New Hampshire Sylvania 300 Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Ranking Picks

1) Brad Keselowski New Hampshire Fantasy NASCAR Analysis – Brad Keselowski is a driver who you can confidently make your fantasy NASCAR pick to win the New Hampshire Sylvania 300. He’s starting on the pole, dominated in July, has back to back wins entering the weekend and has been the strongest driver on this track type in 2014. Really the only question about him this weekend is what’s not to like? He has all the intangibles in line that translate into a good fantasy NASCAR pick. One attribute that should be noted about him this weekend is that he’s locked in for the next Chase round so he can afford to take risks that others can’t. In practice Brad Keselowski was very impressive and many are pointing at him as the car to beat. In Happy Hour his ten lap average ranked as the 3rd best.
Starting Position – 1st
Track History – Recently at New Hampshire Brad Keselowski has been one of the strongest drivers. Since fall 2011 he has a series best 4.8 average finish and hasn’t had a result lower than 11th. Also over this 6 race stretch he has the best driver rating and an 8.7 average running position. Earlier this there’s no debate he had the best car. He won the race, earned the best driver rating, had the best PROS Rankings , had a 3rd place average running position and led 138 laps. His strength in the race was being good over long runs and cutting through the center of the corner. In fall 2013 he finished 11th but he performed slightly better than his result. In that race with 40 laps to go he was running in 10th but lost half a dozen positions when another car got into the back of him. In July 2013 he earned the 2nd best driver rating, finished 4th and led 14 laps. In 2012 Keselowski recorded finishes of 5th and 6th.
Similar Track Performances – This season on shorter flat tracks Keselowski has been the best driver in the series. At these venues he’s scored the most points, has finished in the top five every race, has a 2.3 average finish, 2.8 average running position and has led 638 laps. At the last two shorter flat tracks visited he won in dominant fashion. At Richmond he won from the pole and led 383 laps.
Odds To Win – 7/2
Chassis Selection – On Sunday Brad Keselowski will be driving the chassis he drove earlier this year at New Hampshire that won in dominant fashion.
Momentum – Brad Keselowski is entering this race with lots of momentum with his back to back wins. In three of the last four races he’s finished in the top two.

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2) Jeff Gordon New Hampshire Fantasy NASCAR Analysis – Jeff Gordon will be good in the New Hampshire Sylvania 300. He hasn’t won here in a long time but that could potentially be to his advantage. In the last thirteen New Hampshire races there have been thirteen different winners. Not one of those wins were from him so his 13th place starting position might just be a good omen. Another good omen is that the last time he started 13th at New Hampshire he went to victory lane (1998). Earlier this year at New Hampshire Jeff Gordon had a strong car but his fuel mileage strategy was wrong and that led to a poor result. In practice on Saturday Jeff Gordon looked very good. In both Happy Hour and practice #2 his ten lap average ranked as the 2nd best.
Starting Position – 13th
Track History – Although Jeff Gordon hasn’t won at New Hampshire since 1998 he’s been one of the best performers. Since 2006 he has the best average finish (8.8, excluding Kyle Larson), best average running position (7.8) and the best driver rating. In July Jeff Gordon had a very strong car and had the 2nd best PROS Rankings. The PROS Rankings show you what drivers subjectively had the best car. His race was far from incident free but I’ll assure you he was very good. Early in the race unbeknownst to him he had a tire that was going flat slowly. By lap 99 that had him back in 26th one lap down. Shortly after that point on lap 113 under caution he took the wave around and got back on the lead lap. From that point on he started driving towards the front. Around lap 240 he drove into the top five. Then when there was a caution with 51 laps to go he elected not to pit which got him the lead. If the race would’ve gone the scheduled distance he would’ve finished in the top five but since there was a late caution it got extended. During the Green-White-Checker he ran out of gas with 3 laps to go and as a result he finished 26th. Last September he was also good but while he was leading on lap 202 he slide through his pit box which resulted in a timely pit stop. That mistake dropped him back to 22nd with less than 100 laps to go. When the checkered flag waved he finished 15th and led 36 laps. In July 2013 he finished 10th and earned the 9th best driver rating. What’s notable about that result is that he was spun with 41 laps to go. In September 2012 he earned the 2nd best driver rating and finished 3rd. In July 2012 he finished 6th and earned the 6th best driver rating. In fall 2011 Gordon earned the best driver rating, led 78 laps and finished 3rd. In his career at Loudon he has three wins and has finished in the top five 41% percent of the time.
Similar Track Performances – This season on shorter flat tracks he’s been one of the strongest drivers in the series. At New Hampshire he ran out of gas while running in 2nd but his other results are 2nd, 2nd and 5th.
Odds To Win – 6/1
Chassis Selection – On Sunday Jeff Gordon will be driving the same chassis he drove earlier this year at New Hampshire.
Momentum – Jeff Gordon is entering this race with back to back 2nd place finishes. Since Indy he’s had a car that’s been capable of finishing in the top five almost every race.

Recommended Further Reading – Post Practice Predictions (another post practice fantasy opinion), 10 Lap Average Speed Cheat Sheet, Happy Hour Speeds, Happy Hour Notes, Practice #2 Speeds, Practice #2 Notes, New Hampshire Qualifying Results, Scouting Report, PROS Ranking, Pit Stall Selections

3. Kevin Harvick New Hampshire Fantasy NASCAR Analysis – Kevin Harvick is a shorter flat track master but New Hampshire has historically been his weakest of the three. On Sunday I expect Kevin Harvick to be very good. In July he was in experimental mode but that’s not the case anymore. In this race he’ll be going all out and will show his hand. One attribute you really have to like about him this week is how strong he’s performed recently. Over the last two months a solid case could be made he’s been the best driver in the series. In Happy Hour he said his car was really close and the only car that he thought was better was the #2. His ten lap average in Happy Hour ranked as the best.
Starting Position – 3rd
Track History – Kevin Harvick has been successful at New Hampshire throughout his career. He’s a former winner and has finished in the top thirteen 62.9% percent of the time. In July this team was in experimental mode and the setup they used was tight in the middle of turns. His PROS Rankings for the race was ranked as the 9th best. In the race he earned the 9th best driver rating, had a 12th place average running position and finished 30th. That result deserves an asterisk mark. Late in the race this team was playing the fuel mileage game but that strategy burned them when the race was extended. During the Green-White-Checker Harvick ran out with 2 laps to go while he was running in the top five. Last fall while he was a lame duck driver he didn’t have a good performance. He performed well in the first two thirds of the race but in the last third he raced around 20th. When the checkered flag waved he finished 20th and earned the 19th best driver rating. In July 2013 he finished 7th but that results better than how he performed for the vast majority of the race. In summer 2012 he finished 8th, had an 8th place average running position and earned the 8th best driver rating.
Similar Track Performances – On shorter flat tracks this season Harvick has been one of the strongest drivers. On this track type minus New Hampshire where he ran out of gas while running in the top five he has a 5.7 average finish. From a historical perspective he’s been very strong on this track type. In September 2006 when New Hampshire was the first race of the Chase Harvick won from the pole and led 196 laps.
Odds To Win – 6/1
Chassis Selection – On Sunday Kevin Harvick will be driving the chassis he drove at Charlotte earlier this year that finished 2nd.
Momentum – This team has been very good over a prolonged period of time. Since Indy he’s been capable of finishing in the top ten every race. Currently he has back to back 5th place finishes.