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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

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.

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.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Expert Darkhorse Picks: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

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	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	16.11
James Jones	On Pit Row	Clint Bowyer	17	11.39
Josh Lobdell	FFToolbox	Jamie McMurray	39	23.39
Dennis Mickelson	RaceTalkRadio.com	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	11.28
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	12.56
Jerry Lagger Eric McGuire	One and Done Game Winner Free agent	Dale Earnhardt Jr Dale Earnhardt Jr	4 4	12.56 12.00
Charlie Turner	On Pit Row	Clint Bowyer	17	12.39
Tall Glass of Milk	Answerthis.com	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	8.06
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	10.78
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	11.89
Darren Fauth	Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet	Clint Bowyer	17	13.44
Lou Lauer	USAR Fans	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	12.17
Ryan Rantz	On Pit Row	Clint Bowyer	17	15.33
Eric McClung	On Pit Row	Jamie McMurray	39	20.33
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Jamie McMurray	39	12.22
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	13.94
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Elliott Sadler	22	20.67
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	10.33

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
Josh Lobdell	FFToolbox	Denny Hamlin	24	15.56
Jerry Lagger	One and Done Game Winner	Tony Stewart	25	11.56
Dennis Michelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Kurt Busch	7	11.83
Tall Glass of Milk	Answerthis.com	Clint Bowyer	17	13.22
Eric McClung	On Pit Row	Kyle Busch	40	15.44
Eric McGuire	free agent	Kurt Busch	7	12.11
Dan Beaver	Fantasy Racing Games	Tony Stewart	25	9.28
Matt Mercer	On Pit Row	Jeff Gordon	3	14.06
Adam Ansell	Roto Experts	Kyle Busch	40	14.94
Chris Leone	On Pit Row	Dale Earnhardt Jr	4	13.50
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	Tony Stewart	25	10.28
CharlieTurner	On Pit Row	Kevin Harvick	1	15.56
Lou Lauer	USAR Fans	Tony Stewart	25	14.50
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Kyle Busch	40	14.83
James Jones	On Pit Row	Tony Stewart	25	11.67
Ryan Rantz	On Pit Row	Tony Stewart	25	12.00
Darren Fauth	Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet	Tony Stewart	25	14.00
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Tony Stewart	25	11.33
Charles Rantz	ifantasyrace.com	Kyle Busch	40	16.44

NASCAR Fantasy Experts Picks: Coke Zero 400

Expert	Website	Pick to Win	Finish	Experts Avg
James Jones	On Pit Row	Tony Stewart	1	6.9
Ryan Rantz	On Pit Row	Kyle Busch	14	8.9
Yahoo Users	Yahoo! Sports	Jimmie Johnson	2	9.9
Mike Harmon	FOX Sports	Tony Stewart	1	10.3
Cheryl Lauer	Speed Couch	Jeff Gordon	28	10.5
Dennis Mickelsen	RaceTalkRadio.com	Tony Stewart	1	11.1
Lou Lauer	USAR Fans	Jamie McMurray	11	12.4
Darren Fauth	Fantasy NASCAR Names	Ryan Newman	20	12.7
Roger Rotter	FOX Sports	Tony Stewart	1	12.7
Gerrit Ritt	FOX Sports	Jeff Gordon	28	13.9
Eric Brewer		Mark Martin	38	14
Bob Ellis	NASCAR Ranting and Raving	No Pick	44	14.8
Charlie Turner	On Pit Row	Jeff Gordon	28	15.4
P J Walsh	FantasyNASCARPreview.com	Kyle Busch	14	16
Eric McGuire	FFToolbox	Kyle Busch	14	16.2
Eric McClung	On Pit Row	Kyle Busch	14	17
Jon Rodgers	Gillette Young Guns Challenge Winner	Kyle Busch	14	17.7

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca Cola

Greetings On Pit Row readers.

There have been two restrictor plate races held thus far, so consider the results of the Daytona 500 and the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway when  evaluating your lineup for this week.

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.
• Strong qualifier - History of winning poles or qualifying inside the top-five.
• Good qualifier - History of qualifying inside the top-10.
• Value play - Good recent history at this week’s track. Drivers to consider as low-rent salary cap options.

Leave your comments below!

1. Tony Stewart… Strong qualifier: best average starting position (16.0) over the last five years. Eight top-10 finishes in 11 races since ‘04, including two wins. Led laps in those eight top-10s. Y! B-1
2. Kyle Busch… Finished fourth or better in four of the last six races, including a win last year. Y! A-1
3. Matt Kenseth… Won this year’s Daytona 500 but historically better in the July race: ‘08- third, ‘07- eighth, ‘06- fifth, ‘05- ninth, ‘03- sixth. Y! A-2
4. Kurt Busch… 17 career starts: eight top-fives. Top-10 finishes in five of the last six races. Y! B-2
5. Mark Martin… Good qualifier. 48 career starts, zero wins. Started second at this year’s Daytona 500 (finished 16th) and last year’s Coke Zero 400 (finished 10th). Y! A-3
6. Jimmie Johnson… Won in ‘06, only one top-10 in the six races since. Had finished eighth or better in six of seven previous races (’02-’05). Y! A-4
7. Jeff Gordon… Wins in ‘04 and ‘05 but only three top-10 finishes in the eight races since.
8. Clint Bowyer… Seven career starts: five top-10 finishes. Career-best fourth-place finish at Daytona.
9. Kasey Kahne… ‘07, ‘08: streak four top-10 finishes, finished 29th at this year’s Daytona 500. Y! B-3
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Finished ninth and eighth last year, leading laps in both. Finished 27th at this year’s Daytona 500. 19 career starts: led laps 13 times. Runner-up at Talladega. Y! B-4
11. Ryan Newman… 14 career starts: won 2/08, only two other top-10 finishes. Third at Talladega. Y! B-5
12. Brian Vickers… Finished 12th and 11th last year. Finished 39th (accident) at this year’s Daytona 500. Y! B-6
13. Kevin Harvick… Last six races at Daytona: win, runner-up, five finishes of 14th or better.
14. Carl Edwards… Only two top-10 finishes but each came in the last two July races (fourth 7/07, second 7/08).
15. Denny Hamlin… Seven career starts: zero top-10 finishes. Career-best 17th (2/08, 7/06) Y! B-7
16. Greg Biffle… 13 career starts: only three top-10 finishes. Third at Talladega.
17. Jeff Burton… One top-10 finish since ‘04.
18. David Reutimann… Career-best 12th-place finish at Daytona. Y! B-8
19. Marcos Ambrose… Finished 17th at this year’s Daytona 500, first career start. Fourth at Talladega. Y! C-1
20. Elliott Sadler… Strong value play. Last seven races: five finishes of sixth or better
21. AJ Allmendinger… Finished third in second career start at Daytona this year. Y! C-2
22. Brad Keselowski… Long shot value play. No Cup starts at Daytona. Nationwide Series: ‘08- 16th, fifth (led 28 laps). ‘09- 2nd (led six laps). Won at Talladega. Y! C-3
23. Joey Logano… DNF in first career start at Daytona this year. Finished 20th in the Nationwide Series.
24. Martin Truex Jr…. Weak value play. No top-10s but four straight finishes of 20th or better.
25. Juan Pablo Montoya… Career-high 14th-place finish at this year’s Daytona 500. 32nd or worse in three of five career starts.
26. Jamie McMurray… Finished 26th or worse in four of the last five at Daytona, a win in ‘07.
27. Bobby Labonte… Finished 11th and 13th last year. Finished 22nd at this year’s Daytona 500. Y! C-4
28. Robby Gordon… Daytona 500: 34th. ‘08: eighth, sixth. Streak of six top-15 finishes from ‘06-’08.
29. Sam Hornish Jr…. Declining over three career starts: 15th, 29th, 32nd.
30. David Ragan… Lone top-10 of the season came at Daytona.
31. Casey Mears… 15th or worse in five straight races at Daytona.
32. Joe Nemechek… Good qualifier: 7/08- fourth, 7/06- fifth, 7/05- fifth.
33. Michael Waltrip… Daytona 500: seventh. First top-10 since winning in ‘03.
34. Reed Sorenson… Last three Daytona 500’s: 13th, fifth, ninth. Last three July races: 34th, 42nd, 22nd.
35. David Stremme… ‘07: 11th, 22nd. Daytona 500: 33nd
36. Scott Speed… Daytona 500: 35th. Fifth at Talladega.
37. Paul Menard… Finished a career-best 15th last year.
38. Patrick Carpentier… ‘08: started 10th, finished 14th.
39. John Andretti… Three top-20 finishes since ‘00.
40. David Gilliland… ‘07: eighth, 11th. ‘08: 28th, 40th.
41. Regan Smith… ‘08: 37th, 24th. Daytona 500: 21st
42. Dave Blaney…’08: 38th, 19th.
43. Max Papis… No Cup or Nationwide starts at Daytona.
44. Tony Raines… ‘07: 39th.

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