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Fantasy NASCAR RacingFantasy NASCAR practice recap: Crown Royal Presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400
It's a Saturday night this weekend at Richmond, and that race means that all pre-race activities for the Cup Series teams were held Friday afternoon and evening. As with any race when both practice sessions are held prior to qualifying, fantasy owners need to be cautious when examining the practice sheets. Drivers currently outside the top 35 in points have no choice but to spend all their time in qualifying trim, and this causes their average speeds to be misleadingly high. Fantasy owners need to throw out the times of these go or go home guys when trying to figure out which drivers will be good once the green flag drops.
Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. got the crowd roaring early by pacing the first session of the afternoon. He was followed by Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer, and all three drivers bring a lot of momentum into this weekend's race. Not to mention the fact that both Junior and Bowyer are former winners at Richmond, while Edwards is coming off finishes of 10th and fifth at the track last season. Fantasy owners should consider all three divers worthy of roster spots. Paul Menard and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-five in the first practice, and Newman is the guy owners should be targeting. He is enjoying a solid 2011 season, and he has finished 11th or better in seven of his last eight starts at Richmond. Menard has had a solid year as well, but his short track record is suspect at best. In terms of 10-lap average speeds, Regan Smith was the surprise leader. He was followed by Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart. While Smith has been notoriously awful at short tracks, Hamlin and Stewart have combined for five wins at Richmond. However, they were the lone big names to finish the session in the top-five. Bobby Labonte and Martin Truex Jr. rounded things out. Labonte is an intriguing deep sleeper out of the bunch. He dominated the track while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in his prime, and his new JTG Daugherty Racing team finished in the top-10 in both races at Richmond last season. The combination could lead to a surprise top-15 finish for fantasy owners. In the final session, Juan Pablo Montoya jumped to the top of the charts. Kevin Harvick ranked second, and Edwards once again cracked the top-five with the third-fastest lap. Smith continued to surprise by ranking fourth, and Bowyer kept his momentum going by completing the top-five. Owners should definitely add Harvick this weekend. Not only is he one of the hottest drivers in the series right now, but has been one of the most consistent performers at Richmond the last five years. Montoya deserves heavy consideration as well. After a pair of top-seven finishes at RIR in 2010, his first top-five finish at the track could be on tap this weekend. On longer runs, Hendrick Motorsports was the team to beat. Jeff Gordon posted the top 10-lap average speed, and Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Dale Jr. all joined him in the top-five. Ironically, the only non-HMS driver in the top-five was Kasey Kahne, and he will be joining the organization next year. Looking at the resumes of the four current Hendrick drivers at Richmond, owners may want to load up on Johnson and company for the second week in a row. Heck, all four guys finished in the top-eight spots in the last race at Talladega, and they could deliver a similar performance Saturday. Fantasy owners wondering about Richmond stud Kyle Busch shouldn't worry. He ranked sixth in the opening practice, and he posted a top-10 average speed in Happy Hour as well. Busch averages a top-five finish at Richmond, and he is the defending winner of this weekend's race. Don't be afraid to plug him into a lineup. With the exception of Hamlin, Busch and Edwards, Saturday's race is shaping up to be a Chevy-dominated affair. Richard Childress Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing and Hendrick Motorsports all looked sharp during the practice sessions, along with Chevy driver Montoya. Ford has appeared to have the most horsepower this far in 2011, but that power under the hood won't mean as much on a short track. Happy Hour Speeds (sorted by Avg. Speed) Rk indicates Best Lap standing
10-Lap Average Speeds (must run 10 consecutive laps)
First Practice Speeds (sorted by Avg. Speed) Rk indicates Best Lap standing
10-Lap Average Speeds (must run 10 consecutive laps)
Combined Average Speeds (weighted by # of laps run in each session)
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Author Bio
Brian Polking Racing has been part of Brian's life ever since he can remember, and he spent his childhood at dirt tracks throughout Ohio and Kentucky watching his father race. NASCAR naturally became his favorite sport, and he has been following the Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series for most of his life. Brian majored in journalism and economics at Ohio State University and becoming a sports writer has always been his dream. Although he has covered everything from minor league baseball to the NCAA tournament, his passion has always been NASCAR. Brian has served as a NASCAR writer for a variety of sites, eventually becoming head editor of the NASCAR section for Fanball.com. His knowledge of NASCAR comes from his life-long love of racing, and he tries to add a personal touch to every article he writes. Brian is always up for talking NASCAR with anyone that wants to. Brian joined KFFL's team in 2011. Featured LinksTalk Sports 24/7! Recent articles: |
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