Phoenix Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Ryan Newman – Ryan Newman has had some success on the new surface at Phoenix and has been one of the better drivers. In four of the six races on the new surface he’s finished in the top ten. This spring he had a relatively good race. He finished 7th, earned the 8th best driver rating and had a 10th place average running position. He simply had a smooth consistent afternoon. Last fall at Phoenix Ryan Newman finished 10th, led 31 laps, had a 12th place average running position and earned the 12th best driver rating. In the spring race at Phoenix in 2013 Newman had a rough day. In the race he really struggled. He started in 10th but fell back in the running order as soon as the green flag waved. By lap 94 he fell all the way back to 25th. On lap 99 he got into the wall. Shortly after that on lap 141 he got into the wall again and that marked the end of his day. In his other races on the new surface he’s had solid performances. In November 2012 he finished 5th, led 5 laps and earned the 8th best driver rating. In spring 2012 he finished a misleading 21st. What happened in that race is that with 57 laps to go he was battling Carl Edwards for 6th but they got together and Newman hit the wall. In the first race on the new configuration he finished 5th and earned the 9th best driver rating. This season on shorter flat tracks Newman has scored the 6th most points and has a 9.4 average finish. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Kyle Busch – This season on shorter flat tracks Kyle Busch has been one of the best drivers in the series. In the 5 combined races on this sub-track type he’s scored the 2nd most points, has a 7.2 average finish and a 10.0 average running position. It’s important to note he really hasn’t been a serious contender to win any of these races. At Phoenix Kyle Busch has been one of the better recent performers. In four of the last five races he’s finished in the top ten. This spring he had the strongest Joe Gibbs Toyota. In the race he started 7th, had an 8th place average running position and finished 9th. It should also be noted his driver rating ranked as the 7th best. Last fall Kyle Busch had a quiet afternoon. He started 4th, finished 7th and had the 9th best driver rating. In spring 2013 he had a rough race. In that event he started in the back because of an engine change. That wasn’t a significant problem because by lap 38 he was already up to 16th. Shortly after that his race went downhill. On lap #48 he was in 15th but spun all on his own. That was a major problem because the race had relatively few cautions and he didn’t get back on the lead lap until late in the event. Also late in the race with 66 laps to go he got into the wall but kept on going. When the checkered flag waved he finished 23rd and earned the 25th best driver rating. In fall 2012 Kyle Busch had a dominant car but lost the race during a late restart. In that event he earned the best driver rating, led 237 laps and finished 3rd. In spring 2012 he led 52 laps and finished 6th. (Yahoo A Driver)

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

Carl Edwards – Carl Edwards has been one of the more successful drivers at Phoenix since the track was reconfigured. In the combined races on the new surface he has a 10.0 average finish, 10.3 average running position, the 4th best driver rating and has led the third most laps. This spring he ran relatively well. He started in 23rd, had an 11th place average running position and finished 8th. In 2013 Carl Edwards nearly won both Phoenix races. In spring 2013 he ended a nearly two-year long winless streak. In the race he started in 15th, had a 5th place average running position, led 122 laps and earned the best driver rating. The key moment for him in the race was when David Gilliland got into the wall on lap 237. He was running in 4th at that time but his pit crew had a fantastic pit stop and got him the lead. When he was out front nobody could pass him. In fall 2013 he had a strong car but couldn’t go the distance on his tank of fuel. In the race he ran out of gas while leading right before he took the white flag. As a result of running out of gas at such an inopportune time he was relegated to 21st place finish. In fall 2012 at Phoenix Edwards finished 11th. In spring 2012 he had a 6th through 10th place car but late in the race he ran out of gas and finished 17th. In the inaugural race on the new configuration he finished runner-up. This season on shorter flat tracks Edwards has scored the 10th most points and has a 13.8 average finish. (Yahoo B Driver)

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