Richmond Air Guard 400 Fantasy NASCAR Preview and Picks
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A= Really, Really Good Pick
Kyle Busch – In eleven career races at Richmond Kyle Busch has only finished outside the top five twice. Earlier this year Busch won from the pole and led a staggering 226 laps. Kyle Busch has the best Richmond average finish in the series (5.5) and over the last eleven races he’s outscored everyone in the series. (Yahoo A Driver)
Check out my ifantasyrace.com Kyle Busch fantasy page.
Jeff Gordon – Gordon’s never finished outside the top ten at Richmond in COT. He’s the only driver who’s accomplished this feat. His COT average finished is 5.4. (Yahoo A Driver)
Kevin Harvick – Richmond is a very good track for Harvick. In the last eleven Richmond races Harvick’s only finished outside the top ten once. Over the eleven race time span Harvick’s passed more cars than anyone on the track (355) and he’s raced the most laps inside the top fifteen (4,130). Expect Harvick to go all out for the win because he’s already locked in the Chase. (Yahoo B Driver)
Don’t forget to check out ifantasyrace.com on your cellphone. It’s mobile phone friendly
A- = Really Good Pick
Tony Stewart – Smoke is heating up and Richmond is a very good track for him. Stewart’s finished in the top ten in eight of the last eleven Richmond races. His 8.3 average finish is the fourth best in the series. (Yahoo A Driver)
Denny Hamlin – His numbers at Richmond are unbelievable but don’t forget I sent out the only warning you’ll probably find online about Hamlin this weekend. He struggled here earlier this year and he struggled at similar tracks this season. At ifantasyrace.com I watch the races, I don’t just spew out numbers. He’s been about a tenth place car this year on this style of track. (Yahoo A Driver)
Ryan Newman – Newman’s a driver who’s very good at Richmond and has nothing to lose by going all out in the Air Guard 400. Newman’s been very good on this style of track this season (Richmond – 8th, Phoenix – 1st, New Hampshire – 6th). (Yahoo B Driver)
Jeff Burton – Burton’s finished in the top six in three out of the last four Richmond races. He nearly won at New Hampshire this year but a late slip up cost him victory. (Yahoo B Driver)
B+ = Good Pick
Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson is either a hero or a zero at Richmond. He’s won at Richmond three times but he also has seven finishes below the twenties. Jimmie finished 10th and 11th the last two times the series visited this track. (Yahoo A Driver)
Kurt Busch – Busch finished 2nd in this race last year and he’s been pretty successful in recent Richmond races. He’s finished in the top twelve in five of the last seven races. (Yahoo A Driver)
Juan Pablo Montoya – Montoya finished 6th earlier this year and ran strong all race long. Look for him to run strong again. (Yahoo A Driver)
Carl Edwards – Edwards is arguably the hottest driver in NASCAR at the moment but Richmond hasn’t been his best track. He finished 5th earlier this year but that was his first top ten at Richmond since the spring 2008 race. (Yahoo A Driver)
Clint Bowyer – Because of his points situation I don’t expect him to race very hard in the Air Guard 500. He’ll be waving people on by him and putting on four tires every pit stop. (Yahoo B Driver)
B = Just A Tier Below The Good Picks
Greg Biffle – Biffle was good at Richmond between 2004 and 2006 but in the COT era he hasn’t finished better than 13th. Also I don’t traditionally like Roush cars on this style of track. (Yahoo A Driver)
Marcos Ambrose – Ambrose is a driver who you need to think about this weekend. Earlier this year he finished 9th. His average finish at this .75 mile track is 14th. (Yahoo B Driver)
Kasey Kahne – Kahne won his first race at Richmond. Since then he’s had some success and has finished in the top ten about fifty percent of the time. (Yahoo B Driver)
Matt Kenseth – Kenseth has zero top tens in the COT. He’s traditionally been about a fifteenth place car in the COT at Richmond. (Yahoo B Driver)
B- = You Can Pencil Them In For Around 20th
David Reutimann – Reutimann’s a good sleeper pick for Richmond. He nearly won this race in 2008. His average finish is 19.4. (Yahoo B Driver)
Mark Martin – No matter where Mark goes lately you can pencil him in for about a twentieth place finish. Even if the door opens for Mark Martin to make the Chase I don’t think this team is good enough to race their way into it. (Yahoo A Driver)
Joey Logano – Logano’s been a teen driver in every race at Richmond. His average running position is 17.9. (Yahoo B Driver)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – He’s a three-time Richmond winner but his performances across the board have been way down for a while now. I see no reason to expect much out of him this weekend in the Air Guard 400. He’s only finished in the top ten once in the last eight Richmond races. (Yahoo B Driver)
C+ = Proceed With Caution
Martin Treux Jr. – Truex is a high risk high reward driver at Richmond. He usually runs well on short flat tracks but he normally doesn’t finish well. (Yahoo B Driver)
Jamie McMurray – Richmond hasn’t been a friendly track for McMurray. Earlier this year he finished 19th and on similar tracks this season his performances have been similar. (Yahoo B Driver)
Sam Hornish Jr. – Hornish has had the best races of his career on this style of track. In 2009 Hornish finished inside the top ten twice (6th and 8th). (Yahoo C Driver)
Brad Keselowski – Keselowski’s raced at Richmond twice. Earlier this year he finished 14th. (Yahoo B Driver)
C =I’m Not Picking Them
David Ragan – In his second career start at Richmond Ragan finished 3rd. That’s his lone career top fifteen at this track. (Yahoo B Driver)
Paul Menard – Menard’s best finish at Richmond was his first one. His average finish which I feel is unskewed is a lousy 27.4. (Yahoo C Driver)
AJ Allmendinger – AJ’s only finished inside the top twenty once in seven races at Richmond. Loop data wise his average position is 27.5 and his average mid race position is 28.4. He’s only run in the top fifteen 13.5% of the time. (Yahoo C Driver)
Elliott Sadler – Sadler’s last top ten at Richmond was back in 2005. If you’re looking for his next top ten forget about it because that’s the only one. (Yahoo B Driver)
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Richmond Fantasy NASCAR Picks
My Pick : Kevin Harvick
Top Onpitrow.com Expert Pick : Kyle Busch
Top Onpitrow.com Darkhorse Pick : Ryan Newman