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Scouting Report: Charlotte

How to make an informed Fantasy Pick for Charlotte:

1) It’s very important to study what happened in recent intermediate track races. If a driver was good at Kansas and Chicagoland the chances are pretty good that they’ll be good at Charlotte. The geometry of Charlotte is different from the two but remember you’re a fantasy racer, not a crew chief.

2) At Charlotte I like to pick drivers who have momentum. Weird things happen and in my opinion it’s the second most volatile track in the Chase. My method for avoiding drivers who might potentially have problems is picking drivers with momentum.

3) There’s plenty of track history at Charlotte and it’s important to study. You don’t want to dig to deep into the history books though.

4) Practice is really important at Charlotte. There won’t be any practice sessions that simulate race conditions but you want to hear a driver say their car drives good and they have adjustablity built in.

5) Qualifying is always a plus to have but the best drivers always get to the front. Picking a driver who starts up front is an understandable tie breaker when it comes to picking drivers but don’t base your team on it.

Fast Five at Charlotte:

1) Jimmie Johnson – This track isn’t called Lowes Motor Speedway anymore but it’s still Jimmie Johnson’s house. In twenty races at Charlotte Johnson has six wins and fourteen top tens. Earlier this year Johnson finished 28th but I’m not the least bit concerned (engine blew up with about 5 laps remaining). Perhaps the most surprising thing is that he didn’t lead any laps. His failure to lead a lap snapped a 18 race streak of leading laps at Charlotte. Johnson has been exceptional at every intermediate track recently (Kansas -1st, Chicagoland – 10th, Atlanta – 2nd, Michigan – 2nd, Kentucky – 3rd) and he’ll unquestionably be the favorite in the Bank of America 500.

Charlotte Motor Speedway Stats:

• Six wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 10.8 in 20 races
• Series-best Average Running Position of 8.2
• Series-best Driver Rating of 112.8
• Series-high 428 Fastest Laps Run
• 950 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
• Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 176.082 mph
• Series-high 3,917 Laps in the Top 15 (84.5%)

2) Matt Kenseth – In the Coca Cola 600 Matt Kenseth led more laps than anyone (103) and had the highest driver rating (124.4). His 14th place finish doesn’t truly reflect how good he was (6th place avg running position). In the last five Charlotte races Kenseth has been extremely consistent. His average finish is 8.4 and he’s raced in the top fifteen for 80.9% of the laps run. In 2000 Matt Kenseth won his first race at Charlotte.

Charlotte Motor Speedway Stats:

• One win, six top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.9 in 24 races
• Average Running Position of 15.3, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 92.1, fifth-best
• 217 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
• 941 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 175.044 mph, ninth-fastest
• 2,892 Laps in the Top 15 (62.4%), fourth-most

3) Kyle Busch – In this years running of the Coca Cola 600 Kyle Busch finished 32nd (accident, led 55 laps). However in the seven previous races he had an average finish of 4.1 (best in the series) and his loop data numbers are in a league of his own (most laps led – 505, most points scored, best average running position – 6th, and best driver rating – 120.7).

Charlotte Motor Speedway Stats:

• Five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 17.7 in 15 races
• Average Running Position of 10.4, second-best
• Driver Rating of 106.5, second-best
• 362 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• 879 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 175.935 mph, second-fastest
• 3,601 Laps in the Top 15 (77.6%), second-most

4) Carl Edwards – Edwards has only finished in the top ten once in the last six Charlotte races. In the global perspective of his career he’s had lots of success at Charlotte. His 13.3 average finish is a testament to that. It ranks as the 3rd best average finish in the series (since 2004). What I really like about Carl is his results at recent similar tracks (Kansas – 5th, Chicagoland – 4th, Atlanta – 5th, Kentucky – 5th).

Charlotte Motor Speedway Stats:

• Four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 13.3 in 13 races
• Average Running Position of 16.7, 12th-best
• Driver Rating of 86.1, 11th-best
• 99 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
• 1,019 Green Flag Passes, third-most
• 2,445 Laps in the Top 15 (52.7%), 11th-most

5) Kurt Busch – Last year Kurt Busch won the All-Star race and the following week he won the Coca Cola 600. He completely missed the setup in the fall race which was surprising (finished 30th). In this years Coca Cola 600 he finished 4th. His overall history is terrible at Charlotte but he’s arguably been the best 1.5 mile track racer in 2011.

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

• One win, five top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 19.7 in 22 races
• Average Running Position of 17.4, 14th-best
• Driver Rating of 85.1, 13th-best
• 171 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• 2,487 Laps in the Top 15 (53.6%), 10th-most

To see my complete Charlotte Fantasy Rankings check out my Fantasy Preview

Top Non-Chase Sleeper for the Bank of America 500:

Kasey Kahne – Charlotte has always been a good track for Kahne. He’s a three time winner and he’s a master of the high line around the track. Earlier this year Kahne finished 22nd but he was much better than that. On the last restart of the race he restarted on the front row but as soon as the green flag waved he ran out of gas.

Racing4Glory.com Stat Center:

• Charlotte Bank of America 500 Pre Race Loop Data Book
• Box Score (loop data) from the Coca Cola 600
• Charlotte Driver Ratings
• Schedule of events

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com Momentum Over The Last Five Races:

1. Carl Edwards
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Kurt Busch
5. Tony Stewart
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Kyle Busch
8. Matt Kensth
9. David Ragan
10. Clint Bowyer

COT Charlotte Race Winners:

• Kevin Harvick (2011)
• Jamie McMurray (2010)
• Kurt Busch (2010)
• Jimmie Johnson (2009)
• David Reutimann (2009)
• Jeff Burton (2008)
• Kasey Kahne (2008)

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Bank of America 500 from Charlotte

A total of four races have already been held on the three 1.5-mile cookie-cutter tracks with 24 degrees of corner banking, including the June event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Be sure to also include the results from Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway when making fantasy selections. While the wear on each of these tracks will cause the speeds to vary, the skills and setup required to succeed are similar.

Top 10 Drivers thus far on 1.5 mi x 24° tracks

	ATL1	TX1	CHR1	ATL2	AVG
Kurt Busch	1	4	1	6	3.0
Kyle Busch	25	3	3	5	9.0
Matt Kenseth	2	20	10	11	10.8
Ryan Newman	17	11	9	8	11.3
A.J. Allmendinger	6	13	14	18	12.8
Kasey Kahne	4	5	12	32	13.3
Jimmie Johnson	12	2	37	3	13.5
Kevin Harvick	9	7	11	33	15.0
Jeff Burton	20	12	25	4	15.3
Tony Stewart	13	32	15	1	15.3

 Chasing the pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway

1. Ryan Newman… Won two of the last three poles at Charlotte. Started second in September start at Atlanta.
2. Jimmie Johnson… Won two of the last four poles at Charlotte.
3. Kasey Kahne… Five qualifying efforts of sixth or better over the last six starts at Charlotte.

Here’s an explanation of the highlighted text in the rankings.  Download a printer-friendly version here.

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

1. Jimmie Johnson… Six-time winner (10/09, 05 sweep, 04 sweep, 5/03) at Charlotte, laps led in 17 straight starts. Y!-A1
2. Jeff Gordon… Five-time winner (10/07, 10/99, 5/98, 5/97, 5/94) at Charlotte, finished of eighth or better five of the last six starts. Y!-A2
3. Kyle Busch… Six straight finishes of eighth or better at Charlotte, laps led in five. Y!-A3
4. Kurt Busch… Won 5/10 race at Charlotte, led 252 of 400 laps. Average running position of 13th or better in seven straight starts. Y!-A4
5. Kasey Kahne… Three-time winner (5/08, 06 sweep) at Charlotte, average running position of fifth in three of the last five starts. Y!-B1
6. Tony Stewart… Won 10/03 race at Charlotte, average running position of 14th or better in five straight, no Top 10s since 07.
7. Clint Bowyer… Average running position of eighth or better in three of the last four starts at Charlotte. Y!-B2
8. Kevin Harvick… Finished 11th in May start at Charlotte, best finish since 10/03. Y!-B3
9. Ryan Newman… Three straight finishes of 11th or better at Charlotte. Y!-B4
10. Jeff Burton… Three-time winner (10/08, 5/01, 5/99) at Charlotte. Average running position of ninth in May start, finished 25th. Y!-B5
11. Denny Hamlin… Only three Top 10s in 10 career starts at Charlotte, 18.5 average finish.
12. Mark Martin… Four-time winner (5/02, 10/98, 10/95, 10/92) at Charlotte, has never held an average running position worse than 15th.
13. Matt Kenseth… Won 5/00 race at Charlotte, four Top 10s in the last five starts. Y!-B6
14. Carl Edwards… Only one Top 10 in the last four starts at Charlotte. Average finish of 13.2 in 11 career starts.
15. Greg Biffle… Average running position of 15th or 17th in the last three starts at Charlotte.
16. David Reutimann… Won 5/09 race at Charlotte, finished fifth in May start with career-best average running position of fourth, 99.8 percent of laps in the Top 15. Y!-B7
17. Joey Logano… Average running position of 13th or better in all three career starts at Charlotte. Y!-B8
18. Jamie McMurray… Won 10/02 race at Charlotte. Runner-up in May start, average running position of seventh, 94.5 percent of laps in the Top 15.
19. Paul Menard… Finished a career-best eighth in May start Charlotte, average running position of 12th. Y!-C1
20. A.J. Allmendinger… Finished a career-best 14th in May start at Charlotte. Y!-C2
21. Brad Keselowski… Average finish of 16.0 in two career Cup starts at Charlotte.
22. Juan Pablo Montoya… Only one Top 10 in seven career starts at Charlotte, 30.0 average finish.
23. Martin Truex Jr…. Average running position of 18th or better in seven straight starts at Charlotte, only one Top 10.
24. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Average running position of 20th or worse in four straight starts at Charlotte.
25. Sam Hornish Jr…. Average finish of 21.6 in five career starts at Charlotte. Y!-C3
26. David Ragan… Average finish of 23.9 in seven career starts at Charlotte.
27. Elliott Sadler… Average finish of 25.4 in 24 career starts at Charlotte.
28. Bill Elliott… Two-time winner (10/87, 10/84) at Charlotte, average finish of 28.0 in the last two starts. Y!-C4
29. Reed Sorenson… Average finish of 21.6 in eight career starts at Charlotte.
30. Regan Smith… Finished 22nd in May start at Charlotte, average running position of 22nd.
31. Scott Speed… Average finish of 25.3 in three career starts at Charlotte.
32. Marcos Ambrose… Average finish of 28.0 in three career starts at Charlotte.
33. Casey Mears… Won 5/07 race at Charlotte, four finishes of 29th or worse in the six starts since.
34. Travis Kvapil… Average finish of 26.7 in seven career starts at Charlotte.
35. Dave Blaney… Average finish of 25.2 in 20 career starts at Charlotte.
36. Robby Gordon… Average finish of 28.2 in 20 career starts at Charlotte.
37. David Gilliland… Average finish of 29.5 in eight career starts at Charlotte.
38. Kevin Conway… Finished 35th in May start at Charlotte.
39. Patrick Carpentier… DNQ last week.
40. Bobby Labonte… Possible start and park. Two-time winner (10/00, 5/95) at Charlotte, finished 31st in the last two starts.
41. Joe Nemechek… Likely start and park.
42. Michael McDowell… Likely start and park.
43. Andy Lally… Likely start and park.
44. Landon Cassill… Likely start and park.
45. J.J. Yeley… Likely start and park.
46. Jason Leffler… Likely start and park.
47. Jeff Green… Likely start and park.
48. Johnny Sauter… Likely start and park.
49. Scott Riggs… Likely start and park.
50. Mike Bliss… Likely start and park. Two straight DNQs.
51. Brian Keselowski… Two DNQs this season.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Darkhorse Picks: 2010 Bank of America 500

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	Juan Pablo Montoya	11	14.81
James Jones	On Pit Row	Kasey Kahne	38	13.16
Josh Lobdell	FFToolbox	Joey Logano	7	19.16
Dennis Mickelson	RaceTalkRadio.com	Jamie McMurray	1	10.00
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Mark Martin	14	15.39
Jerry LaggerEric McGuire	One and Done Game WinnerFree agent	Mark Martin Mark Martin	1414	13.8713.74
Charlie Turner	On Pit Row	Kasey Kahne	38	14.81
Tall Glass of Milk	Answerthis.com	Mark Martin	14	10.48
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	David Reutimann	9	13.84
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Joey Logano	7	12.77
Darren Fauth	Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet	Kasey Kahne	38	14.90
Lou Lauer	USAR Fans	Kasey Kahne	38	15.16
Ryan Rantz	On Pit Row	Kasey Kahne	38	15.84
Eric McClung	On Pit Row	Kasey Kahne	38	18.23
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Ryan Newman	36	14.26
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Juan Pablo Montoya	11	15.52
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Joey Logano	7	18.39
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Ryan Newman	36	12.35

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: Coca Cola 600 from Charlotte

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Josh Lobdell	FFToolbox	Denny Hamlin	18	10.23
Jerry Lagger	One and Done Game Winner	Jimmie Johnson	37	10.69
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Jimmie Johnson	37	14.15
Tall Glass of Milk	Answerthis.com	Jimmie Johnson	37	14.23
Eric McClung	On Pit Row	Kurt Busch	1	16.00
Eric McGuire	free agent	Jimmie Johnson	37	14.23
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Kyle Busch	3	8.08
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	Denny Hamlin	18	14.38
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	Jimmie Johnson	37	16.46
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Jimmie Johnson	37	16.92
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Kurt Busch	1	11.46
CharlieTurner	On Pit Row	Jimmie Johnson	37	18.77
Lou Lauer	USAR Fans	Jimmie Johnson	37	15.69
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Kyle Busch	3	13.00
James Jones	On Pit Row	Kyle Busch	3	10.23
Ryan Rantz	On Pit Row	Kyle Busch	3	10.46
Darren Fauth	Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet	Jimmie Johnson	37	15.46
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Kyle Busch	3	11.46
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Kurt Busch	1	14.38

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Expert Darkhorse Picks: Coca Cola 600

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	Brad Keselowski	20	17.15
James Jones	On Pit Row	Ryan Newman	9	10.31
Josh Lobdell	FFToolbox	Casey Mears	29	21.23
Dennis Mickelson	RaceTalkRadio.com	Martin Truex Jr	23	12.31
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Tony Stewart	15	12.08
Jerry Lagger Eric McGuire	One and Done Game Winner Free agent	Joey Logano Juan Pablo Montoya	13 38	13.23 13.54
Charlie Turner	On Pit Row	Kasey Kahne	12	11.85
Tall Glass of Milk	Answerthis.com	Ryan Newman	9	8.62
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	Kasey Kahne	12	11.08
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	A J Allmendinger	14	10.85
Darren Fauth	Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet	David Reutimann	5	11.92
Lou Lauer	USAR Fans	Tony Stewart	15	12.23
Ryan Rantz	On Pit Row	Clint Bowyer	7	17.92
Eric McClung	On Pit Row	Kasey Kahne	12	20.15
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Joey Logano	13	11.54
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Tony Stewart	15	13.69
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	David Reutimann	5	20.31
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Kasey Kahne	12	10.38

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Coca Cola 600 from Charlotte

Two races have already been held on 1.5-mile cookie-cutter tracks with 24 degrees of corner banking, similar to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The results from Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway should play an important role to making fantasy selections. The wear on each of these tracks will cause the speeds to vary, but the skills and setup required to succeed are similar.

Top 10 Drivers thus far on 1.5 mi x 24° tracks

	ATL	TX	AVG
Kurt Busch	1	4	2.5
Kasey Kahne	4	5	4.5
Jimmie Johnson	12	2	7
Kevin Harvick	9	7	8
Greg Biffle	8	10	9
A.J. Allmendinger	6	13	9.5
Denny Hamlin	21	1	11
Matt Kenseth	2	20	11
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	15	8	11.5

Chasing the pole at Charlotte

1. Jimmie Johnson… Started fifth in last year’s spring race at Charlotte, won the pole in the fall
2. Ryan Newman… Won the pole in last year’s spring race at Charlotte, started sixth in the fall.
3. Kasey Kahne… Started sixth and third last year at Charlotte. Started fourth at Atlanta, fifth at Texas.

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. Jimmie Johnson… Six-time winner (10/99, ‘05 sweep, ‘04 sweep, 5/03) at Charlotte. Average finish of 8.6 in 17 career starts at Charlotte, had led at least six laps in 16 straight. Y!-A1
2. Jeff Gordon… Five-time winner (10/07, 10/99, 5/98, 5/97, 5/94) at Charlotte. Average finish of 6.2 over the last five races at Charlotte, 183 laps led. Y!-A2
3. Kurt Busch… Won at Atlanta, fourth at Texas. Y!-A3
4. Kyle Busch… Has finished eighth or better in six of the last seven races at Charlotte. Y!-A4
5. Denny Hamlin… Average running position of 15th or better in six of the last eight races at Charlotte. ATL 21st, TX 1st.
6. Kevin Harvick… Finished ninth at Atlanta, seventh at Texas. Y!-B1
7. Matt Kenseth… Won 5/00 race at Charlotte, finished 10th and second last year. Y!-B2
8. Kasey Kahne… Three-time winner (5/08, ‘06 sweep) at Charlotte. Average finish of 5.8 since ‘06. ATL 4th, TX 5th. Y!-B3
9. Greg Biffle… Finished 20th and 16th last year at Charlotte, second and seventh in 2008. ATL eighth, TX 10th.
10. David Reutimann… Won 5/09 race at Charlotte, finished 15th in the fall. Y!-B4
11. Jeff Burton… Three-time winner (10/08, 5/01, 5/99) at Charlotte. Five Top 10 finishes in the last 10 races at Charlotte. Y!-B5
12. Ryan Newman… Finished second and 11th last year at Charlotte. ATL 17th, TX 11th. Y!-B6
13. Mark Martin… Four-time winner (5/02, 10/98, 10/95, 10/92) at Charlotte. Finished 17th in both races last year at Charlotte. Average running position of 15th or better in 10 straight.
14. Tony Stewart… Won 10/03 race at Charlotte. Average finish of 12.4 in the last seven races at Charlotte.
15. Carl Edwards… Has finished ninth and fourth in the last two spring races at Charlotte, 33rd and 39th in the fall.
16. Juan Pablo Montoya… Finished a career-best eighth in last year’s spring race at Charlotte, only Top 20 finish in six career starts.
17. Clint Bowyer… Average finish of 19.0 in eight career starts at Charlotte. Y!-B7
18. Joey Logano… Finished ninth and fifth last year at Charlotte. Y!-B8
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Average running position of 37th in both races last year at Charlotte. ATL 15th, TX 8th
20. AJ Allmendinger… Strong value play. Only one Top 15 finish in six career starts at Charlotte. ATL 6th, TX 13th. Y!-C1
21. Martin Truex Jr…. Average running position of 18th or better in six straight races at Charlotte.
22. Brad Keselowski… Started eighth, finished 12th in last year’s fall race at Charlotte.
23. Jamie McMurray… Won 10/02 race at Charlotte. Only two Top 10 finishes at Charlotte since ‘06. Average finish of 17.6 in 15 career starts.
24. Scott Speed… Finished 10th at Atlanta, 16th at Texas. Y!-C2
25. Marcos Ambrose… Average finish of 24.0 last at Charlotte. ATL 11th, TX 17th.
26. Sam Hornish Jr…. Has finished 13th and 16th in the last two spring races at Charlotte. Average finish of 22.8 in four career starts. Y!-C3
27. Paul Menard… Average finish of 26.5 in six career starts at Charlotte. Y!-C4
28. Bill Elliott… Long shot value play. Finished 15th, 29th last year at Charlotte. ATL 16th, TX 25th
29. Regan Smith… Average finish of 21.0 in ‘08 at Charlotte, no starts last year. ATL 14th, TX 21st
30. David Stremme… Average finish of 21.3 in seven career starts at Charlotte.
31. David Ragan… Average finish of 22.0 last year at Charlotte.
32. Bobby Labonte… Two-time winner at Charlotte. Finished 22nd at Atlanta, 23rd at Texas.
33. Casey Mears… Won 5/07 race at Charlotte, only one Top 10 since.
34. Elliott Sadler… Average finish of 25.6 in 23 career starts at Charlotte.
35. David Gilliland… Average finish of 26.0 last year at Charlotte.
36. Travis Kvapil… Finished 30th at Atlanta, 24th at Texas.
37. Kevin Conway… Finished 31st at Atlanta, 27th at Texas.
38. Robby Gordon… Average finish of 27.9 in 19 career starts at Charlotte.
39. Max Papis… Finished 34th at Atlanta, 22nd at Texas.
40. Tommy Baldwin Racing TBA entry (Johnny Sauter?)… Possible start and park.
41. J.J. Yeley… Likely start and park.
42. Reed Sorenson… Likely start and park.
43. Mike Bliss… Likely start and park.
44. Joe Nemechek… Likely start and park.
45. Michael McDowell… Likely start and park.
46. Dave Blaney… Likely start and park.
47. Todd Bodine… Likely start and park.

Printable NASCAR TV Schedule for May 2010

NASCAR Fantasy Tool 2009 Average Finish at Atlanta, Texas and Charlotte [24 degree, 1.5 mile quad-ovals]

This table show the average finish of 35 drivers in the eight races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway (Formerly Lowe’s Motor Speedway) during the 2009 season. All of these tracks are 1.5 mile long and feature 24 degree corner backing.

	ATL 1	TX 1	CHA 1	ATL 2	CHA 2	TX 2	AVERAGE
Jeff Gordon	2	1	14	8	4	13	7.0
Matt Kenseth	12	5	10	12	2	3	7.3
Tony Stewart	8	4	19	11	13	6	10.2
Kasey Kahne	7	19	7	1	3	33	11.7
Ryan Newman	22	15	2	9	11	12	11.8
Kyle Busch	18	18	6	13	8	11	12.3
David Reutimann	32	11	1	4	15	16	13.2
Mark Martin	31	6	17	5	17	4	13.3
Denny Hamlin	13	12	11	6	42	2	14.3
Greg Biffle	34	3	20	10	16	8	15.2
Kurt Busch	1	8	34	38	10	1	15.3
Brian Vickers	5	16	5	7	34	26	15.5
Kevin Harvick	4	27	41	2	18	5	16.2
Jimmie Johnson	9	2	13	36	1	38	16.5
Jeff Burton	14	9	25	34	14	9	17.5
Clint Bowyer	6	22	36	29	6	7	17.7
Martin Truex Jr.	10	25	23	26	9	14	17.8
Joey Logano	30	30	9	22	5	19	19.2
Juan Pablo Montoya	27	7	8	3	35	37	19.5
Casey Mears	16	21	33	25	7	21	20.5
Carl Edwards	3	10	4	37	39	39	22.0
AJ Allmendinger	17	34	32	20	23	10	22.7
Brad Keselowski		23			12	35	23.3
Paul Menard	28	13	29	15	27	29	23.5
Robby Gordon	26	39	3	16	30	27	23.5
Scott Speed	35		18	24	28	18	24.6
David Ragan	19	37	24	33	20	17	25.0
Dale Earnhardt Jr.	11	20	40	17	38	25	25.2
Elliot Sadler	20	32	31	21	26	22	25.3
Jamie McMurray	15	38	21	28	33	20	25.8
Bill Elliott	36	28	15	19	29	34	26.8
Marcos Ambrose	38	41	26	23	22	15	27.5
Bobby Labonte	40	40	12	18	31	31	28.7
Sam Hornish Jr.	37	17	16	35	40	40	30.8
Regan Smith		31				32	31.5

NASCAR Fantasy Tool: 2009 Average Finish at Similar Tracks - Atlanta, Texas and Lowe’s UPDATED

This table is a companion for my NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview of the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Below are 32 drivers of fantasy interest and their average finish at three similar tracks: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Texas.

Also see my 2009 Average Finish at Chase Tracks Table which is very useful for planning your lineup for the rest of the season.

	Atlanta 1	Texas	Lowe’s	Atlanta 2	Lowe’s 2	AVERAGE
Jeff Gordon	2	1	14	8	4	5.8
Kasey Kahne	7	19	7	1	3	7.4
Matt Kenseth	12	5	10	12	2	8.2
Tony Stewart	8	4	19	11	13	11.0
Ryan Newman	22	15	2	9	11	11.8
Jimmie Johnson	9	2	13	36	1	12.2
David Reutimann	32	11	1	4	15	12.6
Kyle Busch	18	18	6	13	8	12.6
Brian Vickers	5	16	5	7	34	13.4
Mark Martin	31	6	17	5	17	15.2
Juan Pablo Montoya	27	7	8	3	35	16.0
Greg Biffle	34	3	20	10	16	16.6
Denny Hamlin	13	12	11	6	42	16.8
Brad Keselowski		23			12	17.5
Kurt Busch	1	8	34	38	10	18.2
David Stremme	23	14	22	14	19	18.4
Kevin Harvick	4	27	41	2	18	18.4
Carl Edwards	3	10	4	37	39	18.6
Martin Truex Jr.	10	25	23	26	9	18.6
Jeff Burton	14	9	25	34	14	19.2
Joey Logano	30	30	9	22	5	19.2
Clint Bowyer	6	22	36	29	6	19.8
Casey Mears	16	21	33	25	7	20.4
Paul Menard	28	13	29	15	27	22.4
Robby Gordon	26	39	3	16	30	22.8
Dale Earnhardt Jr.	11	20	40	17	38	25.2
AJ Allmendinger	17	34	32	20	23	25.2
Bill Elliott*	36	28	15	19	29	25.4
Jamie McMurray	15	38	21	28	33	27.0
Bobby Labonte	40	40	12	18	31	28.2
Sam Hornish Jr.	37	17	16	35	40	29.0
Marcos Ambrose	38	41	26	23	22	30.0

*David Gilliland drove the No. 21 Wood Brothers in the second race at Atlanta. Bill Elliott cracked three ribs during a dirt bike accident and was unable to race. Elliott finished 19th two weeks ago at Kansas Motor Speedway in his first race back.

NASCAR Power Rankings: Chase Edition Week 6

Who's Up	Who's Down
Biggest Gain This Week: Kasey Kahne: 10th to 7th	Biggest Drop This Week: Carl Edwards: 9th to 11th
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- 6 Wins, 20 Top Tens All of Jimmie Johnson's biggest competitors fell wayside at Lowes and the 48 team capitalized on the situation with a win. The only team that can beat the 48 team right now is themselves.

Rank: 2nd Jeff Gordon #24 Last Week: 4 Change: +2 Driver Page | Articles

Jeff Gordon- 1 Win, 22 Top Tens Performance/ Schedule wise I believe that my pre-Chase championship pick is the only team that has anything for the 48 right now. He'll need a little bit of help to catch up, but when it he does the 48 will be in trouble.

Rank: 3rd Mark Martin #5 Last Week: 2 Change: -1 Driver Page | Articles

Mark Martin- 5 Wins, 18 Top Tens If your a Mark Martin fan then you knew the bubble would burst somehow. I'm not saying that he's out of it yet, but the remaining races in my opinion give the others drivers an edge over the 5 team.

Rank: 4th Juan Pablo Montoya #42 Last Week: 3 Change: -1 Driver Page | Articles

Juan Pablo Montoya- 6 Top Fives, 16 Top Tens Juan Pablo Montoya arguably had the fastest car at Lowes until his COT tank didn't hold up very well to the damage. Montoya now sits 6th in the points 195 points out of the lead.

Rank: 5th Kurt Busch #22 Last Week: 5 Change: 0 Driver Page | Articles

Kurt Busch- 1 Win, 18 Top Tens Lowes was a tough track on the Chase drivers and only 4 of them finished in the top ten. Kurt luckily was one of them, but don't expect Martinsville to be an easy task for this team.

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

Tony Stewart- 4 Wins, 21 Top Tens Martinsville and Talledega are "do or die" races for this team. If Stewart doesn't finish in the top 5 in both of these races and gain ground on Johnson then his Chase chances are effectively zero.

Rank: 7th Kasey Kahne #4 Last Week: 10 Change: +3 Driver Page | Articles

Kasey Kahne- 2 Wins, 13 Top Tens If Kasey Kahne didn't have problems on the race restarts then the 9 might very well have been the car in victory lane. I expect Kahne to move up to about 7th in the points this season before his points progression stops.

Rank: 8th Denny Hamlin #11 Last Week: 7 Change: -1 Driver Page | Articles

Denny Hamlin- 2 Wins, 16 Top Tens Hamlin had another good run but now he's back to 11th in the point standings. If you take away Hamlin's rookie Chase appearance then I believe Hamlin almost has to fall into people's conversations of who's the biggest choke in the Chase.

Rank: 9th Greg Biffle #16 Last Week: 8 Change: -1 Driver Page | Articles

Greg Biffle- 9 Top Fives, 14 Top Tens Somehow Greg Biffle has managed to score the 8th most points in the series over the last 6 races. At Martinsville I expect this team to have a rough day. Roush cars usually always struggle at this track.

Rank: 10th Ryan Newman #39 Last Week: 11 Change: +1 Driver Page | Articles

Ryan Newman- 5 Top Fives, 14 Top Tens If Newman's going to win a race this year then I believe it will have to happen either here at Martinsivlle or Talledega. These are both "skill tracks" which Newman has excelled at this year.

Rank: 11th Carl Edwards #99 Last Week: 9 Change: -2 Driver Page | Articles

Carl Edwards- 7 Top Fives, 13 Top Tens It's shocking how uncompetitive Carl's been in the Chase. Last year Edwards was a challenger all the way until the end and this year they're not even close to being competitive.

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

Brian Vickers- 1 Win, 13 Top Tens Jimmie Johnson isn't the only driver who's on the verge of making history this year. Vickers is on pace to easily surpass Hamlin's 2007 Chase record of finishing 580 points behind the champion. Vickers currently is 485 points behind.

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