Sonoma Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Kasey Kahne – Kasey Kahne is a quality dark horse fantasy option at Sonoma. I think he’s flying well below many people’s fantasy radar this week which is a good thing. At Sonoma he’s a former champion and currently has three straight top tens. Over this three race stretch his average finish is 6.7. Last year he ran extremely well and overcame his 26th place starting position to finish 8th. In 2014 he started deeper in the field in 30th but was able to overcome that issue with a car that was fast over long runs and good pit strategy. When the checkered flag waved he finished 6th and earned the 8th best driver rating. In 2013 he also finished 6th. In that race he earned the 3rd best driver rating and had a 9th place average running position. In the two Sonoma races prior to that he was top ten good but finished 14th and 20th. In 2009 Kasey Kahne out raced Tony Stewart and went to victory lane. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Ryan Newman – Ryan Newman has finished better in every race at Sonoma since 2011 so lets hope that trend continues. Over the last three races he’s been a very respectable performer. Over this stretch he has an 11.7 average finish, 15.0 average running position and has ran over half the laps inside the top fifteen. Last year he had his first Sonoma top ten since 2008. When the race reached its conclusion he finished 9th, had a 12th place average running position and earned the 12th best driver rating. In five of his six races prior to that he finished between 11th and 18th. In 2014 Newman came close to finishing in the top ten. In the race he started 7th, finished 11th, had a 12th place average running position and earned the 12th best driver rating. In 2013 Newman started in 30th, had a 21st place average running position and finished 15th. (Yahoo B Driver)

Tony Stewart – Tony Stewart is always a popular fantasy NASCAR pick at road courses. On serpentine tracks he has 7 career wins but it’s important to point out 5 of them are at Watkins Glen. At Sonoma his most recent victory was in 2005. Since then he has two runner-up results and five top ten finishes. Last year Stewart had a strong showing at Sonoma. He finished 12th, had a 12th place average running position and ran 71.8% percent of the laps inside the top fifteen. In 2014 Stewart was never competitive and was simply a 20th place driver. In the race he started 21st, earned the 21st best driver rating, had a 20th place average running position and crossed the finish line in 19th. In 2013 he had a tough day. On lap 67 he got into the back of Denny Hamlin and it caused some damage to the nose of his car. Then later in the race with 19 laps to go he was running in the top ten but both him and Burton spun. When he got going again he was in 19th. His spin was rough on his tires and he was no longer competitive after that. When the checkered flag waved he finished 28th. In 2012 he drove a “patient race”. He started in 24th and drove up to 2nd place finish. If he started closer to the front than he might’ve had a shot at the win. In 2011 he was top ten good but Brian Vickers wrecked him. (Yahoo B Driver)

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our 2016 Sonoma Fantasy NASCAR Rankings

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