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Fantasy Racing Darkhorse Picks: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Josh Lobdel		David Ragan	1	10.47
Jerry Lagger	One and Done Game Winner	Brad Keselowski	15	12.41
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Brad Keselowski	15	14.41
Steve Wronkowicz	On Pit Row	Brad Keselowski	15	15.53
Eric McClung	KFFL	Paul Menard	8	12.53
Eric McGuire	free agent	Mark Martin	33	12.82
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Regan Smith	24	15.06
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	David Ragan	1	13.41
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts		44	16.82
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Mark Martin	33	21.71
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Mark Martin	33	16.94
CharlieTurner	On Pit Row	Brad Keselowski	15	11.88
Jordan McAbee	On Pit Row	Brad Keselowski	15	12.53
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Jeff Burton	21	15.06
James Jones	On Pit Row	Brad Keselowski	15	13.24
Mike Wells	Racing4Glory.com	Marcos Ambrose	17	9.71
Darren Fauth	FantasyRacingCheatSheet	Paul Mennard	8	14.35
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	David Ragan	1	16.88
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	David Ragan	1	12.29

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: Coke Zero 400 from Daytona

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Josh Lobdell		Tony Stewart	11	12.29
Jerry Lagger	One and Done Game Winner	Clint Bowyer	36	13.88
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Kevin Harvick	7	13.47
Steve Wronkowicz	On Pit Row	Dale Earnhardt Jr	19	11.24
Eric McClung	KFFL	Kurt Busch	14	13.59
Eric McGuire	free agent	Jeff Gordon	6	15.71
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Carl Edwards	37	12.76
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	Clint Bowyer	36	16.35
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts		44	16.12
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Dale Earnhardt Jr	19	14.35
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Dale Earnhardt Jr	19	13.12
CharlieTurner	On Pit Row	Dale Earnhardt Jr	19	14.94
Jordan McAbee	On Pit Row	Kurt Busch	14	13.71
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Dale Earnhardt Jr	19	11.06
James Jones	On Pit Row	Kurt Busch	14	10.59
Mike Wells	Racing4Glory.com	Jimmie Johnson	20	13.41
Darren Fauth	FantasyRacingCheatSheet	Kurt Busch	14	9.06
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Kevin Harvick	7	9.76
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Carl Edwards	37	14.53

Daytona Coke Zero 400 Scouting Report

How to make an informed pick for the Daytona Coke Zero 400:

1) Focus on studying drivers summer Daytona stats. The July race is completely different from the season opening Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 is far more unpredictable, but in the summer race some drivers really stand out among their peers.

Before you say, “But Ryan they repaved the track, handling shouldn’t be an issue”. My response to that is expect to hear on the broadcast 1) how hot it is and 2) how much the track has weathered since February in the Florida heat. Daytona is a narrow track and because of this handling will still be the key regardless of the repaving.

2) Since handling will be a key to winning this race it’s important to study happy hour. When you study happy hour at restrictor plate tracks you want to go by what you hear, not by what drivers practice speeds are.

3) When it comes to plate tracks and other tracks where DNF’s can be abundant I want to pick drivers who have positive momentum on their side. Picking drivers who are in the midst of slumps just doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. Drivers who are performing poorly at the time often turn into “DNF Magnets” at this style of track.

4) Qualifying isn’t that important at plate tracks. Having a driver start up front is nice, but it’s really not important this week.

Drivers to watch in the Daytona Coke Zero 400:

Carl Edwards - Finished second in this years Daytona 500. His average finish in the summer Daytona race over the last four years is 4th.

Kurt Busch - Over the last month he’s been as good as anyone. In the last five summer Daytona races he hasn’t finished worse than 7th and he has a 4.4 average finish.

Kevin Harvick - He’s as safe as it gets on plate tracks. He blew up in the Daytona 500 this year but don’t let that scare you away. Kevin Harvick is the defending champion of this race.

Tony Stewart - Stewart’s won the summer race multiple times. His most recent win was in 2009. Kyle Busch was blocking him and was wrecked. I pity the driver who blocks him this Saturday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - He’s gonna win a race one of these days right? Why not Daytona. Last season he finished 2nd and 4th at this 2.5 mile track. If qualifying points matter to you don’t forget he won the pole for the Daytona 500.

Matt Kenseth - Former Daytona 500 winner who typically performs better in the summer race. In the summer Daytona races going back to 2005 he’s finished in the top fifteen every race and has an average finish of 7.5. Also don’t discount Roush’s engine cooling advantage at Daytona.

Kyle Busch - Do you like taking risks that can pay off big in fantasy NASCAR? If the answer is yes take Kyle Busch. He has one win and has been close several times. When I say he’s come close I mean getting crashed out at the end. Since his 2008 win things haven’t come easy for this Busch at Daytona. In this years Daytona 500 he finished 8th which is his only top ten since his win.

VegasInsider.com odds to win the Daytona Coke Zero 400:

Kevin Harvick 6/1, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8/1, Kyle Busch 8/1, Carl Edwards 8/1, Jimmie Johnson 8/1, Jeff Gordon 10/1, Kurt Busch 10/1, Tony Stewart 14/1, Clint Bowyer 14/1

Fantasy NASCAR Preview: Daytona 2 - Coke Zero 400

This weekend the Sprint Cup Series stops at Daytona International Speedway for the second time this season for some good old plate racing under the lights. Like I did back in April for the race at Talladega Superspeedway, I am going to change my format for this preview because of how unpredictable these races are. Anybody–and I mean anybody–could find themselves in the top ten once the checkered flag waves at the restrictor plate tracks. Two practices will be held on Thursday, followed by qualifying on Friday, and then the Coke Zero 400 is set to start around 7:45 pm on Saturday.

During The Last Race At Daytona…Trevor Bayne put the #21 Wood Brothers Ford into victory lane for the first win in his Sprint Cup career. Carl Edwards followed Bayne to the finish line while David Gilliland, Bobby Labonte, and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five. In last season’s summer race at Daytona, Kevin Harvick started 1st and ended there as well after leading 28 laps. Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Jeff Burton all grabbed top five finishes that night.

My Recommendation To Fantasy Racers…If you read my articles on a consistent basis, you should know what I think about fantasy picks at Daytona and Talladega: just make a roster and go with it. As I said before, the races on these tracks are so unpredictable, and drivers that you would never think about picking any other week suddenly emerge as risky, yet potentially rewarding, choices. Last season’s July race at Daytona ended with some unfamiliar faces near the front, such as Reed Sorenson, Mike Bliss, and Scott Speed in the top ten and Steve Park and Kevin Conway finishing 13th and 14th, respectively.

My Five Favorites Heading Into The Coke Zero 400:

1. Clint Bowyer - Do you know what I like to do when I make my fantasy picks? Take the safest option, unless of course I’m trying to gain major points. And while where is no “safe” pick when the series stops at Daytona or Talladega, Clint Bowyer is the closest thing to it. His worst finish here is 29th and his average career finish at Daytona is 13.2, which is the best of all active drivers that have had at least two starts here (take that Trevor Bayne). In the last five points-paying races here, Bowyer has the 5th-best average driver rating, and at Talladega, the other restrictor plate track, he has finished 1st in 2nd in his last two starts.

2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - Of course Junior is going to be ranked high when the series stops at Daytona: he has two wins at this track and only two full-time drivers (Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon) have led more laps here than Little E. The #88 ended the Daytona 500 in February in 24th place, but he had one of the best cars in my opinion. He sat on the pole here in February and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Earnhardt up there again when qualifying is over with. He finished 4th at Talladega in April.

3. Carl Edwards - Cousin Carl finished 2nd in the Daytona 500, but even if he was terrible at these tracks–which, by the way, he isn’t–I still wouldn’t bet against him, simply because how awesome of a season the #99 team is having. Carl has led only three laps in 13 career starts at this track, but his average driver rating over the past five races at Daytona is 3rd-best in the series and four of those ended in top 10 finishes for him. The last four July races at this track have given Edwards finishes of 6th, 4th, 2nd, and 4th. Also, on a side note: if anyone followed my “Avoid” warning of Edwards last week in Sonoma, I apologize; that was the most surprising finish of the race for me.

4. Kurt Busch - This team, and Penske in general, isn’t just hot, they’re scorching. Fresh off his win at the road course last weekend, I expect the elder Busch brother to challenge for his second in a row on Saturday night. He captured three poles in a row, why not two wins? He has never won at a restrictor plate track, but he’s pretty good at them. Kurt has the second-best average driver rating at Daytona in the last five races and seven of the last eight points-paying races here have ended with him in the top 10. In the last five July races at Daytona, Busch has finished 7th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 3rd. Don’t overlook his teammate, Brad Keselowski, either, who picked up his first Sprint Cup Series victory at Talladega.

5. Kevin Harvick - Every time that the series stops at a restrictor plate track, Kevin Harvick’s name has to come up as someone who has a solid chance at ending up in victory lane. His engine blew during the Daytona 500, but I thought he had the best car before that. “Happy” is the defending winner of this race and in 41 combined Daytona and Talladega points-paying races, Harvick has two…count ‘em…TWO DNFs. Kevin should be there at the end as long as he can avoid a wreck.

Others That Could Visit Victory Lane At The Coke Zero 400:

Tony Stewart - Let’s just hope him and Brian Vickers don’t get into it this weekend (although I don’t see that happening). “Smoke” has three wins in 25 starts at Daytona and all three were in the summer race (he started 1st or 2nd in all three, too). Stewart has led more laps than anyone at Daytona and he’s a threat to win any time the series visits the track. He should be starting to get on a roll soon…

Matt Kenseth - All of Roush should be tough, but I like Edwards and Kenseth the best. Matt’s career average finish here in 23 starts is only right around 18th, but he has five top 15 finishes in the last six points-paying races at Daytona and that includes four top 10s and one victory. In the last eight July races at this track, Kenseth has notched six top 10s and just one finish outside of the top 15.

Kyle Busch - It is inevitable that “Rowdy” is going to win again at Daytona, but it is just a matter of when. He always runs well here, but he can’t seem to get the finish he deserves. In the past five races at this track, Busch’s average driver rating of 98.2 is fourth-best in the Cup series, but his average finish in that span of 23.4 is 34th-best. Kyle, however, ended up 8th here in February and won this race back in 2008. In 2006 and 2007, he finished 2nd in both July Daytona races, and in the last eleven points-paying races here, Busch has led at least one lap in ten of them. And no, I’m not worried about the Gibbs engines this weekend.

Jeff Gordon - Remember who worked with Daytona 500 champ Trevor Bayne all of speed weeks? Gordon didn’t go on to have a good finish, but you have to keep him in your head once the series stops at the plate tracks. He has six wins at both Daytona and Talladega and the #24 Chevrolet came home 3rd in April at the latter track. Will that 2nd-place finish last week in Sonoma give Gordon the boost he needs to get a third victory of the season?

Jeff Burton - This guy is beyond due, don’t you think? He won his Duel race during Speedweeks this year and Burton’s season has just gone downhill from there, starting with a blown engine in the Daytona 500 (he led five laps, though). I don’t expect the Childress engines to have any problems this time around, and while I don’t think it is likely the #31 will end up in victory lane, I think Burton will finally get his first top ten of the season on Saturday night. He could, of course, continue to disappoint, though.

Will They Get Their First Career Win Saturday Night?

David Ragan - Of the four win-less drivers I have listed here, you have to believe that Ragan has the best chance. He almost won the Daytona 500 in February and he’s also been a pretty good pick when the series comes to Daytona. In nine starts here, David has seven top 20s and two 5th-place finishes. He’s ran well at times this season, and with a little bit of luck on Saturday night, he could find himself in victory lane. Of course, you could say that about anybody, right?

Marcos Ambrose - It’s certainly possible that Marcos could pick up his first victory at a plate race, but I’m looking for a realistic chance, not just a possible chance (although it would be a little ironic if he won the first race after a road course event). Ambrose finished 6th here in the July race during his rookie campaign, but he hasn’t finished better than 32nd at Daytona since then. He also finished 4th at Talladega in his rookie year, but he hasn’t crossed the stripe better than 32nd at that track since then, either.

A.J. Allmendinger - The Dinger hasn’t posted a DNF at Daytona in six starts here, but I just don’t see him getting his first victory at a restrictor plate track. His average finish at Daytona is 17.7 and 26.7 at Talladega. A.J. did finish 3rd in the 2009 Daytona 500, though, so you never know…

Paul Menard - It seems like all of the Richard Childress Racing cars are good when the race is at Daytona or Talladega, and Paul finished 9th in the Daytona 500 after two of his teammates blew up, and ended up 12th at the Talladega race in April. I think a top fifteen is more likely for Menard on Saturday, but if he has Kevin Harvick or Clint Bowyer pushing him, he could steal one.

Legit C-List “Start Savers” For The Coke Zero 400:

Trevor Bayne - You know the story with this kid. Winner of the Daytona 500, “next big thing”. I think if he gets shoved into the Cup Series next year it will be a mistake, but you have to like his power under the hood in his Wood Brothers #21 Ford, and Bayne was running well at Talladega before the wreck. I probably won’t pick him, but that’s not to say he won’t do good–I just like to go against the crowd at plate races.

Robby Gordon - I never see much mention of Robby Gordon outside of road course races, but I don’t see why. Since starting Robby Gordon Motorsports, Gordon has twelve starts at Daytona and eight of them have given him top 16 finishes. Robby brought the #7 home in 16th in the Daytona 500 and finished 12th in this race last season. Also, his last three Talladega starts have ended in top 20 finishes.

David Gilliland - I’m not just saying David will be a good “start saver” pick because he finished 3rd in the Daytona 500, although that is a part of it. He also brought the #39 Ford home in 9th in the April Talladega race, and with his solid 12th-place finish last week in Sonoma, that might give Gilliland a little momentum heading into Saturday night. Do not overlook him.

You Won’t Find Them On My Rosters:

Jimmie Johnson - “Five Time” escaped plate races with good finishes occasionally (his win at Talladega in April, his 2nd-place effort in this race in 2009, and his Daytona 500 win in 2006 come to mind) but other than that he actually isn’t very good at either track. Six of Johnson’s last seven starts at Daytona have ended in finishes outside of the top 20. Do you like those odds? Me neither.

Ryan Newman - Nineteen starts, nine top 20s, and five DNFs is the stat line for “The Rocketman” this weekend. He won here in 2008 but Newman’s best finish since then (five races in total) has been 20th. The whole Stewart-Haas stable hasn’t impressed me much on the plate tracks this year, bud while I may give Stewart a shot this weekend, you won’t find Newman on any of my rosters. He finished 24th at Talladega.

Jamie McMurray - Many people look at Jamie Mac’s victory at Daytona in the 2010 Daytona 500 and chalk him up as a great restrictor plate driver. Don’t worry, Jamie, they do that to Trevor Bayne as well. But the truth of the matter is that he is average at best. McMurray’s average finish at this track is 17.3 and eleven of his seventeen starts have given him finishes outside of the top 20. Don’t expect the #1 team’s season to turn around on Saturday night.

Denny Hamlin - He has supposedly had a race-winning car for the last seven races but bad luck has not given this team the finishes they deserve. Don’t be silly, Denny. He finished 3rd here in 2009 but that has been his only finish better than 17th in eleven starts at this super speedway. The #11 came home 23rd at Talladega.

Bobby Labonte - Some people may remember Bobby’s 4th-place finish in February’s Daytona 500 and think he may be a good pick this weekend, but don’t be fooled. He’s made 37 starts at this track and that finish has been his best, and trust me, lightning will not strike twice for this team. Labonte’s career average finish at Daytona is 21.7.

All my drivers crashed at Daytona, what do I do?

Off to a rough start? Don’t worry you’re not the only one. Sure you dug yourself a hole at the start of the season, but now’s not the time to hit the panic button.

The NASCAR season is really LONG. Because it’s so long players need to approach the season patiently. In fantasy NASCAR players have 36 weeks to grind it out for the top spot. When I look at the schedule it says one thing to me, and that is play conservatively until the time is right.

If you find yourself in a hole don’t panic. Also don’t think you need to make it all up at once. Not every week is the week for you to “make the big move”. There’s a place for the “Hail Mary” but that isn’t every week. If you’re making the “big move” every week you may hit on something every once in a while  (even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in a while) but most likely the odds are stacked against you.

Even if you are a fan of making the weekly “Hail Mary” play there’s no guarantee it will save you. Trust me I know. I’ve been the highest scorer in large games on the final week and do you know what happened? I still lost by one point.

The benefit of playing patiently (conservatively) is that it opens the door for others to make mistakes. The easiest way to get ahead is to let others beat themselves. When you have 36 races to work with I can guarantee you that door will eventually open.

Photo Credit: Glenn Bure for onpitrow.com

Fantasy Racing Darkhorse Picks: 2011 Daytona 500

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Josh Lobdell		David Ragan	14	14
Jerry Lagger	One and Done Game Winner	Joey Logano	23	23
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Dale Earnhardt Jr	24	24
Steve Wronkowicz	On Pit Row	Marcos Ambrose	37	37
Eric McClung	KFFL	Juan Pablo Montoya	6	6
Eric McGuire	free agent	Jamie McMurray	18	18
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Joey Logano	23	23
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	Mark Martin	10	10
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	Dale Earnhardt Jr	24	24
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Trevor Bayne	1	1
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Michael Waltrip	40	40
CharlieTurner	On Pit Row	Jamie McMurray	18	18
Jordan McAbee	On Pit Row	Juan Pablo Montoya	6	6
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Dale Earnhardt Jr	24	24
James Jones	On Pit Row	Jamie McMurray	18	18
Mike Wells	Racing4Glory.com	David Ragan	14	14
Darren Fauth	FantasyRacingCheatSheet	Dale Earnhardt Jr	24	24
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Jamie McMurray	18	18
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Mark Martin	10	10

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: 2011 Daytona 500

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Josh Lobdell		Tony Stewart	13	13
Jerry Lagger	One and Done Game Winner	Jeff Gordon	28	28
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Kevin Harvick	42	42
Steve Wronkowicz	On Pit Row	Tony Stewart	13	13
Eric McClung	KFFL	Kevin Harvick	42	42
Eric McGuire	free agent	Kevin Harvick	42	42
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Jeff Gordon	28	28
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	Jeff Burton	36	36
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	Clint Bowyer	17	17
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Jeff Burton	36	36
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Dale Earnhardt Jr	24	24
CharlieTurner	On Pit Row	Jimmie Johnson	27	27
Jordan McAbee	On Pit Row	Clint Bowyer	17	17
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Denny Hamlin	21	21
James Jones	On Pit Row	Kurt Busch	5	5
Mike Wells	Racing4Glory.com	Kurt Busch	5	5
Darren Fauth	FantasyRacingCheatSheet	Kevin Harvick	42	42
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Kevin Harvick	42	42
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Kevin Harvick	42	42

Fantasy NASCAR Preview: Daytona 500

The start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season is just around the corner and that can mean only one thing: it’s time to go racing at Daytona! The 53rd “Great American Race” will take place Sunday afternoon on Fox after an entire week of racing–from the Budweiser Shootout last Saturday, to the Gatorade Duels on Thursday, to practice sessions before race day. The Daytona 500 has the most pre-race information (practice and short races), yet it is one of the most difficult to predict in terms of fantasy racing.

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon grabbed the front row in qualifying on Sunday for the big race. Junior has never started from the pole for a points-paying race at Daytona, but started from the pole last Saturday in the Shootout (finishing 19th) as well as the Gatorade Duel #2 last year (finishing 21st). The rest of the starting lineup for the Daytona 500 will be determined on Thursday by the results of the Twin-125 Gatorade Duels.

My recommendation to fantasy racers: Watch the Twin-125 races and see how the cars race; practice speeds are pretty much useless at Daytona when determining how the race will end up. Once you pick your drivers, submit them and enjoy the race. Restrictor-plate races are so unpredictable that it is better to look forward to next week in terms of fantasy games.

Top Fifteen Ranking Entering The Daytona 500:

1. Kevin Harvick - “Happy” is the favored driver to win the big race this year and for good reason: he’s the most recent winner here and has three top tens in the past four races at the track. Harvick finished 7th in the Bud Shootout, but don’t let that worry you: he kept hitting his rev limiter, a problem which he has stated is fixed. With one DNF in 19 Daytona starts, it’s hard to go against Kevin Harvick at the plate tracks, and he was one of the best in 2010.

2. Clint Bowyer - Richard Childress Racing has been favored all week (and it was a surprise to many when one of their four drivers didn’t get the pole). Bowyer has made ten starts at Daytona, and while his highest finish has been 4th, Clint has never finished lower than 29th–resulting in 0 DNFs. Over the past two years, Bowyer has recorded two 4th-place finishes in the Daytona 500.

3. Matt Kenseth - Kenseth might not be the first driver you think of at Daytona, but over the past two years he has been the best. Over those four races, he has an average finish of 8th has finished outside of the top ten only once (15th in last season’s July race). He won’t be fighting for the lead every lap, but Kenseth usually stays out of trouble and gets a good finish at Daytona.

4. Kurt Busch - New car, new year. Kurt started off 2011 right by winning the Budweiser Shootout, but don’t expect a win in the “Great American Race”: the last time the Bud Shootout winner went on to win the following Sunday was in 1997 (Jeff Gordon). Still, Busch should be expected to finish up front. He’s had the best average driver rating over the past four Daytona races and has finished outside of the top ten only once in the past seven.

5. Carl Edwards - Roush-Fenway Racing really started to perform as expected during the second half of the year in 2010, and Carl Edwards ended last season winning the final two races. Cousin Carl has been finished every lap (in points-paying races) at Daytona since 2007, which can be difficult to achieve over eight races here. He usually finishes better in the July Race here, but last season Edwards finally got his first top ten in the Daytona 500. This year, with the right timing, he could easily get his first top five.

6. Tony Stewart - “Smoke” had an off-year at Daytona in 2010, but don’t expect the disappointing finishes to continue. Going into 2010, Stewart had nine top tens in his last twelve starts at the track and in his twelve Daytona 500 starts, he has led at least one lap in eight of them–and those eight have come in his most recent nine starts.

7. Jeff Gordon - Gordon usually runs well at Daytona (6th best driver rating over the past four races), but his finishes have been lacking. He has just one top ten in the past three years here, but don’t let that turn you away from the 24 car: Gordon has won at Daytona six times. You know he will have the power to get to the front, but will he be in the right place at the right time? He starts 2nd, so he’s off to a good start already. Gordon has just 4 DNFs in 36 career starts.

8. Mark Martin - Mark “The Kid” Martin sat on the pole for last year’s “Great American Race” and ended up finishing 12th. He wound up finishing three of the four restrictor plate races in the top twelve in 2010. Since coming to Hendrick Motorsports, Martin has finished 16th and 12th in the Daytona 500. I expect a top ten finish on Sunday from him if he can stay out of trouble.

9. Kyle Busch - When you look at Rowdy’s average finish in Daytona races recently, this ranking may surprise you, but if he can stay out of trouble, the younger Busch brother should finish up front on Sunday. He has the second-best driver rating in the past two years at Daytona (behind his brother) but an average finish of 27.25 to back it up. When Kyle stays out of trouble, he does good at Daytona–all of his top tens are also top fives and he won here in the 2008 July race.

10. Jamie McMurray - This may be one of the lower rankings you see McMurray at for this race, but I’m still not sold on him. He followed up his Daytona 500 win last year with a 39th-place showing in July. Jamie Mac’s average finish was 26.5 between his July Daytona win in 2007 and his Daytona 500 win last year (four races). He has, however, been very good at Daytona with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, with finishes of 2nd and 3rd in the last two Budweiser Shootouts (respectfully) and he ended up in 6th in his Gatorade Duel race last year.

11. Jeff Burton - He’s not as strong as two of his teammates at Daytona, but you know that Burton has the horsepower to get a good finish. Will he, though? In 34 career starts, Burton has amassed 23 top twenties, but only 9 of them were top tens. He looked strong in qualifying, but we all know that qualifying is not a way to predict the race at restrictor plate tracks.

12. Juan Montoya - If JPM gets a good starting position for “The Great American Race”, expect a good finish to back it up. He has started in the top fourteen in three races at Daytona, and finished there as well in those races. Montoya has two top tens in his last three Daytona starts.

13. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - This ranking may surprise you as well, but winning the pole for the Daytona 500 doesn’t guarantee a good finish: the past three pole winners have gone on to finish 12th, 11th, and 27th. Earnhardt, Jr. also has a little streak going. In 2006, he was good at Daytona with finishes of 8th and 13th. The next year (2007) he finished 32nd and 36th. After that season, he went to Hendrick Motorsports and ended up with two top tens in Daytona for them. His second year (2009) there, though, he ended up 27th and 39th in the two Daytona races. Last year, Junior posted top five finishes in both Daytona races. Will this year be bad for the 88 at Daytona, or will he break his little streak that he is on?

14. Denny Hamlin - Like his teammate, Kyle Busch, Hamlin has ran well at Daytona in the past two seasons but didn’t get the finishes to back it up. Over those past four races, Hamlin has had the 6th best driver rating but recorded only one top ten (a 3rd in the July race in 2009). Despite having only one top ten in his career at Daytona, Denny has never had a DNF. He almost won the Budweiser Shootout this year.

15. Brian Vickers - The Red Bull Racing driver would be ranked higher if it wasn’t for his absence from racing last year because of medical reasons. However, if he wants to show everyone that the missed races aren’t a big deal, Daytona is a great place to start: Vickers has finished in the top fifteen in four of his last five starts here.

Underdogs Entering The Daytona 500:

David Ragan - He hasn’t been very good in the Sprint Cup series, but for some reason he has finished well at Daytona. Ragan has eight starts here and six of them have ended up in finishes in the top sixteen. His very first Daytona 500 start ended with a 5th-place finish.

Paul Menard - Menard is at RCR this year and nearly grabbed a spot on the front row in qualifying last Sunday. He has seven career starts at Daytona and all but one of them have given him a finish in the top 23. He ended up 13th in last year’s “Great American Race” driving for Richard Petty Motorsports.

David Reutimann - It may be a surprise to some, but the Michael Waltrip Racing star is pretty good at restrictor plate tracks. In 2010 he recorded two top fives in the four races and had a worst finish of 14th. Reutty has finished worse than 12th only once in his past four starts at Daytona.

Trevor Bayne - The rookie nearly took the pole for the Daytona 500 and looked pretty good in his Cup debut last year (finishing 17th at Texas). He’s driving the 21 car for Wood Brothers Racing, which was driven to a 27th place finish in last year’s Daytona 500 by Bill Elliott.

Those To Avoid Entering The Daytona 500:

Jimmie Johnson - “The Champ” isn’t very good at Daytona in February, believe it or not. Since his Daytona 500 win in 2006, Johnson hasn’t finished better than 27th in “The Great American Race”. Statistically, this is his fourth-worst track.

Ryan Newman - Like Johnson, “Flyin’ Ryan” hasn’t been the same since his win at this track (coming in the 2008 Daytona 500 with Penske Racing). His best finish since then has been 20th, and while driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, that has been his best finish in four starts with them here.

Martin Truex, Jr. - He may be ranked high in some people’s minds after his 6th-place finish in the Daytona 500 last year, but don’t let that fool you: it has been his only top ten in eleven career starts here.

Brad Keselowski - He may be good at Talladega, but this is Daytona. In three career starts here, he hasn’t finished better than 24th and has only completed only 85.8% of the laps run here since joining Penske.

Printable NASCAR TV Schedule for July 2010

Download your July 2010 NASCAR television schedule in PDF

NASCAR travels to Daytona International Speedway, Chicagoland, Iowa Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Gateway in July.

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NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Coke Zero 400 from Daytona

The Independence Day fireworks could come a day early at Daytona International Speedway. With so many tempers flaring coming into the event and 10 drivers within 200 points of the Chase cutoff, expect some drivers to take desperate actions. The tight packs that form on restrictor plate tracks make for unpredictable outcomes, but be sure to review the results from the Daytona 500 and the spring race at Talladega Superspeedway prior to setting your fantasy lineup.

Chasing the pole at Daytona International Speedway

Note: Qualifying was rained out for last year’s summer race.

1. Mark Martin… Fastest lap for Daytona 500 qualifying. Second fastest for ‘09 Daytona 500 and ‘08 Coke Zero 400.
2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr…. Second fastest lap for the Daytona 500 qualifying. Third fastest for ‘08 Coke Zero 400.
3. Ryan Newman… Third fastest lap in qualifying for the last two Daytona 500s.

Here’s an explanation of the highlighted text in the rankings:

• Y! A/B/C - The top options in the Yahoo! Fantasy Auto Racing game by driver list.

• Value play - Sneaky plays at this week’s track. Drivers to consider as low-rent salary cap options or alternatives in allocation formats.

1. Kyle Busch… Won 7/08 race at Daytona. Average running position of 11 or better in nine straight races at Daytona, laps led in seven straight. Finished ninth at Talladega. Y!-A1
2. Kevin Harvick… Won 2/07 race at Daytona. Finished seventh in the Daytona 500, average running position of fifth, led 41 laps. Won at Talladega. Y!-B1
3. Kurt Busch… Last eight races at Daytona: five Top Fives, six Top 10s. Finished eighth at Talladega. Y!-A2
4. Tony Stewart… Three-time winner (7/09, 7/06, 7/05) at Daytona, two Top Fives, one Top 10 since ‘08. Y!-A3
5. Jimmie Johnson… Won 2/06 race at Daytona. Runner-up in last year’s summer race at Daytona, DNF in the Daytona 500. Y!-A4
6. Jeff Gordon… Six-time winner (2/05, 7/04, 2/99, 10/98, 2/97, 7/95) at Daytona. No Top 10s since ‘07 at Daytona. Average running position of 14th or better in four of the last five with at least one lap led, but only one Top 15.
7. Jamie McMurray… Strong value play. Two-time winner (2/10, 7/07) at Daytona. Runner-up at Talladega. Y!-B2
8. Clint Bowyer… Two Top Fives in the last three races at Daytona, average finish of 12.3 in nine career starts. Finished seventh at Talladega. Y!-B3
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Two-time winner (3/04, 7/01) at Daytona. Runner-up in the Daytona 500. Average finish of 8.5 in ‘08 at Daytona, 33.0 last year. Y!-B4
10. Denny Hamlin… Finished a career-best third in last year’s summer race at Daytona, finished 17th in the Daytona 500. Finished fourth at Talladega.
11. Juan Pablo Montoya… Strong value play. Two straight Top 10s at Daytona. Finished third at Talladega.
12. Kasey Kahne… DNF in the Daytona 500, average running position of 10th. Y!-B5
13. Jeff Burton… Won 7/00 race at Daytona. Finished 11th at the Daytona 500, average running position of 21st. Y!-B6
14. Matt Kenseth… Won 3/09 race at Daytona. Has finished eighth or better in five of the last six races at Daytona. Y!-B7
15. Carl Edwards… Three Top Fives, four Top 10s over the last six races at Daytona, average finish of 9.3.
16. Greg Biffle… Won 7/03 race at Daytona. Finished third in the Daytona 500, first Top 10 since ‘08. Average finish of 19.0 last year at Daytona.
17. A.J. Allmendinger… Strong value play. Average running position between 11th and 20th in the last three races at Daytona. Y!-C1
18. Martin Truex Jr…. Strong value play. Finished career-best sixth in the Daytona 500, 12th at Talladega. Y!-B8
19. Mark Martin… Finished 16th or better in three of the last four races at Daytona. Finished fifth at Talladega.
20. David Ragan… Strong value play. Average running position of 14th or 15th in the last three races at Daytona. Finished sixth at Talladega.
21. Elliott Sadler… Strong value play. Average finish of 7.5 last year at Daytona. Finished 24th in the Daytona 500, average running position of 11th.
22. Ryan Newman… Won 2/08 race at Daytona, only one Top 20 since.
23. Joey Logano… Finished 19th and 20th in the last two starts at Daytona.
24. David Reutimann… Finished a career-best fifth in the Daytona 500, average running position of 15th.
25. Marcos Ambrose… Average finish of 11.5 in ‘09 races at Daytona, DNF (engine) in the Daytona 500.
26. Brad Keselowski… Average finish of 30.0 in two career starts at Daytona.
27. Scott Speed… Finished 19th at Daytona, 15th at Talladega. Y!-C2
28. Paul Menard… Average running position of 22nd or 24th in the last three races at Daytona. Y!-C3
29. Reed Sorenson… Long shot value play. Finished ninth in last year’s Daytona 500. Average finish of 23.4 in eight career starts at Daytona. Y!-C4
30. Bobby Labonte… Average running position of 22nd or 25th in the last four races at Daytona.
31. Regan Smith… Average finish of 26.6 in five career starts at Daytona.
32. Sam Hornish Jr…. Average finish of 29.0 in five career starts at Daytona.
33. Robby Gordon… Finished 28th at Daytona, 20th at Talladega.
34. David Stremme… Finished 27th at Talladega.
35. Travis Kvapil… Finished 29th at Daytona, 18th at Talladega.
36. Kevin Conway… Finished 30th at Talladega.
37. Michael McDowell… Finished 33rd at Daytona.
38. Mike Bliss… DNF due to crash at Daytona, finished 10th at Talladega.
39. Max Papis… DNFs at both Daytona and Talladega.
40. Robert Richardson Jr…. Finished 31st at Daytona, finished 26th at Talladega.
41. Joe Nemechek… Possible start and park.
42. Dave Blaney… Possible start and park.
43. J.J. Yeley… Possible start and park.
44. Todd Bodine… Possible start and park.
45. Steve Park… Possible start and park. No Cup starts since ‘03.

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