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NASCAR Fantasy Racing Experts Picks: Crown Royal Heath Calhoun 400

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Expert Darkhorse Picks: Crown Royal 400 at Richmond

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.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400 from RIR

If there were more short, flat tracks on the schedule, especially ones in the state of Virginia, Denny Hamlin would likely have won a championship (or four) by now. Between winning earlier this season at Martinsville Speedway (where he’s always a threat) and his stellar loop data statistics at Richmond International Raceway, Hamlin tops a very short list of elite options for this weekend’s race. Join us Thursday at 7PM ET for the Fantasy NASCAR Live Chat.

Chasing the pole at Richmond

• Denny Hamlin… Won a pole in ‘08, started third in both starts last year at Richmond.
• Martin Truex Jr…. Has a started second, third and fourth in three of the last four races at Richmond.
• Mark Martin… Won a pole and started seventh last year, started second in spring race of ‘08.

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. Denny Hamlin… Won 9/09 race at Richmond, average running position of fourth and first last year. Has never held an average running position worse than eighth. Has led over 145 laps in three of the last four races, at led least four laps in all eight career starts. Y!-A1
2. Kyle Busch… Won 5/09 race at Richmond, eight Top Fives in 10 career starts. Has never held an average running position worse than 15th. Y!-A2
3. Jeff Gordon… Two-time winner (9/00, 3/96) at Richmond, six straight Top 10 finishes. Had led over 90 laps in four of the last six races. Average running position of fourth and third last year. Y!-A3
4. Jimmie Johnson… Three-time winner (9/08, ’07 sweep) at Richmond, finished 36th and 11th last year. Y!-A4
5. Kevin Harvick… Won 9/06 race at Richmond, nine Top 10 finishes in 10 starts since ‘05. Y!-B1
6. Tony Stewart… Three-time winner (5/02, 5/01, 9/99) at Richmond, nine Top 10s in the last 12 races at Richmond– runner-up four times.
7. Clint Bowyer… Won 4/08 race at Richmond, average finish of 10.0 in eight career starts. Y!-B2
8. Mark Martin… Won 2/90 race at Richmond, four straight Top Fives.
9. Kurt Busch… Won 9/05 race at Richmond, finished 12th or better in three straight starts at Richmond, runner-up last fall. Average running position of sixth and fifth last year.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Three-time winner (5/06, 5/04, 5/00) at Richmond, average finish of 12.3 in 21 career starts. Finished 27th, 21st last year at Richmond. Y!-B3
11. Jeff Burton… Won 9/98 race at Richmond, average finish of 14.7 in 31 career starts. Y!-B4
12. Ryan Newman… Won 9/03 race at Richmond, Top 10s in six straight spring races. Y!-B5
13. Carl Edwards… Three Top 15 finishes in the last four starts at Richmond.
14. Greg Biffle… Finished 14th in both ‘08 race at Richmond, 17th and 13th last year.
15. Juan Pablo Montoya… Finished 10th and 19th last year at Richmond, only Top 20s six career starts.
16. Matt Kenseth… Won 9/02 race at Richmond, average running position of 21st or worse in four straight starts. Y!-B6
17. Kasey Kahne… Won 5/05 race at Richmond, only one Top 10 since ‘08. Finished 12th in last year’s fall race. Y!-B7
18. Joey Logano… Average running position of 17th and 18th last year at Richmond. Y!-B8
19. Brad Keselowski… Started ninth, DNF (engine) last year at Richmond, first career Cup start.
20. Jamie McMurray… Finished seventh in last year’s spring race at Richmond– first Top 15 since ‘05.
21. Brian Vickers… Finished 15th and a career-best seven last year at Richmond. Only two Top 10 finishes in 11 career starts.
22. David Reutimann… Average running position of 20th or better in five straight races at Richmond.
23. Marcos Ambrose… Finished 11th and 22nd last year at Richmond.
24. Sam Hornish Jr…. Strong value play. Finished sixth and eighth last year at Richmond, held an average running position of 13th in both races. Y!-C1
25. A.J. Allmendinger… Average running position of 15th in fall race, finished 23rd. Y!-C2
26. Paul Menard… Average finish of 27.5 in six career starts at Richmond. Y!-C3
27. Martin Truex Jr…. Finished 22nd in last year’s spring race at Richmond, DNF (crash) in the fall.
28. Scott Speed… Finished 33rd and 36th last year at Richmond. Y!-C4
29. Regan Smith… Finished 21st and 23rd in ‘08 at Richmond, DNF (crash) last year.
30. Travis Kvapil… Long shot value play. Finished 16th and 17th in 2008 at Richmond, no starts last year.
31. David Ragan… Finished 23rd and 33rd last year at Richmond.
32. Elliott Sadler… Only one Top 10 in 22 career starts at Richmond. Only one Top 20 since ‘07.
33. David Gilliland… Finished 24th in last year’s fall race at Richmond.
34. Robby Gordon… Average finish of 29.7 in 19 career starts at Richmond.
35. David Stremme… DNF (crash) and 26th-place finish last year at Richmond.
36. Bobby Labonte… Finished 31st in both races last year at Richmond.
37. Reed Sorenson… Finished 20th and 16th last year at Richmond.
38. Max Papis… Finished 37th in last year’s fall race, only career Cup start at Richmond.
39. Kevin Conway… No career Cup starts at Richmond.
40. TBA… Tommy Baldwin Racing has not named a driver yet.
41. Joe Nemechek… Likely start and park. Won 5/03 race at Richmond.
42. Michael McDowell… Likely start and park.
43. Dave Blaney… Likely start and park.
44. Mike Bliss… Likely start and park.
45. Terry Cook… No career Cup starts at Richmond. Seven DNQs this season.
46. Tony Raines… Average finish of 31.7 in nine career starts at Richmond. First race for Gunselman Motorsports this season. 11 DNQs last year, park and started.

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