Daytona Coke Zero 400 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson will be a good fantasy NASCAR pick for the Daytona Coke Zero 400. Since the Generation 6 car has been on the scene nobody has been better than him on this track type. In the 10 races at plate tracks in the current car he has the best driver rating, best average running position (9.7), and has led the most laps (364). In the five Daytona races over this stretch he has the best driver rating, 2 wins and has finished in the top 5 in every race but July 2014. In this year’s Daytona 500 he was very strong. He finished 5th, earned the 6th best driver rating and led 39 laps. He performed slightly better than his result but lost a few positions late. Also in the race it should be noted he overcame a pit penalty around the midpoint. Last July he ran well early but was caught up in the first “Big One”. Before Johnson wrecked he consistently drove 7th or better. In the 2014 Daytona 500 Jimmie Johnson had one of the best cars. He started in the back and ran there early to protect his car. After the rain stopped, and in theory they were only going to race to half-way point, Johnson got on the gas and drove up to the front. Over the last 120 laps I would estimate his average running position was around 5th. His car looked exceptional and when the checkered flag waved he finished 5th, earned the 6th best driver rating and led 15 laps. In 2013 at Daytona Johnson won both races. The last driver to do that was Bobby Allison in 1982. His car handled great and it was strong running the bottom line. In July 2013 Jimmie Johnson led 94 laps, had the best PROS Rankings and earned the best driver rating by a wide margin. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he was very impressive. He earned the best driver rating, led 17 laps and had a 5th place average running position. Late in the race Johnson led a line of cars around the bottom groove of the track up to the front. When he got a few inches ahead of Keselowski (leader at the time) a caution came out and it got him in the preferred groove which essentially sealed the victory for him. In 2006 Johnson won his first race at Daytona. At Talladega earlier this year Johnson finished 2nd and led 50 laps. For the season on this track type he’s scored the 2nd most points. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be viewed as a heavy fantasy NASCAR favorite at Daytona and for good reason. This season at plate tracks he’s been the man to beat. Between the two plate races he’s scored the most points and has a 2.0 average finish. At Talladega earlier this year he led 67 laps and went to victory lane. In this season’s Daytona 500 he had a great car and I would argue it was the best. His car had standout speed and when he was out front he was hard to get around. His chance for a victory vanished late in the event though. With 19 laps to go while he was near the front he moved to the middle groove which led to him free falling in the running order back to 16th in one lap. At the end he rallied towards the front and when the checkered flag waved he finished 3rd. Also in the race it should be noted he earned the 2nd best driver rating, had a 4th place average running position and led 32 laps. Last July at Daytona he didn’t have an incident free race and he was collected in the lap #21 “Big One”. The damage to his car wasn’t fatal so he was able to keep on driving. He likely would’ve finished very poorly but the end of the race was favorable for him. There was a late restart and then an even bigger “Big One” ensued that left only 16 cars on the lead lap. When the checkered flag waved he finished 14th. In the 2014 Daytona 500 Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced his way to victory lane and got his 3rd win at this venue. In the race his car was exceptionally strong but his elite drafting talent is what propelled him to the win. When the checkered flag waved he earned the the best driver rating and led 54 laps. In the 2013 Daytona summer race he finished 8th and earned the 4th best driver rating. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he spent much of the event racing outside the top ten but when it was time to go he worked with Mark Martin and raced his way up to a 2nd place result. In the 2012 Daytona 500 he also finished 2nd.  (Yahoo A Driver)

Further Recommended Reading – Daytona Front Runner Rankings, Daytona Mid Pack Predictions, Daytona Scouting Report, Who will win at Daytona?

Kevin Harvick – Kevin Harvick will be a favorite to win at Daytona. He’s a restrictor plate track ace and he’s been to victory lane twice at this venue. He knows how to time the draft and position himself up front when it matters. In this year’s Daytona 500 he had a strong showing. He finished 2nd, earned the 3rd best driver rating and had an 8th place average running position. For the majority of the race he paced himself among the front runners and when it was time to go he promptly drove to the front with Dale Earnhardt Jr. In the summer 2014 Daytona race there’s really not much to discuss about his performance because he was taken out in the lap #21 “Big One” (Finished 39th). In the 2014 Daytona 500 he had a strong car and was better than his 13th place result. On the final lap he was running in 8th but had contact with Kyle Busch which cost him a number of positions. In the race he ran near the back early to protect his car and didn’t show his hand until there was about 50 laps to go. Within the final 20 laps he advanced as far forward as 3rd. In 2013 at Daytona Kevin Harvick was arguably the strongest performer. In that season he won the Sprint Unlimited and his Duel 150. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he never had a chance to show just how good his car was. He was taken out in an early wreck when Kyle Busch bump drafted Kasey Kahne. In July 2013 Kevin Harvick had a strong showing. He ran near the back early but his car was strong and he could work his way to the front when he wanted. When the checkered flag waved he finished 3rd. At Talladega this spring he finished 8th. (Yahoo A Driver)

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