Danica Patrick 2017 Fantasy NASCAR Preview
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Danica Patrick 2016 Stats : Points Finish 24th, 0 Wins, 0 Top Fives, 0 Top Tens, 22.0 Average Finish, 23.6 Average Running Position, 30 Laps Led
Strengths – Consistency was a strength for Danica Patrick in 2016. Throughout the season you could typically count on her to finish around the low-twenties. Her performance level was never high, but she did a great job avoiding really bad results. Only three-times did she have a finish lower than 30th. If I had to pick her at a track type it would be at an intermediate track. As you\’ll read below she was a reliable / predictable driver at those venues in 2016.
Weaknesses – Danica Patrick really isn\’t competitive anywhere. She just finished the season with zero top tens, 4 top fifteens and 14 top twenties.
Read all 28 of our NASCAR driver previews
Track Type Fantasy Value Key = Elite > High > Medium High > Medium > Low
Intermediate Track Fantasy Value – Medium
Last year at intermediate tracks Danica Patrick scored the 22nd most points and had a 21.4 average finish. She didn\’t exactly have a stellar season, but she was a rather safe fantasy option. Outside of Auto Club Speedway where she crashed she never had a result lower than 24th.
If you were looking for a driver who could finish between 17th and 24th at 1.5 mile tracks she was money in the bank. Only once in 2016 at 1.5 mile tracks did she finish outside of that range.
In 2017 I think we\’ll see more of the same from Danica Patrick on this track type and she\’ll probably once again rank in the low twenties in terms of points accumulated.
Flat Track Fantasy Value – Medium
As you see on the left in terms of points accumulation Danica Patrick has improved each year since she\’s been in NASCAR\’s top series. While that sounds good it\’s arguably her worst track type. All four flat tracks rank in her bottom six venues based on average finish.
The big flat tracks have been unfriendly to her. Indy statistically ranks as her worst track, and Pocono ranks as her second worst track.
At Indy last year she had her best race and finished 22nd. Her Indy average finish minus 2014 when she had problems is 26.3. Pocono is the other big flat track on the schedule and last year she had results of 22nd and 32nd.
New Hampshire is arguably her best flat track. She finished in the teens twice last year and since 2014 minus a fall 2015 accident she has a 19.4 average finish.
At Phoenix in fall 2016 she finished 29th. In the two previous races she had results of 16th and 19th.
Short Track Fantasy Value – Medium
Last year at short tracks Danica Patrick scored the 19th most points. In terms of points accumulation it ranked as her best season to date. It was 10 positions better than 2015, and 12 better than 2014. For the season she had two results in the mid-teens, and the other four results were finishes between 22nd and 27th. From a personal fantasy value perspective this is her best track type. All three venues rank in her top 12 tracks (in terms of average finish).
If I had to pick her at a short track it would be Martinsville. It ranks as her 6th best track overall and half the time she\’s finished in the top twenty. Last year she had results of 16th and 24th. Her overall track record minus the two races she was involved in accidents is 18th.
At Bristol if you pick her you should probably expect her to finish in the twenties. She has three straight results in the twenties and has finished in the twenties in 7 of her 9 starts.
The fall Richmond race has been a good event for her. In the last three September races she\’s had a result in the teens. Last year she recorded finishes of 15th and 24th.
Plate Track Fantasy Value – Medium
If Danica Patrick is going to sneak in a \”really good result\” somewhere it will likely have to happen at a plate track.
Daytona is her only track where she has multiple top tens (2), and both of those were 8th place results. Her average finish in her other results outside of those two races is 30th. In her last three Daytona races she\’s had results of 27th, 35th and 35th.
At Talladega she\’s been consistent. Since 2014 she\’s always finished between 19th and 27th. Her average finish over that stretch is 22.2. Last year she had results of 20th and 24th.
Road Course Track Fantasy Value – Medium
Over the last four seasons in terms of points accumulated at road courses Danica Patrick has scored between the 16th to 20th most points. In 2017 she\’ll likely score right around that range again.
At Watkins Glen she\’s been consistent. She has a 19.8 average finish and has had a result between 17th and 21st every race.
At Sonoma she has a 22.5 average finish. In her last three starts she\’s had results of 18th, 19th and 24th.
