. Junior continued to run in the top ten for most of the race, but lost some spots during the final pit stop for a 14th place finish.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 8
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Junior is 26th in the championship standings 263 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Junior finished third in his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 19.0 and finish is 12.5.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 12
Qualified: 5
The race: Gordon complained that his car was just a little tight during the first laps of the race. His team made a small wedge adjustment during the first pit stop. His team had a fast pit stop and he left the pits in first place. Gordon's team had an issue taking a tire on and off during the lap 190 pit stop due to a loose piece of sheet metal. He entered the pits in first place and left the pits in seventh place. Gordon went a lap down after he needed two pit stops to repair the right front fender which was rubbing on his tire. He was also caught speeding leaving the pits. He spent the remainder of the race attempting to get back into the top 15.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 26
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 30
Race for the Chase: Gordon is second in the championship standings eight points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished fifth in his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 5.3 and finish is 11.8.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 3
Qualified: 21
The race: Kenseth had a car that ran better on long-runs. He moved up through the field and made the top ten by lap 50. Kenseth said his car was tight on turn two and loose on turn four around 200 laps remaining in the race. The adjustments made fixed his car and he spent most of the remainder of the race running in the top seven. Kenseth's crew did an excellent job with their pit stops on Sunday to get him another top five finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 39
Average Position: 7
Laps Led: 11
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is fifth in the championship standings 62 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth won his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 18 and finish is 10.7.


Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 41
Qualified: 25
The race: Biffle started driving a conservative race. He slowly moved up through the field and was in 11th place after 75 laps. Biffle was running in the middle of the field when he went up the track and clipped the front end of David Reutimann. Biffle suffered damage to the right side of his car which required him to take it to the garage to be repaired.
Highest Position: 8
Lowest Position: 41
Average Position: 21
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Biffle is 27th in the championship standings. He is 263 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Biffle finished 19th in his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 14.1 and finish is 11.0.


Mark Martin (Ginn Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 10
Qualified: 4
The race: Martin had a great qualifying effort and his car ran well from the start of the race. He had a slight issue with getting a full tank of fuel into his tank and his team needed him to stay in the pits slightly longer. Martin ran a very typical "Mark Martin" race and managed a solid tenth place finish.
Highest Position: 4
Lowest Position: 25
Average Position: 10
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Martin is first in the championship standings eight points ahead of second place Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Martin finished 28th in his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 10.8 and finish is 12.8.


Jeff Burton (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 4
Qualified: 32
The race: Burton won Saturday's Busch Series race at Atlanta. He had a poor qualifying effort for the Kobalt Tools 500, but quickly moved up through the field. He was in the top 15 by lap 40. Once Burton made it into the top ten he started to drive conservative until there were about 30 laps remaining when he powered up to a top five finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 34
Average Position: 10
Laps Led: 2
Race for the Chase: Burton is third in the championship standings 11 points behind leader Mark Martin.
A Glimpse Ahead: Burton finished ninth in his last race at Bristol Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 22.9 and finish is 19.2.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Food City 500
The NASCAR Nextel Cup series returns to Bristol Motor Speedway's half mile oval for the Sharpie 500. Brian Brown has looked at past performances, practice sessions, and season trends to predict how the field might finish on Sunday.


When: Sunday, March 25, 2007; 2:00 p.m./et


Weather: A few showers with a high around 78; wind out of the SSW at 9 mph. Chance of precipitation 30%.


The Track: Bristol Motor Speedway

Bristol Motor Speedway is a half mile oval with high-banking. The corners are banked 36 degrees with 16 degree banking on the straight-aways. This is a track that very few drivers have been able to dominate and with this being the debut of the Car of Tomorrow it will be difficult to predict the winner. Kurt Busch is the current "Bristol Guru" but that status can change with one nudge to the left rear bumper.


Key to Race: DON'T BRING YOUR BEST CAR OF TOMORROW

The Bullring in Bristol has been described a flying an airplane in a gymnasium. There will be no cars that escape Sunday's race without damage. This race is one of the most entertaining on the circuit for fans and frustrating for drivers. Expect tempers to flare as the cars bump and bang. The driver that wins the race will have to have excellent pit stops and lots of luck.


Qualifying Procedures:

50 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, March 23rd at 3:45 pm/et. Cars that were in the top 35 in owner's points during the 2006 season are guaranteed a spot in the race.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5


No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch is the current master of Bristol. He won five races at the track, including last March's race, and has eight top 10 finishes in 12 starts. We like his chances to win again on Saturday.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has nine top 10 finishes in 14 career races at Bristol. He has led 539 laps during the last three races at Bristol and has to be one of the favorites on Saturday.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has eight top 10 finishes in 12 career races at Bristol. He finished second in last year's March race and should have great success on Saturday.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has five career wins at Bristol and has led nearly 2,400 laps at the track. He should be in the top five on Sunday.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle has never finished worse than 22nd at Bristol in his career and has four top 10 finishes in eight career starts. He is a great fantasy option on Sunday.


6 to 10

No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior is another driver who has excelled at Bristol. He has finished 16th or better in his last 11 starts at the track. Look for him to earn another top 10 finish on Saturday.
No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart led nearly half of the laps run at Bristol last March. He is always someone who will be in the mix.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has led just one lap in the past two years at Bristol. He is the hottest driver in NASCAR right now so we think he will lead plenty of laps on Sunday.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch led 34 laps at Bristol in 2006. He should make it three straight top 10 finishes at the track on Sunday.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Carl may have finally figured Bristol out during the 2006 season. He should be in the top 15 on Sunday.


11 to 20


No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin ran very well at Bristol has been in the top 15 in both his starts at Bristol. He should be in the top 15 again on Sunday.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has five top 10 finishes in ten career starts at Bristol. Penske Racing thinks they will dominate with the Car of Tomorrow and Newman will benefit.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton has been hit-or-miss his past few races at Bristol. We think he is too inconsistent at the track to be a top fantasy option.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne had a strong runs at Bristol in 2006. He still has never led a lap at the track during his career.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler has always been decent at Bristol. He won't win, but he should be in the top 20.
No. 21 Ken Schrader: Schrader has four top 25 finishes in a row at Bristol. He could make it five on Sunday.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs finished fourth, 41st and 40th in the past three Bristol races. We think he is a decent fourth or fifth driver on most fantasy teams this week.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte came in a surprising fifth place in last March's race at Bristol. He isn't likely to repeat that strong finish, but he could be worth taking a chance on as your fifth driver.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd has 16 top five finishes during his career at Bristol. He could be a good sleeper pick on Sunday.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin has just two finishes outside the top 20 in his last 16 starts at Bristol. He is a great fifth driver on fantasy teams even though he will have to make the race during qualifying this weekend.


21 to 30

No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson averaged a 29th place finish at Bristol in 2006. That is about where we think he will finish on Saturday.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray's best finish in the last four Bristol races is 24th. He is slumping badly at the track and is not a good fantasy pick.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr averaged a 28th place finish at Bristol in 2006. He has had success in the Busch Series at the track, but we like other drivers much better this weekend.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has never had much luck in his two Cup starts at Bristol. We don't recommend using him on Sunday.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Green has been in the top 30 in his last six Bristol starts. We think he will be there again on Sunday.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney has never finished better then 14th in 12 Cup races at the Bristol. We think he will be right 25th on Sunday.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon's average finish at Bristol is 25.4. We think he will finish right around there on Sunday.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears has never had much success at Bristol in his career. Stay away from him this weekend.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett has been great at Bristol in his career, but we don't have confidence in his equipment this season. He is a risky pick.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty has finished 25th or better in three of the past four races at Bristol. He is still way too much of an accident risk to have on your fantasy team.


31 to 40

No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya had a strong finish last weekend, but we wonder if he has ever even raced on a half mile oval. He is a very risky pick at Bristol.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan has showed why rookies have yellow stripes on their bumpers the past two races.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Has never run well at Bristol in the Busch Series or the Cup. We expect him to be one of those drivers that is getting lapped early in the race.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers and Toyota have struggled this season. We don't recommend them for fantasy teams.
No. 01 Regan Smith: Smith takes over the No. 01 ride from series leader Mark Martin. We don't like the rookie's chances.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: "Front Row Joe" has never finished in the top 10 in 24 Cup starts at Bristol. We like his chances to crack the top 40 though.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland really struggled in his first race at Bristol. We don't recommend him this week.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines isn't an option even in the deepest fantasy leagues.
No. 40 David Stremme: Is guaranteed to make the race, but won't help your fantasy team.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard has never made a Cup start at Bristol, but we think he will make the field on Sunday.


Field Fillers

No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton has averaged a 20th place finish at Bristol during his career, but he will struggle this week in the State Water Heaters Chevy.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss looked decent last week. He should make the race.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Will Waltrip ever make another race?
No. 00 David Reutimann: Even if he makes the race he isn't a fantasy option.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Is still trying to qualify for a race in 2007.
No. 37 Kevin Lepage: Not an option for fantasy teams, but he could make the race.
No. 34 Chad Chaffin: The Tennessee native will be lucky to qualify for the race in his home state.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Hasn't qualified for a March Bristol race since 2003.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter hasn't qualified for Bristol race since 2004.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: A.J. won't be a good fantasy option until the road courses.


Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Kurt Busch
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Jeff Gordon

Sleepers:

1. Ken Schrader
2. Ricky Rudd

Busts:

1. Jamie McMurray
2. Clint Bowyer

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Mid-pack Attack: Food City 500
Track history

Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) was built after Larry Carrier and Carl Moore saw a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960. They wanted to build a smaller version of CMS in Tennessee and decided on a half-mile oval. Work began on a former dairy farm in 1960 and a year later the speedway was born with 22 degree banking in the turns. 18,000 fans attended the first NASCAR race at BMS in 1961. In 1969 BMS was reshaped with the turns banked at 36 degrees. After the reshaping it became a 0.533-mile oval.

In August of 1992 the track was resurfaced from the original asphalt to become the first speedway to host a NEXTEL Cup event on a concrete surface. Conditions do not change during a race because concrete isn't as sensitive to weather changes like an asphalt paved track. Since the straightaways are only 650 feet long on the 0.533-mile oval, the drivers are constantly braking, turning and accelerating which makes for a demanding race. The key to passing at Bristol is to be at the bottom in the turns and getting a good run off the corners. That's why shocks, springs and brakes are critical in the race setup.

No one can be sure how this weekend's race will develop. Besides the normal Bristol surprises, this will be the first time the drivers will have to feel out NASCAR's new Car of Tomorrow under full racing conditions. Add to that, the top 35 in owners points will be set after this race as well. Some teams who had guaranteed spots in the lineup for the first five races based on 2006 owners points will be scrambling to make the top 35 on Sunday.

Mark Martin won't be starting this weekend, breaking his streak of 621 consecutive Cup races. When asked a couple of years ago to describe the intensity of racing at Bristol, Martin said "it is like flying a jet fighter around the inside of a basketball arena, and try that with 42 other jets doing it at the same time."


First Cup race

On July 30, 1961, Fred Lorenzen started the No. 28 Holman-Moody 1961 Ford on the pole for the Volunteer 500. He made it through 175 laps of the 500 lap event before losing the rear end and finished 33rd. Jack Smith, who started 12th in his own No. 46 Pontiac, led the most laps (243) and earned $3,025 for the inaugural BMS victory.

As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Mid-pack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth. There were 50 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 160,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $5,551,106. Here are our picks for Sunday's Food City 500 in Bristol, Tennessee.


Mid-pack picks

Bobby Labonte considers Bristol one of his favorite tracks. He scored a string of 4 top tens here a few years ago and brought the car home 5th in last year's Food City 500. He ran 9 races here in the Busch Series, picking up a win, two poles and a worst finish of 15th. Labonte will be getting some extra seat time this weekend with an entry in Saturday's Busch Series race.

With 51 drivers in the current point standings, 27th is about as mid-pack as you can get. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is sitting in that spot but should move up big time after this weekend. He wrecked in his first Cup start here but has averaged a 10.5 finish, including a win, in the last 13 Bristol races. Junior's running in the Busch Series race at Bristol this weekend as well.

Greg Biffle is another driver with a shot at moving out of the mid-pack range after this week's race. An 11th place average finish in 8 Cup starts and 5 top ten finishes in 11 Busch starts makes him a good choice at Bristol. Biffle even scored a 9th place finish, from the pole, in one of his two starts in Craftsman Truck Series races held at this track.

Paul Menard is making his first Cup start at Bristol and is our deepest pick this week. He will be pulling out all stops to get in a good run since the No. 15 team is currently 36th in the 2007 owners points. He would like to have a top 35 guarantee going into Martinsville next weekend. Menard did pretty well in the Busch Series at this track. He had finishes of 16th and 10th here in 2006.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Food City 500
A look at Sunday's Food City 500 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Kurt Busch (Penske Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 29
Qualified: 42
The race: Busch was very slow in qualifying and complained that his car didn't handle great during practice. He plans on running a patient race and isn't too worried about being lapped too early in the race. Busch moved up from 42nd place to 28th after just 23 laps. He used pit strategy to take the lead on lap 61. The No. 2 car stayed in the lead for nine laps before he was passed for the lead by Tony Stewart. He was blocked in the pits during his second pit stop of the race by Kyle Petty. The long pit stop caused him to fall out of the top 10. Busch would never return to the top 10 for the remainder of race.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 42
Average Position: 26
Laps Led: 10
Race for the Chase: Busch is 20th in the championship standings 294 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 27th in his last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 21.0 and finish is 20.2.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 11
Qualified: 38
The race: Kenseth was running in 32nd place 45 when he got into the back of Dale Jarrett. The No. 17 car didn't suffer any serious damage, but Jarrett and David Gilliland were forced to take their cars into the garage for repairs. Kenseth complained his car was a little loose during the middle laps of the race. His team made adjustments to the track bar and the wedge during pit stops to improve the handling.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 40
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is fourth in the championship standings 94 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished 11th in his last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 24.2 and finish is 16.8.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 4
Qualified: 40
The race: Harvick had a very poor qualifying effort. He was about to get passed by the leader on lap 19 when he got into the back of Reed Sorenson. Harvick didn't suffer much damage, but Sorenson had to take his car to the garage to be repaired. He drove a very smart race and was in the top 10 by lap 140. He asked for a little forward-bite during the middle of the race. Harvick's car continued to get better during the race for a fourth place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 41
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 9
Race for the Chase: Harvick is fifth in the championship standings 144 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick finished ninth in his last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 17.5 and finish is 18.2.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 3
Qualified: 1
The race: Gordon has five wins at Bristol and took his fifth career pole at the track for Sunday's race. The No. 24 car led the first six laps of the race before Tony Stewart passed him for the lead. Gordon complained his car was really loose during the first 30 laps of the race. He stopped on nearly every caution during the first half of the race to work on the handling of his car. The adjustments made Gordon's car fast and he returned to the top five with about 150 laps remaining in the race. Once in the top five he stayed there to finish in third place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 27
Average Position: 12
Laps Led: 36
Race for the Chase: Gordon is first in the championship standings three points ahead of second place Jeff Burton.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished fifth in his last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 7.1 and finish is 7.5.


Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 5
Qualified: 11
The race: Biffle has always had decent luck at Bristol. He was running around 15th place when he clipped the right rear of Jeff Green. The damage to the No. 16 car was minimal. Biffle nearly took the lead of the race around 220 from Tony Stewart, but a caution flag came out due to Jeremy Mayfield having a blown tire. Biffle would never challenge for the lead the remainder of the race.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 16
Average Position: 6
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Biffle is 16th in the championship standings. He is 270 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Biffle finished 32nd in his last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 20.3 and finish is 25.1.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 7
Qualified: 31
The race: Earnhardt was running in 17th place when he got caught up in the residue of Juan Pablo Montoya's spin. Junior was hit in the rear by David Stremme and spun but avoided causing major damage to his car. He got his car restarted and stayed on the lead lap. Junior rebounded from the spin to manage a seventh place finish.
Highest Position: 6
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 16
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Junior is 17th in the championship standings 279 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Junior finished 22nd in his last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 12.4 and finish is 14.9.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 35
Qualified: 4
The race: Stewart had the fastest car in the practice sessions leading up to Sunday's race. He is worried about not being able to pass as easily in the Car of Tomorrow, but he thinks the No. 20 car should be in the lead pack for most of the day. Stewart quickly moved up through the field and took the lead on lap seven. Stewart said he loved his car during a lap 283 pit stop, but he had to bring it into the pit before the race went green. He had a problem with no fuel pressure and went down 23 laps while his team fixed the issue. Even though he had the best car in the race, Stewart finished a disappointing 35th place due to the mechanical issue.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 38
Average Position: 16
Laps Led: 257
Race for the Chase: Stewart is 12th in the championship standings 216 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished fourth during his last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 13.9 and finish is 12.6.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 16
Qualified: 6
The race: Johnson came into Sunday's race looking to win his first career race at Bristol. He had a decent qualifying effort prior to the race and should be a threat to win. Johnson could never get his car dialed in during the race. He was as high as sixth place, but didn't make enough adjustments to stay in the top 10. Johnson blew a right front tire and hit the wall on lap 486. He was unable to make it back to his garage due to the impact.
Highest Position: 6
Lowest Position: 20
Average Position: 11
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Johnson is third in the championship standings 75 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson won the last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 13.3 and finish is 7.2.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 1
Qualified: 20
The race: Busch ran a very strong race. He was in the top five, but couldn't quite get around Tony Stewart until lap 289 when Stewart had to take his car to the pits for a fuel pump issue. Busch held the lead for nine laps. Busch complained of cramping around lap 320 and asked his team to get him a banana during the next pit stop. He continued to run in the top five for most of the remainder of the race. He finally was able to squeeze past Denny Hamlin on lap 485 for the lead. Busch held the lead for the remaining 20 laps to win the race.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 20
Average Position: 5
Laps Led: 29
Race for the Chase: Busch is sixth in the championship standings 152 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 18th in his last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 19.0 and finish is 17.8.


Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 12
Qualified: 32
The race: Edwards was never a factor in Sunday's race. He spent most of the race in the top 15, but could never do enough to stay in the top 10 for long. He settled for a decent top 12th finish.
Highest Position: 5
Lowest Position: 33
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Edwards is 10th in the championship standings 193 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Edwards finished 12th in his last race at Martinsville Speedway. His average career start at the track is 23.6 and finish is 23.2.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Goody's Cool Orange 500
The NASCAR Nextel Cup series moves to Martinsville Speedway for the sixth race of the season for the Goody's Cool Orange 500. Race Preview looked at past performances, practice sessions, and season trends to shed a light on how the field might finish on Sunday afternoon.


When: Sunday, April 1, 2007; 2:15 p.m./et


Weather: Isolated thunderstorms with a high around 69; wind out of the WNW at 13 mph. Chance of precipitation 30%.


The Track: Martinsville Speedway

Martinsville Speedway is a half mile paper clip shaped track. It has intermediate 12 degree banking on the turns. This is Jeff Gordon's track. He has won four of the last eight races including both in 2005.


Key to Race: LOOK OUT FOR THE HENDRICK BOYS

Roush Racing dominates most tracks, but Martinsville has been ruled by Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have combined to win six of the last eight races at the track. Roush shouldn't be completely ignored on Sunday, however if Gordon or Johnson don't win the race it will be a bit of a surprise.


Qualifying Procedures:

49 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2007 point standings will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, March 30 at 3:40 pm/et.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5

No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has seven career wins at Martinsville. He is the favorite to win on Sunday.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson won the October race at M'ville and has finished in the top ten in nine of his ten career races at the track. If Gordon doesn't win our money is on J.J.
No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart won last year's April race at Martinsville and has nine top ten finishes in 16 career starts at the track.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch has just one top five finish at M'ville during his career, but he looked excellent last weekend at Bristol and is a great choice.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has two top ten finishes in three career starts at M'ville. He is a fabulous pick to crack the top five.


6 to 10

No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has completed nearly 98 percent of the laps in his 11 starts at M'ville. He should continue to avoid accidents and crack the top ten on Sunday.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch has been good at Martinsville during his career and is a decent pick to crack the top ten on Sunday.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton has 12 top ten finishes in 25 starts at Martinsville. He hasn't been great the last two races at the track, but we think he will be back in the top ten on Sunday.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has finished in the top ten in five of his eight career Martinsville starts. He has the potential to bring Roush some success.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards has steadily improved with each start at M'ville. He is a great option to finally crack the top ten at the track.


11 to 20

No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has six top five finishes in 14 career races at M'ville, but he has averaged just an 18th place finish the past five races at the track.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler finished sixth at Martinsville last April, but he is feast-or-famine at the track.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has never had much success at Martinsville. In 14 career starts at the track he has just one top five finish. We expect the No. 17 crew will ensure that Kenseth finishes in the top 15.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne has decent luck at short tracks lately and is a good pick to crack the top 15.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears has just one top ten finish at Martinsville during his career, but he is now in the Hendrick Stable and should be a great fourth driver on your fantasy team.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has qualified in the top ten in every race he has started at Martinsville. He also has five top ten finishes in ten starts. He is an okay option on Sunday.
No. 40 David Stremme: Stremme has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2007 season. He is worth using in most fantasy leagues.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin has been very strong at Martinsville. He has finished 12th place or higher in the eight of the past 12 races.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Martinsville is one of Rudd's strongest tracks. He has made the top 15 in nine of the last starts he has made at the track.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle's best finish in seven Cup starts at Martinsville is 17th. He should be avoided this week.


21 to 30


No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley finished 20th during last year's April race at Martinsville. He should finish around there on Sunday.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 22nd and 23rd in last year's races at Martinsville. He should finish around there on Sunday.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr finished 19th during last year's April race at Martinsville. He will have trouble matching that finish on Sunday.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines should crack the top 25 on Sunday.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has been good at Martinsville during his career. He finished third last October at the track and is a decent sleeper option.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty has been a pleasant surprise this year. We still don't think he is a great fantasy NASCAR option.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss finished 17th last week at Bristol. He didn't make many friends during the race, but he could be a decent fantasy sleeper.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Green will be in the top 30, but barely.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya was terrible on the short track at Bristol. We say stay away from him again this weekend.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney had a great qualifying effort at Bristol last week so we think he will make the race, but he isn't worth using in fantasy leagues.



31 to 40


No. 21 Ken Schrader: Schrader has been decent at Martinsville during his career. He could crack the top 20 on Sunday, but he will need to make the race during qualifying.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson should only be used as a fifth driver on fantasy teams and even then he is an iffy pick.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: Nemechek has just one top ten finish in 25 Martinsville starts. He is not a fantasy option this weekend.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers cracked the top ten last April at Martinsville, but he is a risky pick in a Toyota.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs finished 10th during last April's race at Martinsville. He is still a risky pick since he needs to make the race during qualifying.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan is way too risky for fantasy NASCAR use.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett won at Martinsville in 2001, but he might need to use another past champion provisional to make Sunday's race.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland and short tracks don't mix. He should once again be avoided.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon has finished 43, 42, and 37 in his past three Martinsville races. Don't use him.
No. 01 Regan Smith: Smith will make the race, thanks to Mark Martin, but isn't worth using.


Field Fillers

No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter missed the Bristol race and even though he is locked into Sunday's race he will struggle.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard should be one of the final cars to make the field.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton should make the race, but isn't a fantasy option.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield made last week's race. We doubt he will make it this week.
No. 37 Kevin Lepage: Should make the race.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Waltrip has made just one race this season. He is a mess right now.
No. 00 David Reutimann: The "Pizza Man" hasn't delivered yet this season.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Won't make the race.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: He will be watching the race on television.


Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Tony Stewart
4. Kyle Busch

Sleepers:

1. Sterling Marlin
2. Casey Mears

Busts:

1. Greg Biffle
2. Matt Kenseth

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Midpack Attack:Cool Orange 500 Sports Betting at Eye On Gambling - Discuss Online Sportsbooks; Handicapping; and Free Picks
Track history

One of the oldest tracks on the Cup circuit, Martinsville Speedway opened as a half-mile dirt track in 1947 with only 750 seats. The track hosted one of 8 races held in the 1949 "Strictly Stock" series which eventually became the NASCAR Cup series. Today, Martinsville seats 91,000 and has 25 corporate suites. The Virginia track, paved in 1955, is a flat paperclip shaped half-mile oval, which is tough on drivers, brakes and sheet metal. Most of the passing is done by shoving someone out of your way. This usually causes some payback, but that's racin' on a short track. Since it doesn't take long before the leaders catch the end of the field, they're coming up on some cars that don't want to go down a lap. That's when it really gets hairy. These guys at the rear are usually not handling very well already, but now they'll overdrive the cars to stay ahead of the leaders. Martinsville is a lot different from the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway, which is high-banked and totally concrete. Martinsville is flatter, with longer 800-foot asphalt straights, and a concrete surface, added in 1976, throughout the turns. At .526 miles, it is also NEXTEL Cup's shortest track.


First Cup race

Curtis Turner, in his No. 41 Frank Christian-owned 1949 Oldsmobile, led a field of 15 cars to the green flag of the September 25, 1949 Strictly Stock race on the ? mile dirt oval track. Turner led 18 laps and finished 9th. Red Byron started the No. 22 Parks Novelty Oldsmobile 3rd in the lineup, led 97 of the 200 lap race, and finished 3 laps ahead of 2nd place, Lee Petty. Byron earned $1,500 for the win. He won 2 races in the 8-race season and became the 1949 series champion.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Midpack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart. There were 49 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 91,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $4,929,787. Here are our picks for Sunday's Goody's Cool Orange 500 in Martinsville, Virginia.


Midpack picks

Jamie McMurray lost an engine and earned a DNF in the first of his eight Cup starts at this track. He scored top tens in five of the other seven including a 9th in this race last season. McMurray started 18th in the 2004 truck race at the Virginia track and drove the Dodge Ram to his first CTS career victory. Coming off a 9th at Bristol and having tested the car he'll be driving this week at Caraway Speedway, a similar short track, we think he's prepared for a top ten finish.


Kurt Busch has success at Martinsville no matter what car he's driving or who owns it. He drove a Roush Ford to a sixth place finish in this race in 2005. Last year, he came back to Martinsville with Penske's Dodge, finished 11th in this race and sat on the pole in the October event. His win in 2002 from 36th in the lineup was the deepest start ever. Busch has scored top fifteens in four of his last six Cup races at this track. He should clock another one this weekend.


To say Ricky Rudd has some experience at Martinsville is an understatement. He's logged over 12,500 miles in 53 starts, earning 3 wins, 4 poles, 20 top tens and an impressive 14.9 average finish. Rudd was not an active full-time driver in 2006 but he did finish in the top fifteen in nine of his previous eleven races at this track.


Here's a reasonable buy in most fantasy games for a fourth or fifth driver. Jeff Green sits 27th in the point standings after a 6th place at Bristol last weekend in the first Car of Tomorrow race. That was the best finish ever for the Haas team. Green is hoping to carry that momentum to another short track with the COT. In the October 2006 Martinsville race he scored one of his two 2006 top ten finishes.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Goody's Cool Orange 500
A look at Sunday's Goody's Cool Orange 500 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 2
Qualified: 3
The race: Gordon has seven previous wins at Martinsville and entered Sunday's race as the car to beat. He had a great qualifying effort and moved into the lead on lap 56. Gordon led the next 83 laps until he had trouble getting by lapped traffic and was passed by Denny Hamlin. He returned to the lead on 225 which he held until lap 235 when he slowed due to a potential tire issue. It wound up just being a slight brake issue, but he fell from first to 11th place. Gordon spent the remainder of the race battling back to get into the top five. He caught teammate Jimmie Johnson and battled him the final five laps for the lead. Gordon nearly passed him several times, but Johnson did a terrific job blocking the No. 24 and forcing him to second place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 15
Average Position: 4
Laps Led: 92
Race for the Chase: Gordon is first in the championship standings 28 points ahead of Jeff Burton who is in second place.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished 22nd in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 11.0 and finish is 17.5.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 1
Qualified: 20
The race: Johnson had the slowest car during "Happy Hour" on Saturday. His team made wholesale changes following the session to improve the car's handling. The changes his team made to car appeared to work right away as he moved into the top ten by lap 100. Johnson took the race's lead for the first time on lap 388. He led the remainder of the race including an excellent job blocking Jeff Gordon on the final lap of the race to notch his third win of the season.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 20
Average Position: 6
Laps Led: 113
Race for the Chase: Johnson is third in the championship standings 60 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished 11th in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 11.7 and finish is 7.0.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 7
Qualified: 7
The race: Stewart had a great car in Sunday's race. He took the lead on lap 219 following a great pit stop, but he wasn't quite able to stay in the lead. He spent a majority of the race in the top five and finished a very respectable seventh place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 13
Average Position: 5
Laps Led: 11
Race for the Chase: Stewart is eighth in the championship standings 240 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished third in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 25.8 and finish is 13.9.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 4
Qualified: 14
The race: Busch won the first Car of Tomorrow race last weekend at Bristol. Even with the win he wasn't happy about the COT. He hoped the car will be a little easier to drive during Sunday's race at Martinsville. Busch really came on strong late in Sunday's race to finish in the top five, giving Hendrick Motorsports three cars in the top four.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 20
Average Position: 8
Laps Led: 10
Race for the Chase: Busch is fifth in the championship standings 162 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 15th in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 28.3 and finish is 25.3.


Denny Hamlin (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 3
Qualified: 1
The race: Hamlin took the pole for Sunday's race at Martinsville. He had a fantastic car that led the first 45 of 55 laps in the race. Hamlin stayed in the top five and eventually took the lead when he went under Jeff Gordon on lap 139. He led 79 laps before suffering a problem in the pits on lap 218 causing him to fall to tenth place. Hamlin complained his car was a little tight during the middle laps of the race. His team changed the tire pressure to give him a little better handling. Hamlin also reported his engine was running a little too hot with around 240 laps remaining. He was one of the few cars in the race with tape blocking air flow to the engine. Hamlin's car cooled down with all the late cautions and the red flag due to rain. He moved back into the top five for a third place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 16
Average Position: 4
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Hamlin is sixth in the championship standings 190 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Hamlin finished fourth in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 11.0 and finish is 5.5.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 41
Qualified: 6
The race: Harvick qualified sixth and quickly moved into the top five in the first ten laps. He stayed in the top ten until lap 288 when he had to pull into the pits due to lack of fuel pressure. It was speculated that he had a problem with his fuel pump cable. He was in sixth place when he had to bring his car to the garage. Harvick returned to the track around lap 337, but his car caught on fire on lap 424. He was able to get the car back to the garage, but his day was over.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 41
Average Position: 20
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Harvick is 10th in the championship standings 279 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Edwards finished fifth in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 23.1 and finish is 13.4.


Kurt Busch (Penske Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 12
Qualified: 12
The race: Busch had an okay car in Sunday's race. He never had enough speed to get higher than sixth place, but he spent a majority of the race in the top ten. Busch's team made a bunch of air pressure adjustments throughout the race, but he never could quite find enough speed to crack the top five.
Highest Position: 6
Lowest Position: 18
Average Position: 11
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is 17th in the championship standings 342 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 34th in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 17.3 and finish is 13.3.


Jeff Burton (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 6
Qualified: 19
The race: Burton wasn't a factor in Sunday's race until after the red flag due to rain. Once the race restarted the No. 31 car quickly moved up through the field to finish in sixth place.
Highest Position: 6
Lowest Position: 28
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Burton is second in the championship standings 28 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Burton finished sixth in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 27.2 and finish is 17.5.


Jamie McMurray (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 9
Qualified: 2
The race: McMurray had an excellent qualifying effort and loved his car during the early laps of the race. He asked for no changes during the first pit stop. McMurray looked great throughout Sunday's race. He rarely left the top ten and managed to finish in the top ten.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 14
Average Position: 7
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: McMurray is 12th in the championship standings 316 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: McMurray finished 37th in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 32.4 and finish is 14.0.


Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 17
Qualified: 9
The race: Edwards planned on doing his best to conserve his brakes during Sunday's race. He won the Busch Series race at Nashville on Saturday and hoped to do another back-flip on Sunday. Edward's car was a little loose during the first few laps of the race. His team made some adjustments to give his car a little more grip. He could never get his car fully dialed in and the No. 99 car fell back for a 17th place finish.
Highest Position: 7
Lowest Position: 22
Average Position: 14
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Edwards is ninth in the championship standings. He is 256 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Edwards finished 36th in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 29.0 and finish is 18.7.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Samsung 500
The NASCAR Nextel Cup series moves to Texas Motor Speedway for the seventh race of the season, the Samsung 500. Race Preview has looked at past performances, practice sessions, and season trends to shed a light on how the field might finish on Sunday afternoon.


When: Sunday, April 15, 2007; 2:10 p.m./et


Weather: Sunny with a high around 67; wind out of the south at 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 10%.


The Track: Texas Motor Speedway

Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5 quad-oval. It has intermediate 24 degree banking on the turns. This is another Roush track. Roush dominates 1.5 mile tracks and they are the team to beat on Sunday.


Key to Race: WHICH ROUSH CAR WILL WIN

Anytime the NASCAR CUP Series visits a 1.5 mile track Roush Racing is the favorite to win. The surface at Texas has great grip and thus the cars can run wide-open the entire way around. A quality engine is very important with the car running wide-open for 500 miles. The multi-car teams like Roush and Hendrick have a big advantage. If a Roush car doesn't find victory lane a Hendrick car likely will.


Qualifying Procedures:

51 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2007 point standing will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, April 13 at 5:10 pm/et.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5

No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart dominated last November's race at Texas. "Smoke" led 278 of the 339 laps on his way to taking the checker flag. He is our pick to win on Sunday.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson hasn't found victory lane at Texas, but in seven career starts at the track he has six top ten finishes. He is on fire right now and could end his winless streak at Texas on Sunday.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has led at least one lap in six of the last seven races at Texas. He is a good bet to make a return to victory lane on Sunday.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne won last year's April race at Texas and he had a decent qualifying effort before blowing an engine in the November race. Look for him to turn his season around on Sunday with a top five finish.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch has just one top ten finish during his career at Texas so he is a risky pick, but with the way he has been driving this season we like his chances.


6 to 10

No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has been awesome at TMS. He is someone to watch again this weekend.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has finished in the top five in the last two races at TMS. He should finish in the top ten on Sunday.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has cracked the top ten in all three of his starts at Texas. He is a great pick on Sunday.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has four top five finishes in 12 starts at Texas. He has been slumping a bit at the track, but we like how he has been driving lately.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears has had great success at Texas. He has four top ten finishes in the past five races at the track. We like him to finish in the top ten again on Sunday.


11 to 20

No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle won the April race at TMS, but struggled in both races at the track in 2006. He is a lock for the top 15 and could sneak into the top ten with a little luck.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards loves 1.5 mile ovals. He has won at Texas in the past and is a great pick to make the top 15.
No. 01 Mark Martin: Martin returns to the US Army car after a two race hiatus. He has a win and four top fives in his career a TMS. He will cruise around in the top 15 and could even sneak into the top ten when the race is over.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton was strong during last year's April race at Texas. He has been excellent during the 2007 season and should be near the top ten.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has been excellent this season and has done very well in his career at TMS. We like his chances to be around the top ten on Sunday.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch has been decent during his career at Texas, but we don't think he will find victory lane in the Lone Star State this weekend.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray is finally starting to look comfortable behind the wheel of the No. 26 car. He should finish in the top 20 on Sunday.

No. 40 David Stremme: Stremme has been one of the best stories of the 2006 season. We like his chances on Sunday.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr. has finished in the top 15 in all three of his career starts at Texas. Another top 15 wouldn't shock us.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has back-to-back top 16 finishes at TMS. He is a great fourth or fifth driver on any fantasy team.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd has been very good during his career at TMS (four top ten finishes in ten career starts). He should be in the top 20 in Sunday's race and could sneak into the top ten with a little luck.


21 to 30

No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya has been inconsistent during his rookie season. He is not a bad fourth or fifth member of a fantasy team, but we don't recommend anchoring your team with him.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler won at Texas in 2004, but he has at the track lately. He isn't a great option on Sunday.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson has cracked the top 17 in both career starts at TMS. He should be in the top 25 once again.
No. 66 Jeff Green: He has finished in the top 18 in the past three races at Texas. It will surprise us if he does that well again this weekend.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley qualified second before finishing 35th in last April's race at Texas. He should improve a little on his finish, but we don't think he will be much better than 25th.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman could grab the pole, but he has been terrible in races at TMS since 2003.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland has been decent on 1.5 mile ovals, but we wouldn't use him for much more than a fifth fantasy driver.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty has finished in the top 25 in six of his last seven races at Texas.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin has four top ten finishes in 12 races at TMS, but it will be tough for his Ginn Racing engine to keep up with the Roush and Hendrick teams.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: Nemechek hasn't cracked the top ten at TMS since 1998. That was nine races ago.


31 to 40

No. 96 Tony Raines: A good day for Raines will be to finish in the top 25.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs finished seventh at Texas last April, but that was a bit on an aberration. He should finish in the 30s on Sunday.
No. 6 David Ragan: Stay away from this rookie during his first Cup race at Texas.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon has cracked the top 20 just once during his career at TMS. He isn't a fantasy option.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter is guaranteed a spot in the race and could be a bit of a sleeper pick.
No. 21 Ken Schrader: Schrader hasn't been great at Texas lately and will need to make Sunday's race during qualifying.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney is suffering from Toyota's early struggles. He won't be worth using until the Camry can show a little more consistency.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett once dominated this track, but hasn't finished in the top ten at TMS since 2001. He isn't a fantasy option.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers has been garbage at Texas during his career and we don't like his chances on Sunday.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton will need to make the race during qualifying and that will be a struggle.


Field Fillers

No. 15 Paul Menard: Should make the race and could crack the top 40.
No. 00 David Reutimann: Reutimann has been good in qualifying and bad in races. He should be in the field, but isn't going to do much.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: A.J. has made the past two races. This weekend should make three.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss has made the past three races and should be one of the last to qualify for Sunday's race.
No. 33 Scott Wimmer: Wimmer will attempt to qualify an RCR car this weekend. It will be tough for him to make the race.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield's season has been a struggle. That won't change this weekend.
No. 37 John Andretti: Andretti will struggle to make the field.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Waltrip can't drive on the track or off the track. Not an option.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: There are too many guys trying to qualify for this race. He won't make it.



Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Tony Stewart
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Kasey Kahne

Sleepers:

1. Greg Biffle
2. Casey Mears

Busts:

1. Elliott Sadler
2. J.J. Yeley

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Midpack Attack: Samsung 500
Track history

NASCAR speedway owner Bruton Smith announced plans to build a multi-million dollar superspeedway in the Fort Worth/Dallas market late in 1994. Construction started in August 1995 on the 1.5-mile dual-banked Texas Motor Speedway. Dual-banked turns angled at 8 and 24 degrees allow NASCAR and Indy-style racing.

On the first lap of the inaugural Cup race in 1997, as the field entered Turn 1, 13 of the 43 car starting field were involved in a massive wreck. Darrell Waltrip's car was the only one to be retired after the accident. TMS did some reconstruction work in 1998, eliminating the 8-degree dual-banking, resurfaced the track, all to the tune of $4 million. They also added 4,800 seats in 1998.

In 1999, TMS spent $2.5 million on the 4/10-mile clay-surfaced dirt track to host the World of Outlaws sprint cars. 10,000 more seats were added in 1999, bringing the total capacity to 154,861. The sold-out 1999 PRIMESTAR 500 was the largest attended sporting event in Texas history. In 2000, TMS had to fix some track flaws, a dip, caused by erosion, under turn 4 and other problem areas in turns 1 and 2.

Late in 2001, TMS was in the resurfacing mode again. This time, the entire 1.5-mile speedway was repaved with a granite-based asphalt compound over a concrete base. The track had been extremely fast since it opened and after that resurfacing, the straightaway speeds approached 200 mph.


First Cup race

The 1997 Interstate Batteries 500, the inaugural Cup race at TMS, was run on April 6, 1997. Qualifying was rained-out, so the current point leader at the time, Dale Jarrett, lined up in front of the field with his No. 88 Quality Care Ford. Jarrett led 42 of the 334 lap event and finished 2nd. Jeff Burton drove the No. 99 Exide Batteries Ford from 5th in the lineup, led 60 laps, and scored the victory. With an average race speed of 125.111 mph, due to several wrecks, it was the slowest Texas Cup race on record.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Midpack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson. There were 51 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of almost 155,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $7,253,642. Here are our picks for Sunday's Samsung 500 in Fort Worth, Texas.


Midpack picks

The defending winner of this race, Kasey Kahne, would love to reset 2007 after his 7th at Daytona. That was his best finish so far and now he's 34th in the points. If he can keep the car running to the end Kahne rules this track. In five Cup starts, he blew an engine in three and had finishes of 1st and 2nd in the others. He owns a Busch Series win here as well.

In comparison, Kurt Busch would love to reset the Daytona. He had a winning car, led 95 laps, but was caught up in a wreck. Since then he's averaged a 17th place finish. At this track, Busch had finishes of 6th and 3rd in the trucks. He's on the entry list for the Busch Series race which he won in 2006. Six top ten finishes in eight Cup starts says he can get the job done on Sunday's as well.

Two of the six career top fives earned by Casey Mears came at this track. He has a 10.5 average finish for his six Texas Cup starts (a 7.2 in the last 5). It's been a tough first season with his new team so far but Mears should come through with a decent run at Fort Worth.

The worst finish for Martin Truex Jr. in three TMS Cup starts was a 15th. In his three Busch starts here he had finishes of 10th, 11th and a DNF (wreck). Truex also scored 3rd and a 4th in two 12-car IROC races held at the Fort Worth track. We think he'll be a good pick for a top 15 on Sunday.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Samsung 500
A look at Sunday's Samsung 500 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 25
Qualified: 9
The race: Stewart won the last race at Texas Motor Speedway and he drove his favorite car in Sunday's race. He said his car was "junk" early in Sunday's race. Stewart needed some serious adjustments during the first pit stop to help it turn better following the adjustments the car seemed to be much improved. He brushed the wall leaving turn four with around 200 remaining in the race. Stewart felt the damage that resulted caused his car to be just a little tight. He was battling Juan Pablo Montoya for position on lap 96 when Montoya got loose and drifted up the track causing Stewart to spin. The No. 20 car didn't suffer major damage, but the aerodynamic package was screwed up enough that he would no longer be a factor in the race.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 28
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Stewart is ninth in the championship standings 322 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished 14th in his last race at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 13.9 and finish is 10.7.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 38
Qualified: 3
The race: Johnson has averaged a series best sixth place finish during his career at Texas. He complained his car was just a "tick" tight during the first 100 laps of the race. Johnson's crew made a small adjustment during the second pit stop to fix the problem his car had with being a little tight on entry into the corners and loose exiting them. Johnson's car dropped a cylinder around lap 233 while running in second place. The engine issues ended the No. 48 car's chances for a decent finish. Johnson got into Tony Stewart with 96 laps remaining. J.J. suffered significant damage to the right front of his car and he needed to bring his car to the garage for repairs.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 38
Average Position: 12
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Johnson is fourth in the championship standings 56 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished second in his last race at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 15.1 and finish is 7.7.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)</B>
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 2
Qualified: 4
The race: Kenseth drove the same car he used to win the California race this season. His team worked on his car during all the early pit stops to improve the handling. Kenseth was concerned that he might have a flat right rear tire with 150 laps remaining in the race. He remained on the track and the issue seemed to correct itself. Kenseth, once again, used fantastic pit stops to move into second place late in the race. He was able to get past Jeff Gordon for the lead on lap 318. Kenseth held the lead until the final lap when Jeff Burton squeezed past him to take the race.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 28
Average Position: 6
Laps Led: 16
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is third in the championship standings 125 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished 13th in his last race at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 19.8 and finish is 19.9.


Kasey Kahne (Evernham Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 20
Qualified: 34
The race: Kahne is the defending champion of the spring race at Texas Motor Speedway. He has two top two finishes and three DNFs during his career at the track. Kahne brushed the wall with around 115 laps remaining. His car was already two laps down and a non-factor in the race.
Highest Position: 20
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 28
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Kahne is 33rd in the championship standings. He is 580 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kahne finished seventh in his last race at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 14.6 and finish is 12.4.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 37
Qualified: 5
The race: Busch had the fastest car during practice, but crashed and had to go to his backup car for Sunday's race. As a result of using his backup, Busch started from the back of the field. He was loose during the early laps of the race. He moved from the back of the field sixth place by lap 150. Busch complained that the seat in the car didn't fit him correctly and caused him some pain that would require treatment following the race. Busch said his car smelled a little funny around lap 230 and was afraid his engine might be having an issue. The issue apparently wasn't in his car and he remained in the top five. Busch was running in third place when he got into the back of Dale Jr., who was avoiding a spinning Tony Stewart. The damage to the front of Busch's car was enough that he needed to bring the car to the garage for repairs ending his chances for a top 20 finish. Busch was very upset about the accident and left the track as soon as the car was in the garage. Dale Jr. wound up behind the wheel of the No. 5 car for the final few laps once Busch's team repaired the car enough to get it back on the track.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 42
Average Position: 18
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is seventh in the championship standings 280 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 15th in his last race at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 13.0 and finish is 20.8.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 36
Qualified: 12
The race: Junior drove the high-groove during the early laps of the race to move up from 12th place to fourth during the first 50 laps of the race. His car was a little tight in turn three during the first 100 laps of the race and his team made a slight air pressure adjustment during the second pit stop to correct the issue. Junior battled Jeff Gordon for dozens of laps before passing the No. 24 car on lap 154. He would lead the next 95 laps. He lost the lead on lap 249 when Kurt Busch snuck past him. Junior was running in second place with 81 laps remaining when Tony Stewart spun in front of him, while trying to avoid the accident he was rear ended by Kyle Busch. The damage to the No. 8 car was very significant and his chances for a qualify finish were over.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 96
Race for the Chase: Junior is 18th in the championship standings 399 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Junior finished ninth in his last race at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 13.9 and finish is 16.3.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 29
Qualified: 11
The race: Harvick fell back as soon as the race went green. His car wasn't handling properly and he needed a pit stop to pull a spring rubber to free the car up a little and correct the handling. Harvick's team was never able to get his car "dialed" in during the race and he wound up with a very disappointing 29th place finish.
Highest Position: 8
Lowest Position: 32
Average Position: 25
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Harvick is 14th in the championship standings 373 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick won his last two races at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 14.4 and finish is 14.5.


Denny Hamlin (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 9
Qualified: 7
The race: Hamlin fell off the pace around lap 60 when he felt an extreme vibration. He needed to pit for four new tires during green. The pit stop dropped him a lap down. Hamlin's team continued to make adjustments throughout the race and eventually he was able to find a setup that was fast enough to get him back onto the lead lap and a top ten finish.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 17
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Hamlin is fifth in the championship standings 222 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Hamlin finished third in his last race at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 9.7 and finish is 16.7.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 4
Qualified: 1
The race: Gordon, who has never won at Texas in 12 career races, started Sunday's race from the pole after qualifying was cancelled due to rain. He reportedly wasn't happy with his car during practice on Saturday, but Gordon quickly built up a several car-length lead when the race went green. Gordon led 147 of the first 153 laps of the race. He regained the lead on lap 291 in the race, but got he too loose exiting turn four with less than 25 laps remaining and scraped the wall causing serious damage to the right side of his car. Gordon's car didn't handle well after he slapped the wall and he allowed Matt Kenseth to pass him for the lead with 17 laps remaining.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 16
Average Position: 2
Laps Led: 173
Race for the Chase: Gordon is first in the championship standings eight points ahead of Jeff Burton who is in second place.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished fourth in his last race at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 9.8 and finish is 8.6.


Casey Mears (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 23
Qualified: 33
The race: Mears suffered damaged to the front of his car when he was caught in an accident in turn four on the first lap of the race. His crew hammered out the damage and he was able to return to the race. Mears' car was never fast following the accident and he did a great job of driving to crack the top 25.
Highest Position: 6
Lowest Position: 41
Average Position: 26
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Mears is 32nd in the championship standings 576 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 26th in his last race at Phoenix International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 18.5 and finish is 30.5.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Subway Fresh Fit 500
The NASCAR Nextel Cup series moves to Phoenix International Speedway for the eighth race of the season, the Subway Fresh Fit 500. Race Preview has looked at past performances, practice sessions, and season trends to shed a light on how the field might finish on Saturday night.


When: Saturday, April 21, 2007; 8:30 p.m./et


Weather: Partly cloudy with a high around 72; wind out of the S at 19 mph. Chance of precipitation 10%.


The Track: Phoenix International Raceway

PIR is a one mile oval. It has relatively flat 11 and nine degree banking on the turns. Kevin Harvick dominated both races in 2006 and the Busch Brothers won both races at the track in 2005. All three should be great picks once again.


Key to Race: ANOTHER ROUSH SPEEDWAY

NASCAR drivers always step up the intensity a notch during night races. We expect there will be more than a few angry drivers at the conclusion of Saturday's race. Roush Racing has had great success at PIR in the past, but they haven't been great in Car of Tomorrow races. Look for Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing to be the favorites.


Qualifying Procedures:

50 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2007 point standings will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Thursday, April 19 at 5:10 pm/et.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5

No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has 13 top ten finishes in 16 career starts at PIR. He hasn't won a race at the track yet, but the way he is driving this season this could be his chance.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 42 percent of the laps and won both races at PIR in 2006. He won't be using the same car, but he should still be an excellent pick.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton has been awesome at PIR during his career. He has two wins and 12 straight top 15 finishes. He is a great pick for another excellent finish.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has finished in the top ten in five of his seven career Cup races at PIR. Look for the No. 48 car to be near the front all night.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Has finished in the top ten in the past four Phoenix races. He is a great pick.


6 to 10

No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart finished second during last year's April race. He is overdue for his first win of the 2007 season.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch won the fall race at Phoenix in 2005, but has struggled at the track since. He has been excellent in the Car of Tomorrow and should find the top ten once again on Saturday.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch has finished in the top ten in five of the last six PIR races. He is a great pick as your second or third fantasy driver on Saturday.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has one win in his career at Phoenix, but he has averaged just a 25th place finish the past five races at the track making him a risky pick on Saturday.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle has led nearly 37 percent of the laps during the past three races at PIR. He has just one top ten finish during that period, but he obviously knows how to get to the front at this track.


11 to 19

No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has two wins in nine Cup starts at PIR. He struggled last April, but should be a lock to make the top 15.
No. 01 Mark Martin: Martin has finished in the top ten in every race he has run this season. It will be interesting to see how the "Driver of Yesterday" does in the Car of Tomorrow.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has been a strong qualifier at Phoenix, but has just one top ten finish at the track. He has been one of the better drivers in the COT so we like his chances to make the top 15.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer is quietly having a terrific season. We think he is a great pick to finish in the top 15 once again.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has never led a lap at Phoenix in his Nextel Cup career. He has been excellent the past three races this season and is a great third or fourth fantasy driver on all teams.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: "Johnny" Montoya has showed guile and savvy the past two races. He hasn't made a lot of friends with his aggressive driving style, but he is showing he belongs. A top 20 finish should be expected.
No. 40 David Stremme: Stremme is having a great 2007 season. He has cracked the top 15 in six of this season's seven races. He should be right around there again on Saturday.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley, a Phoenix native, is looking for a strong finish on his home track. He could be a sleeper on Saturday.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished in the top ten in both races at PIR last season. Normally we would like his chances to be there again, but we are downgrading him until he sorts out the issues that have bothered him this season.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has four top ten finishes in the past five races at Phoenix. We love him to make the top 20 again.


20 to 29

No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr. had a decent race at Phoenix last April and has been driving very well lately. We like his chances for another top 20 finish.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler hasn't been great at PIR during his career. He should make the top 20, but barely.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has finished in the top 15 in five of the last six races at PIR. He isn't a terrible fourth or fifth fantasy driver.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears has been a big disappointment this season. We don't recommend using him in fantasy leagues until he shows he is comfortable behind the wheel of the No. 25 car.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: "Front Row Joe" has finished in the top 20 in four of the last five races at PIR. He should be a decent value on Saturday.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson hasn't been great in his two career starts at PIR. He isn't worth taking a chance on.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland finished 16th in the only start at PIR during his career. He is a decent fifth option this weekend in all fantasy leagues.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs hasn't been great at Phoenix during his career and will have to make Saturday's race during qualifying. He is a risky pick.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers has always been decent at PIR. He will have to, once again, make the race during qualifying, but should finish in the top 25.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd should finish in the mid-to-low 20s on Saturday.


30 to 39

No. 66 Jeff Green: Green has finished between 18th and 37th in all nine of career starts at PIR. He will be right around there again on Saturday.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines has finished in the top 25 in the past three PIR races. He is a decent value pick on Saturday.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Robby has averaged a 23rd place finish at PIR in his career. He takes too many chances to help your fantasy team.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin doesn't have a top ten finish at PIR since 1994. He finished 12th last April, but we don't recommend using him.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney has never finished worse than 28th at PIR, but that was before he started driving a Toyota. He will be one of the final cars to make the race.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett will be lucky to notch a top 35 finish on Saturday.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter is going to need a strong finish to stay 35th in the points. He isn't a great fantasy option.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan has certainly earned the yellow rookie stripe on his bumper this season. Not a fantasy option.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty has been terrible at PIR lately. He isn't worth using on fantasy teams.
No. 21 Ken Schrader: Schrader hasn't cracked the top 10 at PIR since 1997. He has really struggled this season.


Field Fillers

No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss has been a pleasant surprise for the No. 49 team this season.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard is the best pick of the "field fillers." But he still isn't a fantasy option.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton hasn't made the past couple races. He isn't a fantasy option.
No. 00 David Reutimann: The "Pizza Man" doesn't deliver during qualifying.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: A better option than Waltrip, but that isn't saying much.
No. 02 Brandon Ash: Made last April's race at PIR. Won't make this April's race.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield will battle Michael Waltrip for the final spot in Saturday's race.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Waltrip has made just one race this season, ouch!
No. 37 John Andretti: "Little John" will need a miracle to make the race.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: It is lucky he has a TV job to pay the bills.


Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Jeff Burton
4. Jimmie Johnson

Sleepers:

1. Greg Biffle
2. David Stremme

Busts:

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Casey Mears

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Midpack Attack: Subway 500
Track history

In 1964, the Phoenix International Raceway was built in the foothills of the Estrella Mountains to accommodate open-wheel racing. The 1-mile oval track has 11-degree banking in Turns 1 and 2 and 9-degree banking in Turns 3 and 4. The 1,179-foot frontstretch and 1,551-foot backstretch have no banking. In 1988, NASCAR began racing at the Arizona track, hosting the annual fall 312 lap Checker Auto Parts 500.

The track is similar to a short track in that the corners are flat, long and sweeping. The cars spend a lot of time in the corners which makes the setups extremely important. The preferred line is at the bottom of the track at the start, but a higher second groove develops during the race.

PIR spent $5 million to install 1,044 Musco lighting fixtures and ran its first night-time Cup event and first spring race as well in April 2005.

This will be the third event that NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competitors will race with the Car of Tomorrow. It's also the first on a track longer than a half-mile.


First Cup race

Geoffrey Bodine put the No. 5 Levi Garrett Chevrolet on the pole for the November 6th, 1988 Checker 500, led 2 laps and finished 6th. Ricky Rudd looked to be the winner, leading the most laps (183) but the engine went south in the No. 26 Quaker State Buick dropping him to 26th place. Alan Kulwicki started the No. 7 Zerex Ford 21st in the lineup, led 41 laps including the last, to take the inaugural PIR Cup victory.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Midpack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson. There were 50 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of almost 77,000 fans in the grandstands. Here are our picks for Saturday night's Subway Fresh Fit 500 in Avondale, Arizona.


Midpack picks

Martin Truex Jr. gained five spots in the point standings after a season best 7th at Texas last weekend. He finished 12th at Phoenix last fall. In the Busch Series, all three of his PIR starts were top tens and the finishes were 3rd, 9th and 6th. Truex is a good third or fourth pick in you lineup for Saturday night's race.

Greg Biffle could be leaving the mid-pack range after this weekend. He finished 6th last week at TMS. While his Cup numbers show only one top ten (2nd) in six starts at Phoenix, Biffle knows his way around this track. He has 2 wins, a pole and a 5.4 average finish in eight Busch Series races. He scored a win and three top fives in the trucks here as well. We expect a top 15 or better from Biffle this weekend.

Bobby Labonte scored top tens in half of his 16 Cup starts at PIR including four of the last five. His best finish this season, so far, was a 13th at Vegas. If you've been holding out on Labonte this is a good track to put him in as your fifth driver.

It's hard to believe we'd be picking Kasey Kahne as our deepest pick considering he had six Cup wins in 2006. After a 7th at Daytona, his season has been junk, but we think this is a turn-around track for Kahne. Last year, he had finishes of 6th and 7th at PIR and we expect the same this Saturday night.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Subway Fresh Fit 500
A look at Saturday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 1
Qualified: 1
The race: Gordon had an excellent qualifying effort prior the race and is the favorite to bring home the third win in the three Car Of Tomorrow races. He had an issue with the communication system in helmet prior to Saturday's race, but switched helmets and the issue seemed to be fixed. He complained his car was a little tight going into turns one and two early in the race. Gordon's car improved as his team made adjustments to it during the race. He slightly brushed the right rear of Kevin Harvick during the middle laps of the race which caused the No. 24 to have a bit of a tire rub. He returned to the lead after getting lucky and pitting right before the final caution flag on lap 283. The pit stop put him lead on lap 287 and stayed out front for 26 of the final 27 laps, holding off Tony Stewart for the lead. The win was the 76th victory of Gordon's career tying him with Dale Earnhardt.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 17
Average Position: 2
Laps Led: 53
Race for the Chase: Gordon is first in the championship standings 74 points ahead of Jeff Burton who is in second place.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished 36th in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 11.1 and finish is 15.9.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 8
Qualified: 10
The race: Harvick thought he had a great car coming into Saturday's race. He won both races at Phoenix in 2006 and thinks he should be a factor in the race. Harvick was able to sneak past Denny Hamlin for the lead on lap 102. He held the lead for the next 49 laps before losing the lead to Sterling Marlin during a pit stop. Harvick said his car was a little too loose around lap 150 when he was in the lead. Tony Stewart flew past him five laps later. Harvick complained that he had zero grip with around 130 laps remaining in the race. He compensated the poor handling by using more brakes. Harvick battled the ill handling car during the final 50 laps for a decent top ten finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 11
Average Position: 5
Laps Led: 54
Race for the Chase: Harvick is 11th in the championship standings 424 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick finished sixth in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 18.4 and finish is 13.7.


Jeff Burton (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 13
Qualified: 31
The race: Burton has just one finish outside the top ten this season. He had a disappointing qualifying effort prior to Saturday's race, but thought his car would be excellent during long runs. Burton's car never came around during the race. He battled the handling and made major adjustments, but just couldn't remain in the top ten.
Highest Position: 9
Lowest Position: 31
Average Position: 15
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Burton is second in the championship standings 74 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Burton finished 27th in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 25.2 and finish is 17.9.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 4
Qualified: 5
The race: Johnson had one of the fastest cars early in Saturday's race, but he complained his it a little tight in turns three and four. He had an issue with his battery during the first 30 laps of the race. Johnson went to a backup battery and turned off all of the non-essential electrical components. He spent the remainder of the race switching his ignition box between batteries. The battery issue didn't hurt him as he stayed in the top five for a majority of Saturday's race.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 7
Average Position: 3
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Johnson is fourth in the championship standings 211 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished 24th in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 7.0 and finish is 21.0.


Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 11
Qualified: 28
The race: Edwards has been great at Phoenix during his career, but he just didn't have enough speed to be a threat on Saturday. He got into the back of Dave Blaney on lap 283 bringing out the final caution of the race. He spent a majority of the race around 15th place and finished a disappointing 11th place.
Highest Position: 8
Lowest Position: 32
Average Position: 15
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Edwards is eighth in the championship standings 359 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Edwards finished ninth in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 15.2 and finish is 19.2.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 2
Qualified: 9
The race: Stewart said his car was a little free during the early laps of the race, but felt his car would improve after the sun went down and the track conditions changed. He moved up into second place after an excellent pit stop on lap 150 and took the lead on lap 155. "Smoke" led the 132 of the next 157 laps and was the most dominant car during the race, but lost the lead when Jeff Gordon got lucky pitting before the final caution. Stewart battled Gordon during the final 19 green flag laps, taking the lead for a lap, but didn't quite have enough to stay in front of the No. 24 car.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 10
Average Position: 4
Laps Led: 132
Race for the Chase: Stewart is seventh in the championship standings 332 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished 22nd in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 16.1 and finish is 11.9.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 7
Qualified: 24
The race: Busch won at Phoenix a year and a half ago and won the very first Car Of Tomorrow race three weeks ago. He was very upset with how his car handled during practice and qualifying leading up to Saturday's race. Even with the car's poor handling he moved up through the field and entered the top ten after 130 laps. Busch remained in the top ten for the remainder of the race and finished an impressive seventh place.
Highest Position: 5
Lowest Position: 25
Average Position: 11
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is sixth in the championship standings 324 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 11th in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 16.8 and finish is 29.3.


Kurt Busch (Penske Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 18
Qualified: 6
The race: Busch complained his car wasn't handling very well early in Saturday's race. His team made some substantial adjustments during the first pit stop. Busch's spent a majority of the race in the top ten, but suffered bad luck when he pitted right before the final caution of the race and went a lap down. This is the second race in a row that Busch had this happen to him.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 20
Average Position: 7
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is 13th in the championship standings 458 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished third in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 20.4 and finish is 10.8.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)</B>
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 5
Qualified: 17
The race: Kenseth had an issue with being too loose in the early laps of Saturday's race. He nearly scraped the wall exiting turn four, around lap 100, but managed to save the No. 17. Kenseth appeared to get better the longer the race went. He had a chance to win the race, but was unable to have enough speed to catch eventual race leader Jeff Gordon during the final 20 green flag laps of the race. Kenseth was once again the top Ford in a Car Of Tomorrow race.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 18
Average Position: 7
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is third in the championship standings 160 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished fourth in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 25.3 and finish is 15.5.


Greg Biffle (Roush Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 17
Qualified: 18
The race: Biffle has had decent success at PIR during his career, but he could never get a decent setup during Saturday's race. Biffle never cracked the top ten and spend a majority of the race outside the top 20.
Highest Position: 14
Lowest Position: 37
Average Position: 23
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Biffle is 14th in the championship standings. He is 476 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Biffle finished 41st in his last race at Talladega Superspeedway. His average career start at the track is 18.5 and finish is 26.0.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Aaron's 499
The NASCAR Nextel Cup descends on Talladega Superspeedway for ninth race of the season. This year's edition of the Aaron's 499 should again be one of the wildest races of the season. Race Preview sheds a light on how the field might finish on Sunday.

When: Sunday, April 29, 2007; 2:10 p.m./et


Weather: Mostly sunny with a high around 81; wind out of the NNW at 7 mph. Chance of precipitation 10%.


The Track: Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega Superspeedway is a 2.66 tri-oval. It has steep 33 degree banking in the turns and 18 degree banking on the straightaways. As a result of the incredible amount of speeds that cars can run this is restrictor plate track. This means all cars entered in the race must use the restrictor plates on their engines to limit air-intake and thus reduce their horsepower.


Key to Race: AVOID THE BIG WRECK

As is the case with all restrictor plate races the cars always become bunched two-wide in groups of up to 30 cars. These freight-train like packs cruise around the track at insane speeds with the cars just inches away from each other. It just takes just one car to have a flat tire or get loose and a massive accident will occur. If a driver can get lucky and stay away from the inevitable crash they have a great chance to finish in the top 20.


Car Of Tomorrow Race: NO


Qualifying Procedures:

52 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2007 point standing will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Saturday, April 28 at 10:15 am/et.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5

No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has four career wins at Talladega. He led 89 laps during last year's races at the track before finishing a disappointing 15th and 36th places. Look for him to be in the top five on Sunday.
No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior is in danger of losing his title as the "King of Talladega". After not finishing worse than second in seven-straight races he has averaged a 27th place finish the past four races at the track. We still think he should be in the top five on Sunday.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished in the top six in the past three Talladega races and has been in the top 15 in the last five. We like him to be in the top five on Sunday.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch has nine top ten finishes in 11 career starts at Talladega. He has led a lap in the past nine races at the track. He is a good bet to be in the top ten again on Sunday.
No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart doesn't like restrictor plate racing, but he is getting good at it. He has led at least one lap in six-straight Talladega races and could find victory lane on Sunday.


6 to 10

No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has been great at Talladega in his career. He should be a top ten finisher on Sunday.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson won last April's race at Talladega, but he led just three laps on his way to the victory. We think he is a fine choice to make the top 10, but a top five finish is stretching it for the No. 48.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards has back-to-back-to-back top ten finishes at Talladega. We don't think he will have enough speed to crack the top five, but he should finish in the top ten on Sunday.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has never cracked the top 20 in two career Cup starts at Talladega. That should change on Sunday.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch has averaged just a 29th place finish during his four career Talladega starts. We think this track is made for his fearless style of driving. He is due for a top ten finish, but is a risky pick to do so.


11 to 19

No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton finished fourth in last April's race at Talladega, but stunk up the join in October. He has led just 12 laps in the last eight races at the track making him a reach to crack the top ten.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has never led a lap during a Cup race at Talladega, but he has had decent success at the track. He is a decent pick as a fourth or fifth driver on all fantasy teams.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer crashed in both races at Talladega last season. He is due for a clean race, but his lack of experience on the track makes him a little bit of a risky pick.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley hasn't been terrible at Talladega during his career. A top 20 finish isn't out of the question.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon has finished in the top 20 in seven of the last eight races at Talladega. He is fearless and isn't a bad option on Sunday.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished second in the October race at Talladega, but he has been terrible this season. He has potential to be a high risk-high reward pick, but we aren't going to recommend him until he shows some consistency this season.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr fifth during the October race at Talladega. We like his chances to crack the top 20 once again.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Had good runs in both races last year at Talladega. He is a good sleeper pick on Sunday.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers has back-to-back-to-back top ten finishes at Talladega, including a win last October. He is a decent sleeper pick on Sunday.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland excels at restrictor plate races. If there is ever a weekend to use him it is this one.


20 to 29

No. 25 Casey Mears: The only luck Mears has had this season is bad luck. Even though Brian Vickers won at Talladega in his car last season stay away from him until he shakes the black cloud that has been following him around.
No. 40 David Stremme: Stremme is quietly having a terrific year. He has never been great at Talladega, but should end the streak this weekend.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter has been the biggest surprise of the 2007 season. He is a great sleeper pick on Sunday.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has made the top ten twice in the past 11 Talladega. He should be in the top 30 and could sneak into the top 20 with some luck.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines has finished in the top 25 in four of his five career starts at Talladega. He isn't going to help your fantasy team though.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle has never had success at Talladega. In eight career Cup starts his best finish is just 13th. Save him for another week.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Restrictor plate racing is still a foreign concept to Montoya. We think he has a much better chance to cause a wreck than crack the top ten.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler has three poles in 15 career starts and has led at least one lap in the past eight races at Talladega. He would normally be a decent sleeper pick on Sunday, but we don't how the Dodges have been performing this season. Use him as a fourth driver on fantasy teams only.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has just one top ten finish in the last six Talladega races. He should have the speed to run in the front, but we don't like him as much more than a fourth or fifth fantasy driver.
No. 60 Boris Said: Said is a very interesting pick. He was awesome at Daytona this year and could surprise. Not a bad option as a fifth driver on fantasy teams.


30 to 39

No. 13 Joe Nemechek: Has been decent during his career at Talladega. He has led at least one lap in the past six races at the track. A top 25 finish won't surprise us.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett won Talladega's October race in 2005 and has finished in the top 20 the last ten races at the track, but this year he will be lucky to make the top 30.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson hasn't finished on the lead lap during a Talladega race in his career. He has driven very well off-an-on this season, but he isn't an option.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs finished ninth during last April's race at Talladega. He is a very erratic driver who is a hit-or-miss pick this weekend.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney has 13 career starts at Talladega and zero top ten finishes.
No. 21 Ken Schrader: Schrader has run over 7,300 laps on the track so he knows his way around, but we can't recommend him.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin has finished 31st or worst in six of the past seven Talladega races. Not a great option.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd has 58 career starts at Talladega, but he hasn't cracked the top ten since 2002. We don't think he is worth owning in most fantasy leagues.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan is the reason there is a yellow stripe on the bumper of rookie drivers.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty hasn't led a lap at Talladega since 1993. Not an option.



Field Fillers

No. 01 Regan Smith: Smith will have a white knuckled Sunday drive this week. Don't use him.
No. 09 Mike Wallace: Will be a rocket in qualifying and could surprise during the race.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard should make Sunday's field, but isn't a great an option.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss has been a surprise this season, but he isn't a fantasy option.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton will struggle to qualify. Not an option.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Has two top five finishes at Talladega, but that was back in 2000 and 2001.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger has qualified for just two races this season.
No. 00 David Reutimann: Reutimann isn't a fantasy option yet.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield has made just two races this season.
No. 37 John Andretti: We would only pick Andretti if it was between him and Waltrip.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Poor Michael. He hasn't made a race since Daytona.


Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Kurt Busch

Sleepers:

1. David Gilliland
2. Boris Said

Busts:

1. Greg Biffle
2. Kasey Kahne

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Midpack Attack: Aaron's 499
Track history

Talladega Superspeedway was built in 1969 in an old soybean field near Anniston, Alabama. Track builders Bill France, Sr. and Bill Ward wanted it to be the biggest and fastest superspeedway on the Cup circuit. It is, without a doubt, the fastest racetrack in the world. Bill Elliott qualified at over 212 mph in 1987 at the 2.66-mile facility, which led to NASCAR's decision to slow down the cars here and at Daytona because speeds were getting unsafe. Both tracks use restrictor plates to limit the horsepower of the cars. Speeds on the straights (4,000 foot backstretch and 4,300 foot frontstretch) still exceed 200 mph.


The track is a high-banked trioval that is four lanes wide, with 33 degree banking at the ends and 18-degree banking in the trioval. For this reason, Talladega has a lot of 3-wide racing and it's not unusual to see the whole field running together at top speed the same as they did when the green flag dropped at the beginning of the race. The drivers run wide open all the way around the track, never lifting except to avoid getting caught up in the big wrecks, which are common in restrictor plate racing.


First Cup race

On September 14, 1969, after driving the No. 71 K & K Insurance '69 Dodge to a 196.386 mph qualifying lap, Bobby Isaac started on the pole for the first NASCAR Cup race, the Talladega 500. After leading 13 laps, Isaac finished 4th. Richard Brickhouse, in the No. 99 Nichols Engineering '69 Dodge, started 9th and won the race. The average race speed for that event was 153.778 mph.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Midpack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. There were 52 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 143,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $6,022,630. Here are our picks for Sunday's Aaron's 499 in Anniston, Alabama.


Mid-pack picks

After DNF's in his first three Cup starts at Talladega, Martin Truex Jr. finally got a 5th place finish in last fall's event. You can't dispute his Busch Series numbers at this track. He had three Dega starts in the series, led over 30% of the laps and won them all. He's going for his fourth in a row on Saturday. If he can avoid the big one on Sunday he's our choice to score his third 2007 Cup top 10.

Elliott Sadler will be the first to tell you Talladega and Daytona are not his favorite tracks. He's had some horrific wrecks in those restrictor plate races but otherwise runs well at both tracks. Sadler will be driving the same car that led some laps at Dega last fall and finished 6th in the Daytona 500. In the last eight starts at Talladega, Sadler averaged a 6th place start including two poles. His best recent finish was a 6th in 2005.

Last year, Jeff Green scored only two top tens in his first season with the Haas team. He has two already this year. He finished 14th and 7th in the 2006 Talladega races and should be in for another top 15 this weekend. Green racked up three top fives in seven Busch Series starts at this track as well.

Our deepest pick this weekend is David Gilliland. His last seven races this season are far from noteworthy. Last October, Gilliland entered his first and only Talladega race, sat on the pole and finished 15th. This past February, Gilliland entered his first and only Daytona race, sat on the pole and finished 8th. Enough said.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Aaron's 499
A look at Sunday's Aaron's 499 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 1
Qualified: 1
The race: Gordon came into Sunday's race on the pole. He has led more laps at Talladega than any other drivers in the race and was our favorite to win his second straight win. Gordon took the lead on the first lap, the eighth straight race he has led at least one lap. He spent a majority of the race in the top ten drafting with teammate Jimmie Johnson. Johnson pushed Gordon to the lead during the green, white, checker finish and when the eighth caution of the race was thrown Gordon was in the lead.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 26
Average Position: 7
Laps Led: 71
Race for the Chase: Gordon is first in the championship standings 203 points ahead of second place Jeff Burton.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished 31st in his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 7.5 and finish is 16.4.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 7
Qualified: 36
The race: Junior has five career Cup wins at Talladega, but he hasn't won a race at the track since October 2004. He hung in the back of the pack when the race started when he noticed that the cars were running three wide from the very beginning. Once the race got around 20 laps in he started moving up through the field. Junior complained his car was running a bit too hot early in the race. He looked like he might make a run for the lead with eight laps remaining, but David Reutimann's engine blew up causing an additional caution. Junior was unable to return to the lead during the ensuing green, white, checker finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 40
Average Position: 18
Laps Led: 2
Race for the Chase: Junior is 13th in the championship standings. He is 527 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Junior finished 17th in his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 15.9 and finish is 9.9.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)</B>
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 14
Qualified: 17
The race: Kenseth was a bit too tight early in Sunday's race. His team made an air pressure adjustment to free the car up a little bit. Kenseth needed to take four tires during the first pit stop after he locked up his brakes entering the pits. The extra time he needed in the pits caused him to fall 15 or 16 seconds behind the lead pack. Kenseth regained the pack during the second caution flag of the race. He returned to the lead on lap 103. Kenseth dropped back late in Sunday's race and when the final caution flag was thrown ending the race he was in 14th place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 38
Average Position: 16
Laps Led: 3
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is third in the championship standings 229 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished eighth in his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 20.5 and finish is 14.6.


Kurt Busch (Penske Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 3
Qualified: 26
The race: Busch had a great car in Sunday's race, but he felt his car was running a bit too hot early in the race. His team removed some tape to allow more air flow to the engine. Busch stayed in the top ten for a majority of the race and avoided the late incidents to finish an impressive third place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 26
Average Position: 10
Laps Led: 7
Race for the Chase: Busch is 10th in the championship standings 483 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 27th in his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 20.2 and finish is 20.0.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 28
Qualified: 32
The race: Stewart entered Sunday's race fresh off a $10,000 fine for complaining about NASCAR's use of yellow flags. He finished second during Saturday's Busch Series race, but had a below-average qualifying effort for the Aaron's 499. Stewart has two previous wins and six second place finishes at the track. He said his car was a touch too tight during the first 45 laps of the race, but overall he was very happy with his car. Stewart was caught speeding during the first pit stop of the race. His penalty was a drive through the pits at 55 mph. The penalty dropped Stewart a lap down from first place to 38th place. He used a debris caution on lap 74 to return to earn a free pass back onto the lead lap. Stewart had a battery issue and needed to switch to his backup battery with around 50 laps remaining. The battery held out, but he was involved in the accident occurred during the green, white, checkered finish. Stewart slapped the inside wall very hard and was visibly and vocally upset with David Gilliland.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 38
Average Position: 18
Laps Led: 7
Race for the Chase: Stewart is sixth in the championship standings 443 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished 18th in his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 16.4 and finish is 12.1.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 6
Qualified: 41
The race: Harvick didn't have an exceptional car during Sunday's race, but he managed to stay in the top 20 for a majority of the race and avoided the late cautions to crack the top ten.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 41
Average Position: 15
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Harvick is ninth in the championship standings 469 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick won his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 19.8 and finish is 12.9.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 2
Qualified: 8
The race: Johnson's car was running a little too hot during the first 20 laps of the race. His team took some tape off the front of the car to allow the engine to get a little more air. J.J. took the lead for the first time on lap 19. His team made a track bar adjustment during the race's first pit stop. Johnson stalled his engine while leaving the pits during the second caution of the race. The additional time he needed to restart his car caused him to fall out of the top ten. Johnson caused the third caution of the race when he got into the rear of teammate Casey Mears on lap 126. There didn't appear to be any significant damage to the nose of the No. 48 car. Johnson was involved in another accident when Tony Raines got into the side of his car causing him to brush the wall. J.J. said his steering wheel remained straight and the only issue was flat-spotting his tires. The No. 48 drafted with teammate Jeff Gordon to push each other for a second place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 32
Average Position: 8
Laps Led: 12
Race for the Chase: Johnson is fourth in the championship standings 229 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished 23rd in his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 14.7 and finish is 21.2.


Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 42
Qualified: 16
The race: Edwards left the race on lap 29 with smoke coming out of his exhaust. His chance for another decent finish in a restrictor plate race ended when he went behind the wall.
Highest Position: 13
Lowest Position: 42
Average Position: 41
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Edwards is 12th in the championship standings 517 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Edwards finished 35th in his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 12.0 and finish is 18.0.


Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 21
Qualified: 3
The race: Hamlin had a great car during Sunday's race. He led the race two separate times for 48 laps. Hamlin had the lead until lap 183 when the seventh caution came out and he needed to pit to get enough fuel to finish the race. The resulting pit stop caused him to and fall back to 21st place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 31
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 48
Race for the Chase: Hamlin is fifth in the championship standings 332 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Hamlin finished 15th in his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 4.0 and finish is 8.5.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 37
Qualified: 13
The race: Busch has suffered a couple very serious accidents the past few weeks. He is fearless enough to do well at Talladega, but he needs to avoid the inevitable wreck for a decent finish. Busch stayed towards the rear of the field during the first 50 laps in an effort to avoid another incident. Kyle's engine started to run a little bit too hot around the middle laps of the race. He dropped to the rear of the field to allow his engine to get a little more air. Busch suffered another big accident when he was rear ended on lap No. 132. The damage to the No. 5 car was significant and he needed to be towed to the garage repaired ending his day.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 41
Average Position: 28
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is eighth in the championship standings 467 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished second in his last race at Richmond International Raceway. His average career start at the track is 12.5 and finish is 3.8.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Crown Royal 400
The NASCAR Nextel Cup series rolls into Richmond International Speedway for the tenth race of the 2007 season. This year's Crown Royal 400 should be full of excitement as the drivers try to manage the tricky configuration of RIR's long-short track. We have looked at past performances, practice sessions, and season trends to shed a light on how the field might finish on Saturday night.


When: Saturday, May 5, 2007; 7:25 p.m./et


Weather: Sunny with a high around 75; wind out of the ENE at 7 mph. Chance of precipitation 10%.


The Track: Richmond International Raceway

Richmond is a .75 mile D-shaped oval. It has fairly flat 14 degree banking in the turns and 8 degree banking on the straightaways.


Key to Race: SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Saturday night races seem to bring out the best and worst in NASCAR drivers. The Crown Royal 400 should be no different. There should be plenty of bent sheet metal when the race is over and there will be at least a few drivers who have temper issues.


Car Of Tomorrow Race: YES


Qualifying Procedures:

50 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2007 point standing will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, May 4 at 6:10 pm/et.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5

No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch has run excellent at RIR during his career. He has four top five finishes in four career starts. He is excellent in Car Of Tomorrow races and is a great option.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon struggled the past four races at RIR, but we think he will rebound with a top five finish on Saturday.
No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has three wins at RIR, including last May's race. Look for No. 8 to be near the front all night.
No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart has three career wins at RIR and has ten top ten finishes in 16 career starts. He hasn't won at the track since 2002 so he is due to visit victory lane.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished first and third during the past two races at RIR. He is an excellent option once again on Saturday.


6th to 10th

No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton is a great fantasy option this weekend. He has seven top five finishes and 12 top ten finishes in 25 career RIR starts.
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Even Johnson admits RIR is a tough track for him. He has just one top ten in ten career starts. Hendrick's excellent Car Of Tomorrow program should be near the top ten again on Saturday.
No. 01 Mark Martin: Martin has averaged a 12th place finish in 42 career starts at RIR and has finished in the top 20 his last 13 starts at the track. He won't win, but should be in the top ten.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished second at RIR last May. He should be back in the top ten on Saturday.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has one win and eight top ten finishes in 14 starts at RIR. He and Greg Biffle are the Roush Fenway drivers we recommend on Saturday.


11th to 19th

No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle has finished eighth or better in the past five RIR races. He would be a great pick to win, but we have some big questions about Roush Fenway's Car Of Tomorrow program.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch won the fall race at RIR in 2005, but he has struggled in most of his other 11 starts at the track. He should be in the top 20 on Saturday.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne has finished in the top ten in three of the last four races at RIR, but we haven't been impressed with him this season. Don't anchor your fantasy team with him. He is just a decent third or fourth driver.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has been very successful at RIR in the past. He might be worth taking a gamble on this weekend.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards has two top ten finishes at RIR during his career, but we don't like his chances on Saturday.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished tenth and 12th in his first two Cup starts at RIR. He is a decent option to be in the top 20 on Saturday.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Green is quietly having a very good season. He has a Hendrick Motorsports engine and might be worth taking a gamble on.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr. has been terrible in his two career Cup starts at RIR (average 40.5 place finish). He should be much better, but we think he is sort of a risky selection.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears is one of the unluckiest drivers in the Cup series this season. He is a risky pick until he gets rid of that black cloud that is following him.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley finished in the top 25 during both races at RIR last season. He isn't a bad fourth or fifth option on fantasy teams.


20th to 29th

No. 40 David Stremme: Stremme is the biggest surprise of the 2007 season. He is driving with confidence and should crack the top 25 on Saturday.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has been hit-or-miss at RIR during his career and he says he has no confidence in Roush Fenway's Cars Of Tomorrow. This isn't the weekend to use him.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler has just one top ten finish in 19 career starts at RIR. There are far less risky picks for Saturday's race.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya wasn't great in his previous two "short track" races. We think he will wind up banging up his car and some other cars this weekend.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs was has made the top 15 in the past two RIR races. He is a good sleeper even though he will need to make the race during qualifying.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson finished 23rd and 14th in his two career starts at RIR. He has been a bit of a hit-or-miss driver this season.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd has always done well on his home state track. He might be worth using for a fourth or fifth driver on Saturday.
No. 21 Ken Schrader: Schrader has had strong finishes at RIR the last three years, but he will need to make the race during qualifying making him a risky pick.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin finished ninth during last May's race at RIR, but he will be in a different car this weekend a mid-20s finish would be good for him.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon has averaged a 29th place finish at RIR during his career. He isn't a fantasy option this weekend.


30th to 39th

No. 13 Joe Nemechek: "Front Row" Joe won a 2003 race at RIR, so he knows how to get it done. We think he will be in the top 30 on Saturday, but barely.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has looked pretty bad on short tracks this season. It isn't worth taking a chance on him.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan is decent in restrictor plate races, but this isn't one. Avoid him this weekend.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney finished a surprising fourth during the last fall race at RIR. He will be doing well to just make Saturday's race.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter is a risky pick at best. We think a finish in the mid-30s would be good for the No. 70 team.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines has averaged a 31st place finish at RIR during his career. He should finish right around there on Saturday.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers has been good when he makes the field this season, unfortunately he has only done that four times.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland is only an option on restrictor plate tracks.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty has won at RIR, but it was 20 years ago.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard's neon yellow car looks extremely bright at night.


Field Fillers

No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield has had success at RIR during his career. He should make Saturday's race
No. 00 David Reutimann: Reutimann will make the race, but should struggle.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Virginia native, Burton should sneak into the field.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Has led three laps in 22 career starts at RIR.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss will be lucky to sneak into Saturday's race.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett used up his final Past Champion Provisional last weekend. He will struggle to make the field.
No. 46 Johnny Benson: Benson knows how to drive a Toyota. He could make the field.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger might wish he was in a better ride. Like Kenny Wallace's.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Waltrip won't make the field yet again.
No. 37 Kevin Lepage: It is a struggle to qualify every week for the No. 37.


Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Kyle Busch
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Tony Stewart

Sleepers:

1. Ryan Newman
2. Jeff Green

Busts:

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Jamie McMurray

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Midpack Attack:Crown Royal 400
Track history
www.eog.com www.eogcontests.com
Richmond International Raceway (RIR) started out in 1946 as a 1/2-mile dirt oval. The first NASCAR Cup Series event was held there 7 years later. The track was finally paved in 1968. The facility's present configuration was constructed in September 1988. It is now a 3/4-mile 'D' shaped asphalt oval with banking of 14 degrees allowing the cars to average 125 mph laps.

In 1991, lights were installed around the track and since then, all racing at Richmond is "under the lights."

RIR is almost completely surrounded by grandstand seats. This weekend, the new TORQUE Club and Commonwealth Grandstand will be open to the public. After the September 2006 race, about 3,000 of the low-row seats were removed and the 180-foot high structure was built. This gave the Raceway a gain of almost 5,000 seats, bringing the seating capacity to 112,029.
www.fantasysportspicks.com
www.tampabaybuccaneers.ws

First Cup race

Buck Baker qualified the No. 87 Griffin Motors '53 Oldsmobile on the pole for the 1953 Richmond 200 with a lap of 48.465 mph on the half-mile dirt track. He finished 3rd to race winner, Lee Petty. Petty, father of Richard and grandfather of Kyle, won $1000 for putting his 1953 Petty Enterprises Dodge up front at the end of the 100 mile event.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Midpack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart. There were 50 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of over 112,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $5,032,994. Here are our picks for Saturday night's Crown Royal 400 in Richmond, Virginia.


Midpack picks

Ryan Newman's 11.6 average finish is second best (Denny Hamlin's first) of all active drivers. He scored a win and pole in a Cup car. In the NBS, Newman averaged a 3.3 start (3 races) and an 8.7 finish. He started eleventh in a 12-car field for the 2004 IROC event at RIR and finished second. Coming off a ninth at Talladega, look for him to be a top 10 car on Saturday night.

Since he's running a part-time schedule, you have to grab Mark Martin when he's on the entry list at one of his good tracks. Why is this a good track for Martin? He's averaged a 10.0 start and a 12.1 finish in 42 Cup races here. He's finished in the top 15 in the last ten Cup races. Martin scored five RIR wins in the Busch Series. He finished third in his one Richmond truck start and won his lone IROC start at this track as well.

Greg Biffle has started and finished in the top ten in his last five Cup races at Richmond including a fourth (from the pole) in May 2006. He had seven top tens in eleven Busch RIR starts and averaged a 5.6 finish in the last six. Let's not forget his truck history at the track. He ran three CTS races here and finished third, first and second. Biffle is a "must have" on your roster this weekend.

Jeff Green is one of few drivers who have figured out the Car of Tomorrow. He managed sixth place finishes in two of the three COT races so far this season. Besides those, Green scored another sixth (Phoenix) and a thirteen (Talladega) in the past two weeks. We think momentum is on his side going into Richmond.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Crown Royal 400
A look at Sunday's Crown Royal 400 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 2
Qualified: 34
The race: Busch has finished in the top five in all of his career starts at Richmond. Hendrick Motorsports has won every Car Of Tomorrow race this season making Busch and excellent option. Busch moved up through the field as soon as the race went green. He stayed in the top ten for most of the race and led 25 of the final 50 laps. Busch just didn't quite have enough speed to stay ahead of teammate Jimmie Johnson, but the No. 5 car managed a terrific second place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 34
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 27
Race for the Chase: Busch is sixth in the championship standings 462 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished seventh in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 17.5 and finish is 15.0.

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Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 4
Qualified: 1
The race: Gordon has been terrible in the last four races at Richmond. He was worried about the brakes on his car, but felt his team has worked out the issue. Gordon qualified first and is the driver to beat in Sunday's race. He took the lead on lap one and stayed out front the first 31 laps of the race. Gordon fell back after about 50 laps. He complained his car was way too tight with around 150 laps remaining. The No. 24 team made some substantial changes during the sixth caution flag which seemed to improve the handling. Gordon spent the final 75 laps of the race battling teammates Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch for the top three positions. He didn't quite have a good enough setup to stay ahead of Johnson and Busch, but he finished in fourth place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 22
Average Position: 3
Laps Led: 114
Race for the Chase: Gordon is first in the championship standings 211 points ahead of second place Jimmie Johnson.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished second in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 6.8 and finish is 12.2.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 13
Qualified: 7
The race: Junior has three previous wins at Richmond. He had a decent qualifying effort and was one of the drivers to watch. His team was concerned entering Sunday's race on how the car would handle since it was setup to run at night and the race was during the day. Junior said his car was bouncing a bit and was too tight in the corners early in Sunday's race. His team eventually made a track bar adjustment. Junior was hit by Jeff Green and sent into the wall with 115 laps remaining in the race. He managed to avoid any major damage to his car, but fell back to 33rd place. Junior spent the final 115 laps moving back up through the field for a top 15 finish.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 33
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Junior is 12th in the championship standings. He is 573 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Junior finished fifth in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 15.8 and finish is 15.6.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 8
Qualified: 22
The race: Stewart's car was terrible during the first 150 laps of the race. His team unhooked the rear sway-bar, pulled a spring rubber out, and dropped the track-bar on the left side during the third caution of the race. The lengthy pit dropped him to 37th place. Stewart quickly moved back up through the field and re-entered the top ten just 40 laps after the changes were made. His car's handling continued to come to him and he snuck into the top ten for an eighth place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 39
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 1
Race for the Chase: Stewart is seventh in the championship standings 466 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished 12th in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 17.4 and finish is 12.4.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 7
Qualified: 27
The race: Harvick had a poor qualifying effort, but moved up through the field easily during the first 100 laps of the race. He radioed his crew to tell them his brakes felt a little shaky around lap 75. Harvick took the lead for the first time on lap 129 and held it for 14 laps. He made some contact with the No. 6 car while leaving the pits during the sixth caution of the race. The No. 29 suffered some serious damage to the right front of the car as a result of the pit road accident. It took several trips back to his pit stall to repair the right front. Harvick didn't lose much speed due to the right front damage and he managed a seventh place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 27
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 105
Race for the Chase: Harvick is eighth in the championship standings 488 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick finished 37th in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 16.7 and finish is 19.4.


Jeff Burton (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 43
Qualified: 39
The race: Burton had engine problems during qualifying, but was one of the biggest position gainers during the first 100 laps of Sunday's race. His engine gave out with around 260 laps remaining in the race ending his day and dropping him from second to fifth in the championship standings.
Highest Position: 13
Lowest Position: 43
Average Position: 46
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Burton is fifth in the championship standings 439 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Burton finished ninth in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 21.8 and finish is 11.6.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 1
Qualified: 4
The race: Johnson took the lead for the first time when he passed Jeff Gordon on lap 32. His car was a little tight during the first 40 laps of the race. His team made an air pressure adjustment during the first pit stop. Johnson complained his brakes were vibrating a little bit during the first 100 laps of the race. The brakes didn't hurt his handling and they weren't an issue the remainder of the race. Johnson battled with Hendrick teammate Kyle Busch for the final 80 laps of the race, but was able to best the No. 5 car to take home his fourth victory of the 2007 season.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 19
Average Position: 3
Laps Led: 105
Race for the Chase: Johnson is second in the championship standings 211 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished fourth in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 9.4 and finish is 7.3.


Mark Martin (Ginn Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 17
Qualified: 9
The race: Martin was racing in just his second Car Of Tomorrow race. He took the lead around lap 210 as all the other cars cycled through green flag stops. Martin wouldn't return to the front for the rest of the race. He spent a majority of the race in the middle of the pack and finished a very respectable 17th place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 28
Average Position: 21
Laps Led: 2
Race for the Chase: Martin is 14th in the championship standings 653 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Martin finished eighth in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 12.2 and finish is 12.1.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)</B>
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 10
Qualified: 28
The race: Kenseth continued to have his issues in Car Of Tomorrow races. The No. 17 car took the lead around the middle of the race, but he was only able to hold onto it for three laps. His car was a little tight in the center of the turns for most of the race, but he battled it to a solid tenth place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 17
Laps Led: 3
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is third in the championship standings 260 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished third in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 21.2 and finish is 20.4.


Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 3
Qualified: 6
The race: Hamlin came into his home-state track with a great car and with a decent qualifying effort. His car was a little tight during the early laps. His team made a wedge adjustment during the first pit stop. Hamlin took the lead on lap 128, but was passed by Kevin Harvick on the very next time around. He did a terrific job staying in the top five for most of the race and held off point leader Jeff Gordon for a third place finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 18
Average Position: 5
Laps Led: 12
Race for the Chase: Hamlin is fourth in the championship standings 332 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Hamlin finished tenth in his last race at Darlington Raceway. His average career start at the track is 5.0 and finish is 10.0.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Dodge Avenger 500
The NASCAR Nextel Cup series moves to Darlington Raceway for the 11th race of the 2007 season, another chance for some Saturday night lights. The only race this season at the "Track Too Tough To Tame" promises to be filled with excitement. We have looked at past performances, practice sessions, and season trends to shed a light on how the field might finish on Saturday.


When: Saturday, May 12, 2007; 7:30 p.m./et


Weather: Isolated T-storms with a high around 86; wind out of the S at 7 mph Chance of precipitation 30%.


The Track: Darlington Raceway

Darlington is a 1.366 mile oval. It has 25 and 23 degree banking in the turns and three and two degree banking on the straightaways. Darlington rewards aggressive fearless drivers which is why it is the "Track Too Tough To Tame".


Key to Race: THE TRACK TOO TOUGH TO TAME

Roush Fenway Racing should end their run of bad luck and will be a factor in Saturday's race. Greg Biffle has led 246 laps and won the past two races at Darlington. The current point leader, Jeff Gordon, should be another factor in the race. He has six career victories on the track and finished second in 2005 and 2006.


Car Of Tomorrow Race: YES


Qualifying Procedures:

49 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2007 point standings will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, May 11 at 3:30 pm/et.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5

No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Six wins in 26 career starts. He has tamed the "Track Too Tough To Tame".
No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has two wins and has finished out of the top ten just once in eight career starts. He should be in the top five all day.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Hendrick Motorsports has dominated Car Of Tomorrow races. He should have enough car to finish in the top five.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has been in the top 15 in every race this season except the Daytona 500. He will finish there once again on Saturday.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle dominated the last two races at Darlington. He has to be one of the favorites to find victory lane again this year.


5 through 10

No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart has seven top 10 finishes in 14 careers starts at Darlington. He hasn't won at the track or this season. He is due to do a little fence climbing.
No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has finished in the top 11 in five of the last six races at Darlington. We like his chances to do it again on Saturday.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has been great this season and finished tenth in his only Cup start at Darlington. We like his chances on Saturday.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch has been good at Darlington during his career and looks like a championship contender this season. He is a fine pick.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has been good during his career at Darlington, but he has struggled the past three races at the track. We expect he will be back in the top ten on Saturday, but a win might be too much to ask.


11 through 19

No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has four top five finishes in eight career starts at Darlington. He is a fine option this weekend.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards has made the top ten in two of his three career starts at Darlington. He is a good option on Saturday.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 23rd in his first Nextel Cup race at Darlington. He has been good in Car Of Tomorrow races and is thus a good option to make the top 15 on Saturday.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton hasn't been in the top five since 2000, but he has had past success at Darlington. We are bit wary of his Car Of Tomorrow stable. He is a potential to 20 and could slide into the top ten with some luck.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Green has finished worse than 25th at Darlington just once since 1998. He is an excellent sleeper pick on Saturday.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne has three poles and two top five finishes in four career starts at Darlington. He is someone to watch this weekend.
No. 01 Mark Martin: Martin has 16 top five finishes at Darlington. He won't win, but his ability to drive smart races should have him near the top ten.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has been very hit-or-miss at Darlington in his career. He is a risky pick on Saturday.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr. has started to realize his potential this season. He is a decent bet to crack the top 20.
No. 25 Casey Mears: The most unlikely driver in the series right now is Mears. He could crack the top ten or finish in the mid-30s. Wait until he gets back on track to use him on your fantasy team.


20 through 29

No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley has been a middle-of-the-pack driver this season, which is where he will finish on Saturday.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler has been good at Darlington in his career. We think a top 25 finish should be expected.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon has cracked the top 15 in his last three starts at Darlington. He is a decent bet to finish in the top 25 again.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter has had some bad luck the past two weeks. He has done well with his Hendrick Motorsports powered car and isn't a terrible fourth or fifth member of most fantasy teams.
No. 40 David Stremme: Stremme was decent at Darlington in 2006. We like his chance to crack the top 25 on Saturday.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin has had a great history at Darlington. He is someone to watch on Saturday.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan has never made a Cup start at Darlington. Cracking the top 20 would be a victory for the rookie.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has finished 20th or better in the past three races. He should be in the top 25 again on Saturday.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson is another middle-of-the-pack driver. He won't help or hurt your fantasy team.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya continues to adapt to the Cup series. He hasn't led a lap all season and won't be a viable fantasy option at Darlington until next season.


30 through 39

No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland has looked pretty bad in five of the last seven races. He should definitely be avoided this weekend.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs has never been good at Darlington in his career and he will have to make the race during qualifying. Avoid him this weekend.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd has run of 17,000 laps at Darlington, but that doesn't make him a fantasy option.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Darlington has been a terrible track for Raines. Don't use him this weekend.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: "Front Row" Joe has run over 6,400 laps at Darlington and led just nine. Not a fantasy option.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney has been the most consistent Toyota driver this season. That doesn't make him a fantasy option.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty has led just two laps this season. Yeah, not good!
No. 00 David Reutimann: Reutimann has done an amazing job getting a Michael Waltrip Racing car in the past three races. We like his chances to do it again this weekend.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard is learning how to drive at the Cup level. He will be a solid driver, but it might not be until next season.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: A.J. made last week's race so we have to believe he will bring the same car and make this week's race.


Field Fillers

No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton has a better chance than most "Field Fillers" to make the race.
No. 21 Ken Schrader: Schrader has missed the past two races. He is no longer a fantasy option.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Wallace has three top ten finishes at Darlington. He could be a force in qualifying this week.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers has missed the last three races. He will struggle again to make the field.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss will be doing very well to make the race.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: The Jeremy Mayfield Show will continue to be just two laps long.
No. 37 John Andretti: Andretti will struggle to qualify.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett ended his 14-year streak of Cup starts last weekend. We expect he will continue to miss races.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Being on Waltrip's pit crew is like being the backup quarterback to Peyton Manning?you never have to work.


Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Kyle Busch
4. Matt Kenseth

Sleepers:

1. Ryan Newman
2. Jeff Green

Busts:

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Jamie McMurray

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Midpack Attack:Avenger 500
Track history

Harold Brasington had a dream in 1949 that he could turn an old cotton field in Darlington, SC into a super speedway for stock car racing. His friends and family thought he was crazy, but, he and his crew spent a year shaping the 1.366 mile speedway. Brasington often drove the bulldozers and grading equipment himself. The original planned track layout was a normal oval, but the owner of the land didn't want his minnow pond disturbed. The track was narrowed at the west end to allow for the pond, giving Darlington its egg-shaped design. Brasington expected about 10,000 fans for the first race in 1950 and was shocked when 25,000 fans packed the speedway.

On September 4, 1950, the first Cup race, the Southern 500, was run at Darlington Raceway. It became an annual Labor Day weekend race up until 2004 when it was moved to November in a swap for a California Speedway event.
In 1960, a second Darlington race, the Spring event, was added to the schedule and the track hosted two races up until 2005. In that year, the fall race was dropped from the schedule. A new Darlington tradition was started for the Spring event that same year and continues today. Since the race is on the eve of Mother's Day, several mothers of the participating drivers serve as grand marshals and give the command: "Sons and gentlemen, start your engines!".

Darlington Raceway is known as the track "Too Tough to Tame", which is why drivers never forget a Darlington victory. It's a track where, without warning, one could get his "Darlington Stripe" after getting too close to the wall. It is definitely a driver's track.


First Cup race

Curtis Turner ran an 82.034 mph lap in the Eanes Motor Co. No. 41 Oldsmobile to start on the pole of the 3-wide 75 car field in the September 4, 1950 Southern 500. He led 22 laps of the 400 lap event but crashed on lap 275. Johnny Mantz started 43rd in the No. 98 Westmoreland 1950 Plymouth, dominated the event by leading 351 laps and finished 9 laps ahead of runner-up, Fireball Roberts.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Midpack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. There were 49 cars on the preliminary entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 68,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $5,507,009. Here are our picks for Saturday night's Dodge Avenger 500 in Darlington, South Carolina.


Mid-pack picks

If you were wondering when to use Ryan Newman, it's this week. At Darlington, he has a pole and five top tens in eight Cup starts with a 11.5 average finish. In 2001, Newman scored two Busch Series poles at this track. He's coming off two top tens in a row and we think he will do well on one of his favorite tracks.

Kasey Kahne is way overdue to turn his season around. What better place than a track where he scored the pole in three of his four Cup starts and had an average finish of 10.5 for those races. He has five top fifteen finishes in seven Darlington Busch starts. Kahne won both of the Craftsman Truck Series races he entered. One of them was at Darlington.

This is not a short track so Martin Truex Jr. should do well. His four top fifteens this season came at the bigger tracks. In 2006, he marched from 39th in the lineup to finish 14th in his rookie Cup Darlington start. He had some practice in three starts in the Busch Series. Truex started those races 10th, pole, 10th and finished 4th, 4th and 3rd.

Our deepest pick this week is Reed Sorenson. In most fantasy games, he's probably still in the mid-price race so he should be good for a fourth or fifth driver. In his Cup debut at this tough track last year, Sorenson started 16th and finished 11th. He has an okay average finish of 14.7 for three Busch starts here as well.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Dodge Avenger 500
A look at Sunday's Dodge Avenger 500 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 1
Qualified: 10
The race: Gordon came into Sunday's race as a six time winner at Darlington. He was very loose at the start of the race. His rear end was almost sliding sideways during the first 40 laps before his team could make some adjustments. Gordon first started complaining about the water temperature in his car getting too hot around lap 245. His team removed some tape from the front grill during the next caution flag, but the water temperature remained hot. Gordon's engine temperature temporarily went down, but a plume of steam could be seen near the right side of his windshield with 32 laps remaining. In a miracle of all miracles the engine continued to steam, but it managed not to give out for the rest of the race. Gordon was able to hold off Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson to earn his seventh career victory at Darlington.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 22
Average Position: 6
Laps Led: 22
Race for the Chase: Gordon is first in the championship standings 231 points ahead of second place Jimmie Johnson.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished 24th in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 12.8 and finish is 19.1.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 3
Qualified: 12
The race: Johnson scraped up the right side of his car on lap 95. His car was a little too loose and his team made some tire pressure adjustments to give it a little more forward-bite. His team made some adjustments to his car and he complained it was a little loose around lap 230. Johnson was able to lead Sunday's race four separate times for 44 laps. He took a chance and changed tires during the ninth caution on lap 345. He had plenty of speed on the fresh tires, but didn't have enough to catch eventual race winter Jeff Gordon.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 24
Average Position: 4
Laps Led: 44
Race for the Chase: Johnson is second in the championship standings 231 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished second in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 12.9 and finish is 8.5.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 37
Qualified: 36
The race: Busch never was a factor in Sunday's race. He had a little issue with his engine overheating near the middle laps of the race. The heating issue ended his chances for a top finish and an incident on lap 305 with A.J. Allmendinger caused him to finish a disappointing 37th place.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 38
Average Position: 17
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is 11th in the championship standings 590 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished sixth in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 23.3 and finish is 31.7.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)</B>
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 7
Qualified: 31
The race: Kenseth complained his car was very, very loose during the first 100 laps of Sunday's race. His team made some adjustments and he handled much better. Kenseth complained that his breaks weren't working as well as he wanted around lap 230 the breaks were running a little too hot and his team removed some tape from the break ducts. The issue didn't slow him down as he moved into second place and then took the lead on lap 245 after a fast pit stop. Kenseth remained in the lead for 29 of the next 30 laps before being passed by Ryan Newman. He wouldn't return to the lead, but managed another top ten finish.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 40
Average Position: 12
Laps Led: 29
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is third in the championship standings 299 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished 14th in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 26.9 and finish is 19.1.


Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 15
Qualified: 2
The race: Biffle won the last two races at Darlington and looks to change Roush Fenway Racing's early struggles with the Car Of Tomorrow. He qualified second and battled Clint Bowyer for the lead early in Sunday's race. Biffle dropped back as the race went on and didn't have enough speed to stay in the top. He finished 15th ending his streak of back-to-back wins at Darlington.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 21
Average Position: 11
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Biffle is 16th in the championship standings 726 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Biffle finished 37th in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 30.0 and finish is 23.9.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 6
Qualified: 26
The race: Stewart has never had much luck at Darlington during his career. He started 26th and moved into the top ten by lap 50. Stewart was running in the top 15 when he punctured a right rear tire on lap 214. He had to come to the pits under green flag, which dropped him to 25th place. Stewart's car improved when the sun came out late in the race and the track conditions changed. He raced into the top ten and finished an excellent sixth place.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 31
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Stewart is sixth in the championship standings 506 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished 13th in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 17.6 and finish is 18.2.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 8
Qualified: 21
The race: Junior was caught using an illegal mounting system to hold on the rear wing during Saturday's pre-race inspection. His team was allowed to keep their 21st starting spot, but they are likely to suffer some fins and penalties later this week. Junior loved his car early in the race and his team made zero adjustments during the competition caution on lap 40. Junior added a Darlington stripe to his car on lap 138, but the damage didn't appear to change how the No. 8 car handled. Earnhardt didn't quite have the speed to battle for the win, but he used some late pit strategy to sneak into a top ten finish.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 29
Average Position: 10
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Junior is 12th in the championship standings 621 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Junior finished fourth in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 22.1 and finish is 20.8.


Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 2
Qualified: 7
The race: Hamlin won the Busch Series race at Darlington on Friday. He had a great qualifying effort for Sunday's race and led 65 of the first 100 laps of the race. Hamlin had a little issue in the pits during his second stop. His team missed a lug nut on the right rear tire and as a result he fell out of first place. Hamlin raced his car back into lead 16 laps later. His team had another bobble in the pits during a lap 305 pit stop. Hamlin rebounded from his second slow pit stop of the race, but was never able to lead again. He finished a terrific second place, but his team must be kicking themselves for making so many errors in the pits and likely costing Hamlin another win.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 16
Average Position: 3
Laps Led: 179
Race for the Chase: Hamlin is fourth in the championship standings 342 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Hamlin finished 28th in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 17.3 and finish is 11.3.


Kurt Busch (Penske Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 12
Qualified: 18
The race: Busch made a little contact with Kasey Kahne around lap 50. The too cars brushed into each other on the straightway, but neither car suffered any serious damage. Busch spent most of the race around tenth place and got as high as second place with around 100 laps remaining. He took tires during the ninth pit stop and didn't quite have the speed to work back through the field.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 18
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is seventh in the championship standings 556 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 32nd in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 34.0 and finish is 28.1.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 17
Qualified: 9
The race: Harvick had a disappointing run on Sunday. His car never seemed to have enough horsepower to keep up with the top drivers. Harvick spent a majority of his race outside the top 20 to finish in 17th place.
Highest Position: 4
Lowest Position: 32
Average Position: 20
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Harvick is eighth in the championship standings 566 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick finished 18th in his last race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His average career start at the track is 21.0 and finish is 26.7.

 

[The General]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Hendricks has to be real pleased with their testing of the COT.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Coca-Cola 600
The NASCAR Nextel Cup series moves to Lowe's Motor Speedway for the 12th race of the 2007 season, the Coca-Cola 600. Race Preview looks at past performances, practice sessions, and season trends to shed a light on how the field might finish on Sunday night.


When: Sunday, May 27, 2007; 5:40 p.m./et


Weather: Sunny with a high around 88; wind out of the SSW at 8 mph Chance of precipitation 10%.


The Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway

LMS is a 1.5 mile quad-oval. It has 24 degree banking in the turns and five degree banking on the straightaways.


Key to Race: THE TRACK THAT JOHNSON OWNS

Not only is Lowe's on the front of Jimmie Johnson's car but it is the name of the track that he dominates. Johnson has finished in the top two in eight of the last nine races (including All-Star Challenges) at the track. He finished second during Saturday's All-Star Challenge and is the favorite to find victory lane on Sunday.


Qualifying Procedures:

49 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2007 point standings will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Thursday, May 24 at 7:10 pm/et.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5

No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has dominated Lowe's Motor Speedway in his career. He is a MUST use this week.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon hasn't cracked the top 20 in his last four full-length races at LMS. He has four wins at the track and based on this year's success we expect he will be back in the top five.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards has finished in the top 10 in all four of his (non-All-Star Challenge) Cup starts at LMS. He should be a solid pick again on Sunday.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has seven top 10s including one win at LMS during his career. He is a low-risk pick on Sunday.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton has won two races at LMS so he knows his way around the track. He finished sixth and third last year's races. We like his chances on Sunday.


6 to 10

No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart finished fifth in Saturday's All-Star Challenge, but hasn't been great lately at LMS. He should be in contention for the top 10 on Sunday.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished eighth and ninth in his first two Cup starts at LMS. He struggled the past two races at the track, but we really like his chances on Sunday.
No. 01 Mark Martin: Martin is always good at long races that require patience. He is a good pick on Sunday.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne dominated both races at LMS in 2006. He wasn't great during Saturday's All-Star Challenge, but we think he should make the top 10 on Sunday.
No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior finished fourth and 11th at LMS in 2006. He looked decent in the All-Star Challenge and could push for a top 10 finish.


11 to 20

No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle has finished seventh or better in three of the past four full-length races at LMS. He hasn't had a ton of success at the track besides these three races, but he is a good bet to make the top 15.
No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick won Saturday's All-Star Challenge, but that doesn't mean he is a great pick on Sunday. He hasn't finished better than 13th in any full-length race at LMS since 2001.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has never finished better than 19th in a Cup race at LMS. We expect he will be in the top 15 on Sunday.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray has had five top 10 finishes in nine career Cup starts at LMS, but he has finished out of the top 20 in three of his last four. We think he will finish around 15th on Sunday.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has five poles in 12 career starts at LMS, but he was terrible at the track in 2006. He will need to be lucky to make the top 10.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears has two top 10 finishes in eight career starts at LMS. He isn't a bad pick as a fourth or fifth driver on fantasy teams.
No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr. has been impressive this season and is decent sleeper pick on Sunday.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch has averaged just a 32nd place finish in his six career cup starts at LMS. He is too risky of a pick to use on Sunday.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Busch has two top five finishes at LMS and five finishes worse than 30th. He is a high-risk high-reward pick.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter was great during Saturday's All-Star Challenge. He could be a sleeper to sneak into the top 20.

21 to 30

No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior finished fourth and 11th at LMS in 2006. He looked decent in the All-Star Challenge and could push for a top 10 finish.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs took the pole both of last year's races at LMS. He will have to make the race in qualifying, but he isn't a bad option.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte has been terrific at LMS during his career. If you are ever going to have the No. 43 car on your team this is the weekend.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley qualified fourth and finished 20th during last May's race at LMS. He is a decent option to repeat those numbers on Sunday.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Sorenson finished 10th in the last year's May race at LMS. He won't finish that strong on Sunday, but should be in the top 25.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: "Front Row" Joe has finished in the top 20 in his last six full-length races at LMS. He is a great sleeper pick on Sunday.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Green has cracked the top 20 in the past four races at LMS. With his success this season he is a great fourth or fifth driver on fantasy teams.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya has showed enough patience during his NASCAR career to last a 600 mile race. He is a poor choice this weekend.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler has two top 10 finishes at LMS during his career, but he has been horrible at the track in his last three starts. We would avoid using him again this weekend.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon has no top 10 finishes in 12 Cup starts at LMS and has averaged just a 33rd place finish at the track during his career.


31 to 40

No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines has struggled in all of his career races at LMS, but one. Stay away from him.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan has never made a Cup start at LMS. He will be doing well to finish in the mid-20s on Sunday.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin has run nearly 16,000 Cup Series laps at LMS so he knows the track as well as anyone. We think he will make the top 30 on Sunday.
No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd has run nearly 20,000 laps at LMS. Even with all his experience he will be lucky to crack the top 30.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland isn't a good pick in non-restrictor plate races. Stay away.
No. 15 Paul Menard: Menard will make the race and is a decent sleeper to crack the top 30. The fact he will need to make the field in qualifying makes him a risky pick.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: If Vickers can make the race there is a good chance he can crack the top 25. The hard part for him will be to make the race.
No. 21 Bill Elliott: Elliott will use his past champion provisional to make the race. He isn't a fantasy option.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty won the 1987 Coca-Cola 600. I think Coca-Cola still came in glass bottles back then.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney will be doing well to finish in the top 30.


Field Fillers

No. 00 David Reutimann: The "Pizza Man" has made the last four races. He should make Sunday's race too.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton has been good at LMS during his career. He should make the race, but will struggle to crack the top 30.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss will be in the field, but isn't an option.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Will be the final driver to make Sunday's race.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: "Dinger" will struggle to make the field.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield has made just three races this season. Not an option.
No. 37 Kevin LePage: The fact that LePage is a better bet than Jarrett or Waltrip to make the field is sad.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett will struggle to crack make the race on Sunday.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: It will be a miracle if Waltrip makes the race.


Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Carl Edwards
4. Matt Kenseth

Sleepers:

1. Mark Martin
2. Kasey Kahne

Busts:

1. Kyle Busch
2. Kurt Busch

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Midpack Attack:Coca-Cola 600
Track history

Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner built the 1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway in 1959. On June 19, 1960, the first World 600 was held at the Concord, NC track. Over the years, thousands of grandstand seats and luxury suites were added. In 1984, Lowe's added 40 condominiums above turn one, and 12 more in 1991, offering year-round living at a modern racing facility. In 1992, at a cost of $1.7 million, a 1,200-fixture MUSCO lighting system was added. This system uses mirrors to simulate daylight without glare or light poles. Lowe's became the first superspeedway to hold a night-time auto race. A $1 million 20,000 square-foot Cup garage was opened in 1994. Besides the 1.5-mile quad oval, Lowe's has a 2.25-mile road course, a karting layout in the infield, a quarter-mile and fifth-mile layouts as well.

Since most race shops are located in the Concord area, there are 27 drivers attempting to make both the Cup and Busch Series races this weekend at LMS.


First Cup race

On June 19, 1960, after driving the John Hines owned No. 22 Pontiac to a 133.904 mph qualifying lap, Fireball Roberts started on the pole for the first NASCAR Cup race, the World 600. After leading the first 191 laps of the 400 lap event, Roberts crashed and finished 35th. Joe Lee Johnson, in Paul McDuffie's No. 89 Chevrolet, started 20th and won the race in front of 35,462 fans. The average race speed for that event was 107.735 mph.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Midpack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth. There were 49 cars on the preliminary entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 171,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $6,569,628. Here are our picks for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, North Carolina.


Midpack picks

If you average out Bobby Labonte's 28 Cup starts at Lowe's, it comes to a 12.8 place finish. Pick the last 16 and now it's an impressive 7.4 average finish, including a win and five runner-ups. Labonte lost to track favorite, Jimmie Johnson, by .027 seconds in the 2005 Coca-Cola 600. He's a good choice for a top 10 on Sunday.

Greg Biffle scored top ten finishes in three out of the last four Cup starts at this track. NASCAR Media shows he has an Average Running Position of 13.3 (fourth-best), a Driver Rating of 100.9 (third-best) and 64 Fastest Laps Run (fifth-most). He's doubling-up this week with an entry in the Busch Series where he has two wins, a pole and an average finish of 10.9 in 12 starts.

After a 7th at Daytona, Kasey Kahne would like to forget the rest of 2007. Last year, he had a three-race average finish of 31st place going into the 600 and won the event. He came back in the fall to sweep the Lowe's races. He may not make it three-in-a-row, but we're expecting a top ten or better this week.

Scott Riggs didn't make the field at Darlington and has to race in on speed to start on Sunday. It's a gamble, but he did score the pole for both 2006 Lowe's Cup races. He finished 13th and 17th after leading 124 laps in those events as well. NASCAR Media rates him 7th best of all active drivers at this track. We think Riggs is a good fourth or fifth driver for your roster.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Autism Speaks 400
The NASCAR Nextel Cup series moves to Dover International Speedway's concrete track for the 13th race of the 2007 season, the Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa. Race Preview has looked at past performances, practice sessions, season trends, and talked to NASCAR contacts to predict how the field might finish on Sunday.


When: Sunday, June 3, 2007; 1:30 p.m./et


Weather: Thundershowers with a high around 78; wind out of the S at 12 mph. Chance of precipitation 30%.


The Track: Dover International Speedway

Dover is a one mile oval. It has 24 degree banking in the turns and nine degree banking on the straightaways.


Car Of Tomorrow: YES


Key to Race: THE MONSTER MILE

Dover is known as the "Monster Mile". The high-banked concrete track allows drivers to run at very fast speeds. Getting the proper car setup is very tricky, so multiple-car teams have an even bigger advantage then normal. Look for Roush Racing, RCR and Hendrick Motorsports to lock up a majority of the top 10.


Qualifying Procedures:

49 cars will attempt to qualify for 43 spots. Cars not in the top 35 in the 2007 point standings will have to qualify based on speed. Starting positions 1-43 will be determined by two lap qualifying runs that will be done on Friday, June 1 at 3:15 pm/et.


Fantasy Cheat Sheet:


Top 5

No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has three career wins at Dover and seven top 10 finishes in 10 starts. He has finished out of the top 10 just three times in 2007 making him on a must use driver every week.
No. 5 Kyle Busch: Busch has finished in the top five in three of his four Cup races at Dover. This is the perfect track for his aggressive driving style.
No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has four career wins at Dover, but he has finished in the 30's in three of his last six starts at the track. We like his chances in all Car Of Tomorrow races.
No. 17 Matt Kenseth: Kenseth won last year's June race at The Monster Mile and will be in the lead group all day. He is a decent pick to win.
No. 31 Jeff Burton: Burton won the September race at Dover in 2007. He should be in the top five again on Sunday.


6 to 10

No. 29 Kevin Harvick: Harvick hasn't led a lap at Dover since 2003, but he finished third during last year's June race. He is a good bet to make the top 10 again on Sunday.
No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 11th and ninth in his previous starts at Dover. He is someone to keep an eye on.
No. 2 Kurt Busch: Dover has been a good track for Busch in the past. He should have won the fall race at the "Monster Mile" in 2005 and will be in the top 10 on Sunday.
No. 25 Casey Mears: Mears finally got a win last weekend. As a member of Hendrick Motorsports he is a great pick on Sunday.
No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle won the June 2005 race at Dover and has led laps in the past four races at the track. He should be in the lead group all day.


10 to 19

No. 20 Tony Stewart: Stewart hasn't cracked the top 15 in his last four races at Dover. This is a rare weekend we don't recommend Smoke.
No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior finished 10th at Dover during last year's June race after being terrible at the track in 2005. He should be in the top 15 on Sunday, but won't crack the top 10.
No. 12 Ryan Newman: Newman has been excellent at Dover during his career. In ten Cup starts he has three wins. He has two poles in the last three races at the track and is a decent sleeper on Sunday.
No. 26 Jamie McMurray: McMurray had his best finish of this season (second) during last year's June race at Dover. He is a decent sleeper pick to crack the top 10 on Sunday.
No. 01 Mark Martin: Dover is one of Mark Martin's favorite tracks. He has 19 top five finishes during his career and was one of the best drivers at the "Monster Mile" in 2006.
No. 99 Carl Edwards: Edwards finished second during the September 2006 race at Dover. He should finish around 15th this week.
No. 41 Reed Sorenson: Reed should be a lock to make the top 20 on Sunday. He has driven very well at Dover during his career.
No. 07 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished 17th and eighth in his only Cup starts at Dover. He could finish the top 20 again on Sunday.
No. 70 Johnny Sauter: Sauter finished 20th in his only Cup start at Dover. He has much better engines this race and should improve on that finish.
No. 9 Kasey Kahne: Kahne has cracked the top 10 just one time in six career starts at Dover. Avoid him this weekend.


20 to 29

No. 1 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr. was awesome at during the September race in 2006. He is a great fourth or fifth driver on fantasy teams this weekend.
No. 40 David Stremme: Stremme has finished outside the top 20 in just three races this season. He is a great sleeper pick.
No. 18 J.J. Yeley: Yeley has never finished better than 25th during his career at Dover. He will be doing well to make the top 30 on Sunday.
No. 66 Jeff Green: Green has been very good in Car Of Tomorrow races this season. He is a decent pick as a fourth or fifth driver on most fantasy teams.
No. 43 Bobby Labonte: Labonte finished 13th and seventh at Dover in 2006. He has been great at the track during his career and is a great value pick on Sunday.
No. 45 Kyle Petty: Petty had a great finish last weekend at Charlotte, but that was a fluke. He is more a top 30 driver than a top 10 driver.
No. 14 Sterling Marlin: Marlin finished 31st in both races at Dover in 2006. In over 16,700 career laps at the speedway he has led just 27.
No. 96 Tony Raines: Raines is quietly having a very good 2007 season. He should finish in the top 30 on Sunday.
No. 19 Elliott Sadler: Sadler made the top 10 in both races in 2005, but he was pretty marginal in 2006. Don't use him again this week.
No. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya: Dover is another track that will be a challenge for Montoya in his first Cup season. Wait until his second race at the track to use him.


30 to 39

No. 88 Ricky Rudd: Rudd has had decent success at Dover during his career. He could suprise and sneak into the top 15, but we think the odds are better he finishes around 30th.
No. 6 David Ragan: Ragan finished 42nd during the September race at Dover. He isn't a fantasy option.
No. 13 Joe Nemechek: "Front Row" Joe should finish around 35th on Sunday.
No. 7 Robby Gordon: Gordon was terrible at Dover in 2006. That is about where we predict he will finish on Sunday.
No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland isn't worth using this weekend unless you are looking for a driver to finish in the mid-30s.
No. 21 Bill Elliott: Elliott will make Sunday's by race using a past champion provisional. He still isn't a fantasy option.
No. 83 Brian Vickers: Vickers was great last weekend at Charlotte, but he will need to make Sunday's race during qualifying. He isn't a fantasy option.
No. 10 Scott Riggs: Riggs will have to make Sunday's race during qualifying making him a risky pick.
No. 22 Dave Blaney: Blaney will have to make Sunday's race during qualifying making him a very risky fantasy pick.
No. 00 David Reutimann: We predict Reutimann will struggle on Dover's tricky configuration.


Field Fillers

No. 49 Kevin Lepage: Lepage had a great qualifying efforts at Dover in 2006. He should make the race.
No. 4 Ward Burton: Burton will attempt to qualify the No. 4 car on Sunday. His chances of making the race are pretty slim.
No. 44 Dale Jarrett: Jarrett finally made another race last weekend. Maybe with the new Toyota engine package he will once again be an every-race starter.
No. 55 Michael Waltrip: Waltrip will have to make the race during qualifying. That is a task that isn't very easy for him this season.
No. 78 Kenny Wallace: Wallace has run nearly 8,500 laps at Dover in his career. He has led just two.
No. 84 A.J. Allmendinger: Allmendinger isn't ever a fantasy pick.
No. 36 Jeremy Mayfield: Mayfield will need a miracle to make the race.
No. 49 Mike Bliss: Bliss is a great story, but doesn't have much of a chance to make the race.


Brownie's Picks

Top Four:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Matt Kenseth

Sleepers:

1. Greg Biffle
2. Casey Mears

Busts:

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Carl Edwards

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Midpack Attack:Monster Mile
Track history

Known as the "Monster Mile", the one-mile concrete oval Dover International Speedway hosted its first Cup race in 1969. Two years later, the NASCAR races were extended to 500 miles and continued up until 1993 when its present 400-mile format was established.

Engine failures were common in the 500-mile races. Since the track has banked straightaways as well as the turns, rpm's stay at a high level throughout the lap. Dover has 24-degree banking in the turns and 9-degree banking on the 1,076-foot frontstretch and backstretch.

The Busch Series joined Cup racing at Dover in 1982 giving the facility a larger weekend crowd. This, in turn, triggered grandstand expansions which continued for 16 consecutive seasons.

During the mid-1990's the facility made some dramatic improvements. For the fans, after Delaware passed a law allowing them to exist at horse racing facilities, Dover Downs installed several slot machines. For the drivers, the asphalt track was ripped up and replaced by a concrete surface. This made for a faster, smoother and more competitive race.

The Indy Racing League began running at Dover in 1998. Tony Stewart, in an open-wheel car, set a track record of over 185 mph around the 1-mile oval. Two years later, Kurt Busch won the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race (from the pole).


First Cup race

David Pearson put the Holman-Moody No. 17 Ford on the pole with a qualifying lap of 130.43 mph to lead the 32 car field for the 1969 Mason-Dixon 300. He led 26 of the 300 lap event but wrecked after 65 laps and finished 23rd. The Petty Enterprises No. 43 Ford, driven by Richard Petty, rolled off 3rd at the start, led 150 laps and finished 6 laps ahead of 2nd place, Sonny Hutchins and his No. 90 Ford. Petty earned $4,725 for the victory.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Midpack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Kurt and Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth. There were 49 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of over 140,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $5,781,700. Here are our picks for Sunday's Autism Speaks 400 in Dover, Delaware.


Midpack picks

Ryan Newman is 18th in the points and you want him on your team this weekend. He has three Cup victories at Dover in ten starts and an average 9th place finish. His worst start was a fifth in the last nine Cup races which includes three poles. He was running at the finish of all ten starts which is tough at this track. Newman ran two Dover Busch Series races; started both from the pole and won one. After starting on the pole last week at Charlotte, the engine went bad but he had consecutive top 10 finishes in the three Cup races before last weekend.

A former winner of this event (2005), Greg Biffle has been given the highest driver rating by NASCAR Media for this race. He never got a chance to show his stuff last weekend with an early wreck in the Coca-Cola 600 resulting in a 43rd place finish. Biffle owns a pair of Busch Series wins here and a Craftsman Truck Series runner-up as well. He's pulling double-duty with entries in both Busch and Cup this weekend. After last week's setback, we think he'll be a top 5 finisher on Sunday.

Reed Sorenson finished 19th in his Dover Cup debut in June 2006 and 11th in the September race. He has two top ten starts in four Busch Series races at this track and he finished all in the top ten (including a 2nd his first time out). Coming off a fifth at Lowe's (okay, we know, it was on fumes), he's rated by NASCAR Media as 12th best at Dover among the drivers on the entry list. A good third or fourth driver, Sorenson is running in both Busch and Cup races this weekend.

Elliott Sadler is due to catch a break. He qualified 3rd last week but got caught up in the early wreck at Lowe's Motor Speedway. . In 2005, he finished tenth and sixth at Dover with his old team. In June 2006, he had his troubles. He had to make an unscheduled stop for a loose wheel, went back out for a few laps, got into fluid dropped when Kevin Lepage lost an engine and ended up in the wall (finished 40th). Even with that finish, he's led 184 laps and averaged an 18th place finish in the last four Dover races. If you're looking for a good fifth driver, Sadler's your man this week.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Autism Speaks 400
A look at Monday's Autism Speaks 400 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 15
Qualified: 27
The race: Johnson wasn't particularly impressive during qualifying, but he had a strong car as soon as the race went green. Johnson made contact with Robby Gordon during the first pit stop causing minimal damage to his car. He was making a play to catch leader Martin Truex Jr. late in the race when he blew a right rear tire. Johnson needed to take his car to the pits during green to change the flat and the ensuing stop dropped him two laps down and ended his hopes for a top 10 finish.
Highest Position: 2
Lowest Position: 42
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Johnson is second in the championship standings 152 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished sixth in his last race at Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 8.6 and finish is 8.1.


Kyle Busch (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 17
Qualified: 19
The race: Busch had a mediocre qualifying effort. He fell two laps down during the early laps of the race and then battled back to the lead lap before he slapped the turn four wall on lap 137. He remained in the race, but was never again a factor.
Highest Position: 4
Lowest Position: 43
Average Position: 26
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is 10th in the championship standings 588 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 12th in his last race at Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 20.8 and finish is 19.3.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 9
Qualified: 6
The race: Gordon ran a very consistent race. He didn't have the speed to lead any laps, but he spent most of the race in the top 10. The No. 24 came on strong the final 20 laps to finish in ninth place. Gordon now has eight top 10 finishes in the last nine races.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 19
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Gordon is first in the championship standings 152 points ahead of second place Jimmie Johnson.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished third in his last race at Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 10.5 and finish is 10.7.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)</B>
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 5
Qualified: 17
The race: Kenseth once again ran a very consistent race. He avoided trouble and spent most of the race inside the top 10 and came on strong during the final green flag run to finish in fifth place.
Highest Position: 4
Lowest Position: 20
Average Position: 8
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is third in the championship standings 190 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth finished 14th in his last race at Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 19.6 and finish is 15.3.


Jeff Burton (Richard Childress Racing )
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 12
Qualified: 9
The race: Burton had just an okay car on Monday. The No. 31 was never a threat to crack the top five so he took a calculated gamble during the sixth caution and took fresh tires while most of the top 10 didn't. The move gave him more speed than the lead group, but he didn't have enough laps remaining to make a push into the top 10.
Highest Position: 7
Lowest Position: 23
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Burton is fifth in the championship standings 355 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Burton finished ninth in his last race at Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 18.0 and finish is 17.2.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 20
Qualified: 18
The race: Harvick had electrical issues early in Monday's race causing steam to erupt from his engine. His team went under his hood several times during the first three cautions to fix the problem. The electrical issues and ensuing slow pit stops caused the No. 29 car to not be a factor in the race.
Highest Position: 16
Lowest Position: 42
Average Position: 28
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Harvick is ninth in the championship standings 541 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick finished fifth in his last race at Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 18.2 and finish is 16.8.


Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 4
Qualified: 19
The race: Hamlin had a pretty unimpressive car during Monday's race, but his team had some excellent pit stops late to move him into the top five. If the race would have lasted a few laps longer, Hamlin would have pushed Martin Truex Jr. for the lead.
Highest Position: 4
Lowest Position: 31
Average Position: 12
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Hamlin is fourth in the championship standings 217 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Hamlin won his last two races Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 1.0 and finish is 1.0.


Kurt Busch (Penske Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 42
Qualified: 12
The race: Busch lost his temper after a lap 272 incident with Tony Stewart. Busch, who believed Stewart took him out on purpose, nearly bumped Stewart on pit road. NASCAR ruled that Busch's anger posed a threat to Stewart and his crew and parked the No. 2 car violating safety rules. There will no doubt be fines and point penalties levied on Busch for his actions during the race.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 42
Average Position: 21
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is 11th in the championship standings 620 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished second in his last race at Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 14.4 and finish is 15.7.


Casey Mears (Hendrick Motorsprots.)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 13
Qualified: 41
The race: Mears won the first race of his Cup career last weekend at Charlotte. He followed up his win with a terrible qualifying effort on Friday at Dover. Mears started 41st and never moved into the top 10 during Monday's race. He had an issue during the first pit stop of the race when he made contact with Sterling Marlin. The damage didn't help his aero-package and the No. 25 car spent a majority of the race outside the top 20. He came on strong late in the race by using successful pit strategy to finish in 13th place.
Highest Position: 12
Lowest Position: 43
Average Position: 19
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Mears is 27th in the championship standings 915 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Mears finished 23rd in his last race at Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 20.8 and finish is 23.6.


Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 6
Qualified: 10
The race: Biffle has always had decent success at Dover. He had a good qualifying effort and spent a majority of his race in the top 10. His sixth place finish moved him up in the point standings and provided some hope for Roush Fenway's Car Of Tomorrow program.
Highest Position: 4
Lowest Position: 20
Average Position: 10
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Biffle is 18th in the championship standings 720 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Biffle finished 24th in his last race at Pocono Raceway. His average career start at the track is 16.9 and finish is 17.4.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

Midpack Attack: Pocono 500
Track history

Pocono Raceway is a very demanding track not only on the drivers, but on the equipment as well. It is a 2.5-mile triangular oval with different length straightaways and different banking in the three turns. The front stretch is 3,740 feet where the cars are going 200 mph into a tight 14-degree banked first turn. The backstretch is 3,055 feet leading into an 8 degree sweeping turn 2. The short straight is 1,780 feet running into a tight 6 degree turn 3. The track has been described as "the superspeedway that drives like a road course". The facility was built in 1968 as a three-quarter mile raceway and was expanded to its current 2.5-mile configuration in the early 1970's.


First Cup race

The first 500-mile NASCAR race, the Purolator 500, was held on August 4, 1974. With a 144.122 mph lap in the Bud Moore No. 15 Ford, Buddy Baker qualified on the pole to lead the 35-car field. He led 11 laps and finished 2nd. Richard Petty started his No. 43 STP Dodge 3rd on the grid, led 152 laps and took the win in the rain-shortened (480 miles) inaugural event. Petty earned $17,000 for the win.


As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Midpack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart. There were 49 cars on the entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualified will be competing in front of 100,000 fans in the grandstands for a total purse of $4,940,543. Here are our picks for Sunday's Pocono 500 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.


Midpack picks

Behind track favorite Hamlin who has poles for both of his starts, Brian Vickers has the next best average start (4.5) at Pocono of all current drivers. An 8.5 average finish is not too shabby either. In last year's race, Vickers caught a pit road speeding penalty half-way into the event and fought back to a fourth place finish. If your game allows picks after Friday's qualifying, go with Vickers (he has to race into the field). If not, go with him anyway. NASCAR Media gives him the second highest overall driver rating at Pocono and lists him as the driver running the most laps in the top 15.

Bobby Labonte started the 2005 Pocono 500 7th on the grid, fought an ill-handling car most of the race and ended up hard in the wall with only two laps to go. Since then, he's had finishes of 8th, 12th, and 8th. He knows how to win here (3 victories) and has a current run of top 20 finishes in the last six races this season. Labonte is a strong choice for your 3rd driver this weekend.

This will be only the third start at the Long Pond track for sophomore driver J.J. Yeley. He'll make a good 4th or 5th pick since he finished 15th and 11th in his first two rookie season Pocono races. We don't expect a win, but another top 15 is not out of the question.

Greg Biffle is our deepest pick this week. Two weeks ago, he got caught up in an early wreck at Charlotte and came back last weekend to finish 6th at Dover. He's led over 50 laps in the last three starts at Pocono and has a mid-pack average finish of 15.6 in those events. Use him as your last driver and expect a 15th place finish on Sunday.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Nascar News 2007

The Pocono 500
A look at Sunday's Pocono 500 from a fantasy perspective.

Chasing The Field reviews Wednesday's column to see how our top 10 picks finished.


Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 1
Finished: 6
Qualified: 2
The race: Hamlin took the pole and won both races at Pocono in 2006. He brought back the same exact car and was the favorite to win on Sunday. Hamlin was the fastest car early in the race when he led 48 of the first 53 laps. He was in the process of moving up through the field when the final caution was thrown ending the race.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 21
Average Position: 4
Laps Led: 49
Race for the Chase: Hamlin is third in the championship standings 247 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Hamlin finished ninth in his last race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 15.0 and finish is 10.5.


Tony Stewart (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 2
Finished: 5
Qualified: 6
The race: Stewart thought he hit something around lap 34, but it was just his car bottoming out due to a full fuel tank. He was battling teammate Denny Hamlin for first place when he bottomed out. Stewart had a little trouble when David Gilliland blocked him on lap 42. He lost a second to leader Denny Hamlin while trying to pass the slow No. 38 car. Stewart remained in the top five for most of the remainder of the race to notch his third top five finish of the season.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 20
Average Position: 4
Laps Led: 3
Race for the Chase: Stewart is sixth in the championship standings 516 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Stewart finished third in his last race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 21.1 and finish is 13.7.


Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 3
Finished: 42
Qualified: 7
The race: Johnson was a little worried his car might be a little loose at the start of Sunday's race. He planned to make some adjustments during the first few pit stops if the "green track" was too slippery. Johnson blew a left-front tire on lap 90 bringing out the caution. By the time he was able to get back to the pits he was one lap down and had caused so much damage to his car that he had to take his car to the garage for repairs.
Highest Position: 9
Lowest Position: 43
Average Position: 30
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Johnson is fourth in the championship standings 305 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Johnson finished 13th in his last race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 11.1 and finish is 15.6.


Kurt Busch (Penske Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 4
Finished: 16
Qualified: 27
The race: Busch had great success at Pocono in 2006, but he hit the wall during practice on Friday and needed to go to his backup car for Sunday's race. The car didn't qualify well and he was very, very loose from the time the green flag flew. He clipped the wall around lap 45 and needed major adjustments to get the car handling properly. Even after the adjustments Busch wasn't a factor and finished a disappointing 16th place.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 28
Average Position: 17
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Busch is 16th in the championship standings 795 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Busch finished 40th in his last race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 13.0 and finish is 19.9.


Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports)
Race Preview Pick: 5
Finished: 1
Qualified: 18
The race: Gordon had a mediocre qualifying effort and planned on using some pit strategy to get track position to help him move up through the field. Gordon, who suffered a very serious accident when his brakes gave out at Pocono last year, complained that his brakes were a little too unresponsive around lap 60. He said his car was handling very well, but he was a little concerned that the brakes might be a little too spongy. With rain reported in the area Gordon remained on the track during the third caution and took the lead. Gordon pitted on lap 82 to take on enough gas to let him get through lap 113. The green flag pit stop dropped him from first place to 34th place, but he was now able to make the halfway point of the race unlike the current cars in the top 20. Gordon's strategy worked to perfection as he was able to hold off a late charge by Ryan Newman by a half a car length to lead the race when the caution flag came out due to rain.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 9
Laps Led: 26
Race for the Chase: Gordon is first in the championship standings 242 points ahead of second place Matt Kenseth.
A Glimpse Ahead: Gordon finished second in his last race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 9.1 and finish is 10.0.


Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway Racing)</B>
Race Preview Pick: 6
Finished: 9
Qualified: 24
The race: Kenseth has never led a lap at Pocono during his career. He kept the streak alive during Sunday's race when he was never able to higher than fourth place. Even though he didn't have the best handling car he managed to finish ninth place to move up to second in the championship standings.
Highest Position: 4
Lowest Position: 28
Average Position: 11
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Kenseth is second in the championship standings 242 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Kenseth won the race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 21.0 and finish is 7.9.


Kevin Harvick (Richard Childress Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 7
Finished: 11
Qualified: 19
The race: Harvick took two tires during the third caution to gain some track position. The quick stop moved him to 11th place, but it also made his car a little loose entering the turns. He would remain in the top 15 for the remainder of the race and come away with an 11th place finish.
Highest Position: 3
Lowest Position: 39
Average Position: 13
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Harvick is ninth in the championship standings 601 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Harvick finished 11th in his last race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 16.6 and finish is 16.8.


Jeff Burton (Richard Childress Racing )
Race Preview Pick: 8
Finished: 13
Qualified: 10
The race: Burton, like Kevin Harvick, took two tires during the third caution of the race. He hit the curb on the inside of the track around lap 70 and thought he might have caused a little damage to the left-front of the car. Burton didn't have enough speed to creep into the top 10 on Sunday, but his 13th place finish was impressive considering he never had a quality car.
Highest Position: 5
Lowest Position: 27
Average Position: 11
Laps Led: 0
Race for the Chase: Burton is fifth in the championship standings 421 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Burton finished 42nd in his last race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 18.9 and finish is 15.2.


Mark Martin (Ginn Racing)
Race Preview Pick: 9
Finished: 7
Qualified: 34
The race: Martin has six second place finishes at Pocono, but has never won a race at the track. He had a poor qualifying effort and is going to need excellent pit strategy to move up through the field. Martin made a mistake and missed his pit during the first caution. As a result Martin had to go around the track and pit again. Due to the enormous size of Pocono he only lost a few positions, but he was able to remain on the lead lap. Martin battled back the remainder of the race to finish a very impressive seventh place.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 36
Average Position: 18
Laps Led: 26
Race for the Chase: Martin is 12th in the championship standings 663 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Martin finished fifth in his last race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 11.2 and finish is 12.0.


Martin Truex Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Inc.)
Race Preview Pick: 10
Finished: 3
Qualified: 3
The race: Truex Jr. came into Pocono riding the momentum of his first Nextel Cup victory last weekend at Dover. He had an excellent qualifying effort on Friday and should be in the lead group all day. Truex Jr. had the fastest car on the track around lap 75. He was making a late charge around lap 100 and would have been a car that might have challenged for the win if the rain didn't begin to fall ending the race on lap 105.
Highest Position: 1
Lowest Position: 27
Average Position: 5
Laps Led: 1
Race for the Chase: Truex Jr. is 11th in the championship standings 652 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
A Glimpse Ahead: Truex Jr. finished 30th in his last race at Michigan International Speedway. His average career start at the track is 14.5 and finish is 23.0.