NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: 2011 Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami

November 18, 2011

Expert Website Pick to Win Finish Experts Avg
Josh Lobdell Tony Stewart 1 12.06
Jerry Lagger One and Done Game Winner Carl Edwards 2 12.78
Dennis Michelsen RaceTalkRadio.com Tony Stewart 1 12.33
Steve Wronkowicz On Pit Row Brad Keselowski 20 13.72
Eric McClung KFFL Carl Edwards 2 13.19
Eric McGuire free agent Carl Edwards 2 14.42
Dan Beaver Fantasy Racing Games Carl Edwards 2 12.89
Matt Mercer On Pit Row Carl Edwards 2 15.17
Adam Ansell Roto Experts no pick
Chris Leone On Pit Row A J Allmendinger 15 12.81
Bob Ellis NASCAR Ranting and Raving Carl Edwards 2 12.53
CharlieTurner On Pit Row Carl Edwards 2 13.83
Jordan McAbee On Pit Row Carl Edwards 2 12.14
Jon Rodgers Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner Carl edwards 2 11.17
James Jones On Pit Row Carl Edwards 2 12.36
Mike Wells Racing4Glory.com Carl Edwards 2 11.97
Darren Fauth FantasyRacingCheatSheet Carl Edwards 2 9.56
P J Walsh FantasyNASCARPreview.com Carl Edwards 2 11.83
Charles Rantz ifantasyrace.com Carl Edwards 2 13.72

Fantasy Racing Darkhorse Picks: Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami

November 18, 2011

Expert Website Pick to Win Finish Experts Avg
Josh Lobdel David Ragan 38 13.44
Jerry Lagger One and Done Game Winner Kasey Kahne 7 14.42
Dennis Michelsen RaceTalkRadio.com Marcos Ambrose 39 16.83
Steve Wronkowicz On Pit Row Martin Truex Jr 3 15.69
Eric McClung KFFL Kasey Kahne 7 14.64
Eric McGuire free agent Greg Biffle 35 16.72
Dan Beaver Fantasy Racing Games A J Allmendinger 15 15.19
Matt Mercer On Pit Row Marcos Ambrose 39 13.92
Adam Ansell Roto Experts no pick
Chris Leone On Pit Row A J Allmendinger 15 22.11
Bob Ellis NASCAR Ranting and Raving Clint Bowyer 6 16.69
CharlieTurner On Pit Row Kasey Kahne 7 12.81
Jordan McAbee On Pit Row A J Allmendinger 15 14.92
Jon Rodgers Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner Mark Martin 24 15.56
James Jones On Pit Row Greg Biffle 35 14.08
Mike Wells Racing4Glory.com Greg Biffle 35 13.19
Darren Fauth FantasyRacingCheatSheet Martin Truex Jr 3 13.28
P J Walsh FantasyNASCARPreview.com Kasey Kahne 7 15.44
Charles Rantz ifantasyrace.com A J Allmendinger 15 14.44

Fantasy NASCAR Preview: Homestead - Ford 400

November 16, 2011

Well, this it it. It’s been a fun 2011 season, and this Sunday champions will finally be crowned–both in NASCAR as well as fantasy leagues worldwide. We will have the normal schedule this weekend: two practices on Friday, qualifying Saturday, and then the race on Sunday. I would like to quickly thank everyone that took the time to read my articles this season, and I hope you continue reading next year. Now without further ado, my final fantasy preview for the 2011 NASCAR season…

During The Last Race At Homestead…Carl Edwards started from the outside pole and pretty much dominated the entire race, leading 190 of the 267 laps en route to his second victory of the 2010 season. He had a perfect driver rating of 150.0. Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson wrapped up his fifth-straight championship by finishing 2nd, and Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, and A.J. Allmendinger followed him to the line to round out the top 5. Yes, I said Aric Almirola. Pole-sitter Kasey Kahne, who was driving Brian Vickers‘ the Red Bull Toyota, finished 6th.

Top Fifteen Ranking Entering The Ford 400:
*Chase participants marked in red*

1. Carl Edwards - Cousin Carl was my pick to win the championship before the season started, and I’m not going to change my mind now. In fact, I think he has a great chance to cap off his first championship season with his third career win at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In seven career starts at this track, Carl has just one finish outside of the top 8 (a 14th in his first race here) and an average finish of 5.7. As I said before, Edwards dominated the race here last season, and also pretty much dominated the race here in 2008 when he led 157 laps before taking the checkered flag. And–I’m mentioning this for the final time this season–Carl hasn’t finished worse than 11th in Sprint Cup action since August.

2. Tony Stewart - Close but no cigar, Smoke. Stewart has put up a great run, but I just don’t see him taking the championship away from Edwards unless the #99 Ford has some mechanical issues or something. Tony’s record at Homestead isn’t stellar (12.4 average finish in twelve starts), but he won here in 1999 and 2000 and has two top 10s in the last three races here. As fast as the #14 Chevrolet has been lately, don’t be surprised if he’s top 5 all day on Sunday.

3. Kevin Harvick - “Happy” has never visited victory lane at Homestead, but I’m sure he will soon. In the last five races here, Harvick has ended up in the top 5 in four of them and his average finish of 7.9 is second-best in the series. In his ten career starts here, Kevin’s worst finish has been 20th and only two of those races ended without Harvick in the top 10.

4. Kasey Kahne - I wouldn’t be surprised one bit to see Kasey Kahne up there fighting for his second straight win at the end of the Ford 400 on Sunday. He hasn’t been great at Homestead (four finishes outside of the top 15 in seven races) but it’s hard to go against a driver and team that’s this hot. Kahne won the pole in this race last season and went on to finish 6th. He also has the best average start at Homestead (7.9) of anyone in the series.

5. Matt Kenseth - It’s a pretty risky pick right now, but as long as Brian Vickers doesn’t wreck him, I’m expecting a solid top 5 out of Matt Kenseth this Sunday. This is nowhere near his best track (average finish of 18.8 in eleven starts) but Homestead is an intermediate track and he does drive for Jack Roush. Kenseth dominated the race here in 2007 en route to his second victory of that season, and in the last six races here he has finished 13th or better five times. If you put Matt on your roster this weekend, though, you better hope he doesn’t try to pay back Vickers, considering his championship hopes are gone.

6. A.J. Allmendinger - Five: that’s the number of top 11s The Dinger has in the last seven Sprint Cup races. So, momentum? Check. Coming into his best track (statistically)? Check. A.J. has made three starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway and hasn’t finished worse than 11th. Last season, he started 5th and finished 5th in this race. Allmendinger is becoming a consistent driver in NASCAR’s top series, and I’m sure he’s one of the drivers that are extremely excited for the 2012 season to start. Sleeper for the Chase next year? I guess we’ll find out.

7. Jimmie Johnson - I’m sure he hasn’t been running at 100% in the last few races here, but his finishes sure don’t show that. Johnson has two straight top 5 finishes here and has led at least one lap in each of the last five races here. What concerns me, though, is how uncharacteristically awful this team has been in the Chase, and that’s the main reason I have Jimmie ranked in 7th. If he looks off in practice, I’ll probably have “Five Time” on my avoid list this weekend. His average finish in ten starts at Homestead is 11.6, which is fifth-best in the series.

8. Kyle Busch - I don’t think there will be any other driver more determined to have a good run in Homestead this weekend than “Rowdy” Busch. His finishes have been nowhere near great at this track–with just one top 10 in six career starts–but Kyle hasn’t ran that bad at all, having a driver rating of at least 85.0 in four of the last five races. I can see why people will avoid Busch this weekend, but if you’re willing to take a risk, I think “Rowdy” will be your best bet on Sunday.

9. Martin Truex, Jr. - Yep, Truex ruined many rosters of mine in Phoenix, too, but it’s good to have a short memory in fantasy racing. Homestead is the best track on the circuit for Martin and he’s been a pretty sure pick here for the last five years. In those five races, Truex has led a total of 92 laps and his worst finish has been 11th. He has also completed every single lap ran during that span and has an average driver rating of 107.4 over those five races. Coming into the season I thought Truex might be able to grab a victory in this race, but now I think just a solid top 10 is what he will be able to end the 2011 season with.

10. Greg Biffle - The good news? The Biff has nine top 15 finishes in the last eleven Sprint Cup races, and this team showed that they could finally put a full race together in Texas, where Biffle finished 5th. Even better news? Greg won three straight races here from 2004 to 2006. You’re probably thinking that there has to be some bad news, too. Kind of. Since those wins, Biffle’s best finish has been 10th, but that came last year. Also, his average finish of 13.1 here makes Homestead his fifth-best track on the circuit. It’s an intermediate course so I don’t see any reason as to why the Roushkateers won’t all have solid races.

11. Jeff Burton - All of this talk about the Edwards/Stewart battle and Kasey Kahne’s hot streak have really overshadowed Jeff Burton’s recent success. In the last four Sprint Cup races, Burton has three finishes of 6th or better, and those account for all but one of his four top 10s for this entire season. He finished 2nd here in 2009 and 8th in 2007, but his other two races here (in 2008 and last season, 2010) ended with 40th and 31st-place finishes. I think Burton will challenge for another top 10 this week, though, and end this disastrous season on a high note.

12. Denny Hamlin - Hamlin finished 33rd in his first ever start at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but in the five races since, he hasn’t finished worse than 14th and has amassed three top 5s, including his victory here in 2009. Denny hasn’t been great on the intermediates this year–especially recently–so I like him for a solid teens finish instead of a potential top 5. If he impresses me in practice, though, I may bump Hamlin up in my final rankings of the weekend.

13. Kurt Busch - If you’re someone who notices patterns and makes fantasy decisions based on them, then Kurt Busch would be a perfect pick for you this weekend. Since 2001, the elder Busch brother has posted a top 5 finish in every other race at Homestead. For example, he finished 4th in 2009, 2nd in 2007, 5th in 2004 (he didn’t race in 2005), and won the race in 2002. Last season, Kurt ended up 18th, and finished 43rd in 2008 as well as 2006. In 2003, he ended up 36th.

14. Clint Bowyer - Clint has made five career starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway but he has been pretty consistent in all of them. He finished 39th here in 2007, but in the other four races Bowyer has ended up 10th, 5th, 11th, and 12th. Obviously, I think he’ll be a solid pick for a top 15, but I just don’t see much more than that for Clint this weekend. I hope he enjoys his final race with RCR, though, because I don’t see him competing much next year at MWR.

15. Trevor Bayne - Heck, why not? Bayne stays out of trouble on the intermediate tracks and usually ends up with a mid-teens finish. In the #21 Ford last season for this race was Bill Elliott, and he qualified 4th and finished 15th. I see no reason why Trevor can’t replicate that, or maybe even finish a little bit higher. He’s on the preliminary entry list for the Ford 400 so I’m assuming he’s going to race.

Those To Avoid Entering The Ford 400:

Brian Vickers - I don’t even see how this guy is racing this week to be honest with you. The only thing you can probably count on this weekend is that Brian Vickers may mess up many fantasy rosters. He has made seven career starts at Homestead, but Brian’s average finish is 30th and he’s only completed 81.4% of the laps ran. Have fun in the Nationwide series next year, “Sheriff.”

David Reutimann - What’s he got to race for, really? Chances are Reutimann won’t be racing next season (in the Sprint Cup series at least), and despite finishing 7th last week in Phoenix, I’m not convinced that this team has anything left in the tank for the season finale. David won the pole here in 2008 but his best finish in four career starts has been 15th.

Marcos Ambrose - I have Ambrose on the avoid list simply because he is so bad here (average finish of 34.3 in three career starts), but I’m going to make a case as to how he may be a deep–make that very deep–sleeper on Sunday. First, Marcos has had some strong runs on the intermediates this season (most recently at Texas where he ran top 5 for most of the race). Second, he has some momentum, with five finishes of 11th or better in the last seven Sprint Cup races after he brought the #9 home in 8th last week in Phoenix. Finally, Aric Almirola posted a 4th-place finish in this race last season in the same car, as he was subbing for Kasey Kahne. I’ll personally be keeping an eye on Ambrose in practice, and if he looks good I may just take a chance.

Scouting Report: Ford 400

November 15, 2011

HomesteadHow to make an informed fantasy pick for the Ford 400:

1) Pick the best intermediate track drivers of the year. You’ll never have better information then you will this week. You’ve just watched 10 months of racing.

2) Practice makes perfect. As is the case with every intermediate track practice (Happy Hour on Friday this week) is what separates the contenders from the pretenders.

3) Pick drivers with momentum. At the end of the season some teams step up their game and others are getting out the golf clubs. Pick the drivers who have looked good in recent weeks.

4) Because of the progressive banking and the ability for passing qualifying is an overrated variable this week

Drivers to watch this week:

Tony Stewart – Now’s not the time to bet against Stewart. He’s a man on a mission and won the last time the series visited an intermediate track. He has won at Homestead before but that win doesn’t hold any relevancy because the track was under a different configuration at the time. His recent history is nothing to brag about but he did finish 8th last year (17th place average running position).

Carl Edwards – Edwards is the defending champion of the Ford 400 and he has six consecutive top seven finishes in NASCAR’s season finale. Last year Edwards recorded a perfect 150 driver rating and led 190 laps. Edwards also might provide vital qualifying points this week. Last year he started second and in 2008 he started fourth. Since 2005 Edwards has a 4.3 average finish (best in series) and a 7.5 average running position (best in series).

Kevin Harvick – Harvick has never won at Homestead but his 3rd (2008), 2nd (2009) and 3rd (2010) in the last three races is pretty impressive. His 2.6 average finish in this stretch is even better than Carl Edwards (3.0). If I were to pick Harvick at any intermediate track on the schedule this is the race I would pick him. In the last three races his average running position (6.3) is tied for the best in the series and no driver has ran more laps in the top fifteen then him (94.8% of laps).

Matt Kenseth – Kenseth won this race in 2007 and more importantly he’s in a Ford. Beyond the Blue Oval brigade theirs only a handful of drivers who will be in the mix for the win at Homestead-Miami. Last season Kenseth finished 9th and had a 7th place average running position. His 107.7 driver rating ranked as the 5th best.

Kasey Kahne – Kahne has been a top tier intermediate track driver throughout the Chase. I don’t expect the Ford 400 to be any different. Last year in his Red Bull Toyota he started on the pole and finished 6th. In the last three intermediate track races he’s finished 3rd (Texas), 4th (Charlotte) and 2nd (Kansas).

Racing4Glory.com Stat Center:

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com Driver Momentum Over The Last 5 Races:

  1. Tony Stewart
  2. Carl Edwards
  3. Kasey Kahne
  4. Denny Hamlin
  5. Jeff Burton
  6. Greg Biffle
  7. Clint Bowyer
  8. AJ Allmendinger
  9. Martin Treux Jr.
  10. Marcos Ambrose

VegasInsider.com Odds To Win:

  • Carl Edwards 5/2
  • Tony Stewart 7/2
  • Matt Kenseth 7/1
  • Jimmie Johnson 8/1
  • Kyle Busch 9/1
  • Kevin Harvick 10/1
  • Jeff Gordon
  • Kasey Kahne 18/1
  • Greg Biffle 18/1
  • Denny Hamlin 18/1

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

November 17, 2010

Expert Website Pick to Win Finish Experts Avg
Josh Lobdell FFToolbox Deny Hamlin 14 13.86
Jerry Lagger One and Done Game Winner Denny Hamlin 14 11.19
Dennis Michelsen RaceTalkRadio.com Kevin Harvick 3 10.19
Tall Glass of Milk Answerthis.com Carl Edwards 1 11.19
Eric McClung On Pit Row Carl Edwards 1 13.25
Eric McGuire free agent Jimmie Johnson 2 9.81
Dan Beaver Fantasy Racing Games Carl Edwards 1 10.61
Matt Mercer On Pit Row Kyle Busch 32 13.58
Adam Ansell Roto Experts Denny Hamlin 14 13.39  
Chris Leone On Pit Row Kevin Harvick 3 11.67
Bob Ellis NASCAR Ranting and Raving Carl Edwards 1 10.47
CharlieTurner On Pit Row Jimmie Johnson 2 13.56
Lou Lauer USAR Fans Carl Edwards 1 11.78
Jon Rodgers Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner Jimmie Johnson 2 13.22
James Jones On Pit Row Denny Hamlin 14 14.06
Ryan Rantz On Pit Row Denny Hamlin 14 10.94
Darren Fauth Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet Jimmie Johnson 2 12.94
P J Walsh FantasyNASCARPreview.com Denny Hamlin 14 11.42
Charles Rantz ifantasyrace.com Carl Edwards 1 14.00

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Expert Darkhorse Picks: Ford 400 at Homestead

November 17, 2010

The On Pit Row fantasy racing experts opinions of the best Sprint Cup driver currently outside the top 12 in Sprint Cup Series points, for this weekends race.

Expert Website Pick to Win Finish Experts Avg
Matt Mercer On Pit Row Joey Logano 39 16.53
James Jones On Pit Row Joey Logano 39 14.36
Josh Lobdell FFToolbox Jamie McMurray 21 19.53
Dennis Mickelson RaceTalkRadio.com Joey Logano 39 12.31
Jon Rodgers Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner Mark Martin 16 15.75
Jerry LaggerEric McGuire One and Done Game WinnerFree agent Ryan NewmanDale Earnhardt Jr 727 13.3914.44
Charlie Turner On Pit Row Joey Logano 39 15.67
Tall Glass of Milk Answerthis.com Mark Martin 16 12.44
Adam Ansell Roto Experts Joey Logano 39 15.25  
Charles Rantz ifantasyrace.com David Ragan 20 13.69
Darren Fauth Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet Mark Martin 16 14.97
Lou Lauer USAR Fans Martin Truex Jr 11 14.83
Ryan Rantz On Pit Row Joey Logano 39 16.64
Eric McClung On Pit Row Martin Truex Jr 11 17.69
P J Walsh FantasyNASCARPreview.com Joey Logano 39 16.03
Bob Ellis NASCAR Ranting and Raving Mark Martin 16 16.28
Chris Leone On Pit Row Joey Logano 39 20.25
Dan Beaver Fantasy Racing Games Joey Logano 39 13.00

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway

November 16, 2010

Totally reconfigured in 2003, Homestead-Miami Speedway is a 1.5-mile track that features variable banking in the corners that gradually increases from 18 degrees on the bottom to 20 at the top. Since the track only hosts the season finale, it is more important to consider a driver’s momentum and overall success on intermediate tracks this season in addition to historical stats at Homestead.

Chasing the pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway

  1. Jimmie Johnson… Two poles in the last three starts at Homestead.
  2. Scott Speed… Qualified on the outside pole in both career starts at Homestead.

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.
  1. Jimmie Johnson… Average running position of 12th or better with at least one lap led in four straight starts at Homestead.
  2. Denny Hamlin… Won 2009 race at Homestead, average running position of ninth or better in three straight starts.
  3. Kevin Harvick… Three Top Fives in the last four starts at Homestead, seven Top 10s in nine career starts.
  4. Carl Edwards… Won 2008 race at Homestead, five straight Top 10s- has never held an average running position worse than 15th.
  5. Jeff Gordon… Nine Top 10s, five Top Fives in 11 career starts at Homestead.
  6. Mark Martin… Finished 12th or better in three of the last four starts at Homestead.
  7. Clint Bowyer… Three finishes of 11th or better in four career starts at Homestead.
  8. Kyle Busch… Finished a career-best eighth last year at Homestead, average running position of 10th or better in two straight.
  9. Matt Kenseth… Won 2007 race at Homestead, average running position of seventh or better in three of the last four starts.
  10. Joey Logano… Finished 24th last year in first career Cup start at Homestead, 7.0 in two Nationwide starts.
  11. Kurt Busch… Won 2002 race at Homestead, three Top Fives in the last five starts- two DNFs due to crash.
  12. Tony Stewart… Two-time winner (1999, 2000) at Homestead, average running position of eighth or better in two of the last three starts.
  13. Jeff Burton… Runner-up last year at Homestead, first Top Five since 2003.
  14. Greg Biffle… Three-time winner (2004-06) at Homestead, average finish of 15.0 in the last three starts.
  15. Martin Truex Jr…. Four straight Top 10s at Homestead.
  16. A.J. Allmendinger… Finished 11th and 10th in two career starts at Homestead.
  17. Juan Pablo Montoya… Average running position of 12th in two of the last three starts at Homestead.
  18. Jamie McMurray… Average finish of 15.8 in eight career starts at Homestead.
  19. David Reutimann… Average running positions of eighth and 16th in the last two starts at Homestead.
  20. Ryan Newman… Average running position of 18th or better in four of the last five starts at Homestead, one Top 10.
  21. Kasey Kahne… Average finish of 17.5 in six career starts at Homestead, two Top 10s.
  22. David Ragan… Average running position of 14th or better in two of the last three starts at Homestead.
  23. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Average finish of 23.9 in 10 career starts at Homestead, two Top 15s.
  24. Brad Keselowski… Average finish of 24.0 in two career starts at Homestead.
  25. Paul Menard… Average finish of 27.0 in four career starts at Homestead.
  26. Marcos Ambrose… Led four laps at Homestead last year, finished 35th.
  27. Sam Hornish Jr…. Held an average running position of 17th last year at Homestead, finished 21st.
  28. Scott Speed… Average finish of 21.5 in two career starts at Homestead.
  29. Bill Elliott… Won 2001 race at Homestead, finished 12th and 16th in the last two starts.
  30. Aric Almirola… Finished 35th in only career start at Homestead (2008).
  31. Casey Mears… Average running position of 16th or better in three straight starts at Homestead.
  32. Regan Smith… Average finish of 33.0 in four career starts at Homestead.
  33. Elliott Sadler… Average finish of 28.4 in 11 career starts at Homestead.
  34. Dave Blaney… Average finish of 19.4 in nine career starts at Homestead.
  35. Bobby Labonte… Won 2003 race at Homestead, average finish of 32.4 since 2005.
  36. Travis Kvapil… Average finish of 28.4 in five career starts at Homestead.
  37. David Gilliland… Average finish of 30.2 in four career starts at Homestead.
  38. Robby Gordon… Average finish of 28.9 in eight career starts at Homestead.
  39. Patrick Carpentier… Finished 40th in only career start at Homestead (2007).
  40. Andy Lally… Possible start and park.
  41. Joe Nemechek… Likely start and park.
  42. Landon Cassill… Likely start and park.
  43.  J.J. Yeley… Likely start and park.
  44. Mike Bliss… Likely start and park.
  45. Michael McDowell… Likely start and park. Two straight DNQs.

NASCAR Fantasy Tool 2009 Average Finish at Las Vegas, Chicagoland, Kansas and Homestead-Miami [Low-banked 1.5 mile tracks]

February 23, 2010

This table show the average finish of 38 drivers in the four races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway during the 2009 season. All of these tracks are 1.5 mile tracks that feature corner backing ranging from 15 to 20 degrees.

LV CHI KAN M-H AVERAGE
Jeff Gordon 6 2 2 6 4.0
Denny Hamlin 22 5 5 1 8.3
Kasey Kahne 11 3 6 17 9.3
David Reutimann 4 12 8 15 9.8
Clint Bowyer 2 9 21 11 10.8
Jimmie Johnson 24 8 9 5 11.5
Carl Edwards 17 14 10 7 12.0
Tony Stewart 26 4 1 22 13.3
Kyle Busch 1 33 12 8 13.5
Greg Biffle 7 31 3 14 13.8
Kurt Busch 23 17 11 4 13.8
Kevin Harvick 12 19 24 3 14.5
Mark Martin 40 1 7 12 15.0
Jeff Burton 3 37 23 2 16.3
Brian Vickers 8 7 37 20 18.0
A.J. Allmendinger 33 13 17 10 18.3
Martin Truex, Jr. 32 16 16 9 18.3
Ryan Newman 25 6 22 23 19.0
Jamie McMurray 9 22 31 18 20.0
Marcos Ambrose 20 11 14 35 20.0
Joey Logano 13 18 28 24 20.8
Juan Pablo Montoya 31 10 4 38 20.8
Bill Elliott 29 19 16 21.3
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 10 15 36 28 22.3
Casey Mears 30 28 15 19 23.0
Sam Hornish, Jr. 16 38 18 21 23.3
Bobby Labonte 5 21 43 31 25.0
Regan Smith 19 32 25.5
Brad Keselowski 38 32 13 25 27.0
Scott Speed 21 36 27 27 27.8
David Gilliland 14 42 29 28.3
Elliott Sadler 29 27 20 41 29.3
Matt Kenseth 43 23 39 13 29.5
Robby Gordon 15 34 34 39 30.5
Paul Menard 35 35 30 26 31.5
David Ragan 42 25 35 34 34.0
Max Papis 36 32 34.0
Aric Almirola 39 39.0

NASCAR Power Rankings: Chase Edition 2009 Final

November 24, 2009

Change from last week

Who's Up

Change from last week

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.
NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 1st

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 2nd

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 3rd

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 4th

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 5th

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 6th

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 7th

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 8th

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 9th

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 10th

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 11th

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.

NASCAR Power Ranking On Pit Row

Rank: 12th

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 Fantasy Experts Picks: Ford 400 from Homestead Miami Speedway

November 18, 2009

Expert Website Pick to Win Finish Experts Avg
Ryan Rantz On Pit Row Mark Martin 12 8.26
James Jones On Pit Row Denny Hamlin 1 8.29
Dennis Michelsen RaceTalkRadio.com Carl Edwards 7 9.43
Yahoo Users Yahoo! Sports Mark Martin 12 10.37
Gerritt Ritt FOX Sports Matt Kenseth 13 10.51
Mike Harmon FOX Sports Jeff Gordon 6 11.11
Eric Brewer Mark Martin 12 11.40
Roger Rotter FOX Sports Ryan Newman 23 11.57
Cheryl Lauer Speed Couch Greg Biffle 14 11.71
Eric McClung On Pit Row Jeff Gordon 6 11.97
Darren Fauth Fantasy NASCAR Names Greg Biffle 14 12.49
CharlieTurner On Pit Row Juan Pablo Montoya 38 12.60
Lou Lauer USAR Fans Greg Biffle 14 12.63
Eric McGuire FFToolbox Matt Kenseth 13 12.89
P J Walsh FantasyNASCARPreview.com Mark Martin 12 13.06
Bob Ellis NASCAR Ranting and Raving Mark Martin 12 16.74
Jon Rodgers Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner Kurt Busch 4 17.94

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