AAA Texas 500 Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Ryan Newman – Ryan Newman is the top ranked fantasy NASCAR “Front Runner Rankings” driver for the AAA Texas 500. This season on 1.5 mile tracks he’s been a fairly safe fantasy option. At these venues he’s scored the 7th most points and has a 9.7 average finish. If you pick him don’t expect him to come home with a great result because he’s only finished in the top five once. His primary strength has been his consistency. At these venues he’s finished in the top 16 every race. At the last two 1.5 mile tracks visited he’s come home with results of 6th and 7th. At Texas earlier this year he had his worst result of the season at a track of this length. In that race he started 8th, had a 16th place average running position and finished 16th. In the race he performed better than his result. He likely had around a 10th place car but he had a windshield tear off on his car’s nose and he short pitted to get it off and as a result he was out of sync with the field. Later in the race that burned him with how the cautions fell. Before he had his issue he ran in the top ten. Last season at Texas Newman performed well. He was one of just four drivers who finished in the top ten both races. In fall 2013 he finished 9th and had a 14th place average running position. In spring 2013 he finished 10th and had a 17th place average running position. In that race he was a beneficiary of a caution with about 50 laps to go. If that didn’t happen he likely would’ve finished in the high teens. In fall 2012 he finished 12th. (Yahoo B Driver)

Further Recommended Reading – Top Tier Elite Picks, Mid Pack Predictions, Who will win at Texas, Texas Scouting Report

Jamie McMurray – Jamie McMurray has been very impressive in recent races on 1.5 mile tracks. In the three Chase races at tracks of this length he’s been one of the strongest performers. In the Chase races at 1.5 mile tracks his 7.0 average running position ranks as the 4th best in the series. Also in these three races he’s led 64 laps and his 12.3 average finish underrates how well he’s performed. Charlotte is very similar to Texas and recently at that venue he finished 3rd. Texas hasn’t been friendly to Jamie McMurray. He has an 18.3 average finish and in the last 11 races his best finish is 14th. Earlier this season at Texas McMurray performed better than his 17th place finish. His race wasn’t incident free. On lap 206 while he was running around 10th he had a tire going down and had to make an unscheduled pit stop. As a result of his flat he dropped down a lap back to 21st. Prior to his issue he looked pretty good. Here’s a look at his Yahoo Race Chart to help you understand his level of competitiveness. Last fall at Texas he started in 24th, had a 24th place average running position and finished 31st. In that race he simply wasn’t competitive. In spring 2013 at Texas Jamie McMurray finished 16th. In that race he looked better than his result. Through the first 120 laps I would estimate his average running position was about 7th. Then during a round of green flag pit stops he was penalized for pitting outside his box. The penalty for that is getting held for 1 lap but NASCAR officials incorrectly held him for 2. Later in the race under caution they gave him a free lap back to correct the issue but the damage was already done. In 2012 McMurray had results of 16th and 18th. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Carl Edwards – Carl Edwards has not been one of the stronger 1.5 mile track drivers this season but yet he’s managed to get a good finish numerous times. From a performance standpoint he typically looks like a mid-teens driver at these tracks. In the nine races at tracks of this length he’s scored the 5th most points, has 4 top fives, 6 top tens and a 9.3 average finish. In the last two races at tracks of this length he’s managed to come home with finishes of 5th and 8th. At Texas Carl Edwards is tied with Jimmie Johnson for the most wins. He’s a three-time champion but it’s important to note his most recent was in 2008. This spring at Texas Carl Edwards did not look good. He started in 5th and ran well for the first 60 laps but then he started sliding back in the running order. From about lap 100 to the conclusion of the race he ran between 14th and 18th. When the checkered flag waved he finished 14th, had a 14th place average running position and earned the 16th best driver rating. Last fall at Texas Edwards looked more competitive. He started on the pole, led 38 laps but finished 37th after having an engine failure on lap 188. Prior to his engine failure he was running around 11th. In spring 2013 Edwards had a successful evening and wheeled the #99 car to a 3rd place finish. In that race he had some sort of engine issue and around the mid-point during a restart he dropped back to being the last car on the lead lap. In the middle of the race I would estimate his average running position was around 20th. Late in the race Edwards was aided by a favorable caution during the pit cycle. That got him positioned in the top ten and from there he drove up to his 3rd place result. Since 2011 at Texas minus his engine failure in fall 2013 he has a 7.7 average finish, 8.7 average starting position and an 11.0 average running position. (Yahoo B Driver)

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