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Expert picks: Daytona
by FOXSports.com
Updated: July 1, 2009, 6:53 PM EDT
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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 | |
| Tony Stewart: Ranking first overall in the Cup standings, he's recorded the most top 10s (13) this season. Stewart owns the best career average finish (13.1) in the last 10 Daytona International Speedway races, registering the most top 10s (7) and second-most top fives (5) during this span. | |
| Jeff Gordon: Residing second overall in the Cup standings, he's recorded six top 10s (including four straight) and four top fives in the last eight events. Gordon owns the most Cup victories (6) among active drivers at Daytona, winning in July 1995, February 1997, October 1998, February 1999, July 2004 and February 2005. | |
| Kurt Busch: After failing to make the Chase for the Championship last year, he has rebounded to placed fourth overall this season. Busch has posted solid results at Daytona by compiling the best career average finish (10.5) among active drivers in the last six events at the track. He's compiled the most top 10s (5) and top fives (4) during this span, including four straight top 10s that culminated with a 10th in February. | |
| Mark Martin: He's tied with Kyle Busch for the most Cup victories (3) this season by winning at Phoenix International Raceway, Darlington Raceway and Michigan International Speedway. He's fared poorly at Daytona in his career, failing to win in 48 events. However, this season he's snapped his long winless droughts at Phoenix (18 races), Darlington (26) and Michigan (21), along with a 97-race winless streak dating from October 2005. He also became the first 50-year-old to win a Cup race in 16 years since 1993. . | |
| Mike Harmon FOXSports.com fantasy contributor |
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| Tony Stewart: I still admit to being perplexed by the No. 14 now being associated with driver/owner Tony Stewart. I'll also be the first to say that he wears the number well. The longtime NASCAR hero and fence-climber currently sits atop the point standings as we creep ever closer to the beginning of the Chase. Stewart is a two-time winner at Daytona in 20 career starts with 11 top 10s. He's generated eight top 10s in his past 11 starts at the track, including a stellar eighth-place run in this year's Daytona 500 to begin a phenomenal season. Don't expect Stewart to rest on his laurels and accomplishments to date. He wants that points championship. | |
| Jimmie Johnson: The three-time defending series champion is hoping to finish off a big run at Daytona, where his recent finishes have not told the true tale of the tap. Johnson has raced inside the top 15 in 73.2 percent of all laps run in the past four years while averaging a 10.98-position running slot. However, though he's raced 23rd or worse in five of his past six Daytona starts, including a 31st-position run in this year's opener. Johnson owns eight top 10s in his 14 career starts at the track with five top fives and one win. I'm looking for him to finish a big run this week. If I have to gamble to pick up points, I could do much more than jumping on the hood of the No. 48 Hendrick ride. | |
| Kurt Busch: The former series champ began his charge back to the top of the heap (he's currently fourth in the point standings) with a strong 10th-place finish in this year's opener. It was his ninth career top-10 finish in 16 starts at the track. Busch has produced four top-five finishes in his past six Daytona starts. Lock and load. | |
| Kyle Busch: Unfortunately for Busch, weather issues at New Hampshire prevented him from making a big run late. It's been a rough run for him of late, regularly qualifying among the leaders and failing to capitalize on a strong starting position come race day. Busch won three races early in the campaign, but remains stuck on six top 10s for the year. I'm interested to see what kind of effort we receive from Busch this weekend. In eight career Daytona starts, Busch has produced four top-five finishes and four runs outside of the top 20. He raced inside the top 15 in 75.1 percent of all laps run during the past four years at the track, averaging a stellar 11.7-position running slot. Barring a wreck, I expect to see him among the leaders this week. | |
| Gerrit Ritt FOXSports.com fantasy editor | |
| Jeff Gordon: This is the last week of the first half for fantasy players, and somehow I was able to hold off my last Gordon play ‘til now. And I'll happily take it. You definitely can't let a chance to take Gordon go to waste, so he's easily the first man on my roster as we head into Daytona, where he just so happens to have more wins than any other driver on the circuit (six). Works for me! | |
| Ryan Newman: Like with Gordon, I honestly have no idea how I held on to some extra Newman plays. This has been one of the hottest drivers of the last two months, and to continually pass him up serves me right in the standings. I'm more than happy to pull the trigger on him this week, even though he has a terrible finishing average of 32nd in 14 trips to this track. And that includes his win at the Daytona 500 just last season. | |
| Kasey Kahne: Not my favorite pick of the week, but when Kahne's driving well you have to back him, and that's what I'm doing here. He won two weeks ago, then backed that up with a 10th-place run at Pocono. Throw in the two other top 10s he scored at Dover and Charlotte and you have six top 10s in his last six races. That's solid enough for me. | |
| Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: I can't tell you how much it pains me to do this, since I'm not 100 percent convinced track record has all that much to do with how a driver's gonna succeed there the next time. However, for Little E, I have to take a chance and say he pulls some magic off at the track he's made a personal favorite since the day he became a NASCAR fan favorite. With two wins and 11 top 10s in 18 trips to Daytona, this is the only track where I'll give him the due he deserves, despite the absolute train wreck he's been this season to date. | |
| Sleeper: Brad Keselowski: He's coming off a sixth-place run at Pocono last week, so you have to like his chances in the superspeedway portion of the season now. The young kids like the fast tracks. I have a feeling he'll be doing some things to surprise us this week. | |
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Member Comments
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don't forget Marcos Ambrose solid road racer
racePat6/19/2009 12:23:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Ritt your supposed to be out of pablo's using them every week, you sure u got one left?
smoke_6/18/2009 16:21:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
IM SAVI MY STEWART HASS TEAM FOR RACE 17 AND 18 GOT MARTIN,BIF,KENSETH AND EDWARDS SEE WAT HAPPENS
conowango6/12/2009 9:39:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Go Kasey! He will win with the R6 this weekend.
i_love_kasey6/11/2009 14:03:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Hey. Smoke & Newman top 2 picks... In a fantasy leauge Turex j.r. Johnson Biffle & Montoya solid picks have a great race weekend
smokerocket5/29/2009 10:06:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
hey there hevychevy,liked what you said last year Ritt used up two martins last year when he wasn't even racin. what a joke goin ky bush, ku bush, biffle, and going to give vickers a shot. He fast real fast!!!!
smoke_5/22/2009 21:51:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
imrovement points alot higher than qualifying. I pick Kurt Bush,Ryan Newman,Edwards&Matt Kenseth.. 80 pts in aualifying and ready to be 2nd in points in my leauge. Have a great race weekend!!!!!!
smokerocket5/22/2009 9:13:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
And I was one of them.... But I did have faith in the rookie...
mulletmustache5/22/2009 8:01:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Expert picks? I atleast know Keselowski isn't racin. But it's a good thing I guess cause some people in my league go off of the expert picks every week.
Hevychevy75/22/2009 4:58:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Go with the blue duece this weekend at Lowes!!!!!
KC_Rockstar5/21/2009 11:20:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
what makes these guys experts i bet im kicken there ass and they dont have any limits on witch drivers they can pick
EARLBIGBLOCK5/7/2009 15:27:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Best drivers this weekend Carl Edwards.Mark Martin,Kyle Busch,Ryan Newman
420howie5/7/2009 7:21:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
just to let every1 know Hamlin wins at richmond follow up by Bowyer,Kyle,Martin
420howie4/30/2009 10:12:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
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