To help filter down this week's roster, I looked at how drivers have performed at the 1.5-mile racetracks (Las Vegas, Texas and Kansas) so far this season. I personally don't find much value in the shootout-style All-Star Race when trying to handicap the Coca-Cola 600, even though they're both run at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
This week, drivers can't run 20 good laps, then drop to the back of the field until the final 10 laps. Finishing well after 600 miles is about survival and taking care of equipment, so don't go overboard with what happened in the All-Star Race.
A List
Jimmie Johnson (7 Starts Remaining)
In last week's All-Star Race, Johnson delivered a beating that would make even Chris Brown jealous. With that said, Jimmie still would have made my Coke 600 roster even if he struggled.
Johnson has absolutely dominated the 1.5-mile racetracks this season, scoring Top 5 finishes in all three while running the most Fast Laps (147).
He lays down fast laps, finishes up front and should be a lock for all Yahoo Fantasy Racing rosters.
Matt Kenseth (7)
Among all Sprint Cup drivers, Kenseth ranks 1st in Percentage of Laps Run in the Top 15 (99%), is tied for 1st in Average Running Position (4.7) and is 2nd in Fast Laps Run (80) at the 1.5 milers.
The majority of the fantasy racing world will start Jimmie Johnson no matter what, making Kenseth a nice opportunity to get off-sequence for those looking to go in that direction.
B List
Greg Biffle (4)
Like his Roush teammate Matt Kenseth, Biffle had ridiculous numbers at Kansas, Texas and Las Vegas earlier this year, ranking 2nd in Average Finish (3.0), 3rd in Fast Laps Run (79) and 4th in Laps Led (92).
Through 11 races, saving starts has been more overrated than Zooey Deschanel, but I'm starting to get squirmish with only four Biffle starts remaining.
At least with Biffle, we can choose to avoid him if he looks terrible, which unfortunately isn't the case with the seemingly ever-present Deschanel.
Martin Truex Jr. (6)
Through three races at 1.5-mile racetracks, Truex has the 2nd best Average Starting Position (5.7), has Led the Most Laps (242) and has the 4th best Average Finish (8.3).
Unfortunately, Truex has had more trouble closing out wins than LeBron James, but that could change this weekend at Charlotte.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5)
One year ago, Earnhardt Jr. won the Coca-Cola 599.75 and hopes to better that with a 600-mile victory Sunday. Dale Jr. has been fast at the intermediate racetracks all season and should contend for that first elusive win since 2008.
Kasey Kahne (7)
Kahne has three career wins at Charlotte and should be fast running the high line Sunday.
Kasey also leads all Sprint Cup drivers in Average Starting Position (5.0) at the 1.5-mile racetracks in 2012, making him a very good candidate to score qualifying bonus points Thursday.
And yes, qualifying is Thursday this week, so make sure to get your Yahoo roster locked down Wednesday night.
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Tags: aric almirola, coca-cola 600, Dale Earnhardt Jr., fantasy nascar, greg biffle, Jimmie Johnson, kasey kahne, martin truex jr., Matt Kenseth, trevor bayne, yahoo fantasy racing picks
This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 at 5:34 pm and is filed under Fantasy NASCAR Race Previews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
