How to make an informed pick for the New Hampshire Lenox Industrial Tools 301

1. The most important variable to study this week to make an informed pick is to study drivers track history. I would recommend studying the last three seasons specifically.

2. Starting up front is important at New Hampshire. Track position has been everything this season. Cautions have been rare and because of this it’s important that drivers start up front. This is a relatively short race and there won’t be a lot of pit stops. Drivers won’t have time to hop out of their hot rods and play www.partybingo.com. They’ll need quick concise pit stops to maintian their track position.

3. Practice is the third most important variable this week. There will be long green flag runs at New Hampshire and because of this it’s important to have drivers who are fast over the long runs. How do you find out who’s fast? Make sure you read ifantasyrace.com’s weekend content.

4. Study how drivers have run at similar tracks. There’s no track that a clone of New Hampshire but there are three that I would classify as similar. Richmond doesn’t look like New Hampshire but there’s no doubt in my mind there similar. Back in the old car days when they had track type dedicated chassis’s Kurt Busch won at Richmond and during the post race interview teammate Mark Martin expressed how happy he would be to drive that car the following week at New Hampshire. Phoenix is similar to Richmond, in my content earlier this year I explained why I believe it to be a reverse Richmond, thus it’s similar to New Hampshire. Martinsville is shaped similar but it’s a half size New Hampshire.

Important Race Notes:

- AJ Allmendinger will not be racing at New Hampshire. He’ll be replaced by Sam Hornish Jr. If AJ’s B test fails it’s likely we’ll see Hornish drive this car many more times this season.

- Brian Vickers will once again be piloting the #55 this week. Vickers has been in three races this season and so far he’s finished in the top five in two of them.

New Hampshire Track Schedule

Practice #1 ,Friday 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

This practice will most likely be dedicated to qualifying trim. Don’t look for drivers to run to many laps in this practice.

Qualifying, 3:40 PM

Make sure you pick drivers who start up front.

Practice #2, 11:20PM – 12:20 PM

This is the practice you really want to study. Following practice make sure you read ifantasyrace.com’s weekend content.

Last Six Winners At New Hampshire

• Tony Stewart
• Ryan Newman
• Clint Bowyer
• Jimmie Johnson
• Mark Martin
• Joey Logano

Last Six New Hampshire Pole Winners

• Ryan Newman
• Ryan Newman
• Brad Keselowski
• Juan Pablo Montoya
• Juan Pablo Montoya
• Tony Stewart

Lap Leaders Over The Last Six New Hampshire Races (stats from FantasyRacingCheat.com’s New Statistics Wizard)

• Tony Stewart – 244
• Clint Bowyer – 229
• Ryan Newman – 200
• Jeff Gordon – 163
• Kasey Kahne – 158
• Juan Pablo Montoya – 149

Make sure you read the full spectrum of ifantasyrace.com New Hampshire Fantasy NASCAR Rankings

Top Tier Elite > Front Runners > Mid Pack Projections > Drivers To Avoid

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How to make an informed pick for Martinsville:

The best method for making an informed fantasy pick for Martinsville is to study drivers average finishes. I know it doesn’t sound glamorous, but that’s what really counts this week. This is a drivers track where the man behind the wheel in the difference maker.

Starting position is important at Martinsville but don’t get to hyped up about it. The overall importance of qualifying at Martinsville can be debunked. The best drivers win at Martinsville, not the best starting position.

Martinsville Top Tier Elite Drivers

• Denny Hamlin – In the last eight Martinsville races Hamlin has four wins and an average finish of 3.5.
• Jimmie Johnson – In twenty races at Martinsville Jimmie Johnson has six wins and has only finished outside the top eleven once.
• Kevin Harvick – Harvick is the defending champion of the spring race at Martinsville. Last fall he finished 4th.
• Kyle Busch – In the last five races at Martinsville he’s finished 4th or better three times.
• Jeff Gordon – In 38 races at Martinsville Jeff Gordon has seven wins and thirty one top tens.

Check out the full spectrum of ifantasyrace.com Martinsville previews

Top Tier Elite > Front Runner Rankings > Mid Pack Projection > Don’t Pick

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com average finish in the last 4 Martinsville races

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Kyle Busch
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Jeff Burton
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Ryan Newman
9. Clint Bowyer
10. Joey Logano

Martinsville Chassis Info –> RobertsNASCARNotes.blogspot.com

VegasInsider.com Odds To Win

• Jimmie Johnson 9/2
• Kyle Busch 5/1
• Tony Stewart 6/1
• Kevin Harvick 6/1
• Denny Hamlin 7/1
• Jeff Gordon 7/1

A Few Martinsville Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Fantasy NASCAR Previews You Should Check Out

Onpitrow.com

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com

FantasyNASCARPreview.com

The post Scouting Report: Martinsville Goody’s Fast Relief 500 appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

How to make an informed pick for the Bristol Food City 500:

1. Study track data going back to the summer 2007 race. That was the first race on the new reconfigured track surface.
2. Since Bristol is a “skill” track studying average finishes is a quick short cut to having a successful fantasy week. Average finishes at skill tracks hold their value.
3. Happy Hour at Bristol will be important. Bristol isn’t a crash up derby anymore and I expect to see green flag pit stops.
4. Qualifying doesn’t hold the value it used. In Kyle Busch’s four most recent wins he never started better than 12th. Bristol in many ways now is a mini intermediate track because drivers can simply change lanes and get around another driver.
5. Drivers who’ve had lots of negative momentum lately should be avoided as a safety precaution. As I said this track isn’t a crash up derby anymore but it’s certainly no place for a driver to expect his negative fortunes to turn around.

Visit ifantasyrace.com with your mobile phone, tablet or even big screen TV. This site now is fully responsive and automatically adapts to different screen sizes.

Five Drivers To Watch:

Jimmie Johnson – Since 2009 perhaps no one has been more impressive then Jimmie Johnson at Bristol. Since then he has five top tens and his only finish lower than that came courtesy of Juan Pablo Montoya’s front bumper. Another impressive stat of his in these six races is that he’s led +76 laps in each  race. His driver rating in these races is the second best in the series (108.0).

Kyle Busch – Kyle Busch has won half the races at Bristol in the COT. How can you argue against that? Since 2007 he’s averaged a whooping 41 points per race (best in series by 5 points) and has an average running position of 7.9. I think almost all of the experts will be lining up behind Kyle Busch this week because of his near unrivaled dominance at Thunder Valley. If you want a safe pick for the Food City 500 take Kyle Busch.

Carl Edwards – Cousin Carl is a two time winner at Bristol and since the track was reconfigured he’s never finished lower than 16th. Carl won the very first race on the new track configuration and in 2008 he visited victory lane again. Last spring Edwards finished second to Kyle Busch. In the 2011 summer race he finished 9th.

Greg Biffle – Biffle finished 31st last summer but in the four previous races he finished 8th, 8th 4th and 4th. Biffle has been impressive thus far this season and he’s a good driver who often flies below the radar. If you want an out of sequence driver for the Food City 500 Biffle might just be who your looking for. Since 2005 he’s only finished lower than 11th three times. That’s the definition of consistency at Bristol. Kyle Busch has four finishes lower than 11th in this time period.

Jeff Gordon – “Big Daddy” Jeff Gordon had the best car last summer but Brad Keselowski beat him on pit road. In that race he led 206 laps and posted the best driver rating (133.7). In the three previous races to last summers race he finished 14th, 11th and 14th. In 38 races at Bristol Gordon has five wins and 21 top ten finishes.

For More Bristol Driver Rankings Information Check Out These Posts:

Top Tier Elite > Front Runners > Mid Pack Projections > Drivers To Avoid

Sleepers you might want to consider:

Marcos Ambrose – Half his finishes have been in the top ten. Only one finish lower than 20th. Finished 10th last summer.

Jamie McMurray – Four finishes in the top 11 in the last five Bristol races. Finished 5th last summer.

Kurt Busch – It’s hard to call him a sleeper but Bristol is a “skill track” and he’ll help negate “Phoenix Racing” issues to a degree.

AJ Allmendinger – Finished 12th last summer and should look even better in a Penske car this Sunday.

Some notables who underperformed last summer at Bristol:

• Kyle Busch
• Tony Stewart
• Kevin Harvick
• Greg Biffle
• Clint Bowyer

Current Total Driver Power Rankings Top Five:

1. Greg Biffle – 108.499
2. Matt Kenseth – 106.254
3. Carl Edwards – 102.578
4. Kyle Busch – 100.242
5. Tony Stewart – 99.523

The post Scouting Report: Bristol Food City 500 appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Drivers to watch in the Daytona 500:

Kevin Harvick – Harvick has a knack for plate racing and is always a contender. He has three wins on plate tracks and he knows how to draft as good as anyone. In the Shootout Harvick had a strong car but was involved in a wreck in the second segment. In his Duel race he finished 9th. As I said in his 2012 Fantasy Preview if you need a default pick take Harvick.

Carl Edwards – Only Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya have finished in the top ten in four out of the last five races at Daytona. His only finish outside the top ten in this stretch was last summer’s Coke Zero 400. In the Daytona 500 Edwards will start on the pole with teammate Greg Biffle on his side. Look for these two to team up early and often. When it comes to tandem drafting these two have been partners in the past.

Tony Stewart – Tony Stewart is due for a Daytona 500 win and he has a strong chance this year. In his duel race he emerged the victor and as a result he’ll start right behind Carl Edwards. In the Bud Shootout Stewart finished second to Kyle Busch. In the last six Daytona races he’s averaged the the fourth most points per race (32).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Daytona and Earnhardt’s go hand in hand. Last year he didn’t have success at Daytona but he has a pattern going on. In even year races at Daytona since 2008 his average finish is 5.75. His odd year average finish since 2007 is 29.5. Take this stat for what it’s worth. You can’t question his prowess in the draft though. In his duel race he finished second behind Tony Stewart

Kyle Busch – Kyle Busch is always strong at Daytona whether it’s the Daytona 500 or the July night race. When you extrapolate his loop data out to 2007 his driver rating is by far the best in the series (107.2 compared to second best Kurt Busch’s 99.1). He’s also lead in every race since then and has paced the pack for the most laps led (270). Last Saturday night Kyle Busch won the Bud Shootout.

Check out more of my rankings in these posts

Top Tier Elite, Front Runner, Mid Pack Projection and Drivers who don’t want to pick

How to make an informed fantasy pick for the Daytona 500:

1. Pick drivers who were strong in the Gatorade Duel races (race #1 results, race #2 results). These are simulation races and are representative of how the Daytona 500 could play out. This is by far the most important step towards making an informed fantasy pick for the Daytona 500.
2. Avoid drivers who are DNF magnets. If a driver is on their second or third car it’s perhaps best to keep shopping for an alternative. Also if a driver has been vocal about their dislike for this type of racing immediately remove them from your roster.
3. Pick drivers who have a strong history on plate tracks. Some drivers have a knack for them and some don’t.

Daytona Average Points Per Race (PPR) over the last six races courtesy of FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com

• Kurt Busch 34
• Matt Kenseth 34
• Juan Pablo Montoya 32
• Tony Stewart 32
• Carl Edwards 32
• Kevin Harvick 31

Daytona Driver Rating in the last six races courtesy of FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com

• Kurt Busch (103.3)
• Kyle Busch (99.3)
• Carl Edwards (90.5)
• Kevin Harvick (89.7)
• Tony Stewart (88.6)
• Denny Hamlin (87.2)
• Clint Bowyer (87.1)

Looking for chassis selections for the Daytona 500? Check out this post on RobertsNASCARNotes.blogspot.com

The post Fantasy Scouting Report: Daytona 500 appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

How to make an informed fantasy pick for the Ford 400:

1) Pick the best intermediate track drivers of the year. You’ll never have better information then you will this week. You’ve just watched 10 months of racing.

2) Practice makes perfect. As is the case with every intermediate track practice (Happy Hour on Friday this week) is what separates the contenders from the pretenders.

3) Pick drivers with momentum. At the end of the season some teams step up their game and others are getting out the golf clubs. Pick the drivers who have looked good in recent weeks.

4) Because of the progressive banking and the ability for passing qualifying is an overrated variable this week

Drivers to watch this week:

Tony Stewart – Now’s not the time to bet against Stewart. He’s a man on a mission and won the last time the series visited an intermediate track. He has won at Homestead before but that win doesn’t hold any relevancy because the track was under a different configuration at the time. His recent history is nothing to brag about but he did finish 8th last year (17th place average running position).

Carl Edwards – Edwards is the defending champion of the Ford 400 and he has six consecutive top seven finishes in NASCAR’s season finale. Last year Edwards recorded a perfect 150 driver rating and led 190 laps. Edwards also might provide vital qualifying points this week. Last year he started second and in 2008 he started fourth. Since 2005 Edwards has a 4.3 average finish (best in series) and a 7.5 average running position (best in series).

Kevin Harvick – Harvick has never won at Homestead but his 3rd (2008), 2nd (2009) and 3rd (2010) in the last three races is pretty impressive. His 2.6 average finish in this stretch is even better than Carl Edwards (3.0). If I were to pick Harvick at any intermediate track on the schedule this is the race I would pick him. In the last three races his average running position (6.3) is tied for the best in the series and no driver has ran more laps in the top fifteen then him (94.8% of laps).

Matt Kenseth – Kenseth won this race in 2007 and more importantly he’s in a Ford. Beyond the Blue Oval brigade theirs only a handful of drivers who will be in the mix for the win at Homestead-Miami. Last season Kenseth finished 9th and had a 7th place average running position. His 107.7 driver rating ranked as the 5th best.

Kasey Kahne – Kahne has been a top tier intermediate track driver throughout the Chase. I don’t expect the Ford 400 to be any different. Last year in his Red Bull Toyota he started on the pole and finished 6th. In the last three intermediate track races he’s finished 3rd (Texas), 4th (Charlotte) and 2nd (Kansas).

Racing4Glory.com Stat Center:

• Pre Race Loop Data Book
• Loop Data From Last Years Race
• Chase Statistics
• Past Race Winners / Past Pole Winners
• Entry List
• Schedule of Events

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com Driver Momentum Over The Last 5 Races:

1. Tony Stewart
2. Carl Edwards
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Jeff Burton
6. Greg Biffle
7. Clint Bowyer
8. AJ Allmendinger
9. Martin Treux Jr.
10. Marcos Ambrose

VegasInsider.com Odds To Win:

• Carl Edwards 5/2
• Tony Stewart 7/2
• Matt Kenseth 7/1
• Jimmie Johnson 8/1
• Kyle Busch 9/1
• Kevin Harvick 10/1
• Jeff Gordon
• Kasey Kahne 18/1
• Greg Biffle 18/1
• Denny Hamlin 18/1

The post Scouting Report: Homestead-Miami Ford 400 appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

Credit: Phoenix International Raceway

How to make an informed pick for the Kobalt Tools 500:

1) Practice will be extremely important this week and luckily we get to see two practice sessions before qualifying (weekend schedule of events). This will not be your typical Phoenix race weekend. The track changed in such significant ways that solely going off past Phoenix information will get you lapped this weekend. In fantasy racing it’s always best to go off the most recent data and none will be more relevant then practice this weekend.

2) Qualifying and track position will be a must at the newly reconfigured Phoenix International Raceway. In all of the driver interviews I’ve seen about the new track surface they all sounded hesitant that a second groove didn’t exist yet. However Phoenix track officials have been hard at work and have been artificially laying down rubber on the track so come race time this might be a non issue (Pictures). On Saturday there will also be a Nationwide race so I think a second groove will come in.

3) Since the new Phoenix layout is substantially different I’m choosing to study Richmond as a good reference point for how to approach Phoenix from a fantasy NASCAR perspective. I think the new layout looks a lot more like Richmond then it does the old Phoenix.

Drivers to watch in the Kobalt Tools 500:

Tony Stewart – Can anyone stop Tony Stewart? I’m guessing not this week. Tony Stewart has spent 4 days testing at Phoenix and the 14 team sounds confident. The determination level of this team can’t be matched and their willing their way to the championship. I know if I were Carl Edwards I would be scared. Stewart finished 7th and 9th at Richmond this year and he had one of the better cars at Phoenix in February.

Kevin Harvick – Kevin Harvick is a quick learner and he’ll be a contender for the win in the Kobalt Tools 500. Hopefully you read my post about how I theorize Phoenix will race like Richmond. It will help you understand my fantasy perspective as we venture into the unknown. At Richmond Kevin Harvick won and led more than half the race (202 laps).

Jeff Gordon – Gordon won at the old Phoenix track configuration earlier this year but in NASCAR sometimes the more things change the more they stay the same. I expect Jeff Gordon to be strong once again when the green flag waves in the Kobalt Tools 500. Gordon has been perhaps the best driver in the series on this track type in 2011 and at Richmond he had the field covered in the regular season finale. His downfall was pit road and poor restarts. At Richmond he finished 3rd and had the 5th best driver rating 108.4.

Carl Edwards – Edwards is the defending champion and earlier this year he won the pole at the old Phoenix track configuration. What happened on the old configuration is still viable fantasy information. It may not be as important as studying Richmond but it still has its place. At Richmond in September Carl Edwards was very impressive but the 99 team utilized the wrong pit strategy. He finished second but if Paul Menard didn’t spin bringing out the last caution then he would’ve finished pretty poorly. Edwards had the second best average running position in that race (4th).

Kyle Busch – Kyle Busch has tested at the newly reconfigured Phoenix multiple times. At Richmond Kyle Busch is a three-time winner and he’s only finished lower than 16th twice in fourteen races. He won in April and in the regular season finale he finished 6th despite having damage and going a lap down because of a caution during the pit cycle. The last time NASCAR visited a new track Busch emerged the victor.

(NOTE: All of these drivers participated in the August tire test and they all participated in the October open test).

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com Driver Momentum over the last five races:

1. Tony Stewart
2. Carl Edwards
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Greg Biffle
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Denny Hamlin
8. Kevin Harvick
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Jimmie Johnson

VegasInsider.com Odds to win the Kobalt Tools 500:

• Jimmie Johnson 4/1
• Tony Stewart 5/1
• Jeff Gordon 6/1
• Carl Edwards 7/1
• Greg Biffle 10/1
• Matt Kenseth 10/1
• Denny Hamlin 12/1
• Kyle Busch 12/1
• Kevin Harvick 15/1
• Kurt Busch 15/1

The post Scouting Report: Phoenix Kobalt Tools 500 appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

1) First and foremost you should pick a driver based on recent intermediate track performances. I would specifically recommend you study what happened in the Atlanta, Chicagoland, Kansas and Charlotte races. The key to making a good pick can be found by studying these races.

2) As with any track it’s important to study a drivers track history. When I write my fantasy content I typically go back to the start of the COT era at the track.

3) Practice is extremely important this week. Picking a driver who struggles in practice certainly won’t pay off this week.

4) Qualifying and track position is important every week but in today’s NASCAR it can be overcome quite easily with pit strategy. Pick the best cars, and only use qualifying as a tie breaker when you need to pick between drivers.

Elite Drivers at Texas:

Matt Kenseth – Kenseth snapped his long 76 race winless streak in April at Texas Motor Speedway. Kenseth didn’t only win, he dominated. He led 169 laps and had a near perfect 144.7 driver rating. Since 2007 Kenseth has truly been a “Elite Top Tier” driver. He has the best average finish (5.9), best average running position (9.1), best driver rating (108.4), ran and he’s led 354 laps (third most). His win at Charlotte last month is why I’m projecting him as the race winner.

Jimmie Johnson – His championship aspirations are over but that doesn’t mean he won’t get more “W’s”. The least amount of wins Johnson has accumulated in a season is three so I think he has another in him. Johnson won at Texas in 2007 and in the last three races his average finish is 6.3. Johnson has only finished outside the top fifteen twice at Texas in his entire career and both of those were due to crashes. What I really like about Johnson is how strong he’s been on intermediate tracks in the second half of the season. Don’t let his Charlotte performance scare you away from picking him, remember he was running in the top ten before the late accident parked him.

Greg Biffle – There’s no question Biffle has problems closing the deal this season. However I wouldn’t overlook him this week. He’s due for good fortune and I think it will come this week. Even though he’s a remarkably inconsistent driver no one can say that about him at Texas. He’s finished in the top ten in six consecutive races. No other driver in the series has an active streak longer than two. In these six races he’s led more laps than anyone (339), has the best average finish (5.9) and the best driver rating (113.8).

Tony Stewart – Stewart hasn’t finished in the top ten at Texas since 2009 but I think he’ll be a top tier driver Sunday. Throughout the Chase Stewart has been as good as anyone on intermediate tracks. He won at Chicagoland, ran good at Kansas before pit strategy stranded him mid pack (finished 15th), and ran good at Charlotte (8th, pit strategy issues once again). In these three races his 115.8 driver rating ranks as the third best in the series. His 112 points accumulated ranks as the 4th best (37.3 points per race).

Carl Edwards – Edwards is a three time Texaswinner who finished 3rd in April. He started second and recorded his 4th highest driver rating of this season (116.0). Edwards is always a serious threat at 1.5 mile tracks. His recent history at Texas isn’t the best but you need to take in account him racing with a broken leg and a crash in the last 3/4ths of race after he ran good. In the three 1.5 mile track races in the Chase Edwards has finished 4th (Chicagoland), 5th (Kansas) and 3rd (Charlotte). I would expect similar results but there’s also a possibility he might start dialing back and race conservatively (4 tires every pit stop, no fuel strategy etc).

Check out more of driver rankings : “Elite Top Tier“, “Front Runners“, “Mid Packers” and “Back Runners”

Racing4Glory.com Stat Center:

• Texas Pre Race Loop Data Book
• Box Score From The Texas Race Earlier This Year
• 5 Year Texas Averages
• Texas Entry List

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com Momentum Over The Last Five Races:

1. Carl Edwards
2. Kasey Kahne
3. Tony Stewart
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Clint Bowyer
8. Jeff Burton
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Brad Keselowski

VegasInsider.com Odds To Win

• Jimmie Johnson 5/1
• Kyle Busch 5/1
• Tony Stewart 6/1
• Jeff Gordon 6/1
• Matt Kenseth 7/1
• Carl Edwards 7/1
• Kevin Harvick 10/1
• Denny Hamlin 14/1
• Kurt Busch 16/1
• Clint Bowyer 18/1

The post Scouting Report: Texas AAA 500 appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

The best method for making an informed fantasy pick for Martinsville is to study drivers average finishes. I know it doesn’t sound glamorous, but that’s what really counts this week. This is a drivers track where the man behind the wheel in the difference maker.

Starting position is important at Martinsville but don’t get to hyped up about it. The overall importance of qualifying at Martinsville can easily be debunked. The best drivers win at Martinsville, not the best starting position.

Here’s how I would rank the variables in terms of importance this week

1) Recent / Overall Track History at Martinsville

2) Practice

3) Momentum

4) Starting Position

Martinsville Top Tier Elite Drivers:

Jeff Gordon – The Chase has been a huge disappointment for Gordon and now that he’s semi officially “done” I think he’ll bounce back in a big way. All year-long Gordon has been good on the shorter tracks in the circuit (Phoenix, Richmond, New Hampshire) and this is his best track . Before Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin started winning all the races at Martinsville Gordon was the driver to beat. Gordon is a 7-7-7 driver at Martinsville. 7 wins, 7th place average finish and 7th place average start.

Jimmie Johnson – 2011 hasn’t been a typical year for Jimmie Johnson. Even his 11th place finish (caught speeding on pit road late, led 65 laps) at Martinsville earlier this year was out of the norm for him. It marked his first non-top ten finish at Martinsville since his first race here in 2002. Look for the six-time winner to be one of a handful of drivers who will be contenders for the win in the Tums Fast Relief 500.

Denny Hamlin – Nothing has been good for Denny Hamlin as of late but Martinsville should be like medicine to him. Since 2007 Hamlin has four wins and an impressive 3.5 average finish. His worst finish in this stretch is 12th and he’s led 1,010 laps. In April Hamlin had an average running position of fifth and he posted the second best driver rating (118.7). Hamlin will be getting a little extra practice this week because he’ll be racing Kyle Busch’s Truck in the Camping World Truck Series.

Kyle Busch – Kyle Busch and the 18 team have been exceptional at Martinsville as of late. They’re also a great picking alternative to get out of sync with the competition if you need to pull off a fantasy NASCAR “Hail Mary”. Kyle Busch has been a serious contender in the last four Martinsville races. In these races he’s finished  4th, 4th, 3rd and 22nd. His finish of 22nd was the result of a late wreck (Yahoo Race Chart). In April Kyle Busch led the most laps (151), had the best driver rating (133.4), and had the best average running position (3rd).

Kevin Harvick – In April Harvick proved why he’s called the “Closer” with his late pass for the win. It was pretty impressive considering his average running position was 16th.  In the last three Martinsville races Harvick has been as good as anybody. Last fall he finished 3rd but in the 2010 spring race he finished 35th. In the 100 laps he completed he was pretty good though (Yahoo Chart). Despite only completing 20% of the laps his driver rating was the 7th best.

Martinsville Top Front Runner (after the Elite Top Tier)

Clint Bowyer – Bowyer has finished in the top eleven in seven of the last nine Martinsville races. Earlier this year he led 91 laps (18.2% of the race) and finished 9th. After the “Top Tier Elites” I think Bowyer presents a good fantasy alternative.

Martinsville Back Runners who you should avoid:

Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr., David Reutimann and Marcos Ambrose

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com Momentum Over the last five races:

1. Carl Edwards
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Tony Stewart
6. Kyle Busch
7. Brian Vickers
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Jeff Burton
10. Kevin Harvick

Racing4Glory.com Stat Center:

• Pre Race Loop Data
• Post Race Loop Data from earlier this year
• Short Track Competition Profile
• Entry List

VegasInsider.com Odds To Win:

• Jimmie Johnson 4/1
• Denny Hamlin 5/1
• Kyle Busch 6/1
• Kevin Harvick 7/1
• Tony Stewart 7/1
• Jeff Gordon 8/1
• Carl Edwards 12/1
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. 15/1
• Ryan Newman 20/1
• Kurt Busch 22/1

The post Scouting Report: Martinsville Tums Fast Relief 500 appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

How to make an informed pick at Daytona:

1) Starting with this years Bud Shootout we entered a new era of restrictor plate racing. The distinction between between what happened last year and what’s happening this year is tremendous. That’s why I think it’s really important to study the three plate races this year. That’s the main focus I used when I wrote my Talladega Fantasy Preview.

2) At restrictor plate tracks and others venues where the attrition rate is high I like to pick drivers who have momentum. Drivers who are in slumps are often “crash magnets” at Talladega.

3) Practice is going to be important this week. No one’s 100% certain how this race will play out because of the rules changes. One element you want to focus on in practice is who drivers will potentially be partnering up with.

4) There’s no need to focus on qualifying at all this week. Driving up the front at Talladega is an easy task.

Drivers to watch in the Talladega Good Sam Club 500:

Kevin Harvick – There’s not a safer pick you can make at Talladega then Kevin Harvick. In May Harvick finished 5th and worked heavily with Clint Bowyer. I expect this duo to work together again and have similar results. Another advantage for Harvick is that he’ll have three teammates who are all committed to helping him succeed. Last year at Talladega Harvick finished 1st and 2nd. 

Jimmie Johnson – Johnson won in May and he worked with none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. Johnson has been an extremely safe pick in the Talladega Chase race for years now (4 consecutive top tens). His non-racing strategy until the end has really worked out well for him.  Johnson might also be worth valuable qualifying points this week as well. In May he started second in what was a Hendrick 1-2-3-4 sweep of the top four spots on qualifying day. 

Brad Keselowski – Keselowski isn’t a one time wonder at Talladega. He also has two other top tens to his name. At tracks like Talladega everyone wants to partner up with someone who’s successful and I think more drivers than ever will be willing to help him out. Look for him to partner up with Kurt Busch. This duo will be formidable on Sunday and will certainly contend for the win.

Kurt Busch – In the three restrictor plate races this year Kurt Busch has the best driver rating (103.8) and he’s averaged 32.6 points a race. Penske is a two car team and as expected I’m projecting his draft partner will be Brad Keselowski. I’ve said this in probably all of my restrictor plate fantasy previews but Kurt Busch in the best plate racer who’s never won a points paying race. During Speed Weeks he won the Bud Shootout but that doesn’t pay any points.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – How can anyone not like Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Talladega? It’s the patriotic thing to do. He hasn’t won since 2004 but he’s still a solid driver. One big plus about Junior is that he’ll most likely be working with Jimmie Johnson again and I don’t think he’ll have any problems. In May Junior started 4th.

Racing4Glory.com Stat Center:

• Talladega Pre Race Loop Data Book
• Loop Data From The Most Recent Talladega Race
• Drivers Talladega Averages Since 2009
• Past Race Winners / Pole Winners
• Entry List

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com Driver Momentum:

1. Carl Edwards
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Tony Stewart
6. Brad Keselowski
7. Kyle Busch
8. Kurt Busch
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. David Ragan

Videos about what drivers are saying about Talladega:

• Jeff Gordon says drivers will have to swap positions more often at Talladega Superspeedway
• Harvick thinks cars will run closer together at Talladega because of the recent rule changes
• Jimmie Johnson believes there will be more passing at Talladega Superspeedway
• Matt Kenseth says you need a good partner at Talladega Superspeedway to succeed
• Jimmie Johnson says only practice can determine how different Talladega will be this time around

The post Scouting Report: Talladega Good Sam Club 500 appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.

1) It’s very important to study what happened in recent intermediate track races. If a driver was good at Kansas and Chicagoland the chances are pretty good that they’ll be good at Charlotte. The geometry of Charlotte is different from the two but remember you’re a fantasy racer, not a crew chief.

2) At Charlotte I like to pick drivers who have momentum. Weird things happen and in my opinion it’s the second most volatile track in the Chase. My method for avoiding drivers who might potentially have problems is picking drivers with momentum.

3) There’s plenty of track history at Charlotte and it’s important to study. You don’t want to dig to deep into the history books though.

4) Practice is really important at Charlotte. There won’t be any practice sessions that simulate race conditions but you want to hear a driver say their car drives good and they have adjustablity built in.

5) Qualifying is always a plus to have but the best drivers always get to the front. Picking a driver who starts up front is an understandable tie breaker when it comes to picking drivers but don’t base your team on it.

Fast Five at Charlotte:

1) Jimmie Johnson – This track isn’t called Lowes Motor Speedway anymore but it’s still Jimmie Johnson’s house. In twenty races at Charlotte Johnson has six wins and fourteen top tens. Earlier this year Johnson finished 28th but I’m not the least bit concerned (engine blew up with about 5 laps remaining). Perhaps the most surprising thing is that he didn’t lead any laps. His failure to lead a lap snapped a 18 race streak of leading laps at Charlotte. Johnson has been exceptional at every intermediate track recently (Kansas -1st, Chicagoland – 10th, Atlanta – 2nd, Michigan – 2nd, Kentucky – 3rd) and he’ll unquestionably be the favorite in the Bank of America 500.

Charlotte Motor Speedway Stats:

• Six wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 10.8 in 20 races
• Series-best Average Running Position of 8.2
• Series-best Driver Rating of 112.8
• Series-high 428 Fastest Laps Run
• 950 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
• Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 176.082 mph
• Series-high 3,917 Laps in the Top 15 (84.5%)

2) Matt Kenseth – In the Coca Cola 600 Matt Kenseth led more laps than anyone (103) and had the highest driver rating (124.4). His 14th place finish doesn’t truly reflect how good he was (6th place avg running position). In the last five Charlotte races Kenseth has been extremely consistent. His average finish is 8.4 and he’s raced in the top fifteen for 80.9% of the laps run. In 2000 Matt Kenseth won his first race at Charlotte.

Charlotte Motor Speedway Stats:

• One win, six top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.9 in 24 races
• Average Running Position of 15.3, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 92.1, fifth-best
• 217 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
• 941 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 175.044 mph, ninth-fastest
• 2,892 Laps in the Top 15 (62.4%), fourth-most

3) Kyle Busch – In this years running of the Coca Cola 600 Kyle Busch finished 32nd (accident, led 55 laps). However in the seven previous races he had an average finish of 4.1 (best in the series) and his loop data numbers are in a league of his own (most laps led – 505, most points scored, best average running position – 6th, and best driver rating – 120.7).

Charlotte Motor Speedway Stats:

• Five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 17.7 in 15 races
• Average Running Position of 10.4, second-best
• Driver Rating of 106.5, second-best
• 362 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• 879 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 175.935 mph, second-fastest
• 3,601 Laps in the Top 15 (77.6%), second-most

4) Carl Edwards – Edwards has only finished in the top ten once in the last six Charlotte races. In the global perspective of his career he’s had lots of success at Charlotte. His 13.3 average finish is a testament to that. It ranks as the 3rd best average finish in the series (since 2004). What I really like about Carl is his results at recent similar tracks (Kansas – 5th, Chicagoland – 4th, Atlanta – 5th, Kentucky – 5th).

Charlotte Motor Speedway Stats:

• Four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 13.3 in 13 races
• Average Running Position of 16.7, 12th-best
• Driver Rating of 86.1, 11th-best
• 99 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
• 1,019 Green Flag Passes, third-most
• 2,445 Laps in the Top 15 (52.7%), 11th-most

5) Kurt Busch – Last year Kurt Busch won the All-Star race and the following week he won the Coca Cola 600. He completely missed the setup in the fall race which was surprising (finished 30th). In this years Coca Cola 600 he finished 4th. His overall history is terrible at Charlotte but he’s arguably been the best 1.5 mile track racer in 2011.

Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:

• One win, five top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 19.7 in 22 races
• Average Running Position of 17.4, 14th-best
• Driver Rating of 85.1, 13th-best
• 171 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• 2,487 Laps in the Top 15 (53.6%), 10th-most

To see my complete Charlotte Fantasy Rankings check out my Fantasy Preview

Top Non-Chase Sleeper for the Bank of America 500:

Kasey Kahne – Charlotte has always been a good track for Kahne. He’s a three time winner and he’s a master of the high line around the track. Earlier this year Kahne finished 22nd but he was much better than that. On the last restart of the race he restarted on the front row but as soon as the green flag waved he ran out of gas.

Racing4Glory.com Stat Center:

• Charlotte Bank of America 500 Pre Race Loop Data Book
• Box Score (loop data) from the Coca Cola 600
• Charlotte Driver Ratings
• Schedule of events

FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com Momentum Over The Last Five Races:

1. Carl Edwards
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Kurt Busch
5. Tony Stewart
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Kyle Busch
8. Matt Kensth
9. David Ragan
10. Clint Bowyer

COT Charlotte Race Winners:

• Kevin Harvick (2011)
• Jamie McMurray (2010)
• Kurt Busch (2010)
• Jimmie Johnson (2009)
• David Reutimann (2009)
• Jeff Burton (2008)
• Kasey Kahne (2008)

The post Scouting Report: Charlotte Bank of America 500 appeared first on ifantasyrace.com.