New Hampshire Sylvania 300 Fantasy NASCAR Mid Pack Predictions

Martin Truex Jr. – 2014 hasn’t been a great year for Martin Truex Jr., but in July he had one of his better races of the season. At the Magic Mile this summer he started 9th, finished 12th, had a 14th place average running position and earned the 14th best driver rating. For the first two-thirds of the race I would estimate his average running position was around 12th. In the final third of the event he didn’t perform as well and looked like a mid-teens driver. With 51 laps to go he pitted from about 14th and dropped back to about 23rd. At the end he was very lucky that the Green-White-Checker came out. If that didn’t happen he would’ve finished in the low twenties and not 12th.  Last fall Martin Truex Jr. performed well. Through the first half of the event he arguably had he strongest car. In that portion of the race I would estimate his average running position was probably around 1.8. In the last third of the race his car dropped off and he performed nowhere near as well. When the checkered flag waved he finished 10th, had a 4th place average running position, led 98 laps and earned the 2nd best driver rating. In July 2013 at the Magic Mile he finished 16th and had a 17th place average running position. Nothing notable happened to him in that race, it’s just how he performed. In 17 races at New Hampshire he has 3 top fives, 6 top tens and has had a result in the top twenty 82% percent of the time. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Paul Menard – Shorter flat tracks have historically been Paul Menard’s worst track type. In 46 races on this sub-track type he’s only had a result in the top ten three times. Not a single one of those top tens came at New Hampshire. I would argue that a very solid case could be made that New Hampshire is his worst track. He’s only finished in the top fifteen once and that was a 12th place finish in September 2012. His New Hampshire top fifteen percentage is 7% percent (worst on the circuit) and his top twenty percentage is 33% (tied for second worst). Recently he’s shown improvement and all five of his top twenty results have come in the last six races. Earlier this year at the Magic Mile he finished 19th but he performed a little better than his result. He started in 16th, had a 15th place average running position and ran 72.8% percent of the laps in the top fifteen. If it wasn’t for the last 40 laps he would’ve walked away with a good result. Prior to that portion of the race he ran very well here by his standards. Here’s a link to his Yahoo Race Chart so you can see what I mean. Last fall Menard started in 7th, had an 18th place average running position and finished 22nd. In July last year he finished 17th and had a 17th place average running position. (Yahoo B Driver)

Recommended Reading – Top Tier Elite Picks, Front Runner Rankings, Yahoo C List Fantasy NASCAR Preview, New Hampshire Scouting Report, Who will win at New Hampshire

Aric Almirola – New Hampshire hasn’t been a good track for Aric Almirola. He’s raced here eight times and has one top ten and just two top twenties. In 7 of his 8 races he’s come home with a result between 18th and 29th. His New Hampshire average finish is 21.3. In July Aric Almirola started in the rear of the field in a backup car. On Saturday before the race he totaled his primary car in a wreck. Track position is of utmost importance at New Hampshire so that really put him a hole. He was able to pass the “junk” cars without difficulty and early in the race he was the big mover in the running order. About the highest he got in the field on his own merit was about 20th. When the checkered flag waved in the race he finished 23rd, had a 23rd place average running position and earned the 25th best driver rating. Last September at New Hampshire he finished exactly where he should have. In that event he finished 21st, had a 20th place average running position and earned the 22nd best driver rating. In July 2013 he finished 5th but that’s one of those results that deserve an asterisk mark. His good finish was due to pit strategy. The number you need know about him from that race is “17″. In that race he started 17th, had a 17th place average running position and earned the 17th best driver rating. (Yahoo B Driver)

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