Phoenix CampingWorld.com 500 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Kevin Harvick – Kevin Harvick is by far the best default fantasy NASCAR pick you can make to win the Phoenix CampingWorld.com 500. In the last six Phoenix races he has four wins, five top two’s, a 3.2 average finish, 4.3 average running position, has led 661 laps and has the best driver rating by a wide margin. Last year at Phoenix Kevin Harvick thumped the competition and unquestionably had the best car in both races. In fall 2014 Kevin Harvick ran a perfect race. He finished 1st, had a 1st place average running position, led 264 laps and earned a rare perfect driver rating. Nobody had anything for him that afternoon. One stat that’s telling about just how good he was is the fact he ran 137 fastest laps. In spring 2014 he also put on a display of dominance and won his first race in just his second event for Stewart-Haas Racing. In that race he started in 13th and in just 17 laps he reached 4th. On lap 74 he passed Joey Logano for the lead and after that he waved good bye and was untouchable. In that event he led 224 laps, had a 2nd place average running position and came up .1 shy of earning a perfect driver rating. What made him so strong was his ability to get back on the throttle quicker than the competition. In fall 2013 he had a phenomenal car that handled well and stuck to the bottom of the track around the turns. In that race he started 9th, finished 1st, had the best driver rating and led 70 laps. In spring 2013 at Phoenix he finished 13th but that result deserves an asterisk mark. In that event he claimed he had a top three car but he had a broken left front rotor which hampered his result. In 2012 Kevin Harvick’s recent Phoenix dominance started. In fall 2012 he took advantage of some late cautions and reached victory lane. In spring 2012 he made a serious run at the win but ran out of gas on the last lap and coasted to a 2nd place finish. Last season on shorter flat tracks (Phoenix, Richmond and New Hampshire) minus the July New Hampshire race (fuel issues at the end) he had a 4.2 average finish. Also over those 5 select races he scored the most points and had four top fives. Look for Kevin Harvick to be the driver to beat at Phoenix and be many fantasy NASCAR experts pick to win. One attribute you have to like about Harvick this week is that he now has 6 consecutive top two results dating back to last season. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a driver who you should be considering for Phoenix. In the last four races at this venue he’s the only driver who’s finished in the top ten every race. Also in the races over this stretch he has a 4.8 average finish, 9.3 average running position and the 3rd best driver rating. Last fall Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran well and finished 8th which snapped his three race top 5 streak. In the event he started in 16th, had a 10th place average running position and earned the 9th best driver rating. At the end of the race it looked like he would finish in the top 5 but because of other drivers using pit strategy and him getting four tires he fell back to about 12th for the final restart. In spring 2014 Kevin Harvick dominated the race but Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the best of the rest. In that event the strength of the #88 was being good over long runs. In the race he started 5th, had a 3rd place average running position, earned the 3rd best driver rating and finished 2nd. In fall 2013 he had an impressive performance. He started in 11th, finished 4th and earned the 6th best driver rating. What makes that performance even more spectacular is that 64 laps into the race he had to make an unexpected pit stop under green that dropped him one lap down. That’s a tough circumstance to overcome especially at a track like Phoenix. In spring 2013 he started mid-pack in 21st but by the mid-point he raced up to 3rd. On lap #192 he assumed the lead and paced the field for the next 47 laps. Then David Gilliland brought out the caution and he lost the lead and ultimately the race to Carl Edwards on pit road. During the last segment of the race he faded back to his 5th place finish. Also in that race he earned the 6th best driver rating. Last season on shorter flat tracks Earnhardt Jr. was one of the best drivers. In the six races on this sub-track type he scored the 3rd most points, had an 8.0 average finish and a 9.0 average running position. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Further Recommended Reading – Front Runner Rankings, Mid Pack Predictions, Yahoo C List Preview, Phoenix Scouting Report, Who will win at Phoenix

Joey Logano – Joey Logano should be on your short list of fantasy NASCAR options at Phoenix. Last season on shorter flat tracks he was one of the best performers. On this sub-track type minus the July New Hampshire race where he crashed while running in 2nd he had two wins, a 3.6 average finish, 5.2 running position and finished in the top ten every race. At Phoenix Joey Logano has been one of the better drivers since the reconfiguration. In his last three races he has three straight top tens, three straight top four starts and has averaged leading 40.3 laps per race. Last fall Joey Logano had an interesting afternoon. He started in 4th and on lap 25 he passed Denny Hamlin for the lead. While he was out front he led 17 laps. On lap 122 under yellow his race took a turn for the worst because while he was running in 2nd he left his pit box with his fuel can which dropped him from 2nd to 29th. While he was back in traffic he struggled and even got lapped. Also while he was running near the back he became very emotional over his radio. On lap 201 he got the “Lucky Dog” and he started moving up through the pack without a high level of difficulty. Over the final 50 laps I would estimate his average running position was around 7th. When the checkered flag waved he finished 6th. In spring 2014 at Phoenix Joey Logano was very strong. He started in 2nd, earned the 2nd best driver rating, had a 3rd place average running position, finished 4th and led 71 laps. Outside of him and Kevin Harvick the next highest laps led leader only paced the field for 6 laps. In fall 2013 in the desert Logano started 3rd, led 33 laps, earned the 5th best driver rating and finished 9th. In March 2013 he finished 26th but you can put an asterisk mark next to that result. His poor finish can be attributed to running out of fuel at the end. Before he ran out he was running in 11th. In fall 2012 Logano was on pace to have a good day but while he was running in 6th he was an innocent victim caught up in the Jeff Gordon / Clint Bowyer carnage. In March 2012 he started in 9th and finished 10th. In the inaugural race on the new configuration he finished 11th. (Yahoo A Driver)

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