Yahoo C List Fantasy NASCAR Preview – Talladega Geico 500
Danica Patrick – Danica Patrick could be a solid sleeper at Talladega. Last fall at the end she ran up front (led 7 laps late) and looked like a serious contender to win. If it wasn’t for the late caution during the pit cycle which scrambled up the running order she likely would’ve finished better than 19th. In spring 2014 she looked good early. She started in 7th and drove up to the lead near the start and paced the field for 6 laps. When the checkered flag waved she finished 22nd. In 2013 at Talladega she finished 33rd twice. In this year’s Daytona 500 she had an OK race and finished 21st. In three of the four Daytona races prior to February she finished in the top fourteen.
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David Ragan – David Ragan will be a driver to watch in the Talladega Geico 500. At restrictor plate tracks he performs at his best and both his wins have come on this track type. Last year at Talladega he had a dismal season and had results of 30th and 35th. In the four Talladega races prior to that he had four straight top seven results. In 2013 Ragan teamed up with David Gilliland on the final lap and they pulled off a 1-2 finish. With news of David Ragan taking over the #55 beginning at Kansas for the rest of the season I don’t find his Yahoo fantasy value to be as attractive as it once was because he’ll have greater value elsewhere.
Further Recommended Reading – Top Tier Elite Picks, Front Runner Rankings, Mid Pack Predictions, Talladega Scouting Report, Who will win at Talladega
David Gilliland – David Gilliland’s best chance / only real chance to get a good finish comes on restrictor plate tracks. Last year at Talladega he had a disastrous year. Last fall he never ran near the front except during brief points of pit cycles. Over the last 120 laps minus times where he ran artificially high during pit cycles about the closest he got to the front was 23rd. When the checkered flag waved he finished 29th. In spring 2014 he had engine problems and finished 40th. In 2013 at this “Wild Card” track he swept the top ten. He finished 7th in the fall and in the spring he finished 2nd behind his teammate David Ragan. In 2012 he had results of 13th and 15th. At Talladega his top fifteen finish percentage is 53%. Among the 23 venues on the circuit it ranks as his highest. His next highest top fifteen percentage is 36% percent at Daytona. In this years “Great American Race” Gilliland crossed the finish line in 11th.
Michael Waltrip – It’s hard to predict how Michael Waltrip will perform in the #55. In his recent Talladega races he has finishes all across the board. In his last four races he has one single digit finish (4th), a teen finish (16th), a finish in the twenties (25th) and a finish in the thirties (32nd). Last year at Talladega he had results of 16th and 25th. In 2013 he ran much better. In fall 2013 he was in contention for a top five but he was caught up in the Stewart blocking big one. In spring 2013 he finished 4th. In this year’s Daytona 500 he finished 26th.
Ryan Blaney – Ryan Blaney will be returning to action at Talladega. Last fall he raced here in a third Penske car and finished 22nd. Also in the race he started 4th and led 16 laps. Earlier this year at Daytona he looked respectable but finished 39th after an engine failure. In his most recent race at Texas he also had an engine failure. Engines failures in two out of three races is troublesome.
Landon Cassill – Last year at restrictor plate tracks Landon Cassill scored the 7th most points in the series. In three of the four races he finished in the top twelve. From a historic perspective that’s not what you should expect from him. This year the “course correction” has already begun. In this year’s Daytona 500 he finished 43rd due to an engine failure. Last year at Talladega he recorded finishes of 4th and 11th. In his six other Talladega races his average finish is 28.3.
Justin Allgaier – Justin Allgaier has two races under his belt at Talladega even though it should really be three. Last fall due to a qualifying snafu he missed the race. In his two Talladega starts he’s finished on the lead lap both races and has results of 24th and 27th. In this season’s Daytona 500 he was caught up in a wreck and finished 37th. At Daytona in 2013 he had finishes of 25th and 27th.
Brian Scott – Brian Scott will be piloting the #33. Last year at Talladega he started on the pole, led 0 laps and finished 42nd after wrecking. In his two starts earlier this season he had results of 13th (Las Vegas) and 27th (Auto Club).
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