AAA Texas 500 Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Ryan Newman – Ryan Newman has been consistent at Texas. In the last six races he’s finished between 9th and 16th. Also over that stretch he has a 12.3 average finish, 14.5 average running position and the 15th best driver rating. This spring he had a quality showing. He started in the rear of the field because of an engine change. By about lap 60 he climbed up to the low to mid teens and that’s where he ran for the majority of the race. When the checkered flag waved he finished 12th and earned the 14th best driver rating. Last year Newman had a respectable season at Texas. In November 2014 he raced well and was better than his 15th place finish. His misleading result can be traced to him getting a late tire rub and then pitting when others didn’t. In the event last fall Newman started in 7th, had a 7th place average running position and earned the 6th best driver rating. At Texas in spring 2014 he had his worst result of the season at a 1.5 mile track. In that race he started 8th, had a 16th place average running position and finished 16th. In the race Newman performed better than his result. He had about a 10th place car but a windshield tear off got on his car’s nose which caused heating issues and as a result he short pitted to remove it. Later in the race that hurt him with how the cautions fell. Before he had his issue he ran in the top ten. In 2013 Newman performed well. He was one of just four drivers who finished in the top ten both races. In fall 2013 he finished 9th and had a 14th place average running position. In spring 2013 he finished 10th and had a 17th place average running position. In that race he was a beneficiary of a caution with about 50 laps to go. If that didn’t happen he likely would’ve finished in the high teens. This season at 1.5 mile tracks Newman has scored the 6th most points, has a 10.1 average result and is one of just four drivers who have finished in the top twenty every race. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Kasey Kahne – Texas is a pretty good track for Kasey Kahne. He’s a former winner and since 2013 minus a fall 2014 wreck he has an 8.8 average finish, 10.0 average running position and has finished in the top 11 every race. This spring he had a solid showing and finished 8th. In the race he ran well throughout the event and was a little better than his result. He likely was top five good but some late pit strategy shuffled him back to about 9th. Also in the race this spring he earned the 3rd best driver rating, had a 7th place average running position and led 6 laps. Last fall at Texas he showed promise early and looked strong. He started in 14th and raced his way up to 2nd around lap 60. Then around lap 95 on pit road while he was running in 2nd a pit crew member slipped and it dropped him back to 8th. Following that stop he never appeared as strong but he did run around 10th for about the next 100 laps. Around lap 200 when the track conditions really started to change his handling diminished. On lap 229 while he was in 14th he had contact with Keselowski and it dropped him back a few more positions. At the end of the race Kahne was a caution machine. With 21 laps to go while he was running in 21st he spun. Then with 15 laps to go he had hard contact with the wall and brought out the caution. When the checkered flag waved he finished 38th. In spring 2014 he started in 32nd, had a 13th place average running position and finished 11th. From lap 140 to the conclusion of the race he typically ran within a few deviations of 8th. In fall 2013 Kahne started in 11th, had an 8th place average running position and finished 5th. In that uneventful race his driver rating ranked as the 6th best. In spring 2013 Kasey Kahne finished 11th, had a 12th place average running position and earned the 9th best driver rating. In the race he performed better than his result. He potentially had a top 5 car and was running in 5th but a caution during a pit cycle with about 50 laps to go dropped him back to 10th. Then during the restart for that caution he lost several positions and fell back to about 16th. In fall 2012 at Texas Kahne was involved in an accident late in the race. If that didn’t happen he likely would’ve finished right around 10th. In his next two most recent Texas races he had results of 7th and 3rd. In 2006 at Texas Kahne started on the pole and earned his only Texas win. (Yahoo B Driver)

Further Recommended Reading – Texas Top Tier Elite Picks, Texas Front Runner Rankings, Who will win the AAA Texas 500?, Texas Scouting Report, Loop Data Box Score From The Last Race At Texas

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