Do you want to Jimmie proof the Chase? Forget about it. He’s won the championship under different circumstances nearly every year. He won the championship with the old car, he won it in 2007 with mixed cars (both old car and COT), he won it with COT, he’s won it with the spoiler, he’s won it under different point formats and he’s won the championship from trailing behind in points.

People used to say that if Bristol or a road course was in the Chase he wouldn’t win the championship. Hate to say it but Jimmie debunked that theory. The only person who can stop Jimmie Johnson is himself, and even that is unlikely.

Jimmie Johnson is a driver who’s unparalleled in today’s NASCAR. He’s won the championship more than he’s lost it. In his 9 year career he’s only finished outside the top 2 in the point standings twice.

Strengths – Jimmie Johnson is the real deal. He’s not backing his way into multiple championships by luck. He’s winning them by being historically good.

Weaknesses – I have no plans to pick him at any regular season plate race. Johnson is also highly susceptible to mid-season slumps.

Intermediate Track Grade- A+, Are you looking for the reason why Jimmie Johnson is a five time champion? Look no further than the intermediate tracks. Nearly half the races are run on this track type and Jimmie Johnson outscored everyone last year. His closest competitor last year was Kevin Harvick and JJ outscored him by 138 points. In 2010 Johnson had the best average finish (10.1), most top fives (9), and led the most laps (552).

Flat Track Grade- A+, Johnson is as good as they come on flat tracks. He has multiple wins at all of them and is a virtual lock at Phoenix. At Indy he’s a hit or miss driver. Some times he wins and other times you’ll be sorry you picked him. He’s strong at Pocono and is second to only Denny Hamlin at the tricky triangle in terms of average finish. At New Hampshire he’s always a good pick and he won the summer race last year.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B, When it comes to plate racing the only time I would use Johnson is in the Talladega Chase race. His non-racing strategy really works. His average finish in that race over the last four years is 6th. By career numbers Johnson has finished in the top ten nearly 50% of the time on this track type.

Short Track Grade- A-, Last year Jimmie Johnson finally got his coveted Bristol trophy. Take that all you “Jimmie Johnson Chase Proofers”.

He’s still the man at Martinsville despite Hamlin taking the last few trophy’s. He’s won a third of the races there since he entered the scene in 2002. He’s also finished in the top ten in every race there except his first race.  17 top tens in 18 races is unprecedented.

Last year at Richmond Johnson finished 3rd and 10th.

Road Course Track Grade- A-, Jimmie Johnson has always been a good road course driver and last year he finally sealed the deal at Infineon. He was in the running for a top ten at Watkins Glen but was involved in a accident that ruined his day. In terms of career stats Johnson has 3 top fives and four top tens at both road courses.

How to use Jimmie Johnson from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? It’s hard to go wrong fantasy racing wise with Jimmie Johnson. In an allocation league I would use him at intermediate tracks, small flat tracks, and Martinsville.

Jimmie Johnson Stats/Loop Data

MORE Jimmie Johnson Stats

The post Jimmie Johnson 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

2010 Stats: Points Finish 3rd, 3 Wins, 16 Top Five, 26 Top Tens, Average Finish 8.7, Average Running Position 12.5, Laps Led 357, Driver Rating 98.0

Kevin Harvick re-emerged into the elite driver scene in 2010. At the end of the 2009 season I told you he would be good in 2010. In last years Expert Fantasy NASCAR Draft this is what I said about Harvick after I drafted him

“It’s true that Kevin Harvick was bad for most of last season and wants out of his contract but it’s not his first time being in this situation. The last time he was in a contract year and wanted out was the best year of his career. He went on to win five races and finished fourth in points. There are a lot of parallels between this situation and the one he was in 2006. Kevin Harvick was fast at the end of the season and would’ve won Atlanta if it wasn’t for a late caution. I’m extremely comfortable with drafting Kevin Harvick here and I think this might be the steal of the draft”.

Strengths – Harvick is strong at every track type the series visits. I really like him at short tracks, flat tracks, and restrictor plate tracks.

Weaknesses – Here’s Harvick’s points finishes going back to 2006:

4th, 10th, 4th, 19th, and 3rd. Could there be a pattern here?

Intermediate Track Grade- B+, Last season Kevin Harvick was Superman (OK maybe more like Spiderman) on intermediate tracks and won his first race on this track type in years. However in the Sprint Cup Series past success doesn’t always equal future success. In past years I’ve griped that intermediate tracks are where RCR losses points to their competitors. I think with the re-emergence of the Roush Racing there’s no way Harvick can repeat what he did in 2010 on this track type. Last season he scored the third most points at intermediate tracks.

Flat Track Grade- A, I’ll be happy to take Harvick at any flat track. Last season in the seven flat track races Harvick scored the most points in the series and only finished outside the top ten once.

Surprisingly Harvick was at his best on the big flat tracks. His worst finish on this sub group last year was fourth (both Pocono finishes). At Indy he finish 2nd to Jamie McMurray.

I really like Harvick on the small flat tracks. He’s won at both of them in his career. His average finish on these tracks was 7.25 last year.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- A, Harvick proved himself to be the premiere restrictor plate driver last season. There’s not a single plate race that he didn’t contend. He started 2010 with a bang by winning the Bud Shootout and finishing second to Jimmie Johnson in a Gatorade Duel race.

In points paying races he won at both Daytona and Talladega last year. In the two races he didn’t win he arguably had the best car.

Heading into 2011 Kevin Harvick is an excellent default pick at both tracks.

Short Track Grade- A, I like Harvick at all three short tracks. The track ranking in which I like him is Richmond, Bristol and Martinsville. He has been very successful at Martinsville in recent races but his overall history isn’t as good at this track.

Road Course Track Grade- A-, When it comes to road courses I would consider Harvick a high second tier driver. His one career road course win came at Watkins Glen when he out dueled Tony Stewart for the win. He certainly didn’t back his way into victory lane that day. Last season he finished 3rd at Infineon and 11th at Watkins Glen.

How to use Kevin Harvick from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? I would focus on using Harvick at plate tracks, short tracks, flat tracks, Chicagoland and Homestead.

Kevin Harvick Stats/Loop Data

MORE Kevin Harvick Stats

The post Kevin Harvick 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

2010 Stats: Points Finish 4th, 2 Wins, 9 Top Fives, 19 Top Tens, Average Running Position 13.2, Average Finish 11.8, Laps Led 427, Driver Rating 91.8

Carl Edwards ended 2010 with two straight wins and by many he’s proclaimed as the driver with the best chance to beat Jimmie Johnson in 2011. His two wins came on tracks that are very different from one another which is important (Homestead & Phoenix).

The biggest thing that happened to Carl Edwards in 2010 was not his Brad Keselowski incidents, it was the full-time roll out of the FR9 engine. The new engine was a game changer. His average finish from the summer Daytona race to Homestead was 8.6 (Daytona was the approximate full-time roll out of the FR9). His average finish in the prior races of the season was 15.3

Strengths – Just like his fellow Roush teammates you’ll find Edwards having his best days on intermediate tracks. Carl Edwards isn’t a one trick pony. He’s capable of excelling at every track type. Carl Edwards is also a very consistent. Last season he finished on the lead lap 32 races.

Weaknesses – The main weakness you need to look out for Edwards is “organizational downswings”. Roush Fenway Racing is very susceptible to down years. Fortunately for Edwards 2011 is looking like an up year for that organization.

Intermediate Track Grade- A, Edwards has been an elite intermediate track driver since he first started racing in the cup series. At the beginning of the 2010 season Edwards was nothing special on these tracks. At the midpoint after the FR9 was rolled out full-time the performances of Edwards and his teammates vastly increased. The particular turning point race for Edwards was Chicagoland when he finished second. In the next two intermediate races he finished third and second. Edwards wrapped up the season by taking the checkered flag at Homestead.

Flat Track Grade- A-, Edwards was competitive in every flat track race of 2010 except the first New Hampshire race. The next time the series visited New Hamsphire he was much more competitive. He finished 11th but his average running position was 6.5 . His small flat track highlight of the year was Phoenix when he won from the pole and led 93 laps.

I really like Carl Edwards on the big flat tracks. In the first Pocono race he finished 12th, but in the second visit to the tricky triangle he finished 3rd with the aid of the FR9 engine. At Indy he finished 7th.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B+, Many people don’t think of Carl Edwards as a good plate driver but I have for a long time. His traditional best plate race of the year is the July Daytona race. Last season Edwards finished in the top eleven in three of the four plate races.

Short Track Grade- B+, In 2010 Carl Edwards scored the third most points in the series on short tracks. His worst finish was 12th, and if qualifying matters to you he also started in the top thirteen in all but one race. His average finish in 2010  between the three was 8.16 (Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond). My concern here and the reason why I didn’t give him an A- is because his Martinsville and Richmond results weren’t typical from him.

Road Course Track Grade- A-, I have no problem at all picking Carl Edwards at a road course. He’s perhaps the most underrated road course driver in the entire series. At Watkins Glen he’s only finished outside the top ten once and at Infineon he would be 3 for 6 but one race he ran out of gas right at the end.

How to use Carl Edwards from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? If you’re in an allocation league you should focus on using Carl Edwards at intermediate tracks and big flat tracks.

Carl Edwards Stats/Loop Data

MORE Carl Edwards Stats

The post Carl Edwards 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

2010 Stats: Points Finish 5th, 0 Wins, 6 Top Fives, 15 Top Tens, Average Running Position 14.8, Average Finish 12.8, Laps Led 108, Driver Rating 86.0

Matt Kenseth isn’t a flashy driver but I’ll take his consistency any day of the week. His 2011 stats appear weak but he finished on the lead lap 32 races last year. That’s 10 more than Juan Pablo Montoya, 9 more than Joey Logano, 8 more than Jamie McMurray, 7 more than Greg Biffle, 5 more than Jimmie Johnson, 4 more than Clint Bowyer, and 3 more than Denny Hamlin. No driver had more lead lap finishes and only Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick tied him for this feat.

When it comes to fantasy leagues consistency wins championships and no driver is more consistent than Kenseth year in and year out.

Strengths – Matt Kenseth is at his best on intermediate tracks but perhaps his greatest strength is consistency.

Weaknesses – Don’t think outside the box and decide to use him at road courses. If your fantasy league rewards qualifying points then Kenseth isn’t the driver for you.

Intermediate Track Grade- A-, Matt Kenseth hasn’t won an intermediate track race since 2009 at Auto Club Speedway but don’t count him out on these tracks. He would’ve won Texas last fall except he over drove his car during the last restart. At every intermediate track on the schedule except three Kenseth has a career average finish of 15th or better. Kenseth and his Roush teammates finished the season strong so expect big things from him in 2011.

Flat Track Grade- B, Flat tracks have been both a strong suite and a weak spot for Kenseth over the course of his career. Typically Roush cars struggle on the short flat tracks but last season at Phoenix the big three Roush drivers all finished inside the top 7. Indy has been a strong track for Kenseth and with the promise of the FR9 it’s possible that he finally kisses the bricks. His only career win on a flat track came at Phoenix.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B+, Kenseth is a really good restrictor plate driver. His Daytona win was far from a fluke. If anything I would say I’m surprised he hasn’t won multiple races on these wild card tracks. His results have been pretty flat since his Daytona 500 win but I trust him.

Short Track Grade- B, When it comes to short tracks I’ll only pick Matt Kenseth at Bristol. His results at other venues last year weren’t bad but they won’t take you far fantasy racing wise. Last season he finished in the teens in both Richmond and Martinsville races.

Road Course Track Grade- C, If you pick Kenseth at a road course then you haven’t been paying attention. In twenty-two road course races Kenseth has only finished in the top ten four times. When you toss in the fact he doesn’t like them then the case is closed, and I’m not going to pick him.

How to use Matt Kenseth from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? Matt Kenseth almost always gets off to a fast start every season. Last year he finished in the top ten in six of the first seven races. In 2009 Matt Kenseth started off the season hot by winning the first two races.

When it comes to an allocation league I would focus on using Kenseth at the big 2.0 intermediates, the cookie cutters, Bristol and Dover.

Matt Kenseth Stats/Loop Data

MORE Matt Kenseth Stats

The post Matt Kenseth 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

2010 Stats: Points Finish 6th, 2 Wins, 9 Top Fives, 19 Top Tens, Average Running Position 14.8, Average Finish 15.4, Laps Led 543, Driver Rating 88.25

In 2010 Greg Biffle had a solid season, but not spectacular. He finished sixth in the standings, won twice, and ended the season strong. However his season was marked with consistency problems. His longest stretch of consecutive top tens excluding the first races of the season and the last races of the season was two.

The long-awaited FR9 engine was finally rolled out full-time last season. The impact of this engine was huge performance wise for “The Biff” and his teammates. The FR9 is durable and only failed twice for Roush cars last season. Both times they blew up Biffle was the driver behind the wheel (consistency problems because it was him twice).

Strengths – Biffle’s at his best on intermediate tracks and big flat tracks.

Weaknesses – Consistency has long been an issue for Biffle. He finished in the top ten in the first six races of 2010 but other than that his next longest streak of consecutive top tens was three. Three times last season he finished in the top ten two consecutive races.

Intermediate Track Grade- A-, Greg Biffle is a very good intermediate track driver. His intermediate track average in the last five races of 2010 when he didn’t blow up, crash, or have untimely cautions is 5th (Excluding Auto Club – blew up, Dover – pitted then caution came out, Atlanta – crashed). At Texas he was dominant and led 224 laps but finished 5th. One of his two wins last season came at Kansas in the Chase. If Greg Biffle’s going to have a good season look for the wins to come on this track type.

Flat Track Grade- B, Last year Greg Biffle was stellar at the big flat tracks in the summer. In back to back weeks he finished 3rd at Indy and then the following week he snapped his long winless streak at Pocono.

In the other flat track races last season he finished outside the top fifteen every race except for Phoenix (second race). What was significant about his 4th place finish at Phoenix is that he was joined in the top seven by teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth. Traditionally short flat tracks haven’t been favorable to Roush cars.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B-, I could never responsibly advocate the use of the Biffle at these tracks. If you stick with the Biff at plate tracks then your only hurting yourself. If a driver is inconsistent like Biffle then your asking for trouble by using them at wild card races. Last year he finished 3rd at Daytona but I’m not changing my tune.

Short Track Grade- B, When it comes to short tracks I only really like Biffle at Bristol. When it comes to Martinsville I’ll never pick him. In sixteen races at NASCAR’s oldest track he’s only finished in the top ten two times and has a 23rd place average finish.

Road Course Track Grade- B, Biffle’s a mid-pack road course driver. Some times he does good and other times he’ll bite you. In 2010 he finished 7th at Infineon and 24th at Watkins Glen.

How to use Greg Biffle from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? When it  comes to fantasy racing I would focus using Biffle exclusively on intermediate tracks, big flat tracks and Bristol.

Greg Biffle Stats/Loop Data

MORE Greg Biffle Stats

The post Greg Biffle 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

2010 Stats: Points Finish 7th, 2 Wins, 9 Top Fives, 17 Top Tens, Average Running Position 13.0, Average Finish 13.9, Laps Led 537, Driver Rating 91.2

2010 was not a good season for Tony Stewart. The level of competitiveness for the 14 car was down last year. If it wasn’t for a strong push in the summer I don’t think he would’ve made the Chase. Between the Daytona 500 and the Bristol night race Stewart only led 15 or more laps in a single race three times.

Almost all of Stewart’s success was in the summer months. From Dover to Atlanta Stewart only finished outside the top 15 twice and those races were Daytona and Bristol. His average finish over these sixteen races was 8.1.

Strengths – Stewart is at his best on road courses, intermediate tracks and flat tracks.

Weaknesses – Plate tracks have been a weakness of Tony Stewart’s recently. He wasn’t that good on short tracks either last season.

Intermediate Track Grade- A, Both of Tony Stewart’s 2010 wins came on this track type in the final third of the season. Nearly 75% of the laps he led last season were on intermediate tracks (396 intermediate laps led). His wins came at Atlanta and Auto Club Speedway.

Flat Track Grade- A-, Tony Stewart was flawless on the big flats last season. He finished no worse than fifth between Indy and Pocono.

On the small flat tracks he had some hiccups along the way. At Phoenix he finished 23rd and 17th. He was much better at New Hampshire and finished 2nd and 24th. Stewart’s 24th place finish was in the first race of the Chase when he ran out of gas at the end.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B+, Last season Tony Stewart didn’t finish inside the top fifteen once. He also wasn’t out front pacing the pack around NASCAR’s wild card races either. Last season he only led 8 laps. If you’re looking to use Stewart at a plate race use him at Daytona in the summer.

One thing that sours me a little bit about Tony Stewart this upcoming season is the repaving at Daytona. What made Stewart so good there was that he’s the best at handling a slick track. I believe his advantage will be greatly reduced this season.

At Talladega Tony Stewart has 1 win but he’s never crossed the finish line first (video).

Short Track Grade- B+, Stewart simply wasn’t that good last season on short tracks. He only finished in the top fifteen once (Bristol 2nd) and his average finish in his other races was 23.2. His non-top fifteen average finish is not skewed by DNF’s because all of his other finishes were between 16th and 27th. Stewart wasn’t pacing the field around these tracks either last season (led 5 laps).

Road Course Track Grade- A, You can’t go wrong picking Tony Stewart at a road course. He has seven career victories at the serpentine tracks and will likely add another this season. At Infineon he has two wins and at Watkins Glen he has five. Last season he finished 9th (Infineon) and 7th (Watkins Glen).

How to use Tony Stewart from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? The conventional fantasy NASCAR wisdom of Tony Stewart for the last decade was that he performs the best under the heat of the summer sun. His 8.1 average finish from Dover to Atlanta confirms this longstanding theory.

Tony Stewart Stats/Loop Data

MORE Tony Stewart Stats

The post Tony Stewart 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

New Kyle Busch, Old Kyle Busch, does it really matter? I don’t think so, and for fantasy implications Kyle Busch has always seemed like Kyle Busch to me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him change.

For people who’ve heard me on the “On Pit Row” radio show in the past you’ve heard this fantasy racing theory of mine before. The theory I’m resurfacing is that Joe Gibbs Racing is the quickest engineering program in NASCAR.

Do you remember what team was the best when the COT was first introduced? It was Denny Hamlin. He wasn’t winning the races (not a clutch driver back then either), but he was the best in my opinion. Now we skip ahead to 2008 when the COT was rolled out full-time including the intermediate tracks. That non coincidentally was Kyle Busch’s best season.

Now we fast forward again to 2010 when NASCAR put the spoiler on the car. The week before Martinsville I was on the “On Pit Row” radio show and I told listeners that it would be a game changer, and Joe Gibbs Racing would be the benefactor of the car changes. Look what happened last season. Denny Hamlin was extremely strong, and Hendrick Motor Sports lost some competitiveness. Jimmie Johnson won half his races last year before the spoiler came into play and no other Hendrick car even won a race.

In 2011 things will be changing once again. This year the COT will have a whole new front nose. We’ll probably hear things along the line that it’s no big deal, but I’m going to tell you it is. I believe Kyle Busch is a driver who will greatly benefit from the COT changes in 2011.

Strengths – Look for Kyle Busch to be strong on intermediate tracks, short tracks and flat tracks in 2011.

Weaknesses – Kyle Busch is his own worst enemy. Many of his mistakes are self inflicted and completely avoidable. Do you remember how his freedom of speech gesture worked for him at Texas?

Intermediate Track Grade- A-, You gotta admit Kyle Busch was pretty good on intermediate tracks at the end of 2010. His results don’t show it so that’s why its important to look beyond the numbers. Kyle Busch was top ten material in every intermediate track race in the Chase.

(BEFORE proceeding check out this old post of mine explaining Yahoo Race Charts)

Here’s a quick recap of his Chase results:

Dover – Finished 6th

Kansas – Finished 21st, had some Reutimann problems that day but check out how he ran (Yahoo race chart). He was top ten material.

Auto Club – Finished 35th, blew up but was top ten material again (Yahoo race chart)

Charlotte – Finished 2nd

Texas – Finished 32nd, Freedom of Speech backfired on him. Top five material (Yahoo Race chart)

Homestead – Finished 32nd, had a “racing incident” with Kevin Harvick. Top five material again (Yahoo race chart).

Flat Track Grade- A-, Kyle Busch was strong on both the big flats and the small flats last year. On the small flats his finishes all fell between 8th and 13th. On the big flats last year he had finishes of 2nd, 8th, and 23rd. His 23rd place finish at Pocono was an outlier for him last season. To prove it all you have to do is check out his Yahoo race chart. I would say he was probably about a tenth place car.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B, My days of making him my default Daytona pick are over. Every time I did he crashed. I’ve learned my lesson. He’s good at them, but I don’t trust him anymore. Last season he finished in the top ten once and had a 22nd place average finish.

Short Track Grade- A, When it comes to Bristol and Richmond you can’t go wrong picking Kyle Busch. Last year he was an improved driver at Martinsville. He finished 4th and 22nd. In his 22nd place finish he was involved in a late race wreck that denied him a top ten.

Road Course Track Grade- A-, Since 2008 Kyle Busch has won two road course races and has only finished outside the top ten twice (22nd & 39th at Infineon in 2009 and 2010).

How to use Kyle Busch from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? Look for Kyle Busch to be strong at intermediate tracks in 2011, but if your in an allocation league make sure you save him for both Richmond and Bristol.

Kyle Busch Stats/Loop Data

MORE Kyle Busch Stats

The post Kyle Busch 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

2010 Stats: Points Finish 9th, 0 Wins, 11 Top Fives, 17 Top Tens, Average Running Position 10.8, Average Finish 13.4, Laps Led 919, Driver Rating 98.5

In 2011 things will be changing for Jeff Gordon. He’ll have a new sponsor and a new crew chief. A sponsor change is no big deal to fantasy racers, but a crew chief change certainly is. In 2011 he’ll be joined by Alan Gustafson. Gustafson is a bright crew chief who had successful seasons with both Kyle Busch and Mark Martin. I view this crew chief change as a positive for Jeff Gordon.

Even though Jeff Gordon has been around for about twenty years his performances on the track are still strong. He’s a versatile driver but for whatever reason he can’t find victory lane. His last win was back in 2009 at Texas. Since then he’s come close on numerous occasions but gets denied the victory right at the end.

Strengths- Jeff Gordon can do it all at any given track. There’s really no particular track type where you can find significant fault in Jeff Gordon.

Weaknesses- The number one problem with many drivers is consistency, and its his main problem as well. One major weakness of Gordon’s is that he’s not a good closer in races. When he’s in position to win competitors out race him (Las Vegas) or he makes mistakes (Martinsville).

Intermediate Track Grade- A-, Jeff Gordon’s last win was on an intermediate track  and I expect his next win to be on one also. In 2010 these tracks were either feast or famine for him. Many of his best results were on these tracks, and some of his worst were also. Gordon’s strong on every sub group of intermediate tracks including the the 2.0 milers, 1.5 milers, and the concrete ones.

Flat Track Grade- A, Gordon’s non-trouble cherry picking flat track average finish for 2010 was 5.8. His highlight from last year was his second place finish at Phoenix. From an allocation league standpoint I like him more on the small flats. Last year on the small flats Gordon finished in the top eleven in all four races and had an average finish of 5.75. Last year on the big flats he was involved in the Pocono “Big One” and he had problems at Indy.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B, Gordon had two top tens at plate tracks last season, but I have my concerns about him on this track type. His two finishes that weren’t in the top ten were in the twenties. In 2009 Gordon didn’t finish in the top ten a single race. His 2009 average finish was 24th. From an allocation league standpoint there’s not a single reason to pick him at either of the plate tracks.

Short Track Grade- B+, Gordon’s a good short track driver but his performances in 2010 slipped compared to 2009. In 2009 he finished in the top eight in all but one race. Last season he only finished in the top ten twice. Gordon’s average finish last season was 10.3. The downside of his average finish is that it’s not skewed because half of his finishes were between 11th and 14th which isn’t really what fantasy racers want.

Road Course Track Grade- A-, The old king of the road showed up last year and finished in the top ten in both races. At Infineon he looked more like a bumper car driver then a race car driver but you can’t argue with his 5th place result. My main concern about Gordon is that he’s been surpassed on the road courses by Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose.

How to use Jeff Gordon from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? Use Jeff Gordon at intermediate tracks, small flat tracks, Martinsville, and at road courses when he looks good.

Jeff Gordon Stats/Loop Data

MORE Jeff Gordon Stats

The post Jeff Gordon 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Don’t underestimate Clint Bowyer. I can’t think of any other driver who’s as continually under estimated as him and the #33 team. I think the reason is that the media always passes on him and says “It’s just Clint Bowyer”. Don’t fall into their eternally wrong trap.

In 2010 Clint Bowyer had a career high in wins. He didn’t score the most points when he won, but the “W” is still next to his name. Last season Bowyer won at New Hampshire and Talladega. He also lead a career high 400 laps in 2011.

Strengths- Clint Bowyer is at his best on short tracks and flat tracks.  One notable strength about Clint Bowyer is that he’s a consistent driver who does a good job avoiding trouble on the track. So far in his career he only has eight DNF’s, Ryan Newman had that many in a single season.

Weaknesses- Bowyer is a good road course driver but his 31st and 32nd place finishes are nothing to be excited about.

Intermediate Track Grade- B+, Many of Clint Bowyer’s bad finishes came on intermediate tracks last season. When he avoided trouble he almost always was a 7th through 15th place driver. His best intermediate tracks are the 1.5 cookie cutters.

Flat Track Grade- A-, Half of Clint Bowyer’s career wins have come on this style of track. Last season he won at New Hampshire and had just enough fuel in his tank to do a victory celebration. He was heavily penalized after the win but in fantasy racing points are never taken away, so in my mind if my drivers aren’t cheating, they’re not trying.

I prefer Clint Bowyer more on the small flat tracks but he’s also pretty good on the big ones. His average finish on the big flats last season was 9.3.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- A, As I said earlier Clint Bowyer does a good job avoiding trouble on the track. Last season his average finish on these wild cards tracks was 7.25. His results were 4th, 7th, 17th and 1st. Does it get any safer on this style of track? I don’t think so.

Short Track Grade- A-, Clint Bowyer’s short track average finish last season was 17.8.  If you take away his 40th (Bristol) and 38th (Martinsville) place finishes his average finish jumps to 6.5. I believe the in 6.5 more than I believe the 17.8. He’s a versatile short track driver who almost always gets a top ten.

Road Course Track Grade- B, Things didn’t go smoothly for Clint Bowyer on the ambidextrous tracks last year. However that’s the not the typical trend for him. Before last year Bowyer finished in the top ten at Infineon 80% percent of the time. Would you pass on those odds?

Watkins Glen has been tougher on him but before last season he finished in the top 20 eighty percent of the time. Road courses are not wild cards tracks so I don’t like his odds at Watkins Glen.

How to use Clint Bowyer from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? Focus on using Clint Bowyer on the flat tracks, short tracks and plate tracks. Also don’t be afraid to use him at intermediate tracks and Infineon.

Clint Bowyer Stats/ Loop Data

MORE Clint Bowyer Stats

The post Clint Bowyer 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

In 2010 Kurt Busch had a season with early ups and late season downs. He started off the season hot by winning at Atlanta for the second consecutive season. Then the following week he backed it up with an impressive third place showing at Bristol (Led 278 laps). In May Kurt Busch dominated Charlotte by winning the All-Star race and the prestigious Coca Cola 600. That however was his last win of the season.

In the Chase the former blue deuce driver performed poorly on the track. He finished in the top ten twice and in the last seven races he only finished in the top fifteen once.

The tell-tale story of this team for the 2010 season can be summed up like this: good race, good race, bad race.

Strengths- Kurt Busch is strong on intermediate tracks, restrictor plate tracks, and flat tracks.

Weaknesses- Last season Kurt Busch finished outside the top twenty in a third of the seasons races. Can you say consistency problems?

Intermediate Track Grade- A-, Early in the season Kurt Busch accomplished a feat fantasy racers should droll over. In the first three “cookie cutter” races of the season he won at Atlanta, finished 4th at Texas, and won at Charlotte. In these three races he led a combined 532 laps. That’s impressive. In the last two races of the year on these tracks he threw fantasy racers for a loop. He finished an uninspired 30th and 24th. Where did this come from? I sure hope he was testing new things.

At other intermediate tracks Kurt Busch really shown his inconsistency. At nearly every intermediate track that NASCAR visits twice a year he finished good once and poorly once.  If you’re in an allocation league make sure you have good timing.

Flat Track Grade- B+, Kurt Busch is strong on both the big flats and small flats. On the small flats he finished inside the top thirteen 75% of the time. On the big ones he finished inside the top ten 66% of the time. His bad finishes on flat tracks were both sub thirty finishes.

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- A-, Busch is as good as it gets on restrictor plate tracks. Last season he finished in the top ten at both tracks.  Busch is the best plate racer who’s never won a race on this track type.

Short Track Grade- B-, Mr.Bristol was back in action in the spring race. In my opinion I thought he was better than Johnson. He just started in the slow lane on the last restart. In the night race at Bristol he finished 9th. In 2010 Bristol was the only track that Busch finished in the top fifteen on. His average finish on the other short tracks in 2010 was 18.75.

Road Course Track Grade- B, I’ve said for a long time that he’s a good road course driver but his finishes stink. In 2010 he finished 2nd at Watkins Glen and 32nd at Infineon. In twenty career road course races he’s finished in the top ten seven times.

How to use Kurt Busch from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2011? Kurt Busch is an elite driver but inconsistency is fantasy racing poison. Focus on using Kurt Busch on intermediate tracks, plate tracks, flat tracks and Bristol.

Kurt Busch Stats/Loop Data

MORE Kurt Busch Stats

The post Kurt Busch 2011 Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.