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NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: 2010 Auto Club 500 from Auto Club Speedway

by Eric McClung, Special To NASCAR news, fantasy racing advice and statistics On Pit Row

Follow @ericmcclung on Twitter for NASCAR, IndyCar, golf and various other fantasy sports picks.

February 18, 2010 8:11 am CST No Comments

The racing at Auto Club Speedway is very fast and very spread out. The leaders can jump out to big leads. The long green flag runs can bring fuel mileage into play at the end of the race. This week will be the first test of each team’s intermediate package which will be important for the upcoming races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The most similar track is Michigan International Speedway where the 15th and 23rd races on the schedule are held. Auto Club Speedway will not get another visit until its Chase event, No. 30 on the schedule.

NASCAR Fantasy Tool: 2009 Average Finish at Fontana and Michigan [2.0 mile, D-shaped ovals]

Chasing the pole at Auto Club Speedway

1. Brian Vickers… Won the pole at last year’s Auto Club 500 in addition to capturing poles for both MIS races.
2. Jimmie Johnson… Average starting position of 1.8 over the last five starts at Auto Club– 4.4 at MIS.
3. Juan Pablo Montoya… Started inside the Top 5 for late season races at Auto Club and MIS.

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.
• 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… Four-time winner (10/09, 8/08, 9/07, 4/02) at Fontana. Average finish of 2.8 since ‘07 with three wins, all Top 10s– led at least 31 laps in all six races. Y! A-1
2. Jeff Gordon… Three-time winner (5/04, 5/99, 6/97) at Fontana. Runner-up in both ‘09 races. Had led at least two laps in seven of the last eight. Y! A-2
3. Matt Kenseth… Three-time winner (2/09, 2/06, 2/07) at Fontana– average finish of 3.9 in that span. Finished 13th in 10/09 race. Y! B-1
4. Carl Edwards… Won 2/08 race at Fontana. Only one finish worse than seventh in 11 career starts. Y! A-3
5. Greg Biffle… Won 2/05 race at Fontana. Finished 20th in 10/09 but had an Average Running Position of 10th. Average finish of 3.0 in the prior two. Y! A-4
6. Tony Stewart… Average finish of 6.5 in ‘09 Fontana races, Top 10s in three straight Feb races.
7. Juan Pablo Montoya… Finished 11th in 2/09 at Fontana, third in 10/09– each set career bests.
8. Mark Martin… Won 5/98 race at Fontana. DNF (engine) in 2/09, fourth in 10/09 race.
9. Denny Hamlin… DNF (crash) in 10/09 race at Fontana, 4.5 in the prior two.
10. Kyle Busch… Won 9/05 race at Fontana. Average finish of 6.3 from 2/06 - 2/09, 24th in 10/09 race.
11. Kevin Harvick… Average finish of 15.5 at Fontana in ‘07, 6.0 in ‘08, DNF (crash) and 10th in ‘09. Y! B-2
12. Kurt Busch… Won 4/03 race at Fontana. Average finish of 8.0 in ‘07, 26.0 in ‘08, 6.5 in ‘09 races.
13. Kasey Kahne… Won 9/06 race at Fontana. Average finish of 8.5 in ‘08, finished 12th and DNF (crash) in ‘09. Y! B-3
14. Clint Bowyer… Has never finished worse than 20th in eight career starts at Fontana, 15th in Driver Rating. Top 10s in two of the last three. Y! B-4
15. Brian Vickers… Had a streak of five Top 12s at Fontana from 2/07 - 2/09. Y! B-5
16. David Ragan… Strong value play. Finished a career-best seventh at Fontana in 10/09, average finish of 13.2 in six career starts. Y! B-6
17. David Reutimann… Strong value play. Average finish of 13.7 in the last three starts at Fontana. Y! B-7
18. Joey Logano… Started 34th, finished 26th in first career Cup start at Fontana– started sixth and finished 14th in 10/09 race. Average start of 3.7, average finish of 3.3 in three career Nationwide starts, won from the pole in October. Y! B-8
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Finishes of 25th or worse in three of the last four races at Fontana.
20. Jamie McMurray… Weak value play. Average finish of 8.9 at Fontana from ‘03-’06, 25.2 and no Top 15s since.
21. Martin Truex Jr…. Weak value play. Average finish of 12.5 in ‘08 Fontana races, 24.5 in ‘09 races.
22. Jeff Burton… Average finish of 4.0 at Fontana in ‘07, 14.5 in ‘08, 31.0 in ‘09.
23. Ryan Newman… Average finish of 21.6 at Fontana since ‘06, only three Top 15s.
24. A.J. Allmendinger… Average start of 10.0, average finish of 23.5 in four career starts at Fontana. Y! C-1
25. Sam Hornish Jr…. Long shot value play. Finished a career-best 12th at Fontana in 10/09 race, first Top 20 in four starts. Y! C-2
26. Marcos Ambrose… Average finish of 22.5 in ‘09 Fontana races.
27. Bobby Labonte… Average finish of 23.0 at Fontana since ‘08. Y! C-3
28. Brad Keselowski… No career Cup starts at Fontana. Average finish of 28.7 in seven career Nationwide starts, finished a career-best fifth in October.
29. Max Papis… Started 15th, finished 35th in 10/09 race, first career Cup start at Fontana. Started and finished 10th in last year’s Truck race. Y! C-4
30. Elliott Sadler… Won 9/04 race at Fontana, 23.5 average finish since– no Top 20s since ‘07.
31. Scott Speed… DNF (engine) in 2/09 race at Fontana, 21st in 10/09 race.
32. Travis Kvapil… Finished a career-best 18th at Fontana in 2/09, average finish of 28.8 in six career starts.
33. Casey Mears… Average finish of 22.7 in 13 career starts at Fontana.
34. Paul Menard… Average finish of 28.7 at Fontana in six career starts.
35. Regan Smith… Average finish of 31.7 at Fontana in three career starts.
36. Aric Almirola… Average finish of 32.0 in three career starts at Fontana.
37. Robby Gordon… Average finish of 32.6 since ‘05 at Fontana, only one Top 20.
38. Kevin Conway… No career Cup starts at Fontana. Finished 18th in last year’s October Nationwide race.
39. Boris Said… No Cup starts at Fontana since ‘05.
40. David Gilliland… Average finish of 37.5 in ‘09 Fontana races.
41. Terry Cook… No career Cup starts at Fontana. Average finish of 16.5 in 13 career Truck races, start and parked in both ‘09 Nationwide races.
42. Johnny Sauter… No career Cup starts at Fontana. Finished 17th in last year’s Truck race.
43. Mike Bliss… Start and parked in 10/09 race, first Cup start at Fontana. Finished 13th in both ‘09 Nationwide races, 18th in Truck race.
44. Michael McDowell… Start and parked in 10/09 race, first career Cup start at Fontana. DNF (crash) in both Nationwide races last year.
45. Joe Nemechek… Start and parked in both ‘09 Fontana races.
46. Dave Blaney… Start and parked in both ‘09 Fontana races.

On Pit Row has several groups for you to battle against other fantasy players!

• Yahoo! Fantasy Auto Racing ID# 26538, password “daytona”
• ESPN Stock Car Challenge
• FOX Sports Auto Racing Challenge (salary cap) ID# 9138

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