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Fantasy NASCAR RacingFantasy NASCAR practice recap: 5-hour Energy 500
For drivers, practice laps at Pocono Raceway probably rank among the most important they will run all season. The odd shape of the 2.5-mile track makes it tough to get cars to handle comfortably, and the winner is often the driver with the car that handles the least poorly, rather than the best. Starting the race with an ill-handling car can be a death sentence. Any car that struggles in the turns won't be able carry momentum out of the corners, and those cars are going to get torched going down the track's long straightaways. Drivers won't get another chance to practice before the green flag Sunday, which means Friday's result should be a pretty good indicator of the front-runners.
On that note, fantasy owners have to love the names that topped the charts in the opening session. Carl Edwards led a charge of former Pocono winners. He was joined in the top five by Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. All four drivers have multiple wins at Pocono, and all four deserve immediate consideration from owners this weekend. Paul Menard was the one wild card among the top five drivers, ranking second in the opening practice. Although he did have the best races of his career at Pocono in 2010, finishing 16th and 13th, he is still looking for his first top-10. Richard Childress Racing does have a history of success at Pocono, inflating Menard's value to the point where he could be a nice sleeper addition to fantasy rosters. It was a mixed bag for teams in the opening session, as some drivers worked on qualifying setups and others focused on race trim. Only two drivers ran at least 10 consecutive laps, with Juan Pablo Montoya edging Brad Keselowski for the best 10-lap average speed. Both drivers were among the top 10 in terms of fastest laps as well, making them both reasonable fantasy options this weekend. Montoya in particular could be useful; he has finished eighth or better in three of his last four starts at Pocono. In Happy Hour, a familiar face climbed to the top of the charts. Four-time Pocono winner Denny Hamlin paced the field, serving notice to the competition that he is still the man to beat at the triangle-shaped track. Despite being winless in 2011, fantasy owners should have no issues making Hamlin their top pick this weekend. No driver has a better average finish at Pocono, and Hamlin has finished sixth or better in eight of his 10 starts at the track. Brian Vickers, Edwards, Keselowski and Johnson completed the top five in the final session. Vickers is another intriguing sleeper option for fantasy owners. He has had five finishes of sixth or better at Pocono and eight top-15 finishes in 12 starts. Keselowski solidified his status as a legitimate contender as well. Coming off a surprising win at Kansas and driving for a No. 2 team that has been to Victory Lane at Pocono, he could provide plenty of value this weekend. Only eight drivers ran 10 or more consecutive laps in Happy Hour, and Pocono's two biggest names led the way. Hamlin and Johnson ranked first and second in terms of 10-lap average speeds, and they are also the only two active drivers that average a top-10 finish at the track. Ryan Newman is another driver for fantasy owners to consider. He ranked in the top 10 in both practice sessions, and he is a former winner at Pocono. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. ranked in the top 15 in both sessions as well. Martin is the safer play of the two, having consistently finished in the top 15 at Pocono throughout his career. However, Junior has been on the doorstep of a win the last few weeks, and he definitely has the higher upside. Two big names that owners may want to shy away from are Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick. Kenseth ranked 19th and 33rd in the two sessions, and Harvick failed to crack the top 20 in either practice. Despite combining for five wins in 2011, both drivers have some red flags when it comes to Pocono. Kenseth has failed to finish in the top 10 in his last five starts at Pocono. Meanwhile, Harvick has just four top-five finishes in 20 starts at the track, although two of those came last season. Last but not least, owners may want to think twice about using Kurt Busch. After ranking in the top five in the opening session, Busch wrecked his car early in Happy Hour. He will be forced to a backup car for Sunday's race, and he was only able to run a few laps in practice with the new car. At a track where handling is vital and green flag runs are common, Busch could end getting burned by a lack of pit stops to adjust his car. 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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