Yahoo C List Fantasy NASCAR Preview – Daytona Coke Zero 400
Austin Dillon – In the Daytona 500 Austin Dillon started on the pole but he didn’t stay there long. He lost the lead on lap #2 and by lap #6 he was already back in 16th. Also he didn’t have a trouble free event. On lap 145 he was involved in a “Big One” but luckily the damage wasn’t too severe. When the checkered flag waved he finished 9th, earned the 13th best driver rating and had a 17th place average running position. At Talladega this May he finished 15th, had a 17th place average running position and earned the 14th best driver rating. In fall 2013 at Talladega he was running in 3rd on the final lap until he was spun. Among Yahoo C List drivers I think he’s the best possible pick you can make but from an allocation perspective it might not be the wisest decision.
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Danica Patrick – Danica Patrick’s #1 key to success at Daytona will be track position. If she starts up front the potential is there for her to have a good race. If she starts mid pack I would write her off. The reason why I say that is because if she starts up front she’ll have a strong car and she might very well be capable of remaining there. She’s not a driver who’ll play games and drop back in the running order just to try to drive up to the front again like others. In this year’s Daytona 500 she started deep in the field but she did manage to drive up into the teens. Then on lap 145 she was involved in one of the “Big One’s” and as a result she had to go to the garage area which led to a 40th place finish. In the 2013 Daytona 500 she had one of the best races of her career. She started on the pole, earned the 2nd best driver rating, had a 5th place average running position, led 5 laps and finished 8th. In July 2013 she ran well. She earned the 13th best driver rating, finished 14th and had a 15th place average running position.
Recommended Reading – Daytona Top Tier Elite Picks, Daytona Front Runner Rankings, Daytona Mid Pack Predictions, Daytona Scouting Report, Who will win the Daytona Coke Zero 400
Kyle Larson – Nobody had a more eventful start to the Daytona 500 than Kyle Larson. He got into the wall on lap #2, on lap #3 and then on lap #4 he pitted under green and dropped down a lap. Then on lap 23 he spun and brought out the first caution. Then with 39 laps to go he was involved in a multi-car wreck that sent him to the garage for repairs. One word to describe his Daytona 500 is “disaster”. At Talladega in May he finished 9th. From an allocation perspective I don’t see how you can really pick him in the Daytona Coke Zero 400.
Michael Waltrip – Michael Waltrip will be driving the #66 MWR entry in the Daytona Coke Zero 400. In the last two July races he has back to back top tens. Last summer he finished 5th and in summer 2012 he finished 9th. In this year’s Daytona 500 he didn’t fare well and his race wasn’t incident free. On lap 145 he was involved in the “Big One” and as a result he was sent to the garage area which led to a 41st place finish. At Daytona Michael Waltrip is a three-time winner but it’s important to note all of those victories were over a decade ago.
Trevor Bayne – In 2011 Trevor Bayne pulled off one of the biggest surprises in NASCAR history. In that event he inherited the lead after David Ragan jumped a late restart and he held on for the win. One element of that race that’s important to point out is that the 2011 Daytona 500 was completely unique because of the tandem drafting element. That no longer exists. In this year’s Daytona 500 he ran well for about two-thirds of the event. Then with 17 laps to go while he was running near 13th he wrecked and was done for the day. Outside of his win he’s been pretty bad here. In his six other races minus his win he has a 30.5 average finish and has only finished on the lead lap once.
Justin Allgaier – Justin Allgaier has been a consistent driver on restrictor plate tracks this season. In both races he finished 27th. In his 27th place finish in this season’s Daytona 500 he was caught up in the “Big One” with 7 laps to go. Prior to the wreck he was running around 18th. He has no others starts under his belt here.
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