Tag: Yahoo! Fantasy Racing

Categories
Fantasy NASCAR

2014 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Crown Royal Presents the John Wayne Walding 400

After taking a much needed week off, NASCAR returns to action this week at the Brickyard. This is the second most coveted trophy right behind winning the Daytona 500 in all of NASCAR and that means you won’t be seeing teams taking chances with their setups heading into this race. Every driver wants to win this weekend in the worst way and that will show on the track.

CROWN ROYAL PRESENTS THE JOHN WAYNE WALDING 400

Jeff Gordon: Jeff has won four races at this track and more importantly he has finished in the top ten in sixteen of his twenty starts here. Those are pretty good odds for him to score a lot of points this week. I am taking him to win this race because he has been very consistent all season and he really excels on this type of track.

Tony Stewart: Tony got into a Sprint car race for the first time since breaking his leg last year in one of the very same races and he went right to victory lane. That tells me that he is 100% healthy and he is heading to his home state this week. Tony has won a race at the Brickyard and wants to get his first win of the season and get qualified for the Chase. He won’t hold anything back this week.

Jimmie Johnson: After two terrible races in a row, I think this team goes back to what won them six championships and just make the correct adjustments to a good car this week. Jimmie has won four races here and would like to get his fourth win of the season and get back on track as we get closer to the start of the Chase. The Hendrick cars are always very good and there is no reason to try anything special this weekend.

Brad Keselowski: Brad would love to keep his momentum going and pick up his first win at Indy this week. The way the Penske cars have looked all season, Brad should have a great car and he is very good on the long flat tracks. I think he will be towards the front for most of the race and be in position to win at the end. I also look for him to qualify in the top five once again this week.

Kyle Busch: Kyle has yet to win at the Brickyard himself, but he has finished in the top ten in seven of the nine races he has run here. That makes him almost as good of a choice as Jeff Gordon to come away with another top ten finish and maybe a visit to victory lane for the first time in his career at this track. He is definitely on my team this week.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin won a race here back in 2003 and has finished in the top ten in seven of his thirteen starts at Indianapolis. This team has had fast cars all season and that could be enough to get Kevin another win here. I wish I could start all of the top tier drivers this week because that is just how good they are at this track, and like I said before, every driver wants to win this race.

Jamie McMurray: Jamie has won a race here in his career and has looked very good over the past month plus. This is the type of track that he runs very well at and is a good pick in the B group in Yahoo. This team has flown under the radar much of this season, but Jamie could pick up a win this week and qualify himself for the Chase. Once your in, you have a chance to be a champion.

Matt Kenseth: Matt would love to get his first career victory at this track this week. That would also guarantee him a spot in the Chase, although I don’t think he has to worry about that too much. He would however love to pick up some bonus points for winning a race when the Chase does start. This team is due for a win and I think they will get one before the Chase starts.

Kasey Kahne: Kasey is another driver who is looking for his first win of the season and at this track. He has finished in the top ten in half of the races he has run here and needs a win to make the Chase. This team doesn’t seem to be improving much as the season progresses and I’m not sure that they have what it takes to put an entire race together right now. They have a great driver and great equipment, but they don’t seem to be on the same page communication wise right now.

Denny Hamlin: Denny is always good at this type of track and should have the equipment he needs to get the job done this weekend. This is another team that hasn’t really stepped up their program throughout the season and they are hit and miss each week. However, this race means a lot to all of the drivers and I think this team comes with their A game this week.

YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Yahoo Driver Group A

  • Jeff Gordon
  • Kyle Busch

Yahoo Driver Group B

  • Tony Stewart
  • Brad Keselowski
  • Jamie McMurray
  • Greg Biffle

Yahoo Driver Group C

  • Kyle Larson
  • Juan Pablo Montoya

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

  1. Jeff Gordon
  2. Brad Keselowski
  3. Kyle Busch
  4. Tony Stewart
  5. Jimmie Johnson

Dark Horse: Paul Menard

Stay Away From: Kurt Busch

Categories
Fantasy NASCAR

2014 New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Camping World RV Sales 301

We are now half-way through the season and there are only eight more races left to run before the start of the Chase. Aric Almirola most likely ensured himself a spot in the Chase with his win at Daytona last weekend. Now there are only five spots left for drivers without a win and that number could get even smaller if we can get a few more first time winners this year in the next eight races.

CAMPING WORLD RV SALES 301

This week the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the running of the Camping World RV Sales 301. NHMS is slightly longer than a mile and this is one of the shortest races of the season. This short flat track will be a huge difference for the drivers as compared to racing at Daytona last weekend. The closer we get to the Chase, the more desperate some drivers are becoming and we could see a lot of fireworks over the next couple of months.

Tony Stewart: I am giving the nod to Tony this week after a disappointing weekend at Daytona for this team. Tony has won three races at this track during his career and has finished in the top five in almost half of all the races he has run here. Tony is going to let it all hang out to get a win and get his team into the Chase and he isn’t going to wait for the last few races to do that. He makes the Chase this week.

Denny Hamlin: Denny has won a couple of races at this track and has also finished in the top five in just under half of the races he has run at this track. Denny would like to get another win before the Chase starts and build some momentum for his team as they get ready to compete for a championship. Denny is good on all of the short, flat tracks and this weekend should be no different.

Kurt Busch: Kurt has won three races at Loudon and this team has looked very good over the past month. I think they will be very good once again this weekend and will probably trade a lot of information with Tony Stewart to get both of those cars set up for a shot at visiting victory lane this weekend. Kurt is a good pick for someone who wants to make a move in their leagues this week.

Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie has three wins at this track and has also finished in the top ten in seventeen of his twenty-four starts here. This team would like nothing better than to eliminate drivers they think would be a threat to them winning another championship and they will take chances to get another win and take that spot away from someone who really needs it.

Jeff Gordon: Jeff is another driver with multiple wins at this track and has looked very good on all of the short tracks this season. They would love to get another win and start building more confidence that they not only can compete every week, but win races which is what it is going to take to win the championship this season.

Matt Kenseth: Matt won the race here last September and although he is sitting in a good spot points wise, he would really like to get a win or two before the Chase starts to guarantee the spot and get some bonus points. He has finished in the top ten in half of the races he has run here. I think the only way he gets knocked out of the Chase is if he takes too many wild chances and starts finishing races in the garage instead of on the track.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin won his only race here back in 2006, but he has also finished in the top ten in half of the races he has run here. The way this team has looked all year you can’t bet against them at anytime. I think Kevin will be very fast right off the hauler this week and will probably qualify in the top five. That gets you a great spot on pit road and that can make all the difference between winning and losing here.

Ryan Newman: Ryan has three wins here during his career and has finished in the top ten in almost two-thirds of the races he has run here. This team has been average for the last couple of months, but this could be the place they break out of that funk and could easily get their first win of the season this week and get that coveted spot in the Chase. Even though he is the second driver in points without a win and will probably make the Chase anyway, a few poor weeks could drop him out of that spot.

Brad Keselowski: Brad has yet to win a race at this track, but he has only run here nine times. In those nine races he has come away with five top ten finishes and this is the type of track that he really loves to compete on. With the speeds they have put up in qualifying this season and the importance of pit selections at New Hampshire, this team could find themselves starting up front once again with the best pit stall too.

Kyle Busch: Kyle finished second in both of the races run at Loudon last season and wants to improve on those spots this weekend. He has eight top ten finishes in eighteen starts here and won a race here back in 2006. This team is still looking for more consistency as we near the Chase.

YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Yahoo Driver Group A

  • Kurt Busch
  • Kyle Busch

Yahoo Driver Group B

  • Tony Stewart
  • Denny Hamlin
  • Brad Keselowski
  • Ryan Newman

Yahoo Driver Group C

  • Jeff Burton
  • Austin Dillon

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

  1. Tony Stewart
  2. Denny Hamlin
  3. Kurt Busch
  4. Kyle Busch
  5. Brad Keselowski

Dark Horse: Ryan Newman

Stay Away From: Jamie McMurray

Categories
Fantasy NASCAR

2014 Daytona International Speedway, Coke Zero 400

I think things are going to start heating up in the Sprint Cup Series as we are now only nine races away from the start of the Chase. Right now we have ten different winners, so that leaves six spots up to the point standings. As of right now Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne would be on the outside looking in, so they have some work to do. If we get a couple of new winners over the next nine races there will only be four spots available for those trying to qualify on points. That is why wins are so important at this stage of the game.

This week the series heads back to Daytona International Speedway for another Saturday night race and the third restrictor plate race of the season. Like always, these races can be one by any driver that starts from any position and stays out of trouble early in the race. That means another Chase spot can go to anyone this week. I caution those of you in the Yahoo league to pick your drivers carefully this week as this race is just a crap shoot.

COKE ZERO 400

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: I am picking Dale to come away with his third victory of the season this week at Daytona. He won the Daytona 500 this year and has finished first or second in three of his last five point races at this track. This team is hitting on all cylinders right now and has proven they know how to get the job done at the restrictor plate tracks as well as all other tracks on the circuit.

Matt Kenseth: Matt has always run well at the restrictor plate tracks and will be in contention once again this weekend if he can avoid trouble early in the race. That includes on the track, pit road, and mechanically. I think most of his poor finishes are the result of mechanical issues and there isn’t anything the driver can do about that. However, he proved how in tune with his car is last week when he realized he had a tire going down and made it to pit road before it could blow out on him and that saved him a top five finish.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin is another driver that always seems to be in contention at the end in these races. He usually rides around at the back of the pack early in the race to avoid trouble and then comes from the back to the front in the last twenty laps or so. The way he has performed this year, and all of the fast cars he has had makes me believe that he will have a shot at another win this weekend.

Jeff Gordon: Jeff has put together a very nice season so far and has won six points races at Daytona during his career. Jeff seems to know who he drafts well with before the race starts and finds those drivers when he really needs them late in these races. Watch some of the practice sessions next week and see who Jeff picks to run with in the drafting session. He will find that same driver during the race and move to the front of the field with them.

Jimmie Johnson: Let’s not forget about Jimmie Johnson. With three victories already this season we know that this team has nothing to lose by going for the win this weekend. he is guaranteed a spot in the Chase and would like to get a few more wins to pad his points once the Chase starts. He has won three points races at Daytona, and Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are the only active drivers with more career victories at Daytona than Jimmie who is tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip with those three wins.

Tony Stewart: As I just mentioned, Tony has won four points races at Daytona during his career and will be going all out to secure his spot in the Chase this weekend. This team has had an up and down year so far, but I think they have turned the corner and are now on the upswing. This is the type of race that Tony can win if he stays clean early on during the race and I believe he will be another driver that runs at the back of the pack for the majority of the race before making his move at the end.

Michael Waltrip: I believe Michael will be coming out of semi-retirement once again this week to give Daytona another shot. Michael runs all of the restrictor plate races during the season, and why not? He has three wins in point races at Daytona and has shown that he knows how to draft to get his car to the front of the pack. He will also ride around at the back of the pack until late in the race when he will joint the rest of the drivers at the back and make the move to the front and go for the win.

Jamie McMurray: Jamie has won two points races at Daytona during his career and always seems to have a great car here. However, something disastrous seems to happen to him during the race. Whether it be a mechanical problem or getting caught up in the big one, Jamie would like a little more luck on his side as he tries to get a win in a points race so he can qualify for the Chase.

Kurt Busch: Kurt has never won a points race at Daytona or Talladega, but he has been very good at both tracks amassing twenty-six top ten finishes in fifty-four starts. Eventually he will break into the win column at both of these tracks because he runs at the front of the pack more often than not.

YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Yahoo Driver Group A

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  • Matt Kenseth

Yahoo Driver Group B

  • Aric Almirola
  • David Ragan
  • Jamie McMurray
  • Brian Vickers

Yahoo Driver Group C

  • Michael Waltrip
  • Trevor Bayne

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

  1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  2. Matt Kenseth
  3. Jeff Gordon
  4. Kurt Busch
  5. Tony Stewart

Dark Horse: Jamie McMurray

Stay Away From: Clint Bowyer

Categories
Fantasy NASCAR

2014 Kentucky Speedway, Quaker State 400

We move from a road course race out west to a Saturday night intermediate track in Kentucky. The Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5-mile tri-oval speedway that opened in 2000. The Sprint Cup Series has only run three races at this track, but some of the drivers have run quite a few races in the Nationwide Series here. This track is also very similar to tracks like Kansas and Chicagoland, so we can see how drivers have fared at those tracks as well as we decide who to start this weekend.

QUAKER STATE 400

Matt Kenseth: There are only ten more races before the Chase starts and some good drivers are still looking for their first win of the season. At the top of that list is Matt Kenseth, who won seven races last season. Matt should make the Chase based on his point position, as I don’t think we will see sixteen different drivers getting wins before the Chas starts. However, Matt won this race last season and has finished in the top ten in all three of his starts here. That is why I am picking him for the win this weekend.

Kyle Busch: Kyle won the inaugural race at this track and has also finished in the top ten in all three of his starts here. He is the only driver to have two top five finishes though and has qualified in the top four in each of those starts. I think Kyle is better under the lights and the majority of this race will be run after dusk.

Jimmie Johnson: Although Jimmie has yet to win at this track, he is another driver who has finished in the top ten in all of his starts here. Jimmie had never won at Michigan until a couple of weeks ago and he might pick up his first win at this track this Saturday night. Jimmie has been very good on this type of track lately and will be in contention at the end of this race.

Jeff Gordon: Jeff is the last of our drivers to finish in the top ten in every race at Kentucky Speedway. Once again, he has never won at this track either, but has been very good week in and week out this year. I look for Jeff to have another good run this weekend and if all of the correct adjustments are made to his car late in the race he will also contend for the win.

Joey Logano: Joey has won three of four Nationwide Series races he has run at this track. He has one top ten finish at Kentucky in the Sprint Cup Series and that came last year when he finished fourth. This team has been having a successful season and I look for them to run well once again this weekend.

Brad Keselowski: Brad has won two of six races he has run in the Nationwide Series at this track. He also won the Sprint Cup race here two years ago and has finished in the top ten in two of his three starts here in that series. Both of the Penske teams have qualified and run well at the intermediate tracks this season and this week should be no different.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin has run very well all season and has never finished worse that sixteenth at Kentucky. I think he will improve on his best ever finish of tenth at this track this week and will be in contention at the end of this race. I am predicting a top five finish for Kevin this weekend.

Kurt Busch: Kurt has run here with three different teams over the past three seasons and in this, his fourth start, he will once again be with a new team. That doesn’t seem to matter much, because Kurt seems to run well at this track. I think this team is ready to start running more consistent as we near the Chase and will try and get another win before the Chase starts.

Kasey Kahne: Kasey has never finished worse that thirteenth at this track in his three starts here. This team needs to start stepping up their program as they are currently nineteenth in points and have yet to win a race this season. They need to pick up a win to guarantee a spot in the Chase and to prove to themselves that they are a championship contender.

Austin Dillon: Austin has won two of the four Nationwide races he has run at this track and this team will head into this weekend with a lot of confidence. They have been consistent all season and could very well surprise a lot of people this weekend. I look for Austin to be the highest finishing rookie this week.

YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY

Yahoo Driver Group A

  • Matt Kenseth
  • Jimmie Johnson

Yahoo Driver Group B

  • Joey Logano
  • Brad Keselowski
  • Jamie McMurray
  • Denny Hamlin

Yahoo Driver Group C

  • Austin Dillon
  • Kyle Larson

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY

  1. Matt Kenseth
  2. Jimmie Johnson
  3. Joey Logano
  4. Brad Keselowski
  5. Kyle Busch

Dark Horse: Austin Dillon

Stay Away From: Greg Biffle

Categories
Fantasy NASCAR

2014 Kansas Speedway, 5-Hour ENERGY 400

Matt Kenseth checkered flag kansas

Congratulations goes out to Denny Hamlin who picked up his first victory of the season by avoiding the big wreck that always seems to happen in the restrictor plate races. Denny ended up in the right lane late in the race and got excellent drafting help in passing Kevin Harvick after a late race restart and he held onto the lead as the caution came out on the last lap for debris on the track. That should be enough to propel him into the Chase.

This week the series heads to Kansas City, KS for the running of the 5-Hour Energy 400. Kansas Speedway is another of the mile and a half tracks on the circuit that make up the majority of schedule. I just hope that there aren’t a lot of tire issues again this weekend.

5-HOUR ENERGY 400

Matt Kenseth: I am picking Matt to get his first win of the season this week at Kansas. Matt has won two of the last three races at Kansas and has finished no worse than eleventh in his last seven starts there. They would like nothing better than to get their first win of the season and get the monkey off their backs and gain a spot in the Chase.

Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie has finished in the top ten in ten straight races at Kansas including two victories during that stretch. This is another team that is still looking for their first win of the season so they can lock up a spot in the Chase themselves. I think this could be an all out battle between two of last seasons best drivers with a spot in the Chase up for grabs.

Greg Biffle: Greg came close to getting his first win of the season last Sunday at Talladega and he has always been very good at Kansas. He has won twice here and has finished in the top five in seven of his fifteen starts. This is the type of track that Greg excels on and this weekend should be no different.

Jeff Gordon: Jeff won the first two races ever run at Kansas Speedway. Even though he hasn’t won here since then he has finished in the top five in nine of his sixteen starts at this track. Jeff currently sits in the top spot in the standings, but he would really like to get his first victory of the season and get his spot in the Chase. There are only sixteen races left until the Chase starts and a lot of drivers who are looking for their first win yet.

Carl Edwards: Carl has already won a race this season, but he would like to get his second win before the Chase starts too. Although he has never won a race here he has finished in the top ten in nine of his thirteen starts at this track. I think that the Roush/Fenway engines are some of the best out there this season and can help these drivers get to victory lane.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin won the race here last fall and has looked very good every week this season. As I have said before, if it weren’t for a lot of mechanical failures early this season, Kevin would probably have more than two wins and be sitting on top of the standings right now. He also has seven top ten finishes in his sixteen starts at this track.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Dale has never won at Kansas yet, but he has finished in the top ten in seven of his fifteen career starts here. This team has slipped a little bit lately, but this is the type of track where they can get back into victory lane and get back on track like they were at the beginning of the season. Dale has been very good all year at this type of track.

Brad Keselowski: Brad took the blame for a wreck last weekend at Talladega that took out many of the big name drivers. This weekend he will try to redeem himself and should be able to do just that. Both of the Penske teams have been very fast in qualifying all season long and I look for them to continue qualifying well this week also.

Joey Logano: Joey is the other Penske driver that has started towards the front of the field all season long. He also has two wins to go along with his good starting positions and could very easily get his third win of the season this weekend at Kansas Speedway.

YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR KANSAS SPEEDWAY

Yahoo Driver Group A

  • Matt Kenseth
  • Jimmie Johnson

Yahoo Driver Group B

  • Brad Keselowski
  • Greg Biffle
  • Joey Logano
  • Carl Edwards

Yahoo Driver Group C

  • Kyle Larson
  • Austin Dillon

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY

  1. Matt Kenseth
  2. Jimmie Johnson
  3. Greg Biffle
  4. Kevin Harvick
  5. Brad Keselowski

Dark Horse: Martin Truex Jr.

Stay Away From: Kyle Busch