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NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500

Over the last nine races this season, three have been on flat tracks. Thus far there has been a total of seven races on flat tracks. This gives fantasy owners a very clear idea on the top options for this weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway. I’ve created another NASCAR Fantasy Tool, 2009 Average Finish at Flat Tracks. Martinsville Speedway, Phoenix, Richmond International Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway all vary in length but their banking in the corners is similar and are all, of course, flat.

Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin each have two wins on flat tracks. Kyle Busch owns a victory and has three straight top-fives on flat tracks. Tony Stewart began the season with four top-fives on flat tracks but an average finish on 13.3 on the last three. Ryan Newman has three straight top-10s; Brian Vickers has three straight of 11 or better. Sam Hornish Jr. put together a streak of four top-10s but was a disaster in the other three.

Chasing the pole at Phoenix

1. Mark Martin… In April, Martin from the pole and has won a total of seven poles this season, one being Richmond. He started fourth just three weeks ago at Martinsville.
2. Jimmie Johnson… Johnson won last year’s O’RAP 500 from the pole. The rest of Johnson’s starting numbers at Phoenix are decent: fifth and six in ‘07, seventh in 4/08 and he started 10th back in April.
3. Jeff Gordon… Gordon has started inside the top-10 for six of the seven flat track races this season. He has started inside the top-10 this season for 10 straight races.
4. Kurt Busch… Started third in April and in last year’s O’RAP 500. He has started inside the top-10 at Phoenix in seven of his last eight attempts.

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 - Good recent history at this week’s track. Drivers to consider as low-rent salary cap options or alternative options in allocation formats.

1. Mark Martin… Two-time winner at Phoenix (4/09, ‘93). Average finish of 8.0 in four starts since ‘07. Best average finish (5.7) at flat tracks this season. Y!-A1
2. Jimmie Johnson… Three-time winner at Phoenix (’08 sweep, ‘07). Has never finished worse than 15th in 12 career starts– fourth or better in six straight, seventh or better in eight straight. Finished fourth in April. Tenth-best average finish (9.6) at flat tracks this season. Y!-A2
3. Denny Hamlin… Five finishes of six or better at Phoenix over the last six races, average finish of 6.0 in that span. Average finish of 4.0 last year. Finished sixth in April. Second-best average finish (5.9) at flat tracks this season. Y!-B1
4. Tony Stewart… Won at Phoenix in ‘99. Average finish of 18.0 last year, 3.0 in ‘07. Runner-up in April. Third-best average finish (7.4) at flat tracks this season. Y!-B2
5. Kurt Busch… Won at Phoenix in ‘05, runner-up in last year’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500- led 60 laps. Finished third in April. Fourth-best average finish (8.7) at flat tracks this season. Y!-B3
6. Jeff Gordon… Won at Phoenix in 4/07, finished 10th in 11/07 race. Finished 13th in last year’s April race, DNF (engine) in November. Fifth-best average finish (8.9) at flat tracks this season. Y!-A3
7. Juan Pablo Montoya… Average finish of 16.5 at Phoenix last year. Average finish of 11.9 at flat tracks this season, 3.0 in the last two. Y!-B4
8. Kyle Busch… Won at Phoenix in ‘05. Average finish of 10.0 since ‘07 (five races). Sixth-best average finish (9.0) at flat tracks this season. Y!-A4
9. Ryan Newman… DNF (engine), 34th-place finish last year. Finished 38th and fifth in ‘07. Finished 16th in April. Average finish of 11.3 at flat tracks this season. Y!-B5
10. Carl Edwards… Finished fourth at Phoenix in both races last year, ninth in April. Seven top-10s in 10 career starts.
11. Greg Biffle… Average finish of 16.5 at Phoenix last year. Finished fifth in April.
12. Brian Vickers… Only one top-10 (’05) at Phoenix in 10 career starts. Average finish of 12.0 in ‘06, 21.6 since (not counting crash last year). Y!-B7
13. Kasey Kahne… Has finished 13th at Phoenix in consecutive races, no top-10s since ‘06. Y!-B8
14. Clint Bowyer… Runner-up in last year’s April race, 12th in November. Average finish of 14.9 at flat tracks this season.
15. Jeff Burton… Two-time winner at Phoenix (’01, ‘00). Has not finished worse than 15th since ‘97 (17 races). Average finish of 7.5 last year, 11.0 in ‘07. 9.5 in ‘06.
16. Kevin Harvick… Two-time winner at Phoenix (’06 sweep). Average finish of 10.5 in ‘07-’08.
17. Matt Kenseth… Won at Phoenix in ‘02. Average finish of 4.0 in ‘07, 26.6 in the three races since.
18. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Two-time winner at Phoenix (’04, ‘03). Average finish of 6.5 last year. Finished 31st, ran 18th in April.
19. Marcos Ambrose… Average finish of 16.0 at Phoenix in two career starts. Y!-C1
20. David Reutimann… Average finish of 21.5 at Phoenix last year. Started and finished a career-best eighth in April.
21. Joey Logano… Started 31st, finished 21st in April– first career start at Phoenix.
22. Brad Keselowski… Strong value play. No career Cup starts at Phoenix. Third in the April Nationwide race. Y!-C2
23. Jamie McMurray… Strong value play. Finished 23rd at Phoenix in both ‘07 races, 10.3 in the three races since. Finished third in last year’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, 11th in April.
24. Martin Truex Jr…. Strong value play. Average finish of 7.3 at Phoenix in three of the last four races, not counting a DNF (overheating) in last year’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. Average finish of 17.0 in seven career starts. Finished seventh in April.
25. Casey Mears… Zero top-10s at Phoenix in 11 career starts, 27.3 average finish.
26. Sam Hornish Jr…. Weak value play. Finished a career-best ninth at Phoenix in April, but had an average running position of 23rd. Average finish of 27.6 in three previous career starts. Y!-C3
27. Bobby Labonte… Weak value play. Average finish of 14.3 at Phoenix from ‘07-’08. Y!-C4
28. AJ Allmendinger… Average finish of 25.5 at Phoenix in two career starts.
29. David Ragan… Finished a career-best 10th at Phoenix in last year’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, 27th in the April race.
30. Reed Sorenson… Finished a career-best 12th at Phoenix in April. DNF (crash) and 31st-place finish last year. Average finish of 17.0 in ‘07.
31. Regan Smith… Long shot value play. Average finish of 28.7 at Phoenix in three career starts.
32. Paul Menard… Zero top-20 finishes at Phoenix in five career starts, 23.4 average finish.
33. Michael Waltrip… Finished 24th at Phoenix in both races last year.
34. Robby Gordon… Average finish of 28.8 at Phoenix since ‘07 (five races).
35. Elliott Sadler… Only one top-10 (’02) at Phoenix in 15 career starts. Finished 11th in both ‘05 races, average finish of 31.1 in the seven races since.
36. Scott Speed… Average finish of 37.0 at Phoenix in two career starts.
37. John Andretti… Started 41st, finished 38th at Phoenix in April, first start since ‘04. Average finish of 12.0 in four CART Series races (’88-’92).
38. Brandon Ash… No career Cup starts at Phoenix. Average finish of 10.9 in seven career Truck Series West races (’98-’05).
39. Max Papis… No career Cup starts at Phoenix.
40. Erik Darnell… No career Cup starts at Phoenix.
41. Kevin Conway… No career Cup starts.
42. David Gilliland… Possible start and park. Started 27th, finished 33rd at Phoenix in April.
43. Michael McDowell… Likely start and park. Started 29th, finished 34rd in April of last year– first career start at Phoenix.
44. Joe Nemechek… Likely start and park. Finished 41st at Phoenix in April.
45. Dave Blaney… Likely start and park. Finished 42nd at Phoenix in April.
46. Tony Raines… Likely start and park. Finished 43rd at Phoenix in April.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Tums Fast Relief 500

The fantasy strategy at Martinsville is simple: start drivers who are great at Martinsville. Unlike a lot of other tracks, the numbers do not lie at Martinsville. The same guys tend to get to the front– and stay there. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin all have career average finishes of 8.0 or better. Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are all between 12.1 and 13.3.

There are other short tracks on the schedule but none are close to Martinsville’s unique paper clip shape. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is essentially a bigger version of Martinsville and braking is key at both venues. New Hampshire held its second race to open the Chase.

One interesting loop data statistic from the March race at Martinsville is the number of drivers who were in the top-15 during all 500 laps; there were a total of five (Hamlin, Stewart, Gordon, Bowyer and Kevin Harvick). In 2008, only three total drivers accomplished this in either of the two races: David Ragan in March; Johnson and Carl Edwards in October.

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 or alternative options in allocation formats.

1. Jimmie Johnson… Six-time winner at Martinsville. 11 top-fives, 14 top-10 finishes in 15 career starts. Lead an average of 173.7 laps per race and won five of the last seven Martinsville races. Won the March race. Y!-A1
2. Jeff Gordon… Strong qualifier at Martinsville, won three of the last four poles. Seven-time winner (’05 sweep, ‘03 sweep, ‘99, ‘97, ‘96. Finished fourth in the March race. Top-five finishes in nine straight Martinsville races, lead an average of 100.6 laps in each. Y!-A2
3. Tony Stewart… Two-time winner (’06, ‘00). Better in March: ‘08 fifth/26th -place finishes; ‘07 seventh/13th-place finishes. Finished third in the March race. Y!-B1
4. Mark Martin… Two-time winner at Martinsville (’00, ‘92) Finished seventh in the March race, first start since ‘06. Y!-A3
5. Denny Hamlin… Won last year’s March race at Martinsville. Runner-up in this year’s March race, led 296 laps. Average finish of 3.2 over the last six Martinsville races. Y!-B2
6. Clint Bowyer… Good qualifier at Martinsville, started in the top-five two of the last three races. Average finish of 8.8 since 2007. Started third, finished fifth at Martinsville in March- both career-bests. Y!-A4
7. Juan Pablo Montoya… Average finish of 12.6 over five career starts at Martinsville. Finished 12th in the March race. Y!-B3
8. Kevin Harvick… Average finish of 10.0 over the last four races at Martinsville. Finished 11th in the March race.
9. Ryan Newman… Finished sixth in the March race at Martinsville, average running position of 16th. Average finish of 21.0 in ‘08 races, 8.0 in ‘07. Y!-B4
10. Kurt Busch… Won at Martinsville in ‘02 but only two top-10 finishes since. Average finish of 24.0 since ‘06. Finished 18th in the March race, average running position of ninth. Y!-B5
11. Matt Kenseth… Finished 23rd at March race at Martinsville. Finished 30th and eighth last year, 7.5 average in ‘07.
12. Kyle Busch… Three top-five finishes in his first six career starts at Martinsville- average finish of 30.3 in the last three.
13. Kasey Kahne… Finished 19th in the March race at Martinsville. Last top-10 in ‘06, average finish of 21.8 since. Y!-B6
14. Marcos Ambrose… Started 24th, finished 14th in the March race, first career start at Martinsville. Y!-C1
15. Jeff Burton… Won at Martinsville in ‘97. Average finish of 10.6 since ‘07. Finished 15th in the March race.
16. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Five finishes of eighth or better over the last seven races at Martinsville. Runner-up last year, finished eighth in the March race. Y!-B7
17. Casey Mears… Strong value play. Only two career top-10 finishes at Martinsville, two were in 2008. Finished 21st in the March race. Y!-B8
18. David Reutimann… Finished 20th in the March race at Martinsville but had an average running position of 11th; has never finished better than 17th.
19. Greg Biffle… Average finish of 20.0 over the last three Martinsville races. Finished 28th in the March race.
20. Carl Edwards… Good qualifier at Martinsville. Started fourth, finished third last year. Started fifth in March, finished 26th- average running position of 18th.
21. Brian Vickers… Finished 33rd at March race at Martinsville, average running position of 13th. Average finish of 17.0 in ‘08 races, no starts in ‘07.
22. AJ Allmendinger… Strong value play. Finished 15th at last year’s Martinsville October race, ninth in the March race this season. Y!-C2
23. Joey Logano… Started 34th, finished 32nd in the March race, first career start at Martinsville.
24. Martin Truex Jr…. One top-10 in seven career starts at Martinsville, 23.3 average finish.
25. Jamie McMurray… Weak value play. Two top-10 finishes in his last three starts at Martinsville. Finished 10th in the March race.
26. Paul Menard… Average finish of 23.0 in four career starts at Martinsville.
27. David Ragan… Finished 11th and 13th at Martinsville last year, 27th in the March race.
28. Michael Waltrip… Long shot value play. Finished 13th in the March race at Martinsville, 18th in last two October races.
29. Reed Sorenson… Finished 36th and 35th at Martinsville last year, 17th in the March race. Y!-C3
30. David Stremme… Started and finished 22nd in the March race at Martinsville.
31. Elliott Sadler… Average finish of 39.6 in his last three October races at Martinsville. Finished 31st in the March race.
32. Bobby Labonte… Won in ‘02. Finished 16th in the March race at Martinsville, 31.8 average finish in ‘07, ‘08 starts. Y!-C4
33. Scott Speed… Average finish of 34.5 in two career starts at Martinsville.
34. Sam Hornish Jr…. Has finished 34th in his last two starts at Martinsville.
35. Robby Gordon… Has finished 34th or worse in eight straight starts at Martinsville.
36. Travis Kvapil… Long shot value play. Average finish of 18.5 in ‘08 races at Martinsville.
37. John Andretti… Won in ‘99. Finished 35th in the March race at Martinsville, 33rd in ‘07.
38. David Gilliland… Average finish of 30.7 in six career starts at Martinsville.
39. Michael McDowell… Started 34th, finished 26th in last year’s March Martinsville race- first ever Cup start.
40. Joe Nemechek… Likely start and park. DNFs in two straight starts at Martinsville.
41. Sterling Marlin… Likely start and park. Failed to qualify in last year’s October Martinsville race.
42. Dave Blaney… DNFs in two of the last three races at Martinsville.
43. Mike Wallace… No starts at Martinsville since ‘05.
44. Derrike Cope… No starts at Martinsville since ‘05.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Bank of America 500 from Lowes

With two points-paying races per year, the Showdown and the All-Star Race, there is no shortage of data to analyze for Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Plus its 1.5-mile quad-oval configuration is similar to that of Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. I have put together a table with the average finishes from the two Atlanta races plus the events held at Texas and Lowe’s earlier in the year. Check my NASCAR Fantasy Tool: 2009 Average Finish at Similar Tracks - Atlanta, Texas and Lowe’s here.

Four drivers averaged a finish better than 10.0 in those four races: Jeff Gordon (6.3), Brian Vickers (8.3), Kasey Kahne (8.5) and Matt Kenseth (9.8). Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart both averaged 10.5.
Keep in mind the May race at Lowe’s was called early due to rain. David Reutimann, Ryan Newman and Robby Gordon finished in the top-three but had a combined average running position of 17.0. The race had only six caution laps, ending a streak nine races with at least 10 cautions.

Because the track is prone to mishaps, fantasy owners in allocation formats should consider saving their remaining starts of elite drivers for next week’s race at Martinsville Speedway, where the cream rises to the top. Talladega Superspeedway and Texas will follow; Dega is another race to save starts. The results of his week’s race will be important for setting the lineup for Texas.

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 or alternative options in allocation formats.
• Risky play - Good overall history at this week’s track but poor recent finishes.

1. Jimmie Johnson… Strong qualifier at Lowe’s, three poles including last year. Five-time winner (’03, ‘04 sweep, ‘05 sweep). Runner-up in both ‘06 races. 12.0 average finish in ‘07 races. DNF (engine) and sixth-place finish in 08. Started fifth in May race, finished 13th but an average running position of fifth. Has led laps in 15 of 16 career starts at Lowe’s. Y!-A1
2. Jeff Gordon… Five-time winner at Lowe’s (’94, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99, ‘07) Seven poles (none since ‘00) Average finish of 6.0 in ‘08. Started third, finished 14th in May. Started fourth, finished eighth in Sep Atlanta race. Y!-A2
3. Mark Martin… Four-time winner at Lowe’s (’92, ‘95, ‘98, ‘02) Two poles (’91). Since ‘07: 9.6 average start, 13.6 average finish. Finished fifth in Sep Atlanta race. Y!-A3
4. Juan Pablo Montoya… Started ninth, finished eighth at May Lowe’s race, career bests. Finished third in Sep Atlanta race. Y!-B1
5. Tony Stewart… Won at Lowe’s in ‘03. Average finish of 6.5 in ‘07. 14.5 last year, led an average of 32.5 laps. Started 28th, finished 19th in May. Finished 11th in Sep Atlanta race. Y!-B2
6. Kasey Kahne… Three-time winner at Lowe’s (’06 sweep, ‘08) Winner, runner-up in ‘08 races. Started sixth, finished ninth at May race. Started second, won the Sep Atlanta race. Y!-B3
7. Carl Edwards… Average finish of 10.0 in nine career starts at Lowe’s- only one finish worse than 15th, 33rd at last year’s Chase race. Y!-A4
8. Greg Biffle… Average start 3.5, average finish 4.5 in ‘08 races at Lowe’s. Started 16th, finished 20th in May. Finished 10th in Sep Atlanta race.
9. Denny Hamlin… Average finish of 20.0 in ‘08 Lowe’s races. Finished 11th in May race at Lowe’s. Finished sixth in Sep Atlanta race. Y!-B4
10. Kurt Busch… Finished 34th at Lowe’s in May but an average running position of 13th. Average finish of 9.5 in ‘08. No finish better than 26th from ‘06-’07. Y!-B5
11. Ryan Newman… Strong qualifier, eight poles at Lowe’s including the May race. Won both poles in ‘07 (DNFs in both). Average start of 27.0 last year, finished 21st in both. Runner-up in May race but had an average running position of 16th. Finished third in Sep Atlanta race. Y!-B6
12. Brian Vickers… Led an average of 58.5 laps over the last four Lowe’s starts. Finished fifth in only ‘07 start at Lowe’s. DNF (crash) and 18th place finish in ‘08. Started eighth, finished fifth at May Lowe’s race. Finished seventh in Sep Atlanta race. Y!-B7
13. David Reutimann… Won the May race at Lowe’s but had an average running position of 12th. Finished 10th in last year’s May race, finished 32nd in last race’s Oct race but had an average running position of 19th. Finished fourth in Sep Atlanta race. Y!-B8
14. Kyle Busch… Led at least one lap in eight of the last nine Lowe’s races. Average finish of 4.0 over the last four races at Lowe’s. Started second, finished six and led 173 of 227 laps at May Lowe’s race- average running position of second. Finished 13th in Sep Atlanta race.
15. Matt Kenseth… Won at Lowe’s in ‘00. Started 30th, finished 10th in May race. ‘07-’08: two DNFs, seventh and 12th-place finishes. Finished 12th in Sep Atlanta race.
16. Clint Bowyer… Runner-up in 10/07 race at Lowe’s but average finish of 24.3 in the three races since. Finished 36th in May.
17. Kevin Harvick… Only three top-10 finishes in 17 career starts at Lowe’s, two came as a rookie ‘01. Average finish of 13.5 in ‘08 races. Started 22nd, finished 41st in May race. Runner-up in Sep Atlanta race.
18. Bobby Labonte… Strong value play. Two-time winner at Lowe’s (’95, ‘00) Has not finished worse than 18th since ‘98. Average finish of 13.0 since ‘07. Finished 12th in May race, 18th in Sep Atlanta race. Y!-C1
19. Joey Logano… Started 14th, finished ninth in May race- first career Cup start at Lowe’s. Finished fifth in May Nationwide race at Lowe’s. Finished fifth in the Showdown, eighth in the All-Star Race.
20. Sam Hornish Jr…. Strong value play. Average finish of 17.0 at Lowe’s since ‘08. Finished 35th in Sep Atlanta race. Won the Showdown. Y!-C2
21. Jeff Burton… Three-time winner at Lowe’s (’99, ‘01, ‘08) Started 40th, finished 25th in May race. Five finishes of sixth or better in the seven races since ‘06.
22. Marcos Ambrose… Started 23rd, finished 26th in May race- first career Cup start at Lowe’s. Average finish of 14.5 in ‘08 Nationwide races. Y!-C3
23. Casey Mears… Won at Lowe’s in ‘07 but an average finish of 28.0 in the four races since.
24. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Finished fifth and led 76 laps in last year’s May race at Lowe’s, 36th in the Oct race. Finished 40th in May race.
25. David Stremme… Weak value play. Average finish of 13.0 in ‘07 races at Lowe’s. Started 35th, finished 22nd in May race. Finished 14th in Sep Atlanta race. Finished third in the Showdown.
26. Martin Truex Jr…. Average finish of 23.6 at Lowe’s since ‘08. Won the pole, finished 26th in Sep Atlanta race.
27. Bill Elliott… Long shot value play. Two-time winner at Lowe’s (’84, ‘87) Started 10th, finished 15th at the May race. Y!-C4
28. AJ Allmendinger… Finished 20th, DNF (crash) in last year’s races at Lowe’s- 32nd in May race.
29. Brad Keselowski… No career Cup stars at Lowe’s. Average finish of 6.3 in ‘08-’09 Nationwide races at Lowe’s.
30. Jamie McMurray… Won as a rookie in ‘02 at Lowe’s. Finished fifth in last year’s Oct race, 21st in May race.
31. Robby Gordon… DNF, 30th in last year’s races at Lowe’s. Finished third in the May race but had an average running position of 16th in May race. Finished 16th in Sep Atlanta race.
32. David Ragan… Average finish of 11.0 in last year’s races at Lowe’s. Started 34th, finished 24th in May race.
33. Scott Speed… Started and finished 18th in May race, first career Cup start at Lowe’s. Started 14th, finished 11th in May Nationwide race at Lowe’s.
34. Elliott Sadler… Average finish of 19.6 at Lowe’s since ‘08. Finished 21st in Sep Atlanta race.
35. Michael Waltrip… Average finish of 27.0 at Lowe’s since ‘08. Finished 32nd in Sep Atlanta race.
36. Reed Sorenson… Average finish of 18.5 in last year’s races at Lowe’s. Started 42nd, finished 35th in May race.
37. Paul Menard… DNF (overheating) and 26th in last year’s races at Lowe’s. Finished 29th in the May race, 15th in Sep Atlanta race.
38. Travis Kvapil… Finished 26th, DNF (crash) in ‘08. Only four Cup starts this season. Average finish of 10.8 in four Truck series starts (’03-’08) at Lowe’s.
39. John Andretti… No Cup starts at Lowe’s since ‘07.
40. David Gilliland… Average finish of 30.6 at Lowe’s since ‘08.
41. Dave Blaney… Average finish of 24.0 at Lowe’s since ‘08.
42. Max Papis… Started 32nd, finished 42nd at the May race, first career Cup start at Lowe’s.
43. Terry Labonte… No Cup starts at Lowe’s since ‘06.
44. Joe Nemechek… Finished 37th in May race at Lowe’s and last year’s Oct race.
45. Mike Bliss… Started seventh in the May race at Lowe’s, start and parked- first Cup start at Lowe’s since ‘06.
46. Sterling Marlin… Likely start and park. Won in ‘01. Only six Cup starts this season. Started 26th, finished 31st in last year’s May race.
47. Michael McDowell… No career Cup stars at Lowe’s. Started sixth, finished 20th in May Nationwide race at Lowe’s.
48. Mike Wallace… Likely start and park. Started 40th, finished 31st in last year’s Oct race at Lowe’s. DNQ for seven of nine Cup races this season.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway

Dover International Speedway plays host to the second race in the Chase. The Monster Mile is a unique one-mile, concrete track with high banking. The track lends itself to aggressive driving. A lot drivers have an uneven history at Dover due accidents this is a great week throw a change up into your fantasy lineup.

You’ll notice that the list below has just 37 drivers. I’ll be on my honeymoon the week of the race so I have written this preview ahead of time. The results of the New Hampshire race were unknown at the time these picks were made.

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 or alternative options in allocation formats.
• Risky play - Good overall history at this week’s track but poor recent finishes.

1. Jimmie Johnson… Won the race in May race at Dover, led 298 of 400 laps. Average finish of 6.0 in ‘08 races, led laps in both. Four-time winner at Dover (6/09, ‘05, sweep in ‘02).Y!-A1
2. Mark Martin… Top-five finishes in 21 of 46 career starts at Dover, nine top-10s in the last 11. Four-time winner at Dover (’04, ‘99, ‘98, ‘97).Y!-A2
3. Tony Stewart… Risky play. Runner-up in May race at Dover, first top-five since ‘04. DNFs due to accident in half of his last six at Dover. Two-time winner at Dover (’00 sweep).Y!-B1
4. Greg Biffle… Won this race last year at Dover, third-place in May. Streak of 10 Dover races finishing 13th or better, laps led in eight. Two-time winner at Dover (last year, ‘05).Y!-A3
5. Jeff Gordon… Good qualifier. Started 42nd, finished 26th in May race at Dover. Average finish of 6.0 in ‘08 Dover races, won a pole. Four-time winner at Dover (’01, ‘96 sweep, ‘95).Y!-A4
6. Kyle Busch… Won spring Dover race last year, DNF in last year’s September race and 23rd-place finish this June but ran in 11th, on the average. Five top-10 finishes at Dover in 10 career starts.
7. Denny Hamlin… Risky play. Accident in May race at Dover, also had poor finishes in ‘08. Has finished 36th or worse in four straight Dover races.Y!-B2
8. Kurt Busch… Risky play. Finished fifth in May race at Dover, first top-10 since ‘04. Average finish of 20.5 in 18 career starts.Y!-B3
9. Kasey Kahne… Risky play. Finished sixth in May race at Dover, first top-10 since ‘06. Average finish of 28.5 in ‘08 Dover races.Y!-B4
10. Ryan Newman… Great qualifier. Three-time winner at Dover, all between ‘03 and ‘04. Average finish of 6.5 in ‘05 races but 14.7 in the seven races since. Finished eighth in May race. Has won four poles, none since ‘07 and an average finish of 16.3 in his last four attempts.Y!-B5
11. Brian Vickers… Average finish of 21.5 in 11 career Dover starts. Finished 25th in May, 22.0 average in ‘08 Dover races.Y!-B6
12. Carl Edwards… Has led at least 12 laps in seven straight Dover races. Finished seventh in May race; finished first, second or third in five races prior (’06-’08). Won at Dover in ‘07.
13. Matt Kenseth… Finished fourth in May race at Dover, average finish of 3.0 both last year’s races. Laps led in six of the last seven Dover races. Won at Dover in ‘06.
14. Clint Bowyer… Finished 11th in May race at Dover, eighth in last year’s race. Also finished eighth in two other times in five other Dover starts.
15. Juan Pablo Montoya… Started third, finished 30th in May race at Dover. Two top-12 finishes in five career starts.Y!-B7
16. David Reutimann… Won the pole in May race at Dover, finished 18th. Average finish of 16.0 in five career starts.Y!-B8
17. Jeff Burton… Last 15 Dover races: finished 16th or better 14 times, eight top-10s, won in ‘06.
18. Sam Hornish Jr…. Strong value play. Average finish of 24.3 in three career starts at Dover, jumps to 15.5 excluding last year’s DNF (accident).Y!-C1
19. Casey Mears… Strong value play. Five straight races at Dover finishing 17th or better, average finish of 12.0 in that span.
20. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Finished 15th in May race at Dover, 29.5 average finish last year. Won at Dover in ‘01, only four top-10 finishes since.
21. Kevin Harvick… Finished 17th in May race at Dover, sixth last year; first top-10 finish since ‘06.
22. Jamie McMurray… Weak value play. Finished 14th in May race at Dover. Average start of 7.0, finished 10th and 36th last year.
23. David Ragan… Weak value play. Finished 24th in May race at Dover, average finish of 16.5 in ‘08 races.
24. Joey Logano… Started 21st, finished 15th in May race, first career start at Dover.
25. Marcos Ambrose… Started and finished 20th in May race at Dover.Y!-C2
26. Martin Truex Jr…. Finished 21st in May race at Dover, sixth in the previous spring race. Finished 20th in this race last year. Won at Dover in ‘07.
27. Elliott Sadler… Has finished 27th in two straight Dover races, average finish of 21.4 in 21 career starts.
28. Reed Sorenson… Started fourth, finished 19th in May race at Dover. Last time he started in top-10 at Dover: a career-best 11th finish as a rookie in ‘06, no finishes better than 26th in between.Y!-C3
29. Michael Waltrip… Long shot value play. Average finish of 24.3 over the last three Dover races, 12.5 average finish in the last two September races.
30. Robby Gordon… Long shot value play. DNF in May race at Dover, average finish of 17.5 in ‘07 and ‘08 races.Y!-C4
31. Paul Menard… Long shot value play. Average finish of 19.2 in five career Dover starts.
32. AJ Allmendinger… Has never finished better than 16th at Dover, 31.6 average finish in five career starts.
33. Bobby Labonte… Average finish of 24.6 over the last three Dover races. Won from the pole at Dover in ‘99.
34. Scott Speed… DNF (engine) in May race, finished 37th in first career start at Dover.
35. David Stremme… DNFs in three of five career Dover starts, 33.0 average finish.
36. John Andretti… DNF (accident) in May race at Dover, finished 34th. First start at Dover since ‘07.
37. Joe Nemechek… Average finish of 35.6 over the last three Dover races.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Chevy Rock n Roll 400 from Richmond

Greetings On Pit Row readers.

The popular Richmond International Raceway is a flat, 3/4-mile D-shaped track. Its configuration is most similar New Hampshire, Martinsville and Phoenix. For fantasy purposes, the most recent races at these flat tracks were several months so do not take much stock on those results. However, all three of these tracks will hold Chase events; be mindful of the outcome of this week’s race as you look ahead to setting your fantasy lineups over the coming weeks.

As I mentioned on this week’s On Pit Row, I fully expect a strong performance from Kyle Busch. His Chase birth will come at the expense of the man of the bubble, Matt Kenseth. Ky le Busch dominates at Richmond, Kenseth was mediocre in the May race, much like he has been over the past several races.

The wild card is Brian Vickers, who has scored the most points over the last six races. But Vickers has never finished better than 24th in Richmond races in which he has not started from the pole.
Good luck this week and please leave your comments below.

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 or alternative options in allocation formats.

1. Jimmie Johnson… Strong qualifier. Last five Richmond races: three wins (started in fourth or better in each), 30th or worse in the other two (started 12th and 15th). Three-time winner (’07 sweep, won last year’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400) Y!-A1
2. Tony Stewart… Runner-up in May and in three of the last four Richmond races. Enters with a streak of 11 straight top-20 finishes at Richmond, average finish of 6.7 in that span. Three-time winnner (’99, ‘01, ‘02) Y!-B1
3. Kyle Busch… Average finish of 6.1 in nine career starts at Richmond, seven top-five finishes. Won in May, runner-up on three occasions. Y!-A2
4. Mark Martin… Average finish of 4.3 in the last three Richmond races. Won in ‘90. Y!-A3
5. Denny Hamlin… Strong qualifier. Seven career Richmond races: 4.9 average start, 9.6 average finish, led laps in all seven. Only one finish worse than 15th. Y!-B2
6. Jeff Gordon… Good qualifier. Enters with a streak of five top-10 finishes at Richmond, average finish of 6.6 in that span. Led laps in four of those five races. As started in the top-three in four of the last six Richmond races. Two-time winner (’96, ‘00) Y!-A4
7. Kasey Kahne… Started 18th, finished 19th in May. Average finish of 14.5 last year at Richmond. Won from the pole in ‘05. Y!-B3
8. Ryan Newman… Won 9/03 but average finish of 19.2 in the last five September races at Richmond– but average finish of 6.0 in six May races. Y!-B4
9. Kurt Busch… Started 17th, finished 12th in May. Finished 19th last year, DNF 5/08. Average finish of 7.0 in ‘07 at Richmond. Won in ‘05. Y!-B5
10. Brian Vickers… Won the pole in May, finished 15th. Won the pole as a rookie in ‘04, finished eighth– zero finishes better than 24th in eight races in between. Y!-B6
11. Greg Biffle… Finished 17th in May, 14th in both ‘08 races.
12. Juan Pablo Montoya… Finished a career best 10th in May. Average finish of 32.3 in four other career starts at Richmond. Y!-B7
13. Matt Kenseth… Finished 13th in May, 38th and 39th last year. Average finish of 12.0 in ‘07 races. Won in ‘02.
14. Clint Bowyer… Finished 18th in May. Won last May, finished 12th last September. Average finish of 10.6 in seven career starts.
15. Kevin Harvick… Strong value play. Finished 34th in May, snapping a streak of nine finishes of 12th or better. Average finish of 6.6 in that span. Won in ‘06.
16. Carl Edwards… Risky play. Started 37th, finished 26th in May. Average finish of 10.0 last year at Richmond.
17. David Reutimann… Finished a career-best ninth last year, led 104 laps. Started ninth, finished 28th in May. Y!-B8
18. Marcos Ambrose… Started 21st, finished 11th in May, first career start at Richmond. Finished 13th in last year’s September Nationwide race at Richmond. Y!-C1
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Started 25th, finished 27th in May. Average finish of 9.6 last year at Richmond, led laps in each. Won in ‘06.
20. Joey Logano… Started 13th, finished 19th in May, first career start at Richmond. Average start of 2.5, finish of 6.5 in two Nationwide races at Richmond last year.
21. Sam Hornish Jr…. Weak play value. Finished a career-best sixth at Richmond in May. Average finish of 30.5 in ‘08 races. Seven IndyCar starts: two wins, 7.7 average finish. Y!-C2
22. Brad Keselowski… No career Cup starts at Richmond. Average finish of 24.5 in six Nationwide races, career-best fourth in May race. Y!-C3
23. Jeff Burton… Finished third in May. Average finish of 6.6 in last three Richmond races, started fifth in two straight. Career average finish of 14.6 in 30 career starts. Won in ‘98.
24. Casey Mears… Started 41st, finished a career best ninth in May. Last seven Richmond races: average finish of 13.8, excluding an accident last year.
25. Martin Truex Jr…. Started fourth, finished 22nd in May. Average finish of 10.5 last year at Richmond.
26. Jamie McMurray… Finished a career best seventh in May, 29th last year at Richmond. Did not finish on the lead lap in six races prior.
27. Bobby Labonte… Average finish of 19.2 over last five races at Richmond. Y!-C4
28. Reed Sorenson… Average finish of 21.1 in seven career starts at Richmond.
29. Regan Smith… Did not start May race. Average finish of 22.0 last year, first two career starts at Richmond.
30. David Ragan… Finished third at Richmond as a rookie (9/07), average finish of 24.0 in the three races since.
31. Patrick Carpentier… Did not start May race. DNF (accident) and 25-place finish last year, first two career starts at Richmond. Started fourth, finished third in ‘05 IndyCar race.
32. Max Papis… No career Cup starts at Richmond. Finished ninth (out of 12) in ‘05 IROC race.
33. AJ Allmendinger… Five career starts at Richmond: 31.6 average finish, zero top-20 finishes.
34. Elliott Sadler… Average finish of 27.2 in the last five Richmond races.
35. Robby Gordon… 19 career starts at Richmond: 29.7 average finish, only two finishes on the lead lap.
36. David Stremme… Started 11th, DNF in May. Average finish of 28.0 in seven career starts at Richmond.
37. Michael Waltrip… Average finish of 30.2 over last five races at Richmond.
38. Paul Menard… Average finish of 31.6 over last three races at Richmond.
39. John Andretti… Finished 32nd in May, first Richmond start since ‘07.
40. Scott Speed… Started eighth, finished 33rd in May, first career start at Richmond. Finished 27th in the Nationwide race.
41. Joe Nemechek… Average finish of 36.3 over last three races at Richmond.
42. Mike Bliss… Started sixth, finished 37th in May.
43. Tony Raines… Started 43rd, finished 41st in May.
44. Dave Blaney… DNF (accident) after eight laps in May.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Sharpie 500

Greetings On Pit Row readers.

As a fan, the night race at Bristol is at the top of my list. For fantasy purposes there are two big things I’m looking at for setting my lineup this week. First, the results of the first Bristol race in late March. But since that was 19 races ago, the second thing is taking the temperature of the drivers as the competition is heating up for the Chase.

Clint Bowyer has four top-10 finishes in the last five races and has run well at Bristol over his career. He’s a great play in all formats right now.

Dale Earnhardt Jr is cheap in salary cap formats- he’s been very good at Bristol and coming off his best race of the season.

Aric Almirola is my super long shot. He finished eighth and 13th at Bristol last year. He’s in different equipment now but his price tag couldn’t be any lower.

How about Bill Elliott last week? I’ll take a 16th-place finish from a C-list driver any day! Good luck this week and please leave your comments below.

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 or alternative options in allocation formats.
• Risky play - Good overall history at this week’s track but poor recent finishes.

1. Tony Stewart… Smoke likes the lights. Last two August races: ‘08- eighth, ‘07- fourth. Last two March races: ‘09- 17th, ‘08- 14th (267 laps led). Has led 245 or more laps in three of the last seven Bristol races. Won in ‘01. Y!-B1
2. Jeff Gordon… Strong qualifier. Average start of 6.8 over the last three years (five races). Average finish of 8.4 in that span, three top-five finishes. Five-time winner at Bristol: most recently in ‘02. Y!-A1
3. Carl Edwards… Last three August races at Bristol: first, first, seventh. Last three March races: 15th, 16th, 12th. Won the pole last August. Y!-A2
4. Kyle Busch… Won in March, led 387 laps. Average finish of 5.7 at Bristol over the last four years (seven races). Runner-up last year, led 415 laps. Had led laps in four other races. Also won 3/07. Y!-A3
5. Denny Hamlin… Last three Bristol races: second, third, sixth. Y!-B2
6. Jimmie Johnson… Risky play. Good qualifier. Started and finished third in March; only his second top-10 finish in that last eight Bristol races. Won the pole 3/08. Y!-A4
7. Kurt Busch… Risky play. Won four times at Bristol from ‘02-’04 but only three top-10 finishes since, including another win (’06). Average finish of 12.6 in last three Bristol races. Y!-B3
8. Kasey Kahne… Average finish of 8.25 over the last three years at Bristol, not counting a DNF. Y!-B4
9. Greg Biffle… DNF (engine) in March, average finish of 8.5 in the previous eight races at Bristol: three top-five finishes, six top-10 finishes.
10. Matt Kenseth… Started and finished 33rd in March. Previous seven years at Bristol (14 years): two wins, seven top-five finishes, 11 top-10 finishes.
11. Juan Pablo Montoya… Career best ninth-place finish at Bristol in March. Finished 19th and 15th last year. Y!-B5
12. Clint Bowyer… Hot streak: four top-10 finishes over the last five races this season. Started 31st, finished 13th in March. Snapped a streak of four straight top-10 finishes at Bristol- average finish of 5.3 in that span.
13. Mark Martin… Risky play. Won the pole in March, finished sixth. Also finished sixth 3/08, his only top-10 finishes at Bristol since ‘01. Won ‘98, ‘93.
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Strong value play. Finished 14th in March, 18th last year- previous 13 races: 12 top-11 finishes. Won in ‘04. Y!-B6
15. Ryan Newman… Top-10 finishes in five of the last seven races at Bristol. Average finish of 15.6 in that span. Y!-B7
16. Kevin Harvick… Strong value play. Started and finished 30th in March. Average finish of 3.0 last year. Won in ‘05.
17. Jeff Burton… Risky play. Won 3/08, DNF (accident) 8/08. Finished eighth in March. Last 11 starts at Bristol: seven finishes in the top 12, four finishes of 34th or worse.
18. Brian Vickers… Risky play. 10 career starts at Bristol: 26.0 average finish, zero top 10s. Y!-B8
19. Marcos Ambrose… Started 13th, finished 10th in March, first career start at Bristol. Y!-C1
20. David Reutimann… Finished a career-best 12th in June, average finish of 22.5 in ‘08.
21. Joey Logano… Started 23rd, finished 38th (engine) in March, first career start at Bristol. Average finish of 12.5 in two Nationwide races.
22. Casey Mears… Weak value play. Started 37th, finished 24th in March. Average finish of 41.5 in ‘08. Average finish of 18.5 from ‘06-’07.
23. Sam Hornish Jr…. Average finish of 32.3 in three career starts at Bristol. Zero finishes in the top 25. Y!-C2
24. AJ Allmendinger… Finished a career-best 16th in March. Y!-C3
25. David Ragan… Average finish of 19.3 in the last three Bristol races.
26. Elliott Sadler… Won in ‘01 but only two top-10 finishes since. Average finish of 23.6 in the last three Bristol races.
27. Jamie McMurray… Since ‘05: one top-10 finish, only two finishes of 12th or better. Average finish of 26.7 in that span (nine races).
28. Martin Truex Jr…. Zero top-10 finishes in seven career starts, 25.4 career average finish.
29. Aric Almirola… Long shot value play. Finished 35th in March. Average finish of 10.5 in ‘08. Finished 10th in ‘07 Nationwide race. Y!-C4
30. Regan Smith… Long shot value play. Started fourth, finished 14th last year. Average finish of 21.7 in three career starts.
31. David Stremme… Finished 19th in March. Average finish of 13.5 in ‘07.
32. Scott Speed… Started 11th, finished 28th in March, first career start at Bristol. Finished eighth in March Nationwide series.
33. Max Papis… No career starts at Bristol.
34. David Gilliland… Average finish of 22.3 in the last three Bristol races.
35. Paul Menard… Average finish of 24.3 in the last three Bristol races.
36. Bobby Labonte… Average finish of 27.6 in the last three Bristol races.
37. Robby Gordon… Average finish of 28.0 in the last three Bristol races.
38. Michael Waltrip… Average finish of 28.3 in the last three Bristol races, led laps in two.
39. Reed Sorenson… Average finish of 30.0 in the last three Bristol races.
40. John Andretti… Average finish of 35.0 in the last three Bristol races.
41. Joe Nemechek… Average finish of 35.0 in the last three Bristol races. Zero top-10 finishes in 27 career starts.
42. Dave Blaney… Average finish of 38.3 in the last three Bristol races.
43. Tony Raines… Average finish of 23.0 in the last three Bristol races (’07-’08).
44. Mike Skinner… Average finish of 34.0 in ‘08 Bristol races.
45. Terry Labonte… No starts at Bristol since ‘06. Won in ‘95, ‘84.
46. Mike Wallace… No starts at Bristol since ‘05.
47. Dexter Bean… No career starts at Bristol.
48. Scott Wimmer… No starts at Bristol since ‘06.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen

Greetings On Pit Row readers.

Six races have passed since the Sprint Cup series drivers have needed to make a right-hand turn on the race track. For fantasy owners, the results from the June race at Infineon Raceway is good starting point for making evaluations. Watkins Glen International features longer straightaways allowing for more speed while Infineon is a more technical course.

At the first glance, the rankings might be a bit eye-opening since this is perhaps the only type of race neither Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon are locks in the top-three.

In their place I’ve got two foreigners: Juan Pablo Montoya, already a threat to win on any road course, is on fire. JPM should have won at Indianapolis and was the runner-up last week at Pocono. He is basically a lock to make The Chase and ought to find the bonus points from a victory to be very tempting.

Macros Ambrose can simply do no wrong on a road course. After starting from the rear at The Glen one year ago and at Infineon in June, Ambrose ended both races in the third position. Assuming pre-race equipment problems don’t send him to the rear again, Ambrose will only gain by better starting track position.

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.
• 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 or alternative options in allocation formats.
• Risky play - Good overall history at this week’s track but poor recent finishes.

Good luck this week and please leave your comments below! Download a printer-friendly version here.

1. Tony Stewart… Strong qualifier. Best average start (5.5) and average finish (5.7) among all drivers at The Glen. Has won four times in the last seven races, runner-up twice. Finished second, led 11 laps at Infineon. Y!-B1
2. Juan Pablo Montoya… DNF as a rookie. Started 25th, finished fourth last year. Finished sixth at Infineon. Y!-B2
3. Marcos Ambrose… Started 43rd, finished third in his first career start at The Glen last year. Started from the near, finished third at Infineon. Won last year’s Nationwide race at The Glen Y!-C1
4. Kyle Busch… Won from the pole last year. Average finish of 5.6 in the last three races. Qualified second, finished 22nd, led 10 laps at Infineon. Finished second in last year’s Nationwide race at The Glen Y!-A1
5. Jimmie Johnson… Strong qualifier. Average start of 3.8 over the last five races. Seven career starts: finished seventh or better four times. Finished fourth at Infineon. Y!-A2
6. Denny Hamlin… Has finished where he’s started in three career starts: ‘08- 8th/10th, ‘07- 2nd/2nd, ‘06- 10th/10th. Finished fifth, led 33 laps at Infineon. Y!-B3
7. Jeff Gordon… Good qualifier. Has four victories but none since ‘01, average finish of 20.1 in the seven races since despite an average start of 7.3 Finished ninth at Infineon. Y!-A3
8. Mark Martin… Risky play. No starts since ‘06. All three career wins have come from the pole (’93-’95). Nineteen career starts: 12 top-fives, 16 top-10s. Y!-A4
9. Carl Edwards… Streak of three top-10 finishes at The Glen. Finished 13th at Infineon.
10. Kasey Kahne… Risky play. Tied a career-best finishing 14th last year. Won at Infineon. Y!-B4
11. Robby Gordon… Strong value play. 10 career starts: seven top-five finishes. Won in ‘03, finished 27th last year. Finished 36th at Infineon. Y!-C2
12. AJ Allmendinger… Strong value play. Started 37th, finished 11th in his first career start at The Glen last year. Finished seventh at Infineon. Y!-C3
13. Elliott Sadler… Strong value play. Last six races: average finish of 13.5. Finished 10th at Infineon. Y!-B5
14. Brian Vickers… Last four starts: one DNF, average finish of 14.0 in the three other races. Won the pole, finished 16th at Infineon. Y!-B6
15. Kevin Harvick… Eight career starts: won in ‘06, four other top-10 finishes. Finished worse than 15th only once.
16. Kurt Busch… Eight career starts: two DNFs, average finish of 15.2 in the six other races. Y!-B7
17. Ron Fellows… Finished 13th last year, fourth in ‘07. Runner-up in ‘99 and ‘04. Average finish of 36.7, four DNFs in seven other career starts. Finished 27th at Infineon. Y!-C4
    
18. Martin Truex Jr…. Weak value play. Great runs the last two years: ‘08- started 18th, finished fifth. ‘07- Started 12th, finished sixth. Y!-B8
19. Joey Logano… Finished 19th at Infineon. Finished seventh in last year’s Nationwide race at The Glen
20. Patrick Carpentier… Long shot value play. Two career starts at The Glen: ‘08- 20th, ‘07- 22nd. Finished 11th at Infineon.
21. Ryan Newman… Hit or miss in seven career starts. Three top-10s, average finish of 23.8 in the other four races.
22. Jeff Burton… Last four starts: two DNFs, finished 17th and 11th in the other two.
23. Matt Kenseth… Last top-10 came in ‘04, average finish of 15.8 in the four races since.
24. Clint Bowyer… Finished 23rd last year, career average finish of 17.7
25. Bobby Labonte… Last three races: two DNFS, 24th, 24th.
26. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Started second, finished 22nd last year.
27. Max Papis… Started 42nd, finished 43rd (DNF) in his first career start at The Glen last year. Finished 12th at Infineon.
28. Jamie McMurray… Owns a single top-10 finish, average finish of 19.6 in five other career starts.
29. Casey Mears… Owns a single top-10 finish, average finish of 24.8 in five other career starts.
30. Greg Biffle… Only one top-10 in six career starts, average finish of 32.4 in the other five races despite some good qualifying runs.
31. David Ragan… Lost track position in two career starts: average start 18.0, average finish 31.
32. Sam Hornish Jr…. Started 34th, finished 32nd in his first career start at The Glen last year.
33. David Reutimann… Started 28th, finished 33rd in his first career start at The Glen last year.
34. P.J. Jones… Finished 37th last year, fourth in ‘02, eighth in ‘93 and 29.4 in five other career starts. DNF at Infineon.
35. Reed Sorenson… Going backwards in three career starts: 31st, 28th, 12th.
36. David Stremme… Started 25th, finished 21st in his only career start at The Glen in ‘07.
37. Scott Speed… Finished 37th at Infineon.
38. Andy Lally… ‘07- Finished 10th in the Nationwide race at The Glen, 08- won the pole, finished fourth at ARCA series road course. No career Cup starts.
39. Paul Menard… Five career starts: one top-20 finish.
40. David Gilliland… DNF last year, finished 33rd in his only first start at The Glen in ‘07.
41. John Andretti… No starts at The Glen since ‘03.
42. Joe Nemechek… DNF his last two races at The Glen (’08, ‘06)
43. Dave Blaney… Last four races at The Glen: DNF, 35th, DNF, 34th.
44. Terry Labonte… Last started at The Glen in ‘07: started 38th, finished 30th.
45. Tony Raines… Started 42nd, finished 41st in his only career start at The Glen in ‘03.
46. Brian Simo… DNF in ‘01 and ‘06.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Pennsylvania 500

Greetings On Pit Row readers.

Fresh off an unexpected finish at Indianapolis, we shift to Pocono Raceway - a unique triangle that features three turns, each modeled after different tracks. Since each of the three turns are so different, Pocono has drawn comparisons to a road course. Turn Two, “The Tunnel Turn”, is banked nine degrees and modeled after the turns at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Like Indianapolis, Pocono has also been proven as a place that has been difficult to make passes. In the June race, of the drivers who qualified in the top-16 only four finished worse than 16th; two were due to mechanical issues (Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin). Also, half of the field finished within five spots of their original starting position.

I will be among the media covering Sunday’s race! I’m hoping to squeak out a blog entry or two in addition to sending out updates over Twitter. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/ericmcclung
Oh, props to rambler14 who called Mark Martin’s top-five finish at Indianapolis. I also goofed up on this week’s show; I said Tony Stewart won the pole in the June race at Pocono when in fact the starting grid was set due to points after rain canceled qualifying.

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.
• 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 or alternative options in allocation formats.
• Risky play - Good overall history at this week’s track but poor recent finishes.

Good luck this week and please leave your comments below! Download a printer-friendly version here.

1. Tony Stewart… Won from the pole in June but started from the rear, runner-up last year. Last eight races this season: 3.1 average finish. Y!-B1
2. Carl Edwards… Won last year, runner-up in June and led the most laps (103). Led an average of 78 laps in both races. Y!-A1
3. Jimmie Johnson… Strong qualifier. Last five races: 4.0 average start. Last four races: 5.3 average finish. Has led at least 30 laps in three straight. Last eight races this season: 6.75 average finish. Y!-A2
4. Jeff Gordon… Last six races: one victory, four top-fives, five top-10 finishes. Y!-A3
5. Denny Hamlin… Risky play. Last two races: finished 38th and 23rd. Prior five races: 2.8 average finish, two victories, led an average of 60 laps. Y!-B2
6. Juan Pablo Montoya… Career best eighth-place finish in June, average finish of 9.0 in the six races since. Y!-B3
7. Mark Martin… Good qualifier. Last five races: 10.6 average finish but finishing worse than he starts: 6/09- 12th/19th, 8/08- second/eighth, 6/08- third/10th. Y!-A4
8. Kurt Busch… Last two races: finished 37th and 38th. Prior six races: average finish of 5.0; two victories, runner-up twice. Y!-B4
9. David Reutimann… Career-best start (13th) and finish (third) in June. Y!-B5
10. Ryan Newman… Risky play. Started and finished fifth in June. Average finish of 18.2 in the six races since, only one top-10 finish. Y!-B6
11. Kasey Kahne… Finishes where he starts: 6/09- 14th/15th, 8/08- seventh/seventh, 6/08- first/first. Y!-B7
12. Matt Kenseth… Last four races: average of 3.0 laps led, average finish of 12.0.
13. Greg Biffle… Last three races: average of 3.3 laps led, average finish of 13.0. Only two top-10 finishes in 13 career starts.
14. Kyle Busch… Last top-10 finish: 6/07, average finish of 28.25 in the four races since, one DNF.
15. Clint Bowyer… Seven career starts, two of his three top-10 finishes have come in August: 8/07- eighth, 8/08- sixth.
16. Marcos Ambrose… Strong value play. Started 20th and finished sixth in June, first career start at Pocono. Y!-C1
17. Joey Logano… Strong value play. Started and finished 23rd in June, first career start at Pocono. Won the ARCA series race. Y!-B8
18. Jeff Burton… Last seven races: average finish of 11.0, four top-10 finishes.
19. Jamie McMurray… Weak value play. Led an average of 1.5 laps in the last two races, 11.0 average finish. Finished 20th or worse in the prior four races.
20. Casey Mears… Weak value play. Last three races, finishing and starting better: 6/09- 14th/21th, 8/08- 22nd/33rd, 6/08- 26th/34th
21. AJ Allmendinger… Started and finished 30th in June, finished 19th and 12th in ‘08. Y!-C2
22. Brian Vickers… Last five races: 23.0 average finish. Only one career finish better than 20th, runner-up 6/08.
23. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Last four races, finishing and starting worse: 6/09- 27th/18th, 8/08- 12th/12th, 6/08- fourth/seventh, 8/07- won the pole, finished runner-up.
24. Sam Hornish Jr…. Long shot value play. Career best 10th-place finish in June, finished 26th and 42nd in ‘08. Y!-C3
25. Martin Truex Jr…. Long shot value play. Seven career starts: average start and finish each 15.6.
26. Kevin Harvick… Started and finished 24th in June, breaking a streak of eight races of finishes 17th or better.
27. Bobby Labonte… Started and finished 28th in June, finished 33rd and 11th in ‘08. Y!-C4
28. Elliott Sadler… Last three races: 28.6 average finish, led eight laps in two.
29. Reed Sorenson… Career best 20th-place finish in June, only start in seven attempts which he gained track position.
30. David Ragan… Finished 26th in June, finished fifth and 24th in ‘08.
31. Joe Nemechek… DNFs in two straight races, 22.5 average finish in four previous starts.
32. Paul Menard… DNF last August, average finish of 27.0 in four other career starts.
33. David Gilliland… DNF in June, 30.8 average finish in four other career starts.
34. Michael Waltrip… Finished 17th in June, best finish since ‘05.
35. Robby Gordon… Last three races: 34.6 average finish.
36. David Stremme… Finished a career-worst 34th in June.
37. John Andretti… Started and finished 35th in June, first start at Pocono since ‘03.
38. Scott Speed… Finished 32nd in June, first career start at Pocono.
39. Patrick Carpentier… DNF in June, finished 32nd in ‘08.
40. Tony Raines… Did not start in June, 16.5 average finish in two previous August starts.
41. Dave Blaney… DNF in June, 24.3 average finish in three previous starts.
42. Sterling Marlin… DNF in June, first start at Pocono since ‘07.
43. Mike Wallace… Did not start in June, no Pocono starts since ‘05.
44. Derrike Cope… Did not start in June, no Pocono starts since ‘03.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard

Greetings On Pit Row readers.
The historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built back in 1909 but the configuration has remained similar, a flat 2.5-mile rectangular track. The venue has hosts the largest single-day sporting event the world, the Indianapolis 500 (IndyCar Series) but added an annual NASCAR event starting in 1994. The track lends itself more to battles for track position and fuel mileage rather than side-by-side racing.

Last year marked the first time the Car of Tomorrow was raced here and the results were dreadful. Tire issues plagued the race, no more than 12 consecutive green-flag laps were recorded and 52 of the 160 laps were completed under caution. Since the debacle, seven tire tests have been held with very positive results.

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.
• 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 or alternative options in allocation formats.

Good luck this week and please leave your comments below! Download a printer-friendly version here.

1. Tony Stewart… Finished 23rd last year but eighth or better in four of the last five starts, including wins in ‘05 and ‘07. Led 40 or more laps in four of the last seven. Y! B-1
2. Jeff Gordon… Four career wins. Top-10 finishes in 12 of 15 career starts. Top-eight finishes in seven of the last eight. Y! A-1
3. Jimmie Johnson… Last five starts: won from the pole last year, won in ‘06. Finished worse than 30th in the other three. Y! A-2
4. Carl Edwards… Started ninth, finished second last year. Average finish of 13.0 in three other career starts. Y! A-3
5. Kasey Kahne… Strong qualifier. Started fourth or fifth in four straight attempts. Accidents in ‘06 and ‘07, but finished seventh or better in three other career races. Y! B-2
6. Juan Pablo Montoya… Finished 39th (DNF, engine) last year. Runner-up only other Cup series start at Indianapolis. Won the ‘00 Indy 500, started second. Y! B-3
7. Denny Hamlin… Started 23rd, finished third last year. Finished 22nd and 10th in two other career starts. Y! B-4
8. Kyle Busch… Four career starts: three top-10 finishes, has never finished worse than 15th. Has led laps in three straight. Y! A-4
9. Mark Martin… Finished 11th or better in five of the last six starts.
10. Matt Kenseth… Last seven starts: four top-five finishes but 38th and 10th in the last two.
11. Kurt Busch… Good qualifier. Started seventh or better in three straight starts but finished 40th, 11th and 12 in those races. Y! B-5
12. Greg Biffle… Only two top-10 finishes (’04, ‘08) in six career starts.
13. Ryan Newman… Strong qualifier. Only one career top-10 finish but has never started worse than eighth. Started fifth or better in five of eight career attempts. Y! B-6
14. Clint Bowyer… Going the wrong way in three career starts: started 40th, 26th and second, finished 19th, 13th and fourth.
15. Jeff Burton… Only four top-10 finishes in 15 career starts, but two have come in the last two years.
16. AJ Allmendinger… Strong value play. Started 26th, finished 10th last year and led four laps last year, first career Indianapolis start. Y! C-1
17. Marcos Ambrose… Started 24th and finished 22nd last year, first career Indianapolis start. Y! C-2
18. Brian Vickers… Going the wrong way in last four starts: finished 42nd, 21st, 17th and third. Y! B-7
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Only one top-10 finish (’06) in the last seven starts. Led laps the last two years. Y! B-8
20. Joey Logano… No starts at Indianapolis.
21. Sam Hornish Jr…. Started 38th and finished 21nd last year, first Cup series Indianapolis start. Won the ‘06 Indy 500 from the pole, finished fourth in ‘07. Y! C-3.
22. Reed Sorenson… Weak value play. Won the pole in ‘07, finished fifth, led 16 laps. Started 22nd and finished 17th last year. Y! C-4
23. David Ragan… Weak value play. Two career starts: finished 14th and 16th.
24. David Reutimann… Two career starts: started 33rd and 34th, finished 30th and 38th.
25. David Gilliland… Long shot value play. ‘07- 20th, ‘08- 17th.
26. Kevin Harvick… Won from the pole in ‘03, average finish of 14.8 in the five starts since.
27. Martin Truex Jr…. DNF in his first career start, average finish of 18.33 over the last three.
28. Jamie McMurray… Finished six last year, breaking a streak of three finishes of 17th or worse.
29. Elliott Sadler… Started sixth, finished fourth last year, finished 28th or worse in the previous three.
30. Casey Mears… Only one top-10 finish in six career starts (’05), finished 23rd or worse in the other five.
31. Bill Elliott… Won in ‘02, finished 23rd or 24th in three straight starts.
32. Bobby Labonte… Won in ‘00, zero no top-10s in the eight starts since.
33. Robby Gordon… Two top-10 finishes in ‘02 and ‘03, average finish of 28.2 in the five races since.
34. John Andretti… Average finish of 21.7 in the last three Indy 500s. No Cup starts since ‘03. Only one top-10 finish in 10 career starts (’98), average finish of 32.4 in the five races since.
35. Max Papis… Started in the ‘02 and ‘06 Indy 500, average finish of 18.5
36. Michael Waltrip… Only one top-10 finish in 13 career starts (’94).
37. Joe Nemechek… Zero top-15 finishes in 14 career starts (24.6 average finish).
38. David Stremme… ‘06- 18th, ‘07- 26th.
39. Paul Menard… ‘07- 20th, ‘08- 41st.
40. Regan Smith… Started 42nd and finished 31st last year, first career Indianapolis start.
41. Dave Blaney… Only one top-10 finish in 10 career starts (’07).
42. Scott Speed… No starts at Indianapolis.
43. Sterling Marlin… No starts since ‘06. Average finish of 26.8 from ‘02-’06.
44. Terry Labonte… Finished 27th or worse in four straight starts (three DNFs).
45. Mike Skinner… No starts since ‘06. Average finish of 34.25 from ‘02-’06 (two DNFs).
46. Derrike Cope… No starts since ‘04. Average finish of 32.9 in seven career starts.
47. Mike Wallace… No starts since ‘02, crashed after completing 10 laps.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: LifeLock.com 400

Greetings On Pit Row readers,
Chicagoland Speedway hosts one race a year and only eight Cup races have been held here so many fantasy owners may look for data from some of the similar cookie-cutter tracks. The most similar configuration is Kansas Speedway. Both are 1.5-mile, D-shaped ovals. The race at Kansas is held during the Chase so you’ll have to go back to last season for those numbers. Las Vegas Motor Speedway has some similarities and has been visited once earlier in the season.

Qualifying has not been very important at Chicago - anywhere in teens will do. Kyle Busch won from the pole last year but of the eight Cup races held at Chicagoland, the winner has started from outside of the top-10 on five occasions.

As I stated on this week’s On Pit Row, I prefer to look at each start individually but similar track numbers are helpful to break a split decision between two drivers. For more advice, please join me for this week’s live fantasy chat Thursday at 7PM Eastern!

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.
• 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 or alternative options in allocation formats.

Good luck this week and please leave your comments below! Download a printer-friendly version here.

1. Tony Stewart… Six top-five finishes over the eight races held at Chicagoland, including two wins (’04, ‘07) Has led laps in six races, leading all drivers in total laps led. Y! B-1
2. Jimmie Johnson… Good qualifier. Seven career starts: no wins but six finishes of sixth or better. Had led laps in six races. After his first attempt never started worse than eighth. Y! A-1
3. Matt Kenseth… Good qualifier. Last four starts: started 10th or better in all four. Finished seventh or better in the last three races- led laps in all of them. Has led laps in six of the eight races held, finished 14th or better in seven of them. Led an average of 144.0 laps in the ‘05 and ‘06 races. Y! A-2
4. Kyle Busch… Won from the pole last year, leading 165 laps. Has never finished worse than 14th in four races. Y! A-3
5. Jeff Gordon… Four top-five finishes, including a victory in ‘06. Has finished worse than 17th only once, due to an accident. Has led laps in four races. Y! A-4
6. Greg Biffle… Improving slowly but surely. Finished 20th in ‘03 and ‘04, finished 11th ‘05-’07, career-best four-place finish last year, led 43 laps
7. Brian Vickers… Strong qualifier. Started fifth or better in three of four attempts. Two top-10 finishes, never finished worse than 14th. Y! B-2
8. Kevin Harvick… Strong value play. Won the first Chicagoland races in ‘01 and ‘02. Has top-five finishes in three straight races. Had led laps in five of eight career starts, including two of the last three
9. Ryan Newman… Strong qualifier. Has started third or better three times in seven attempts. Won the pole in ‘02, won the race in ‘03. Poor finishes from ‘04-’06 but top-10s in ‘07 and ‘08. Y! B-3
10. Kurt Busch… Has finished in sixth or eight place on five occasions. Finished 28th or worse in three other starts. Y! B-4
11. Mark Martin… Had led laps in four races. Last top-10 came in ‘05, finished inside the top-20 in the three races since.
12. Jeff Burton… Good qualifier. Won the pole in ‘06, started third last year. Two of his three career top-10s have come in the last three races. Finished 30th or worse three times in the five previous races.
13. Clint Bowyer… Three career starts: ninth, 10th, 22nd.
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr…. Good qualifier. Started second and fifth in the last two races, finished 16th and 19th. Started 25th in ‘05 and ‘06- finished with a win and another top-five. Had led laps in four of eight races and in three of the last four. Y! B-5
15. Carl Edwards… Four career starts: only one finish better than 20th. Kasey Kahne… Career-best 15th-place finish last year, finished 23rd or worse in the four other career starts. Y! B-6
16. David Reutimann… Two career starts: 43rd (engine), 14th-place finishes. Y! B-7
17. AJ Allmendinger… Strong value play. Started 39th, finished 13th last year in first career Chicagoland start. Y! C-1
18. Denny Hamlin… Three career starts: has never finished better than 14th, but has started 13th or better each time. Y! B-8
19. Juan Pablo Montoya… Two career starts: 15th and 18th-place finishes.Joey Logano… Started 13th, finished ninth last year at Kansas in the Nationwide Series.
20. Martin Truex Jr…. Career-best ninth-place last year, led laps in the last two races.
21. Sam Hornish Jr…. Started 35th, finished 37th last year last year in first career Chicagoland start. Y! C-2
22. David Ragan… Two career starts: 25th and eighth-place finishes.
23. Casey Mears… Weak value play. Strong qualifier (in odd number years). Six career starts: has started fourth in ‘03, third in ‘05 (finished ninth) and first in ‘07 (finished fifth).
24. Marcos Ambrose… Started 24th, finished 15th last year in the Nationwide Series. Y! C-3
25. Bobby Labonte… No top-10 finishes in eight races, 23.1 average finish. Y! C-4
26. Jamie McMurray… Career-best eighth-place finish as a rookie in ‘03, finished 22nd or worse in the last four races.
27. Elliott Sadler… Finished 12th last year, finished 21st or worse in five of the previous six races.
28. Brad Keselowski… Long shot value play. Two Nationwide Series starts: finished 14th and third.
29. Reed Sorenson… Heading the wrong way in qualifying and finishes: ‘06- 18th/seventh, ‘07- 22nd/12th, 08- 32nd/31st.
30. Scott Speed… Truck series: started and finished eighth at Kansas. ARCA series: won at Kansas, finished third at Chicagoland.
31. Paul Menard… Two career starts: 42nd and 26th-place finishes.
32. David Stremme… Declining in three career starts: ‘05- 16th, ‘06- 21st, ‘07- 34th.
33. Michael Waltrip… Finished 30th or worse in four straight races.
34. Robby Gordon… Two top-20 finishes in the last five races.
35. Bill Elliott… Solid from ‘01-’03. Finished 28th or worse in three straight races.
36. John Andretti… No starts since ‘07: finished 18th.
37. David Gilliland… Two career starts: 16th and 42th-place (engine) finishes.Regan Smith… Started 33rd, finished 34th last year in first career Chicagoland start.
38. Joe Nemechek… Finished 29th or worse in three straight races.
39. Dexter Bean… ARCA series: average finish 13.0 in four starts (best finishes: fourth, seventh)
40. Mike Bliss… Starts in ‘04 and ‘05. Average start 9.0 but two DNFs.
41. Dave Blaney… Three DNFs in the last five races, finished 17th in ‘06, 23rd last year.
42. Tony Raines… Last start came in ‘07, finished 24rd.
43. Mike Wallace… Last start came in ‘05, finished 25th.
44. Mike Skinner… Last start came in ‘02, finished 23rd.

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