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Expert picks: Homestead-Miami Speedway

by FOXSports.com


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Updated: November 19, 2009, 7:45 PM EST
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Each FOXSports.com expert has his top four driver selections for this week's race listed below.

You can use this information to help guide your roster selections in FOX Fantasy Auto Racing.

Owners pick four drivers every event but can only choose a driver four times in a segment.


Roger Rotter
FOXSports.com fantasy senior editor
Ryan Newman: He's struggled at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but has two top 10s to his credit. He placed sixth in 2002 and seventh in 2005. Moreover, Newman is looking to clinch his best finish in the Cup standings since he placed sixth in 2005. He hasn't finished better than 13th in each of the following three seasons. Residing in ninth place now, he'll be aiming for his 16th top 10 of the season.
Kasey Kahne: Residing 10th overall in the Chase for the Championship, he's aiming for this third top 10 in six career events at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He placed fourth in 2006 and sixth last season.
Clint Bowyer: He's recorded four top 10s during the last six Cup events, including sevenths for the last two events. He will be aiming for his second straight top five at Homestead after finishing fifth last season. He also clinched 10th place in 2006.
Kevin Harvick: He's compiled the second-best career average finish (9.1) among all active drivers at Homestead. He's recorded six top 10s and three top fives during eight career events, including a second last season.
Sleeper: Martin Truex, Jr.: Though he's ranked only 23rd in the Cup standings, he recorded his best finish of the season at Phoenix International Raceway for the last event. Truex has also posted solid results for three of his four career Homestead events, recording a second in 2006, a sixth in 2007 and a 10th last season.
 

Mike Harmon
FOXSports.com fantasy contributor
Jeff Gordon: Gordon has experienced a tremendous 2009 season and enters the final race in the third slot behind teammate Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin. He's raced to 11 straight top-20 finishes to close out the year, a run that includes eight top 10s (10 top 15s). Barring an unforeseen incident, we can expect Gordon to generate another strong showing this weekend. He's produced eight top-10 finishes in his 10 career Homestead-Miami starts, having qualified 12th or better in seven events as well.
Tony Stewart: Stewart would have liked to avoid that 25th-place finish last week and close out the year on a high note. However, it's hard to ignore the success of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas enterprise in its first year of operation. I expect Stewart to close things out brilliantly this weekend at Homestead-Miami, where he's raced to five top 10s (seven top 15s). Stewart won his first two entries at the track.
Kasey Kahne: Kahne has alternated great and weak runs down the stretch, producing four top 10s (five top 15s) in the last eight events with three runs outside of the top 30. This hit-or-miss run makes Kahne an interesting choice for fantasy participants in this final race. He's qualified inside the top five in four of his five Homestead-Miami starts (one pole), finishing sixth, fourth and 16th in three of his past four starts. Kahne has also averaged a strong 12.83-position running slot during the past four years. He's worth a roster slot this weekend.
Clint Bowyer: Bowyer started off slowly, but has been running brilliantly down the stretch. He's produced four top 10s (five top 12s) in his past six starts heading into Homestead-Miami. Bowyer is a good bet to finish the season strongly. He's raced to fifth and 10th-place finishes in his three career starts at the track and had run well in 2007 before finishing 39th.
 

Gerrit Ritt
FOXSports.com fantasy editor
Matt Kenseth: Not my favorite pick of the weekend, but he has won here before, and he's also registered three top threes the last eight weeks and still has the juice to put up top notch finishes on occasion. I'm gonna give him one last chance to prove himself to me.
Clint Bowyer: Five of his last six starts have ended in the top 12. For someone who couldn't even make the Chase, that's an impressive run to end the season on. I'll happily use my last start of his on the last day of the year.
Jeff Burton: This is the easiest pick of the week for those of us who've used all the starts up from NASCAR's big boys. I used my first Burton start of the year last week and he rewarded me with a second-place finish in Phoenix. Now, thanks to three straight top 10s for the first time all year, Burton's suddenly a contender. I appreciate it, Jeff. I was hurting for starts, then you come along and figure out how to drive again. Just in the nick of time!
Martin Truex, Jr.: Well, look who decided to show up to the party?! Yes, it's Truex, who hadn't done much of anything this season before finishing 14th two weeks ago, then capturing the pole and coming in fifth last Sunday in Phoenix. Combined with his seventh-overall finish average at Miami, he suddenly makes for a decent selection for fantasy owners, as I'm sure not many of you have used up all his starts this year, and he's peaking just when we need it. Lock him in.
 

John Juhasz
FOXSports.com fantasy editor
Kurt Busch: He has three top-five and three top-10 finishes in eight starts at Miami. He'll be using the same car he won with at Texas earlier this year, and I think he'll make some noise to close out the season.
Greg Biffle: It's really all-or-nothing with this guy in Miami. Either he'll win or finish outside the top 10. His last Miami win came three years ago, but he really seems motivated to win one for his team here.
Kasey Kahne: His record at Miami is pretty decent with one top five and two top 10s in five career starts at the track. He raced better last week than his 15th-place finish would indicate, and I look for a solid effort from him to try to build some momentum heading into 2010.
Jeff Burton: He's had nothing but top-10 finishes since getting his new crew chief Todd Berrier. He finished second last week and has four top-10 career finishes at Miami. I think he'll make it five straight to finish off the year.

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