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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=440 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>FOXSports.com
<!-- Meta Tag For Search --><!-- meta name="author" content=""--><!-- meta name="source" content="FS"--><!-- meta name="eventId" content=""--><!-- meta name="contentTypeCode" content="1"--><!-- meta name="editorContentCode" content="1"--><!-- meta name="blurb" content=""--><!-- meta name="modDate" content="February 23, 2006 21:55:08 GMT"-->Posted: 4 hours ago<SCRIPT> // front-end hack to remove postedTime from Rumors page until a better way can be determined if (document.URL.indexOf("/name/FS/rumors") != -1) document.getElementById("postedTime").style.display = 'none'; </SCRIPT> </TD><TD width=10> </TD><TD align=right><!--this is for sponsorships or brandings--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- workingCategoryId: 2192--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=10></TD><TD width=440><!-- search:</noindex> --><SCRIPT> if(fanid.length > 0 && typeof(nflDefaultLeague)!= "undefined") { leagueId = nflDefaultLeague; //find teamId of default league (if exists) for(var i=0; i < teamsInfo.length; i++){ if(teamsInfo[4] == leagueId){ defaultTeamId = teamsInfo[0]; } } var fantasyLeaguePlayerJsPath = 'http://msnfantasy.foxsports.com' + '/nugget/200002_' + leagueId + '|||' + fanid; } </SCRIPT>Each FOXSports.com expert has his top four driver selections for this week's race listed below. You can use this information to help guide your roster selections in FOX Fantasy Auto Racing, where you could possibly win a trip to the 2007 race of your choice!
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</TD><TD vAlign=bottom width="90%">Steve Byrnes
NASCAR on FOX pit reporter</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jimmie Johnson:</B> The No. 48 team can capitalize on the momentum of winning the Daytona 500. Johnson is great at California. He got his first career win there, and he has two runner-up finishes. That track record should take a little pressure off of interim crew chief Darian Grubb who has a difficult assignment. The team had a whole off-season and a week in Daytona to prepare for NASCAR's biggest race. Now, they've got to race again this weekend.</TD><TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Greg Biffle: Last February, Biffle pulled a Babe Ruth, saying he would lead the race by Lap 5. He was actually leading by Lap 4. Biffle finished second at Fontana last September and won the race.</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Carl Edwards: The Ford teams are extremely happy with the Fusion, and Edwards has a great record at Fontana. In three races at the track, he's finished fourth, fifth and sixth.</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Kyle Busch: He became the youngest Cup polewinner ever at Fontana last February and the youngest Cup race winner there last September. He was very candid about saying restrictor plate racing isn't his forte, so he was one of those guys who really wanted to get to California.</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD width="10%">
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom align=left width="90%">Jeff Hammond
NASCAR on FOX prerace analyst</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth: </B>Jack Roush and his team are positioned right where they want to be. His drivers are working together again. After all the trouble he had at Daytona with Tony Stewart and a rough driving penalty, Kenseth ralled to finish 15th, and after the race, crew chief Robbie Reiser told me, "Yeah, we're going to get them back. We'll be all right. We'll be back." </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Tony Stewart: Led by crew chief Greg Zipadelli, the No. 20 team ran well everywhere during the second half of the 2005 season. They have a strong ride so it's not just about the new noses on the 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It's the teamwork that goes along with the new car. <TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jeff Gordon: This weekend, it will be interesting to see who did their homework over the winter, how it has paid off and whether the changes within the teams make much of a difference. Gordon is going to have to figure out quickly whether the communication between himself and crew chief Steve Letarte is exactly what it needs to be.</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD width="10%">
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom align=left width="90%">Larry McReynolds
NASCAR on FOX race analyst</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Greg Biffle: After winning this race last year, Biffle was very tough on downforce tracks all season. He'll be very tough to beat on Sunday.</ < td></TD><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Kurt Busch: Whether he's driving a Dodge Charger or Intrepid, Busch should run well because he always runs well in Fontana. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Mark Martin: California Speedway is the type of racetrack that the No. 6 team seemed to get its arms around at the end of last year, nearly winning at Homestead.</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jamie McMurray: The Roush group has its act together at that racetrack with three wins in 11 races, and McMurray runs awfully well at this track.</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD width="10%">
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom align=left width="90%">Roger Rotter
FOXSports.com fantasy editor</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jimmie Johnson: The Southern California-native hopes to reverse last year's disappointing results at the California Speedway near Los Angeles by the powerful Hendrick Motorsports team. He's had success at the California Speedway, finishing first and second twice in six starts. A runnerup in the Nextel Cup for the last two seasons, his Daytona 500 win might be the precursor to many strong finishes for his first Cup victory. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jamie McMurray: Roush Racing dominated last season at Fontana with three of the top five drivers. This race requires significant adjustments to account for the high mileage and fast speeds. That's where a strong team like Roush Racing has the advantage. McMurray has four top 10s and three top fives in five career races at the track, giving him the second-highest average finish (7.2) among active drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Matt Kenseth: He won Roush Racing's first Cup in 2003 and has four top 10s at the California Speedway in eight starts. He'll also ride the momentum from Daytona, where he led for 14 percent of the laps. He has the sixth-highest average finish at the track. He says, "To be honest with you, I think everyone looks forward to Fontana because it puts the race back into the teams' hands."</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Mark Martin: One of NASCAR's top all-time drivers, the long-time Roush Racing vet finished third, seventh and 11th in the last three years at the California Speedway and won at the track last season in the Busch Series. He led Daytona for nearly 10 percent of the laps and will continue his strong start in his last season. He says, "I'm ready to get to a track where things are a little more in control of the driver and Fontana is really my kind of track. It suits my driving style and we've been pretty good there in the last couple of years." </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD width="10%">
</TD><TD vAlign=bottom align=left width="90%">Mike Harmon
FOXSports.com fantasy contributor</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jeff Gordon: Gordon has racked up three victories in the last 10 years at Fontana with one pole and five top 5 finishes. Gordon was shut out of the top 10 in two events last year, averaging a disappointing 25th-place finish. Forget the last two events. He'd been dominant at this track prior to 2005 with a win in 2004. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jimmie Johnson: The Daytona winner looks to carry that success over to Fontana, where he's had tremendous success in the past. Johnson has finished in the top 10 on three occasions in six starts, capturing a win during the 2002 season. He's raced near the top of the pack in each start here, averaging a 12th-position start and accruing the fifth-most laps led. Naturally, the team answered a lot of questions about racing without the crew chief last week, so start him with confidence if you missed the last run.</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Greg Biffle: Biffle's back on a track that he positively tore up a year ago, finishing first and second in the two events. Biffle is the defending champion of this race and stays near the front of the pack at this event. He was strong in qualifying with an average starting position of 4.5, so look for some extra bonus points here. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Kyle Busch: Busch ran near the top at Daytona for most of the race. He scored a victory in the last event at Fontana and led the pack for the most laps over two 2005 events. You would do well to look at either K. Busch this week.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<!-- Meta Tag For Search --><!-- meta name="author" content=""--><!-- meta name="source" content="FS"--><!-- meta name="eventId" content=""--><!-- meta name="contentTypeCode" content="1"--><!-- meta name="editorContentCode" content="1"--><!-- meta name="blurb" content=""--><!-- meta name="modDate" content="February 23, 2006 21:55:08 GMT"-->Posted: 4 hours ago<SCRIPT> // front-end hack to remove postedTime from Rumors page until a better way can be determined if (document.URL.indexOf("/name/FS/rumors") != -1) document.getElementById("postedTime").style.display = 'none'; </SCRIPT> </TD><TD width=10> </TD><TD align=right><!--this is for sponsorships or brandings--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- workingCategoryId: 2192--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=bdy cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=770 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=10></TD><TD width=440><!-- search:</noindex> --><SCRIPT> if(fanid.length > 0 && typeof(nflDefaultLeague)!= "undefined") { leagueId = nflDefaultLeague; //find teamId of default league (if exists) for(var i=0; i < teamsInfo.length; i++){ if(teamsInfo[4] == leagueId){ defaultTeamId = teamsInfo[0]; } } var fantasyLeaguePlayerJsPath = 'http://msnfantasy.foxsports.com' + '/nugget/200002_' + leagueId + '|||' + fanid; } </SCRIPT>Each FOXSports.com expert has his top four driver selections for this week's race listed below. You can use this information to help guide your roster selections in FOX Fantasy Auto Racing, where you could possibly win a trip to the 2007 race of your choice!
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NASCAR on FOX pit reporter</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jimmie Johnson:</B> The No. 48 team can capitalize on the momentum of winning the Daytona 500. Johnson is great at California. He got his first career win there, and he has two runner-up finishes. That track record should take a little pressure off of interim crew chief Darian Grubb who has a difficult assignment. The team had a whole off-season and a week in Daytona to prepare for NASCAR's biggest race. Now, they've got to race again this weekend.</TD><TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Greg Biffle: Last February, Biffle pulled a Babe Ruth, saying he would lead the race by Lap 5. He was actually leading by Lap 4. Biffle finished second at Fontana last September and won the race.</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Carl Edwards: The Ford teams are extremely happy with the Fusion, and Edwards has a great record at Fontana. In three races at the track, he's finished fourth, fifth and sixth.</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Kyle Busch: He became the youngest Cup polewinner ever at Fontana last February and the youngest Cup race winner there last September. He was very candid about saying restrictor plate racing isn't his forte, so he was one of those guys who really wanted to get to California.</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD width="10%">
NASCAR on FOX prerace analyst</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth: </B>Jack Roush and his team are positioned right where they want to be. His drivers are working together again. After all the trouble he had at Daytona with Tony Stewart and a rough driving penalty, Kenseth ralled to finish 15th, and after the race, crew chief Robbie Reiser told me, "Yeah, we're going to get them back. We'll be all right. We'll be back." </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Tony Stewart: Led by crew chief Greg Zipadelli, the No. 20 team ran well everywhere during the second half of the 2005 season. They have a strong ride so it's not just about the new noses on the 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It's the teamwork that goes along with the new car. <TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jeff Gordon: This weekend, it will be interesting to see who did their homework over the winter, how it has paid off and whether the changes within the teams make much of a difference. Gordon is going to have to figure out quickly whether the communication between himself and crew chief Steve Letarte is exactly what it needs to be.</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD width="10%">
NASCAR on FOX race analyst</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Greg Biffle: After winning this race last year, Biffle was very tough on downforce tracks all season. He'll be very tough to beat on Sunday.</ < td></TD><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Kurt Busch: Whether he's driving a Dodge Charger or Intrepid, Busch should run well because he always runs well in Fontana. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Mark Martin: California Speedway is the type of racetrack that the No. 6 team seemed to get its arms around at the end of last year, nearly winning at Homestead.</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jamie McMurray: The Roush group has its act together at that racetrack with three wins in 11 races, and McMurray runs awfully well at this track.</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD width="10%">
FOXSports.com fantasy editor</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jimmie Johnson: The Southern California-native hopes to reverse last year's disappointing results at the California Speedway near Los Angeles by the powerful Hendrick Motorsports team. He's had success at the California Speedway, finishing first and second twice in six starts. A runnerup in the Nextel Cup for the last two seasons, his Daytona 500 win might be the precursor to many strong finishes for his first Cup victory. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jamie McMurray: Roush Racing dominated last season at Fontana with three of the top five drivers. This race requires significant adjustments to account for the high mileage and fast speeds. That's where a strong team like Roush Racing has the advantage. McMurray has four top 10s and three top fives in five career races at the track, giving him the second-highest average finish (7.2) among active drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Matt Kenseth: He won Roush Racing's first Cup in 2003 and has four top 10s at the California Speedway in eight starts. He'll also ride the momentum from Daytona, where he led for 14 percent of the laps. He has the sixth-highest average finish at the track. He says, "To be honest with you, I think everyone looks forward to Fontana because it puts the race back into the teams' hands."</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Mark Martin: One of NASCAR's top all-time drivers, the long-time Roush Racing vet finished third, seventh and 11th in the last three years at the California Speedway and won at the track last season in the Busch Series. He led Daytona for nearly 10 percent of the laps and will continue his strong start in his last season. He says, "I'm ready to get to a track where things are a little more in control of the driver and Fontana is really my kind of track. It suits my driving style and we've been pretty good there in the last couple of years." </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD width="10%">
FOXSports.com fantasy contributor</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jeff Gordon: Gordon has racked up three victories in the last 10 years at Fontana with one pole and five top 5 finishes. Gordon was shut out of the top 10 in two events last year, averaging a disappointing 25th-place finish. Forget the last two events. He'd been dominant at this track prior to 2005 with a win in 2004. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Jimmie Johnson: The Daytona winner looks to carry that success over to Fontana, where he's had tremendous success in the past. Johnson has finished in the top 10 on three occasions in six starts, capturing a win during the 2002 season. He's raced near the top of the pack in each start here, averaging a 12th-position start and accruing the fifth-most laps led. Naturally, the team answered a lot of questions about racing without the crew chief last week, so start him with confidence if you missed the last run.</TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Greg Biffle: Biffle's back on a track that he positively tore up a year ago, finishing first and second in the two events. Biffle is the defending champion of this race and stays near the front of the pack at this event. He was strong in qualifying with an average starting position of 4.5, so look for some extra bonus points here. </TD></TR><TR class=bgC><TD colSpan=2>Kyle Busch: Busch ran near the top at Daytona for most of the race. He scored a victory in the last event at Fontana and led the pack for the most laps over two 2005 events. You would do well to look at either K. Busch this week.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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