Want to be a better fantasy racer? Get the ifantasyrace advantage and read our indepth fantasy analysis. This week you can get a one race pass for $.99

*** These aren’t ifantasyrace.com’s driver rankings for the Infineon Toyota Save Mart 350

The post Fantasy PROS Rankings – Sonoma appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Casey Mears – Casey Mears has a good chance to get a respectable finish at Infineon. Back in 2004 he actually led the series in points accumulated on this track type. Last season Mears was good at both venues. At Infineon he finished 15th and at Watkins Glen he finished 16th. A typical result for Mears at Sonoma is around 20th. His average finish is a non-skewed 19.7. (Yahoo! C Driver)

Desperate fantasy racers do desperate things. Smart fantasy racers get the ifantasyrace advantage. Join now and read all of our full exclusive content

David Gilliland– Infineon is David Gilliland’s home track. Beyond just being his geographic home track he’s quite familiar with this venue and has raced here in other forms of racing. In 2008 Gilliland had arguably the most impressive race of his career. In that race he started in 31st and drove up to 2nd place finish. His next best finish is a 12th in 2011. Last year at Sonoma Gilliland started in the rear of the field, got a pit penalty and finished 26th. (Yahoo! C Driver)

Jacques Villeneuve – Villeneuve will pilot the #51 at Sonoma and he’s the road course ringer you should pay the most attention to. He’s never driven in a Sprint Cup car at a road course but he has become somewhat of a regular road course ringer in the Nationwide Series. Last year at Montreal in the lower series he started in third, finished 3rd and led 43 laps. At Elkhart Lake he finished 6th. In 2011 at Elkhart Lake he finished 3rd. In 2010 in the lower series he finished 8th at Watkins Glen and 3rd at Montreal. In the Toyota Save Mart 350 look for him to possibly challenge for a teens finish but he is somewhat of a risky option. (Yahoo! C Driver)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – I don’t expect road courses to be Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s thing. In the Nationwide Series last year on serpentine tracks he had finishes of 4th, 11th and 12th. None of those races were at Infineon so this will be his first time racing here. Infineon is a technical track and this rookie doesn’t strike me as a technical racer, I view him as an aggressive driver. If you’re in an allocation league don’t pick him. (Yahoo! C Driver)

Danica Patrick – Danica Patrick has never raced in a Sprint Cup car at a road course. She does however have a few respectable performances in the Nationwide Series under her belt. Last year at Montreal in the lower series she was leading until she ran over a shoe (you read that correctly) and at Road America she also ran well. At Watkins Glen in the Nationwide Series last year she had problems early in the race and finished 43rd. (Yahoo! C Driver)

Ron Fellows – At Infineon Ron Fellows will be driving the #33 Joe Falk entry. His fantasy value could really go either way this week. If he’s driving the typical #33 car we see most weekends he’ll finish in the twenties or worse. If he’s driving the #33 Austin Dillion raced at MIS he could potentially finish in the teens. I’m guessing he’ll be driving the #33 “not so good cars”. A decade ago Ron Fellows had fantasy value here. In 2003 he finished 7th and in 2005 he finished 8th. In his last four starts here he has a best finish of 15th and has finished 27th or worse in the other three starts. I think the risk / reward is to disproportionate to risk this week. (Yahoo! C List)

David Ragan – David Ragan has zero fantasy potential at Infineon. He has a 27.8 average finish and a 36.7 average start. Those numbers are truly representative of what you can expect from him. In all six of his races he’s finished between 24th and 33rd. At Watkins Glen he hasn’t fared much better. His average finish there is 26.8 and his best finish is 22nd. (Yahoo! C Driver)

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our Infineon Toyota Save Mart 350 Fantasy Rankings

Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runner Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions

The post Toyota Save Mart 350 Yahoo! C List / Ringers Fantasy Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t be confused for a road course ringer anytime soon. He’s raced at Infineon thirteen times and has a 22.2 average finish and has never had a top ten. There is a bright side to picking him though. In the last decade he’s finished between 11th and 13th half the time. In last years race Junior had about a 15th place car but during the Green-White-Checker he sustained heavy damage and limped home to a 23rd place finish. In 2011 he had engine overheating problems. At Watkins Glen Junior hasn’t been very successful recently. In the last seven races there he has a best finish of 15th and an average finish of 27.1. (Yahoo! B Driver)

Desperate fantasy racers do desperate things. Smart fantasy racers get the ifantasyrace advantage. Join now and read all of our full exclusive content

Jamie McMurray – Jamie McMurray is a proven teens driver at Infineon. In 7 of the last 8 races here he’s had a result in the teens. His only finish not in the teens ironically was arguably his best race here. In his non-teens finish race in 2007 he started on the pole, led 30 laps but ran out of gas at the end while leading which opened up the door for Montoya to win the race. Here’s a side by side Yahoo! Race Chart comparing him and Montoya. In last years race McMurray was never a factor. He finished 19th and had a 20th place average running position. In 2004 McMurray had his best result here and finished 2nd. (Yahoo! B Driver)

Find out what drivers rank are Top Tier Elite and which ones are Front Runners

Ryan Newman – In the last four races at Infineon Newman has had finishes of 16th, 17th, 18th and 25th. Prior to those races he had been successful here. In his first seven Infineon races he had five top tens and finished 14th or better in every race but one. His average finish is 12.5 but it’s pretty evident it’s skewed by his early success. Recently at Sonoma Newman has been strong in qualifying. In the last 8 races here he’s qualified in the top ten 6 times and has never started worse than 13th. (Yahoo! B Driver)

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our Infineon Toyota Save Mart 350 Fantasy Rankings

Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runner Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions

The post Infineon Toyota Save Mart 350 Fantasy NASCAR Mid Pack Predictions appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR

Kevin Harvick – Kevin Harvick had some problems last year at Infineon. Around lap #70 he ran out of gas while running near the top ten. That was a costly mistake which ultimately led to him getting lapped. Also a little later in the event after he got a “Lucky Dog” he lost several positions on the track after Hamlin spun in turn #11 and he had to make evasive maneuvers. When the checkered flag waved he finished 16th. In the next two most recent races at Infineon he’s finished 9th and 3rd. In 2007 Kevin Harvick had a good chance to win the race but he never pressed the issue late because he was under the impression Juan Pablo Montoya would run out of gas. (Yahoo! A Driver)

Desperate fantasy racers do desperate things. Smart fantasy racers get the ifantasyrace advantage. Join now and read all of our full exclusive content

Martin Truex Jr. – Martin Truex Jr. had one of the best cars last year at Infineon. In terms of speed and consistency it was comparable to his teammate Clint Bowyer’s car. The main difference between the two was pit strategy. The #15 team elected to run the race in two pit stops and the #56 team used a three pit stop strategy. His strategy could’ve potentially worked but the race was relatively caution free. Even though he was so off sync with much of the competition he still ran well. When the Green-White-Checker came out he was running in sixth. His problem was that on the final lap he was spun and that led to a 22nd place finish. In the race he had a 7th place average running position and led 15 laps. In 2011 at Infineon he finished 8th. At Watkins Glen Martin Truex Jr. has been good. Last season he finished 10th and in 2011 he finished 4th. (Yahoo! B Driver)

Find out what drivers rank as Top Tier Elite Picks at Sonoma

Juan Pablo Montoya – This race was not problem free for Montoya last season (finished 34th). He had all sorts of electrical issues and at one point his team had to make an emergency pit stop to change the relay in the car. If that didn’t happen I think he would’ve been really good. Before he changed his relay he looked respectable. From the start of the race until about lap 65 I would say his average running position was probably around 8th. In 2011 Montoya had one of the better cars in the field so don’t be fooled by his 22nd place finish. What happened is that he ran way to aggressively in the closing segment of the race and fell back from about 5th. Prior to the last two races at Infineon Montoya has been spectacular here. In his first four Infineon races he’s finished 1st, 6th, 6th and 10th. (Yahoo! B Driver)

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our Infineon Toyota Save Mart 350 Fantasy Rankings

Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runner Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions

The post Infineon Toyota Save Mart Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

Marcos Ambrose – You can’t go wrong if you pick Marcos Ambrose to win the Sonoma Toyota Save Mart 350. Last year he started on the pole and led 11 laps. He had a good car but after 13 laps into a run his speed and handling dropped off. In just 18 laps he was back in 7th and remember he led the first 11. His issue was that he never practiced long runs and it certainly shown. When the checkered flag waved he finished 8th. To be fair that finish deserves an asterisk mark. The Green-White-Checker at the end was a great redeemer for him that allowed him to get a respectable finish. When it came out he was back in 16th. In Ambrose’s other starts at Infineon he’s been impressive. His other finishes are 5th, 6th, 3rd and 42nd. His 6th place finish deserves an asterisk mark because he had that race won until he decided to turn off his car while coasting up a hill. His 42nd place finish was due to transmission problems but I’ll assure you he was good. Just check out his Yahoo! Race chart. At Watkins Glen Ambrose has been even better. He’s won the last two races there and has a 2.0 average finish. Marcos Ambrose and RPM have this race circled on their Calender. A few weeks back they drove clear across the country and tested here. That could prove to be a significant advantage especially when you consider he’s arguably the best road course driver in NASCAR. (Yahoo! B Driver)

Desperate fantasy racers do desperate things. Smart fantasy racers get the ifantasyrace advantage. Join now and read all of our full exclusive content

Jimmie Johnson – In 2010 Jimmie Johnson got his bucket list road course win at Sonoma. In that race he earned a near perfect 148.0 driver rating, led 55 laps, and ran a race high 32 fastest laps. It should be noted though that he got an assist from Marcos Ambrose and likely wouldn’t of won if Ambrose didn’t shut off his engine coasting uphill. Johnson has been quite successful in his other recent races at Infineon. In the last four consecutive races he’s finished in the top 7. Last season the #48 car was one of the strongest cars over long runs. At the mid-point he was running in 2nd and for the event he had a 3rd place average running position (second best). When the checkered flag waved he finished 5th and earned the 4th best driver rating. Last season at Watkins Glen Johnson started in third and finished third. (Yahoo! A Driver)

Remember what happened last year at Infineon? If not read our Infineon Recap Review

Clint Bowyer – Last season on road courses Clint Bowyer scored the most points in the series. Between the two venues he had a 2.5 average finish. At Infieon last season Clint Bowyer had the field covered. In this race a year ago he started in 6th, had a second place average running position, led 71 laps (63.4% percent of the laps) and made the trip to victory lane. What made him so good was that his car excelled at coming off the corners (came off of them straight). That reduced tire wear and allowed him to be strong over long runs. In the last six races here Bowyer has been very strong. In addition to his win he also has three 4th place finishes and an 8th. At Watkins Glen last season he finished 4th. (Yahoo! A Driver)

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our Infineon Toyota Save Mart 350 Fantasy Rankings

Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runner Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions

The post Infineon Toyota Save Mart 350 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

The post Who will win the Infineon Toyota / Save Mart 350? appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images

1. Jimmie Johnson – Michigan is one of  five tracks that Jimmie Johnson is winless. His track record certainly shouldn’t be that way though. Last August if his motor didn’t blow up in the closing laps he would’ve won. He also had two other races slip away from him because of fuel mileage. The smart money likes Johnson this week. He’s the odds on favorite to win. Last year at Michigan Johnson was very good. He started in the rear of the field both races and had top five potential in both of them. In the June race on the brand new surface he finished 5th. In August 2011 he had his best result and finished 2nd. On Sunday Johnson will start in 17th. Today in practice the #48 car was very strong. Their lap times were consistently fast. In both practices today he recorded the second best 10 lap average. In practice #2 following a ten lap run he said “Awesome race car boys”. My prediction is Jimmie Johnson will get his first win at Michigan on Fathers Day.

Desperate fantasy racers do desperate things. Smart fantasy racers get the ifantasyrace advantage. Get a membership and unlock all of our full / exclusive content

2. Kasey Kahne – In August Kasey Kahne was very impressive at Michigan. He started in 5th, finished 3rd and earned the second best driver rating. He could’ve been even better in the race because he was running in second but was involved in the Mark Martin freak accident. His PROS Rankings for the event was second. Kasey Kahne has had success at Michigan. He’s a former winner and has finished in the top five nearly 40% percent of the time. The main reason why I’m so high on Kahne for the Quicken Loans 400 is how good he’s been on high-speed intermediate tracks this season. He has a 5.2 average result, finished 2nd 60% percent of the time and hasn’t finished worse than 11th. Kasey Kahne’s chassis selection for this race is a proven commodity. It finished 2nd at Kansas and 2nd at Charlotte. Kahne qualified third for the event. Today in practice Kasey Kahne arguably had the best car. In both practice sessions he recorded the best 10 lap average. Also in Happy Hour he was fast over short runs and had the best 5 lap average (early in practice).

Recommended posts to check out: Jordan’s Top 15 Rankings, 10 Lap Average Big Board, Happy Hour Speeds, Happy Hour Practice Notes

3. Matt Kenseth – Matt Kenseth certainly isn’t a bad bet to win the Michigan Quicken Loans 400. Two different sport books have his odds  at 7/1. The reason why he’s so well liked is based on two different factors. He’s awesome at Michigan and he’s arguably been the best high-speed intermediate track driver this season. At Michigan Kenseth has finished in the top five 44% percent of the time and has won twice. In his twenty two races here he has a 9.6 average finish. Last June at MIS he led 17 laps and finished 3rd. In August he likely had a top ten car but had a cut tire. This season on high-speed intermediate tracks Kenseth has been the driver to beat. On them he has 2 wins, a 7.2 average finish, a 6.0 average running position, and the best driver rating in the series. On Sunday Kenseth will start in 8th. Today in practice Kenseth ran some fast lap times but I would rank them slightly below Johnson and Kahne’s.

The post Michigan Quicken Loans 400 Top 15 Prediction Ranking Picks appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Get the ifantasyrace advantage and read all of our in-depth fantasy content

*** These aren’t ifantasyrace.com’s driver rankings for the Michigan Quicken Loans 400

Honorable Mention Drivers: Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard

The post Fantasy Racing PROS Rankings – Michigan appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is by far the class of the field on the Yahoo! C list for the Michigan Quicken Loans 400. Hopefully you haven’t wasted allocations on him because this is the exact type of venue where you want him. Michigan has traditionally been a very strong track for Roush Fenway cars. For more information on his fantasy value make sure you check our Mid Pack Predictions post.

AJ Allmendinger – At Michigan AJ Allmendinger will be driving the #47 car. This team was very uncompetitive with Bobby Labonte and as a result AJ will be a barometer for them to gauge how good they are. With Bobby Labonte behind the wheel the #47 performed like a 25th place team. With AJ Allmendinger I think they’ll finish in the teens if they don’t have problems. In the last five races at Michigan Labonte has finished between 11th and 19th. In 60% percent of those races he finished between 11th and 13th.

Want to be a better fantasy racer? Get the ifantasyrace advantage and read all of our full / exclusive information

David Ragan – When David Ragan was employed by Roush Fenway Racing he had some success here. Last year in his Front Row Motorsports car he finished 23rd in both races. This season on high-speed intermediate tracks he’s really struggled. In all 5 races on this sub track type he’s finished between 24th and 31st. On them his average finish is 27.2 and his average running position is 30.4.

Trevor Bayne – Trevor Bayne recently tested at Michigan so that will likely help his performance in the Michigan Quicken Loans 400. Bayne has four races under his belt at Michigan and excluding last June’s race when he had an engine failure he’s had results of 16th, 24th and 24th. This season on high-speed intermediate tracks the #21 team has had results of 23rd (Las Vegas), 18th (Texas) and 16th (Charlotte). Look for Bayne to finish between 17th and 25th at MIS.

Casey Mears – Last June at Michigan Mears finished 20th. That’s by far his best recent result at Michigan. In his other MIS races since June 2010 he’s finished 36th, 37th, 37th and 38th. Auto Club Speedway is the most similar track to Michigan and earlier this season he finished 15th.

Danica Patrick – High-speed intermediates have been her worst track type in the Sprint Cup Series. On them this season she has a 28.2 average finish and has ran in the top fifteen in just 1% percent of the laps completed. Additionally on this track type she has an average running position of 30th and has the 35th best driver rating. Last year in the Nationwide Series she finished 18th at MIS.

Bobby Labonte – At Michigan Bobby Labonte won’t be driving the #47. He’ll be driving the #51. In the last four races at Michigan Labonte has two mid-teen finishes and two 22nd place finishes. Over these four races he has a 24.5 average running position and the 32nd best driver rating. Also in these races he’s only run in the top fifteen in just 4.1% percent of the laps completed. This season on fast high-speed intermediates he has a 29.6 average finish and a 31.0 driver rating.

The post Michigan Quicken Loans 400 – Yahoo C List Fantasy NASCAR Preview appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Credit: Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – In Recent high-speed intermediate track races Stenhouse Jr. has shown improvement. At Kansas he finished 11th and at Charlotte he finished 14th. At Auto Club Speedway earlier this season he finished 20th. In the Sprint Cup Series Stenhouse Jr. has never made a start at MIS but it should be noted this track has been a historical strength for Roush Fenway Racing. In the Nationwide Series Stenhouse Jr. had finishes of 25th (2012), 2nd (2011) and 13th (2010). (Yahoo! C Driver)

Want to be a better fantasy racer? Get the ifantasyrace advantage and read all of our full exclusive content

Paul Menard – Paul Menard has been a solid performer on high-speed intermediate tracks this season. On them in 2013 he has a 11.6 average finish (7th best) and has had a result in the top ten three times. At Auto Club Speedway earlier this season he had his best finish of the year (8th). Michigan hasn’t been a historical strength for Menard. He only has two top tens and a 22.1 average finish. Last August he started in 10th, finished 9th and led 8 laps. In the June race he finished in 22nd. (Yahoo! B Driver)

Find out what drivers are ranked as Top Tier Elite and Front Runners at Michigan.

Marcos Ambrose – Marcos Ambrose must be a big fan of the new surface. Last season he was very successful here. In the June race he won the pole, led 15 laps and finished 9th. In August he finished even better and crossed the finish line in 5th. Prior to last season’s races at MIS he had a best finish of 15th and an average finish of 27th. This season on intermediate tracks he hasn’t been very successful. He survived the attrition at Charlotte and finished 10th but his next best finish on this track type is 19th. (Yahoo! B Driver)

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our Michigan Quicken Loans 400 Fantasy Rankings

Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runner Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions

The post Michigan Quicken Loans 400 Fantasy NASCAR Mid Pack Predictions appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.