Yahoo C List Fantasy NASCAR Preview – Daytona Coke Zero 400
Danica Patrick – Danica Patrick has had some success at Daytona. In half her races she’s finished in the top 14. In this year’s Daytona 500 she spent the vast majority of the race running between 13th and 23rd. On the final lap it looked like she would finish around 30th but she dodged the carnage and finished 21st as a result. In July 2014 at Daytona she came home with an 8th place finish. She ran pretty well and got lucky at the end. In the event she started in 29th and climbed her way up towards the top five just after lap 60. Around lap 85 while she was running in the top ten during a pit stop she overshoot her pit box which caused her to have a slow stop. As a result of her timely pit stop she dropped back to 29th. That was actually to her benefit because a few laps later a caution came out and then the “Big One” happened. Being back where she was she avoided the carnage. In the 2014 Daytona 500 she started deep in the field and drove up to the teens but on lap 145 she got caught up in a wreck which resulted in a 40th place finish. In the 2013 Daytona 500 she had one of the best races of her career. She started on the pole, earned the 2nd best driver rating, had a 5th place average running position, led 5 laps and finished 8th. In July 2013 she ran well. She earned the 13th best driver rating, finished 14th and had a 15th place average running position.
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David Ragan – David Ragan performs at his best at restrictor plate tracks. Both his wins have come on this track type. In 2011 he had a phenomenal year at Daytona. He won in July and he was good enough to win the Daytona 500 except he switched lanes too early during a late restart while leading which led to him getting penalized. Since his Daytona win he has a best finish of 17th and a 28.4 average finish. In this year’s Daytona 500 he raced near the back for much of the event but when it was time to go he maneuvered up to a 17th place finish. Last July at Daytona he ran well. He started in 8th, led 7 laps early but was a driver who got caught up in the late “Big One”. For the first third of that event he was a consistent top ten performer. In the last two-thirds he looked like a teen’s driver until he got caught up in the final wreck. In the 2014 Daytona 500 he ran towards the back for nearly his entire race and then on lap 89 he had transmission issues that sent him to the garage. In the 2013 Daytona 500 he was involved in an accident and finished 35th. In July 2013 he ran near the back for the entirety of the event and finished 22nd.
Bobby Labonte – Don’t be afraid to pull out Bobby Labonte as your secret weapon at Daytona. I know it sounds crazy but he could produce for you. Over the last 7 Daytona races he has an 18.1 average finish. Over this stretch only 9 drivers racing on Sunday have a better average finish. If you pick him don’t get your hopes up too much. In 3 of the last 4 races he’s finished between 23rd and 26th. Earlier this year he finished 24th.
Ryan Blaney – This year at plate tracks Ryan Blaney has finished at both ends of the spectrum. At Talladega in May he started in 3rd and maneuvered the #21 car home to a 4th place finish. In the Daytona 500 he looked competitive but finished poorly. He was running around 13th but with 25 laps to go his engine blew up.
David Gilliland – Restrictor plate tracks are David Gilliland’s best tracks but he’s a risky prospect. In four of the last six races here he’s finished in the 30’s. In this year’s Daytona 500 he had a quality finish. He spent much of the afternoon riding near the back and in the final 30 laps he started to make his way towards the front. When the checkered flag waved he finished 11th. Last July at Daytona he started on the pole, led 5 laps and ran pretty well for the first two-thirds of the event. In the last third he dropped back a little bit and typically ran in the mid-teens to mid-twenties. Late in the race during the lap #98 “Big One” he was involved in the carnage. In the 2014 Daytona 500 he was also involved in a wreck and finished 36th. In July 2013 he had one of his other recent quality finishes and had a 15th place result. In the two Daytona races prior to that he had results of 31st and 38th.
Brian Scott – Brian Scott will be driving the #33 RCR prepared Chevy at Daytona. At Daytona he only has one start under his belt and it was in 2014. In last year’s Daytona 500 he finished four laps down in 25th. At the other plate track on the schedule he has two starts under his belt and both his results are quite bad. In this years Talladega race he finished 43rd after having an early engine failure. Last May at Talladega he started on the pole and finished 42nd after being involved in an accident.
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