• Home
• The Show
• The Crew
• Bench Racing
• Fast Lap
• Fantasy Racing
• Contact Us

Subscribe

• NASCAR
• Sprint Cup
• Drivers
• Nationwide Series
• ARCA Remax Series
• NASCAR Headlines

Fantasy NASCAR 2011: Countdown to Daytona

For NASCAR fantasy game players preparing to map season-long strategies and draft their teams, one driver has been the consensus number one over-all pick for the last three seasons. Jimmie Johnson is, and has been, the man.

Johnson and his no. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet have won five straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. The 2011 decision was still in doubt entering the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Both Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick were in with a chance entering the race. But Johnson closed it out for his fifth consecutive series win.

During that five year run, Johnson has won 35 times and has an average finish of 10.8. The next closest driver in wins is Kyle Busch with 17. Johnson is number one in poles, top fives, top tens and average starting position.

Those stats are official. Unofficially, the no. 48 team has lead NASCAR in stability as well. No team has undergone fewer changes than crew chief Chad Knaus’operation. At least that was true until three races from the end of 2010, Knaus swapped his pit crew with that of the no. 24 Hendrick Motorsport car driven by Jeff Gordon.

That change was the first significant shakeup for the Johnson-Knaus team in five years. The move smacked of panic at the time and may signal that the championship run is running out of steam. Still, Jimmie Johnson is a fantasy points machine.

Jeff Gordon ran a solid, consistent, second statistically to Johnson during the 2010 season. His NASCAR Loop Datadriver rating - a combination of 13 key stat groups taken from NASCAR’s on-track scoring loops - was second to Johnson all year and Gordon’s average finish over the last five seasons is behind only to Johnson as well. Jeff Gordon’s problem is, he just doesn’t win anymore. His 11 top fives and 17 top tens were solid. Zero wins, four DNFs and one pole were a disappointment.

With three races to go, Gordon was out of contention for the Cup championship when his pit crew was given to teammate Johnson. The move did not improve the no. 24 team. More shakeups are ahead. There was a time when Jeff Gordon was always a good pick at any track. Things have changed.

The big challenge to Johnson came from Joe Gibbs Racing and Denny Hamlin. With 8 wins, 2 poles, 14 top fives and 18 top tens, Hamlin overcame early season knee surgery to give Johnson a real challenge. Hamlin is nearly unbeatable in the state of Virginia, winning three of the four races at Martinsville and Richmond. He swept the pair at super fast Texas Motor Speedway too. And Pocono should be named after him.

Kevin Harvick will have a new sponsor for 2011. Budweiser will take the place of Shell Gasolines on the no. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevy. Harvick had a remarkably consistent 2010 season. His 26 top tens were tops in the series and his average finish - 8.7 - was best by far. Three wins and 2 poles along with 16 top fives made Harvick a good fantasy pick in 2010. Two of Harvick’s wins came on restrictor plate tracks at Daytona and Talladega and over the last five years he has more wins and a better average finish than anyone on plate tracks.

Other than the sponsor switch, RCRis leaving Harvick’s team alone and that bodes well for 2011.

Carl Edwards almost single handedly saved 2010 for Ford Racing. Three Roush Racing Fords qualified for the Chase to the Sprint Cup and Edwards won the last two races of 2010. If you believe in momentum, the no. 99had it going into the off-season. The Bob Osborneled team has been very stable and Roush seems to have caught up with the COT programs of the Chevy and Toyota teams now. Carl Edwards is set for a return to eight or so wins and his best shot at a Sprint Cup yet.

JGR’s Kyle Busch will score big in 2011. Recently married and unable to contend for multiple NASCAR championships due to rule changes, Kyle is a top six pick in any one’s fantasy draft and is very tough at the high banked speedways like LasVegas, Charlotte and Atlanta.

Jamie McMurraywon three races and grabbed four poles in 2010 and was season’s biggest surprise. McMurray is very good on plate tracks and a great pick for either road course.

One breakout driver for 2011should be Joey Logano. Logano came on strong late in 2010 with one pole, seven top fives and 16 top tens.

Watch Kasey Kahne. Kahne has a one year contract to drive for Red Bull Racing in 2011 as he waits for his 2012 Hendrick Motorsportsseat. This is the best equipment Kahne has had in years and RedBull is capable of winning poles and races. I see great value in having Kasey Kahne on your roster.

Photo credit - Getty Images for NASCAR

2009 OPer Awards: Best NASCAR Crew Chief

OK NASCAR fans - go ahead and argue against this one.

I think the consistency of the NASCAR racing statistics are so overwhelmingly in favor of the Lowes 48 team, that choosing anyone but Chad Knaus is…is…just wrong.

I suppose the argument could be made that this is the 2009 OPeR award for best crew chief - not the award for best 5 or six year run. But I think Knaus has been the best this year anyway.

Steve said during the On Pit Row OPeR Awards Show, that watching the 48 team at Texas, while under extreme duress, clinched it for him. I didn’t need that, but it didn’t hurt.

2009 OPer Awards: Best NASCAR Team

This really could have been the “No Brainer” Award.

The team that fields the driver - Jimmie Johnson - who has won the last four Sprint Cup championships. The crew chief - Chad Knaus - who has guided that driver to all four. The team - the Hendrick Motorsports Lowes no. 48 -  that has remained basically intact for six straight seasons.

Seven 2009 Sprint Cup Series wins and a fourth straight Cup championship.

There were several good teams. A couple of other great ones too. But just one Hall of Fame team.

NASCAR Power Rankings: Chase Edition 2009 Final

Who's Up	Who's Down
Biggest Gain This Week: No moves up this week.	Biggest Drop This Week: No moves down this week.
No new drivers this week.	No drivers dropped out this week.

Rank: 1st Jimmie Johnson #48 Last Week: 1 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Jimmie Johnson- 7 Wins, 24 Top Tens The seasons over, the right man won, and all is right with the world again. If your not a fan of Jimmie Johnson then by about 2015 his dynasty will probably be in decline. Chad Knaus plans on being the 48 crew chief for at least 5 more years.

Rank: 2nd Mark Martin #5 Last Week: 2 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Mark Martin- 5 Wins, 21 Top Tens Mark Martin isn't done yet and the never ending "Salute to you tour" will be going strong through 2011. He had a great season that far exceeded probably anyone's expectations.

Rank: 3rd Kurt Busch #22 Last Week: 3 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Kurt Busch- 2 Win, 21 Top Tens Kurt Busch almost stopped the Hendrick 1,2,3 standing domination but the 2 team fumbled in the decision making department late at Homestead. Kurt was definitely the the rebound driver of the year.

Rank: 4th Jeff Gordon #24 Last Week: 4 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Jeff Gordon- 1 Win, 25 Top Tens By finishing 6th at Homestead Jeff Gordon wrapped up the top 3 spots for Hendrick Motors Sports. Gordon finished the season with the most top tens (25), but at this point that was last season.

Rank: 5th Denny Hamlin #11 Last Week: 5 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Denny Hamlin- 4 Wins, 20 Top Tens I've seriously heard people speculate that Denny Hamlin would be the person who would stop Jimmie Johnson's dominance. Hamlin even said it himself. I know it sounds humorous considering he thinks he paid Keselowski back.

Rank: 6th Tony Stewart #14 Last Week: 6 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Tony Stewart- 4 Wins, 23 Top Tens I told people all season long that the 14 team wasn't a real championship threat. They were just the most consistent team in the series. After Watkins Glen this team's performances plummeted.

Rank: 7th Juan Pablo Montoya #42 Last Week: 7 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Juan Pablo Montoya- 7 Top Fives, 18 Top Tens I have no clue how NASCAR fans can't like Montoya. He sticks up for himself on the track and is passionate about what he does. What NASCAR needs is 1) be more consistent (2 lap penalty?) and 2) 42 more Montoya's on the track.

Rank: 8th Greg Biffle #16 Last Week: 8 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Greg Biffle- 10 Top Fives, 16 Top Tens It was a down year for Roush and Biffle completed the first full season of his career that he was win less. NASCAR is a cyclical sport so I wouldn't be surprised if he bounces back to multiple victories next year.

Rank: 9th Kasey Kahne #4 Last Week: 9 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Kasey Kahne- 2 Wins, 14 Top Tens Kahne had a nice season that never materialized in the Chase. The problem here is that no team is entering the off season with more question marks then Kahne. 2010 will be a contract year for Kahne so things will either go really good or really bad.

Rank: 10th Ryan Newman #39 Last Week: 10 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Ryan Newman- 5 Top Fives, 15 Top Tens Ryan Newman returned to the Chase in 2009 but he didn't return to victory lane. If Ryan Newman could just improve on the intermediate tracks then he would have potential to challenge for the championship.

Rank: 11th Carl Edwards #99 Last Week: 11 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Carl Edwards- 7 Top Fives, 14 Top Tens After California in the Chase this team just fell apart. In the off season when people talk about the disappointment of the year Carl Edwards should certainly be talked about in that debate.

Rank: 12th Brian Vickers #83 Last Week: 12 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Brian Vickers- 1 Win, 13 Top Tens Brian Vickers should be a NASCAR spokesman for why the Chase only needs 10 drivers. Brian Vickers didn't have a single top ten, never led a lap, and had a 59.7 driver rating over the course of the Chase.

NASCAR Wives and Girlfriends Photos

We find the pics where we can because we know you want to see them. Click the thumbnail for a full sized photo.

Photo credit; Icon Sports Media, Inc

Copyright © 2012 Bench Racing Productions, LLC. · All rights reserved.
Content may not be duplicated, or redistributed without express written permission.

OnPitRow.com | Bench Racing | Fast Lap | About Us | Contact Us
Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Advertise with us!