2015 Daytona 500 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. is primed to be many people’s top fantasy NASCAR pick to win the 2015 Daytona 500. He provides both the safety and performance aspects that fantasy racers are looking for. Along with those attributes comes a popularity element which means there’s a good chance your competition will be picking him as well, which can be both good and bad. In the last three Daytona 500’s no driver has been better than Earnhardt Jr. Over these three events he’s finished in the top two every race. In the 2014 Daytona 500 Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced his way to victory lane and got his 3rd win at this venue. In the event his car was exceptionally strong but his elite drafting talent is what propelled him to the win. In the event he earned the #1 PROS Ranking, earned the best driver rating and led 54 laps. In July 2014 he didn’t have an incident free race and sustained damage in the lap #21 “Big One”. He didn’t receive fatal damage, but his car hobbled around for the rest of the afternoon and he was either 1 lap down or the last car on the lead lap. He likely would’ve finished very poorly but the end of the race was favorable for him. There was a late restart and then an even bigger “Big One” ensued that left only 16 cars on the lead lap. When the checkered flag waved he finished 14th. Before he got damage he was a top ten mainstay. To give you a better idea of his level of performance here’s his Yahoo Race Chart. In the 2013 Daytona summer race he finished 8th and earned the 4th best driver rating. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he spent much of the event racing outside the top ten but when it was time to go he worked with Mark Martin and raced his way up to a 2nd place result. In the 2012 Daytona 500 he also finished 2nd. Since 2012 Earnhardt Jr. has arguably been the best driver at Daytona. Over the last six races he’s the only driver with a single digit average finish (7.0), the only driver with four top tens and is the only driver with six top fifteens. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Matt Kenseth – Matt Kenseth is one of the elite drafting talents in NASCAR. When he gets out front he’s hard to pass and makes smart decisions which keep him there. In terms of ranking the best drafters in NASCAR Matt Kenseth has arguably been the strongest over the last five years. In the events of this time period as long as he’s avoided trouble he’s finished well. Matt Kenseth is a two-time Daytona 500 champion with victories in 2012 and 2009. In July 2014 at Daytona Kenseth ran well. He started in 6th, took the lead on lap 5 and then proceeded to lead the next 12 laps. Shortly after that on lap 21 while he was running near 5th he got caught up in the “Big One” which marked the end of his competitive day. When the checkered flag waved he finished 20th, but take note the race had a final “Big One” which only left 16 cars on the lead lap. In February 2014 at Daytona Kenseth was good. Leading up to the Daytona 500 he found himself in victory lane after winning his Duel 150. In the Great American Race he ran very well but never looked like a serious contender to win. In the race he had a minor mishap early. During the first round of pit stops under yellow while he was running around 10th he was spun on pit road. As a result of that he dropped all the way back to about 40th. In the final stretch of the race he was a consistent front runner and over the last 60 laps I would estimate his average running position was around 5th. When the checkered flag waved he finished 6th and earned the 8th best driver rating. In July 2013 he had a top ten car but was involved in a late wreck with about 10 laps to go. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he was the dominant driver until he had an engine failure three-fourths through the event while leading. In that race he earned the #1 position in the PROS Rankings, earned the 5th best driver rating and led 86 laps. In 2012 at Daytona nobody was better than Kenseth and he had results of 1st and 3rd. In July 2011 he finished 2nd. Last fall’s race at Talladega is the most recent event on this track type and in that race Kenseth finished 2nd. (Yahoo A Driver)

Other Recommended Reading – Front Runner Rankings, Mid Pack Predictions, Yahoo C List Preview, Daytona 500 Scouting Report, Who will win the Daytona 500, Printable 2015 Schedule With Start Times

Kevin Harvick – The 2014 Sprint Cup Champion will be one of the most popular fantasy NASCAR picks to win the Daytona 500 and for good reason. He’s an elite drafting talent and on the biggest stages he’s one of the top clutch performers. At Daytona Kevin Harvick has been to victory lane twice with wins in 2010 and 2007. Since 2010 he’s either finished really good or pretty poorly with little room for a middle ground result. In the 10 races over this stretch he has 5 top seven results and four finishes of 23rd or worse. His one middle ground result in that stretch of races came in the 2014 Daytona 500. In this event last season he had a strong car and ran better than his 13th place finish. On the final lap he was running in 8th but had contact with Kyle Busch which cost him a number of positions. In the race he ran near the back early to protect his car and didn’t show his hand until there was about 50 laps to go. Within the final 20 laps he advanced as far forward as 3rd. In the summer 2014 Daytona race there’s really not much to discuss about his performance because he was taken out in the lap #21 “Big One” and as a result he finished 39th. In 2013 at Daytona Kevin Harvick was arguably the strongest performer. In that season he won the Sprint Unlimited and his Duel 150. In the Sprint Unlimited he dominated the event and led 53% percent of the laps. In his Duel race he led 38% percent of the laps. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he never had a chance to show just how good his car was. He was taken out in an early wreck when Kyle Busch bump drafted Kasey Kahne. In July 2013 Kevin Harvick had a strong showing. He ran near the back early but his car was strong and he could work his way to the front when he wanted. When the checkered flag waved he finished 3rd behind Tony Stewart. From a career perspective at this historic venue as long as he avoids trouble he’s typically finished well. Last season at Talladega Harvick had results of 7th and 9th. (Yahoo A Driver)

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