Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Busts (Pocono)

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I was gonna take some time off from Timerssports, but I had second thoughts and decided against. So you all are stuck with me unfortunately. Anyhow we are headed to Pocono Raceway this weekend. I think this is one of the toughest places to make fantasy picks, because we either overthink our lineups or try to go too far outside of the box. Even though there some great fantasy options laying out there in the rough, but the challenging part will be discovering them and employing them to their best value possible.

Okay let get into today's sleepers and busts!

Sleepers -

Austin Dillon - Yes.Yes I know I been on the Dillon train a lot lately. The RCR cars seems to have a thing for being sleepers (cough cough Paul Menard). That isn't a bad thing though. Typically Dillon is middle teen driver on most weekends. Last weekend at Indy he disappointed a lot of fantasy players, but he had the potential to produce a solid points day though. However two speed penalties pretty much ended any chance of him finishing respectably. I think he can rebound this weekend though. Dillon best asset is usually him qualifying well. When he qualifies well, I believe he performs a bit better than normal. Even though that is probably true about every driver in the field. In 3 career starts at Pocono, he have started inside the top 11 in all 3 starts. Including a 6th-place starting position in June. Dillon actually had top 15 car for that race, but he faded in the end to 19th. Believe it or not that is his career-worst finish at the 2.5 mile flat track venue. Now I don't trust him as a legitimate top 15 fantasy option, but he does have that potential. I would expect an top 20 run out of him realistically. However I can see him finishing near the top 10 or top 12, if he looks good in practice. However for now I will keep quiet about that until after I see practice.

Justin Allgaier - Allagier isn't a top tier fantasy option in most formats, but he should make for a powerful punch if he is employed correctly in the proper scoring formats. In 3 career starts, Allagier have an 21.0 average finish with an stout 21.3 average running position. I say stout because typically anytime a driver like Allagier have an ARP above 25.0 it pretty impressive. Mainly because of his equipment. The 51 car have struggled to finish well this season, but he did finish 20th earlier this season. Even though he about an 25th place car in that race. However he also finished 16th last August which is a good sign from a fantasy point of view. There are clearly better fantasy options out there, but I do like him more than I have most weeks.

Casey Mears - Mears have better tracks coming up, but I do like him a lot this weekend. Since switching to Chevy in 2014, Mears have performance at Pocono have seen a upstick in production. Especially over his past two starts here. Last August he finished 12th at Pocono. I wasn't quite that good as he only posted 74.4 driver rating and 20.0 ARP. Most noticeably he ran nearly half of that run inside the top 15. Earlier this season he finished 16th. I say he had a pretty similar performance to August 2014. In that event, he had an 71.4 driver rating and 20.0 ARP.  In fact that 20th place mark have been where Mears have ran a lot at Pocono the past few seasons. Over the past 4 races here, Mears have held 18.8 average finish with 20.4 average running position and 68.4 driver rating. I think he can finish near 20th once again this weekend.

Busts -

Kasey Kahne - Sorry but I have lost all faith in Kasey Kahne after another terrible performances at some of his best racetracks. He finished 24th at Indy, 19th at New Hampshire, 32nd at Daytona and 27th at Kentucky in his past 4 races. It pretty hard to trust Kahne after finishing 19th or worse ever since his 8th place run Sonoma. In fact he have only 3 top 12 finishes in his past 9 races. Also his Pocono record been pretty inconsistent since joining HMS. He have finished 1st or 2nd in past 2 of 3 races at Pocono in August though. On the flip side, he have finished outside of the top 25 in three other races. Even though they were in the June races. There definitely potential with Kahne, but I would rather wait until he shows some consistency. Or least one respectably finish.  

Jimmie Johnson - Not often does a Hendrick car land on the bust list, let alone two Hendrick cars. However I haven't been impressed by the performance of HMS since Michigan. There no reason to believe they will suddenly turn it around this weekend. Right now they are behind Gibbs Toyotas, Haas Chevys and Penske Fords. We have seen teams fall behind all season long. Not to mention I haven't been very impressed by the 48 outside of Sonoma and Daytona. They have had some good runs, but not Jimmie Johnson's type runs since the last Pocono race. Also his Pocono record is questionable since the repave. Over his past 6 races, he have finished 13th or worse in 3 of those races. Including finishes of 13th, 14th and 39th. One thing you cannot like about Johnson this week is: He have finished worse in the August's race than he have in the June's race in every season since 2008. To be fair he did finish 4th in both races in 2011, but that been the lone exception.

Email - Briggs_garry48@yahoo.com

Twitter - @Garryy12 

Fantasy Nascar Early Rankings (Pocono)

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1. Kevin Harvick
2. Kurt Busch
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Kyle Busch
5. Dale Jr
6. Martin Truex Jr
7. Carl Edwards
8. Joey Logano
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Jeff Gordon
11. Kyle Larson
12. Jamie McMurray
13. Denny Hamlin
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Matt Kenseth
16. Ryan Newman
17. Greg Biffle
18. Austin Dillon
19. Clint Bowyer
20. Paul Menard
21. Tony Stewart
22. David Ragan
23. Aric Almirola
24. Danica Patrick
25. Justin Allagier
26. Casey Mears
27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
28. Sam Hornish Jr
29. David Gilliland
30. Trevor Bayne

Twitter - @CrazyKateNascar

Fantasy Nascar Picks (Pocono)

Welcome to TimersSports

We are back at Pocono Raceway this weekend for the 2nd time this season. Pocono is a 2.5 mile flat racetrack with 3 different turns which means you will probably not ever get a perfect setup in your racecar. The key in term of fantasy picks will be looking at results from earlier this season. We only raced here about two month ago, so overall the cars who were fast should not change. Typically Pocono is a easy track to make fantasy picks. Certain drivers will stood this week and those are the guys you would want to target.

Yahoo -

A:

Start: Kyle Busch

Bench: Kevin Harvick

Reason -Really shouldn't matter who you start on Sunday. Both are very fast and should lead laps during this race. I am going with Busch over Harvick once again because I think it best to roll 'em while they are hot. Don't plan to change my gameplan now.

B:

Start: Carl Edwards, Jamie Mac

Bench: Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch

Reason - I actually had Kahne in my lineup over Dillon, but I forgot to save it. So I will take those bonus points and run with Dillon. I like Dillon a lot, but I don't have enough faith to start him outside of Daytona. Wish I did though. Edwards and JMac are great choices this week in my opinion. Edwards was fast in both practices on Saturday and JMac have a habit of finishing up front at Pocono. I like both of them this weekend.

C:

Start - Danica Patrick (5)

Bench - David Ragan (3)

Reason -I had no intentions of starting Danica, but I am gonna roll the dice for two reasons: 1) This is one of Ragan's worst racetracks. 2) Danica have proven to run well here. So why not roll the dice and hope for a solid top 20 finish. I have nothing to lose at this point in the season.

Fantasy Live -4,18,19,3,33

Sleeper - JMac

Winner -Kyle Busch

Twitter - @MattAleza

Fantasy Nascar Preview (Pocono)

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We are headed back to Pocono Raceway. This is the 3rd of a three race-stench of flat racetracks on the 2015 schedule. Before we get into today's preview, I would like to say wow what a job by Kyle Busch. No way did I think he would win three races in a row. However he did exactly that. So congrats to him and that Joe Gibbs Racing. Pocono is a large flat-racetrack of 2.5 mile long in length. The big problem is with this track is that every turn is different, so it basically impossible to get your car perfect here. Typically drivers who run up front here have the the most horsepower and the best setups in their cars. Since the NSCS was at Pocono just one month ago, it should be easily to figure out who will be fast and who will not be fast on Sunday.

1-Jamie Mac: JMac finished in the teen at Indy, but he now goes to a very good track in Pocono. Earlier this season he finished 7th here. I don't think he had a top 10 car for that race, but it very close. Over the past 4 races at Pocono, he have compiled 10.0 average finish, 13.0 average start, 13.8 average running position and 88.8 driver rating. He have finished 7th or 10th in his past 3 races at Pocono. Including back-to-back 7th place finishes at this venue. I think the flats in general is JMac strongest area. He have proven over the past two seasons he is a legit fantasy option on a weekly basis. He is probably a lock for another top 15 finish this weekend.

2-Brad Keselowski: I would be higher on Keselowski, but he have not proven he can finish up front this season. In 20 races, he have only finished inside the top 5 in 4 races this season and only once since Texas. When was that? Two weeks ago at New Hampshire. I think it unlikely for him to make it number 5 on Sunday though. Over the past 4 races, he have complied 12.0 average finish, 6.0 average start, 9.8 average running position, 109 laps led and 104.3 driver rating. Brad K does have one win here, but that was back in 2011. Since then (7 races), he have finished 4 of those 7 races outside of the top 15. Including finishes of 17th (earlier this season) and 23rd here last August. I think both Penske cars have found more speed, but Brad just haven't been able to find the finishes though.

3-Austin Dillon: Dillon is coming off a disappoint day at Indy, but I do like him as a fantasy pick at Pocono. He should be a solid fantasy pick this weekend though. Earlier this season he finished 19th, but don't be fooled he had a top 15 car for that event. Not real sure what happened to him, but he ran about half of that race inside the top 15. Some of that have to do with him qualifying 6th. Truthfully that is a strong strength for Dillon at Pocono. In 3 career races, he qualified either 11th or better. I think he is a top 20 fantasy option with top 15 upside personally.

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick had the car to beat Indy, but he came up short in the end. He been very strong this earlier this season at Pocono. He started near the front and had a very fast car especially on the long run. He finished 2nd and likely had the 2nd-best car behind Truex in my opinion. In fact he finished 2nd in the past 2 races at Pocono. Last June he probably had a top 5 , but he had issues in that race. I think he had a flat tire in that race around the midway point. Over the past 4 races here, he have compiled 8.8 average finish, 7.3 average start, 9.8 average running position, 44 laps led and 109.7 driver rating. Looking at his three starts as a SHR driver, Harvick have started inside the top 6 in every race. Historically speaking, he have been pretty consistent. Over his past 12 races, he have finished every race inside the top 17. Including 5 finishes inside the top 5. Overall in 29 career starts at Pocono, he have finished 25 of 29 races inside the top 20. However he haven't won yet. I think that changes on Sunday. He is my pick to win.

5-Kasey Kahne: If I had any faith left in Kasey Kahne, then I lost it at Indy. He start off the season very consistent as a top 15 option on a weekly basis. However his best finish over his past 4 Sprint Cup Series races is 19th at New Hampshire. Do I need to explain any more? I think Hendrick as a whole is completely lost right now. They are not showing the speed needed to contend for wins. It even more concerning for Kahne since his last top 10 (minus road course and plate tracks) was back at Dover in beginning of June. This could be a good week to use him though. Remember few season ago he was having a similar season. He needed a win to get in the postseason and he delivered at Pocono. In fact he been a strong performer in the August races. Since joining HMS, he have finishes of 2nd, 1st and 10th in August races at Pocono. However I am still not very high on the 5 car this week.

10-Danica Patrick: Let me put this in words that everyone understand: Patrick sucks at large flat racetracks. Seriously! Her best career finish at Indy or Pocono is 27th and that was this past Sunday at Indy.  Yeah I am not impressed. In fact she is fool gold because she qualifies so well usually. Honestly I am not how she manages to finish poorly each time either. Over the past two seasons, she have had some solid runs going. But she seems to always find ways to ruin them. In short, I am avoiding her in all formats if possible. Michigan is coming up, so use her there instead.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin been little hot and cold lately, but he seems to be finding some consistency though. Over the past 7 Cup races (Dating back to Pocono), Hamlin have inside of the top 11 in 5 races. Including 3 top 5 in his past 4 races. For weeks I have thought Joe Gibbs Racing was onto something (speed wise) and they finding putting together the results. Something we should continue to expect this weekend. If JGR can run with the chevys at Indy, then I think they can repeat that Pocono. This happens to be a great track for the 11. I think this one of his best venues on the schedule. He finished 10th here earlier this season. I don't know if Hamlin will win this week, but I do think a lot of people will overlook him. That may be a mistake if you are searching for value. I think he could be a solid fantasy option. Depending how he looks in practice though.

16-Greg Biffle: I am not as high on Biff as would be if RFR have shown more consistency this season. Looking at Biff past three races: 16th , 27th and 19th. Yeah not exactly fantasy friendly numbers to look forward to. However he have ran very well at Pocono over the past two season. Over the past 4 races at Pocono, he have compiled 10.8 average finish with 3 Top 15, 16.5 average running position and 81.8 driver rating. Earlier this season he finished 12th here. If there a track he will run well at then it just might be Pocono. He been a very consistent driver here for a long time. Over his past 15 races at Pocono (Dating back to 2008), he have finished 16th or better in 12 races. Including 12th or better in 3 of the past 4 races. He nevertheless is a teen driver once again this week. A top 15 finish would be solid production for the Biff.

18-Kyle Busch: So while is Kyle Busch gonna slow it down? Not anytime soon it seems. He have won three straight races and now 4 of the past 5 overall. That is the golden rule in fantasy racing. Personally I thought a lot of people got away from that last week at Indy after practice. Kyle Busch burned everyone who did that. So ride him until the fire goes completely out. Pocono isn't a great track for Kyle, but I don't think it matter right now honestly. When you are hot it does not matter what track you are going to. Plus I think Joe Gibbs Racing have an advantage over the field right now. Not sure how they gained that advantage over the field, but it working for all their cars. Will Kyle Busch sweep the flat track portion of the schedule? He just might. He just might folks!

19-Carl Edwards: Edwards is another driver who have turned it on lately. He didn't exactly nail it at Indy, but great to see Edwards running up front for more a few laps. I actually thought he would have a shot to the top 5, until that late restart when he got crazy loose and dropped like a freaking drop. Pocono isn't a great track for him, but it also been a decent track for him from time to time. He haven't scored a top 10 finish since 2012. But before bad struck in 2013 at Pocono where he finished 42nd and 29th. He was one of the most consistent drivers in the series. From 2008 to 2013 (12 races), he finished inside the top 12 nine (9) times. Not to mention he is a 2-time winner at this 2.5 mile racetrack. He finished 15th earlier this season but he had a very fast car. He started 2nd and led 16 laps, but faded late in the event. On the plus side, JGR seems to have more speed now.

20-Matt Kenseth: I mentioned this last week at Indy in my Preview (I think) that Kenseth had a solid run earlier this season at Pocono. If you have followed Kenseth career closely at Pocono, then you know he have struggled here for a long time. Before finishing 6th earlier this season, he have only scored 3 Top 10 finishes in his past 15 races. So yeah he haven't been that good here. On the plus side, he have something that a lot drivers are lacking and that is momentum. Since Kentucky, Kenseth have not finished worse than 7th. Like his JGR teammates , he seems to be hitting his stride at the right now. This kinda reminds of 2013 season on how strong the JGR Toyotas been lately. They aren't quite performing at that level, but this is the closest they been since.

22-Joey Logano: Logano is my go-guy most weeks and he will remain that this week as well. Logano best asset is his conisstency this season. He may not lead the most laps or have the most upside. Or have the best stats at most tracks, but it hard to deny how strong he been on a weekly basis. Over his past 7 races this season, he have scored 6 top 5 finishes. If we take out Daytona, then that streak goes back to Pocono. Only fitting we have returned to suite of the streak starter. Pocono been a very good track for Joey. Over the past 4 races here, he have compiled 13.5 average finish with 11.0 average running position and 90.8 driver rating. He have 4 of the past 5 races inside the top 10. Including a 4th-place run earlier this season. Truthfully he didn't have a top 5 car in that race. It more of a top 10-ish car. This been a great track for him from career point of view. In 13 career starts, he have finished 8 times inside the top 13. Including 6 of his past 7 ending in 13th or better. Not to mention he is a former winner of this race in 2012 from the pole. In fact he probably should have won this race from the pole in 2010, but had problems late in that race.

24-Jeff Gordon: I lost whatever shred of hope I had for Jeff Gordon making the chase on a win. I don't see it happening over the next 5 or 6 races before the chase starts. I truly believed Indy was his best shot and it possibly significantly damped his chances of making the chase field. Pocono have always been a great place for Jeff, so I wouldn't out the 24 as a fantasy pick. But it would be gamble way his season have gone. Over the past 4 races here, Gordon have compiled 7.5 average finish, 9.0 average start, 7.8 average running position and 114.9 driver rating. Over the past 20 races here, Gordon have finished 14th or better in 18 races. In fact he have finished inside the top 20 in all but one of those races. Gordon is usually one of the more safer fantasy options at Pocono even in a down season like he is having in 2015.

27-Paul Menard: Menard and Pocono don't agree with each other too much. He always find way into trouble for some reason. Earlier this season he finished several laps down after a series of strange sequences that started with him getting a penalty on pit road. He have finished 26th or worse in 5 straight races at Pocono. However before this bad luck at Pocono, he was consider one of the best fantasy value at this venue. From 2010-2012 (6 races), he finished in the 9th-16th place range. Including 3 straight Top 11 finishes in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. I think Menard have the potential but I think there better places ahead to use him though.

41-Kurt Busch: Busch have finished inside the top 10 in 7 straight races in the 2015 season. While Busch seems to be very fast each week, I think this is best track by far left before the chase. He was really strong here earlier this season. He finished 5th in that race, but never really had anything for the leaders. Over the past 4 races here, he have compiled 6.0 average finish, 3.0 average start, 6.8 average running position and 116.6 driver rating. Busch have finished inside the top 5 in 3 of the past 4 races at Pocono. Digging deeper, he have finished 13 of his past 19 races in the top 10. Including 9 Top 5 finishes. He is also a two-time winner at this 2.5 mile venue. His last win came in 2007. 

42-Kyle Larson: After weeks of bad luck, Larson finally broke through with a top 10 finish at Indy. Big question is can he take that top 10 and build on it? I think he can at a track like Pocono. I would rate Pocono inside Larson's top 3 most successful tracks so far in his cup career (which isn't saying much). In 3 career starts, Larson have compiled 8.0 average finish with 12.7 average running position and 2 Top 10 finishes. Earlier this season he finished 8th. Thought have been given with Larson this season, but I think he have enough upside to be a top 10 fantasy option if he qualifies well enough.

48-Jimmie Johnosn: I really don't have a lot to say about Johnson. He haven't looked like Johnson since his at Dover (outside of Daytona and Sonoma). Honestly Pocono was probably the last race where he finished inside the top 5. Really it been a few years since Johnson have looked dominated here. I think his days of putting laps around the field is over. Not because he have regressed, but because the competition have progressed. Looking at the numbers, Johnson have finished better in the June race than the August race. Last time he finished better in the August race than the June race in the same season? 2008. So the chances of him finishing better than 4th seems unlikely. I am not as high on Johnson as I normally would be at Pocono. I think he still worth consideration though.

78-Martin Truex Jr: I had a strong hunch that Truex would get out of his funk at Indy and I nailed it in my update. Hopefully Truex keep making me look good too. Earlier this season he won at Pocono and led a race high 97 laps to victory. Nobody really could touch him. Okay maybe Harvick but that was on the long run. I think Truex will be hard to beat this week, especially with the 78 team getting their swagger back in their step with a much-needed top 5 finish at Indy. This might be Truex best racetrack before the chase start. If it is then I think Truex could score his second win of the season. Remember last season when Dale Jr sweep the Pocono races? Truex is primed to do the same.

88-Dale Jr: Last time we were at Pocono all we heard was Dale Jr this and Dale Jr that. This time around I doubt he hear that. In fact I am willing to beat people overlook him because he finished 11th. Truthfully the hype was what made him such a popular fantasy pick. Even though his stats are just off-charts too. But I think him sweeping this track in 2014 gave him that extra popularity. I don't expect that this time around as the excitement around him have disappeared really. Don't be fooled though. Over the past 4 races here, Dale Jr have compiled 4.5 average finish with 8.0 average running position and 116.3 driver rating. Dale been a machine here. Before finishing 11th in June, he wheeled off 4 straight Top 5 finishes. I think he get back into the groove this weekend.

****All stats are from Driveraverages.com and FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com

Email - JeffNathan74@yahoo.com

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar RaceDay Thoughts (Indy)

Welcome to TimersSports

Happy Raceday. Setting your fantasy team can be difficult , especially with everything being factored in. Below our group of experts give their thoughts on today race (Including their final
picks).

Kate Roswell (@CrazyKateNascar):

- Track position will be huge once again this weekend. Just like it have been the past few races. I think starting position will be very important to start this race. Cars will be strung out after awhile. Unless there a lot of cautions which is probably unlikely.

-The Chevy looks to be the cars to beat today. More specific Kevin Harvick. He looked like the man to beat in practice and starts inside the top 10.

- Carl Edwards is the guy I am watching. He is starting up front once again (like he did at New Hampshire), but he didn't post any long runs in practice. He is the question mark in my opinion.

-Are the CGR cars legit this week? I find it very hard to trust them after dropping the ball at New Hampshire. Even though they (McMurray and Larson) both have the speed to finish near the front.

Garry Briggs (@Garryy12):

-Yes I have gotten the messages for jinxing JMac at New Hampshire by saying he was due for a disappointing finish (The Garry's jinx is all too real folks). However I have good news. I like him for a top 10 finish on Sunday.

-Who is my disappointment for today? I was going with Edwards, but then I thought that was too easy since he will likely fade down the running order anyhow. So I going with Jeff Gordon. He been hyped up this week and I personally think he will try a little too hard to win in his final race at Indy.

-I think Kevin Harvick is the guy to beat today. He was bad fast on the long runs on Friday and starts from 6th. Roll with the hot driver.

-Expect a boring follow the leader race. So get your pillow ready if yesterday's NXS race is any indication.

Matt Aleza (@MattAleza):

-Few guys start deep in the field such as Brad Keselowski , Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne. How will they make it through the field? I am quite interested in that. All three have good cars. Question is can they get the track position?

-After qualifying 19th, can Jeff Gordon win his 6th race at Indy? I don't think he will (with out strategy), but I do think he is a solid fantasy pick this weekend.

-The CGR are very interesting this week. They disappointed at New Hampshire, but I think they will rebound very nice today. Both showed top 10 speed.

-Chase Elliott or Ryan Blaney? That is the question a lot of us are pondering. I think both will finish inside the top 20, if not better. If everything goes according to plan that is.

Yahoo Lineups -

Kate's Lineup - 22,1,19,21

Garry's Lineup - 20,41,5,25

Matt's Lineup - 18,19,1,21

Sleeper Picks -

Kate's Pick - Jamie McMurray

Garry's Pick - Austin Dillon

Matt's Pick - Paul Menard

Winner -

Kate's Pick - Kevin Harvick

Garry's Pick - Kyle Busch

Matt's Pick - Jimmie Johnson

Fantasy Nascar Picks (Indy)

Welcome to TimersSports


We are headed to Indianapolis this weekend. In my opinion there isn't a track we go to that is comparable to the 2.5 mile flat racetrack. A lot of people compare Pocono to Indy, but really they are two different venues. Realistically the only real similarity is they are both large and flat. Both tracks are set up differently and both tracks are different lengths. Plus we are using a higher-drag aero package here this weekend, so I wouldn't put too much into results from Pocono. But hey that just me though.

****Remember qualifying is on Saturday (Not Friday this week), so make sure you know when to have your picks in if there a specific deadline to make your initial fantasy picks.

A:

Start: Kyle Busch (7)

Bench: Kevin Harvick (5)

Reasons - Tough call between Busch and Harvick. I decided to go with Kyle Busch as he is the hot driver right now. He starts not far from Harvick and I think track position will be huge on Sunday. I would go with Harvick if I thought he was miles better than Busch, but I expect both to finish inside the top 5. I see no real advantage in wasting a start with Harvick.

B:

Start - Carl Edwards (6) and Jamie Mac (6)

Bench - Kasey Kahne (4) and Austin Dillon (8)

Reasons -I original intent was to start Kasey Kahne and Jamie Mac, but after qualifying I think I have to pretty much roll with Edwards over Kahne. It a shame since I thought the 5 was pretty fast, but starting position will be very important. Not to mention, I don't really trust him all too much. I also like Jamie as a solid start-save as well. 

C:

Start: Ryan Blaney (7)

Bench: Chase Elliott (7)

Reasons - I am going with Blaney because I think the majority will side with Elliott, plus I was pretty impressed with Blaney. I thought he was fast on Friday and should be able to make through the field a little quicker than Elliott.

Fantasy Live - 4,41,19,25,33

Sleeper -Jamie McMurray

Winner - Jimmie Johnson

Twitter - @MattAleza

Fantasy Nascar Update (Indy)

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We are at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend race in the Nascar Sprint Cup Series. They are debuting a new package for this race as well. The overall projective was to make better racing at Indianapolis, but based on practice I am not too sure that will be the case on Sunday. If anything it may make the racing even worse. As I have seen very few cars make passes in any of the practice sessions. If they did it took several laps to do so. Like I said I am not too high on this package making the racing any better. Of course the actual race will be the true test of the changes Nascar have made.


A:

1. Kevin Harvick - Honestly I am waiting for the 4 team to turn it up to the next level and go on a hot streak of wins. Like Jimmie Johnson's team, I think Kevin's team is also holding back and waiting for the chase to unload some of their faster equipment. Or they are just not as good as they were earlier in the season. Don't be fool though by my lack of enthusiasm towards him. Harvick was bad fast in practice and probably have one of the strongest cars on the long run.I think Harvick is a top 3 driver heading into Sunday race and should be considered one of the few major threats to legitimately have a chance to win. 

 My Overall Ranking: 1st

2. Jimmie Johnson - I debated weather to rank Johnson 2nd or 3rd. He looked solid in practice, but not really in love with him. A lot of that have to do with his performance since his last win at Dover. It tough to trust Johnson when his team doesn't have the pedal to the floor. However I find it very difficult to overlook his track record. Since 2006 (9 races), he have won nearly half of those races. While I don't think Johnson will win on Sunday, I also cannot dismiss him either as a potential top 5 fantasy pick as he usually can run up front. If there were downside in picking Johnson, then I would say it because he tend to be top 5 or bust at Indianapolis. Also think it important to mention that a Chevy have won 12 straight races here dating back to 2003.

My Overall Ranking: 2nd

3. Joey Logano - Truthfully I wasn't super impressed by Logano as I was expecting to him to to be better in practice, but he did qualify pretty well. So I guess one off-set the another, since track position will be very key for Sunday's race. Logano will roll off from 2nd and should be a top 5 to top 10 guy heading into Sunday's race. Honestly what I really love about Logano is how consistent he been this season. Since Dover, only once have he finished outside of the top 5. Which should tell you a lot about how reliable he is. I really like him as a fantasy pick. I have across the line in 3rd in my overall rankings.

My Overall Ranking: 3rd

4. Kyle Busch - Busch have on a roll lately and he is now at another strong racetrack. Personally I don't think he will make it 3 in a row after seeing 3 practice sessions. However I do think he is a top 5 guy after considering his track record, practice results and current monument. A lot of this ranking have to with his latest hot streak. As I always say ride the hot drivers in fantasy racing. In practice I say he was somewhere around 6th-9th place. However his upside gives him a top 5 outlook for Sunday race. Two things I really like about him: 1) He have finished 2nd in 2 of the past 3 races at Indy. 2) Kyle's team does a good job of adjusting on his car for the race and starts up front.

My Overall Ranking: 4th

5. Jeff Gordon - I debated who should get the final spot in this tier. I decided to go with Jeff Gordon. He wasn't bad in practice and starts deeper in the field than I would like. However I think he should be able to drive through the field quickly and contend for a top 10 finish. With Gordon past history, I think it very possible for him to contend for a potential top 5 finish. The one thing I really like is Gordon have turned into a consistent fantasy option in the recent weeks which makes it easy to start Gordon for 19th starting position.  I have him across the line in 5th in my overall rankings. Realistically I think he will finish little worse than that like 6th or 7th on Sunday.

My Overall Ranking: 5th

Other Options - Brad Keselowski (6th) , Matt Kenseth (8th),  Dale Jr (10th), Denny Hamlin (11th) and Ryan Newman (17th)

B:

1. Martin Truex Jr - Truex Jr said his car was really good on Friday. I will take a driver's word all day over practice results. Even though his lap times looked okay in every practice session. My big concern was he did not make any long runs (least from what I could see). He finished final practice in 5th and will roll off from 13th. So overall he showed the speed he been lacking the past few weekends. I think he get back on track this weekend at Indy. I would expect a top 10 or maybe a top 12 run from him, but beyond that is questionable for now.Honestly I am probably higher on him than most are, but hey that just me.

My Overall Ranking: 7th

2.  Carl Edwards - I think you could rank Edwards anywhere among the top 5 spots in this tier. Really he usually too hard to get a read on. He didn't stand out much in practice, but that may be a good thing. Both times he finished inside the top 5 this season, he didn't show a lot of speed in practice. If the trend holds true, then Edwards could be a solid fantasy pick. Or if the trend doesn't hold true, then you pretty much just wasted a pick with Edwards. Take your pick. I have him across the line in 9th in my overall rankings. A lot of it has to do with him starting on the pole for Sunday's race though. I do like that he have some monument though.

My Overall Ranking:  9th

3. Kurt Busch - Busch was pretty good on Friday. Honestly I am not sure what to expect from Kurt this weekend. Sure he probably have a top 10 car, but Indy have been for a while one of his worst racetracks. However we could say the same thing about Michigan and he went to victory lane there in earlier this season. This season have been crazy to say the least. So writing off Kurt would be stupid. While I don't love, I think he is a solid fantasy pick. I have him across the line in 11th place in my overall rankings on Sunday. I think he can finishes 2-3 position of that ranking. So realistically anywhere from 8th-14th.

My Overall Ranking: 11th

4. Kyle Larson - Larson will roll off from 5th on Sunday, but I am not too high on the 42 car this weekend as I have been in the past. All season long he have showed speed in practce and qualifying,  but come raceday he have dropped like a rock. Now that always haven't been the case, but I feel like his best chances to finish up front will be on the shorter tracks coming up like Richmond and Bristol. Maybe even Pocono since he have proven to run well there too. Anyhow I think Larson could possible be a top 10 finisher on Sunday, but I think it more realistic for him to finish somewhere in the teens.

My Overall Ranking: 12th

5. Kasey Kahne - I have mixed feelings about Kahne this weekend. While I think there a lot of potential with him , I also remember back to Kentucky when he screwed me over. Honestly it hard to trust Kahne after he burns you. Especially since he starting deep in the field on Sunday. Truthfully I want to trust him as looked real good in final practice in my opinion. However there always that voice in your head (the one you always try to not listen to) screaming to avoid him like a new cough. Based on practice, I say he is a top 10 or top 12 driver. The best possible outcome will be for Kasey to steady improve throughout the race and steal a finish close to the front. I have him across the line in 13th in my overall rankings.

My Overall Ranking: 13th

Other Options - Tony Stewart (14th), Jamie Mac (15th), Paul Menard (16th), Greg Biffle (17th) and Austin Dillon (19th(


C-

1. David Ragan - Ragan will start up front once again on Sunday. I think it very hard to overlook his starting position, especially with track position so huge this weekend. He looked solid in practice and should be able to finish somewhere around 15th on Sunday. Honestly I am not sure if he will race better than Ryan Blaney or Chase Elliott, but his starting position will likely give him the edge as of right now. I really like Ragan though. I am hoping he scores a top 10 finishes as he have ran so well lately. However I think it very unlikely for that outcome though.

My Overall Ranking: 18th

2. Chase Elliott - Elliott will roll off from outside the top 25, but I feel like he can drive through the field and contend for a top 20 finish. He have made 3 starts this season (Martinsville , Richmond and Charlotte). In 2 of the those 3 races, he have finished near the top 15. I am willing to bet he repeats that feat at Indianapolis. I think he finishes somewhere from 16th - 22nd. Long as he keeps his car clean, then he could possibly be the top scoring fantasy option in this tier. He looked among the best in this tier in practice.

My Overall Ranking: 20th

3. Ryan Blaney - I thought Blaney had the fastest car in this tier in practice, but it probably doesn't mean much starting so deep in the field. If he can move through the field, then I think he can finish well inside the top 15. The big debate was Elliott vs Blaney for me. I trust Elliott more (better equipment and more consistent driver), but I thought Balney was much quicker overall. I think those two will close to one another all day long in Sunday's race. I have Blaney across the line in 21st in my overall rankings.

My Overall Ranking: 21st

Other Options - Danica Patrick (23rd) and Brian Scott (26th)

Email - JeffNathan74@yahoo.com

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar Final Rankings (Indy)

Welcome to TimersSports

Final Rankings -

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Joey Logano
3. Kyle Busch
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Jimmie Johnson
6. Jeff Gordon
7. Carl Edwards
8. Dale Jr
9. Matt Kenseth
10. Kurt Busch
11. Martin Truex Jr
12. Kasey Kahne
13. Kyle Larson
14. Denny Hamlin
15. Jamie McMurray
16. Tony Stewart
17. Clint Bowyer
18. Austin Dillon
19. David Ragan
20. Paul Menard
21. Ryan Newman
22. Ryan Blaney
23. Chase Elliott
24. AJ Dinger
25. Aric Almirola
26. Danica Patrick
27. Brian Scott
28. Justin Allagier
29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
30. Casey Mears

Twitter - @CrazyKateNascar

Fantasy Nascar Sleepers & Busts (Indy)

Welcome to TimersSports


Sleepers -

Austin Dillon - I call it on Twitter that Austin Dillon would have a top 10 run at New Hampshire. He went out and did exactly that (thanks for making me look good, Austin). Do I think he will finish inside the top 10 again this week? I think it a possibility he does, but at very least you should expect least another top 15 (or at worst top 20) run from the 3 car. Last season he had one of his better races of the season where he finished 10th at Indianapolis. In that race, he held an 13.0 average running position which backs up his strong performance. I am kinda wondering how this new package will turn out and who it will benefit. 

AJ Dinger - Another guy who showed up on my Sleeper's list last week at New Hampshire was AJ Dinger. Since he have had strong showings all season long on the flats tracks, I see no reason why he cannot continue it. Earlier this season at Pocono, he wrecked into Ryan Newman which also damaged his car. Before that he was running pretty competitive. I may be mistaken, but pretty sure he was batting for 7th with about 20-ish laps to go. Not to mention, Dinger have a pretty solid track record at this famous track. In 6 career starts, he have an average finish of 18.0 and have never finished worse than 22nd. In fact, there are quite a few drivers who have a worse career average finish than Dinger at Indy. Including Dale Jr , Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr and Paul Menard. He finished 22nd (2013) and 18th  last season. If he can manage results like those the past two seasons, then another top 15 run out of Dinger is possible. I think the 47 team is running much better than a season ago. Question is can they put it all together?

Matt Kenseth - It is very tough to call a guy like Kenseth a sleeper, but that exactly what he have turned into this season. Especially lately since Kyle Busch have returned. However Kenseth have had a very solid season and should not be overlooked. Over the past 4 races at IMS, he have finished inside the top 5 in 3 races. Including 4th and 5th respectably in his lone two starts with the Joe Gibbs Racing Organization. Kenseth also have some mojo on his side with finishes of 5th and 6th in his past two starts (Kentucky and New Hampshire). Honestly I am not sure how much it means, but he had a solid showing at Pocono and finished 6th. For those wondering, Pocono considered one of Matt's worst tracks. So that is pretty impressive IMO. Again not sure how much it worth since there will be a new rule package being used this weekend. Also Pocono isn't exactly a perfect comparison to Indy since they have several differences.

Busts:

Jamie Mac - You can make a case for JMac a sleeper or a bust really. Peronsally I think too many people jumped on the JMac bandwagon to consider him a sleeper anymore, but that is besides the point. I guess I am not too high on him because I feel like he is overrated due to this being a ''major race''. Since his win in 2010 and 4th place finish in 2011. He haven't really done much of anything here. He finished 22nd in 2012 , 15th in 2013 and 20th in 2014. Honestly it hard to get super excited about those numbers. Even though he have post consistent finishes this season, but sadly he really have not contended for top 10 finishes as much as I would prefer him to. I guess my problem is he get little too much credit at this venue, due to he won here in 2010. That was like 5 years ago now. He is probably a top 15 fantasy option in general.

Kurt Busch - Honestly it is very tough to get behind Kurt this week since he have underperformed the past few races. Yes finishing 10th is under-performing (in my book), plus he have only two top 10 finishes since the 2004 season at Indy. He finished 28th and a lap down last season. Even though it was a pretty bad year for Kurt. Can he bounce here and be a contender for the win? You bet he could, but I think it unlikely. Of course I am basing this on pure past history and pretty much counting on it to continue. Come back and ask me after practice , then I probably can give you a better idea weather to trust Kurt or not.

****That does it for this post and unfortunately it also does it for me at TimersSports this season.

Email  - Briggs_garry48@yahoo.com

Twitter - @Garryy12

Fantasy Nascar Early Rankings (Indy)

Welcome to TimersSports

Early Rankings -

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Kyle Busch
5. Matt Kenseth
6. Joey Logano
7. Kasey Kahne
8. Carl Edwards
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Kurt Busch
11. Dale Jr
12. Denny Hamlin
13. Jamie McMurray
14. Ryan Newman
15. Kyle Larson
16. Paul Menard
17. Austin Dillon
18. Chase Elliott
19. Greg Biffle
20. Tony Stewart
21. Ryan Blaney
22. David Ragan
23. Clint Bowyer
24. Aric Almirola
25. Danica Patrick
26. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
27. Justin Allagier
28. Casey Mears
29. AJ Dinger
30. Sam Hornish Jr

Twitter - @CrazyKateNascar

Fantasy Nascar Preview (Indianapolis)

Welcome to TimersSports

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the site of this weekend race. This comes in middle of a three race stench of flat racetracks. Indy is a 2.5 mile large-flat racetrack. Pocono is probably the most similar racetrack to Indy, even though results don't always translate. As the two tracks have some eye-opening differences.

1-JMac: When you think it okay to trust JMac, he goes out and lay a egg. Fantasy players learned at New Hampshire why I have had trust issues with him for years. McMurray last non-plate win came right here at Indianapolis in 2010. Can you believe it been 5 years? Funny how time fly. Anyhow over the past two seasons, he have compiled 17.5 average finish with 15.5 average running position and 76.8 driver rating here. Looking at his career numbers, he have been top 5 or nothing really. Over his past 8 races, he have finished 15th-22nd in 5 of those races. However in 2010 he won and finished 4th in 2011. JMac just haven't been the same since with finishes of 22nd, 15th and 20th. At Pocono earlier this season, he finished 7th. But for majority of the event he ran just outside of the top 10. In that race, he held an 11.0 average running position.

2-Brad Keselowski: Keselowski is coming off back-to-back races where he had the best car, but failed to win either race. Indy isn't Brad best racetrack, but it not his worst either though. Over the past 2 seasons, he have compiled 16.5 average finish, 7.5 average start, 15.5 average running position and 83.5 driver rating. In 5 career starts, BK have finished 12th-21st in 3 of his 5 career races. His best result was in 2011 and 2012 were he finished 9th in both races. In 2013, he finished 21st and last season (2014) he finished 12th in one of his most production seasons ever from a season point of view. Earlier this season, he finished 17th at Pocono. In that event, he held an 11.0 average running position and never really contended. However I feel like Penske have made major gains since then. So expect a top 10 run out of Brad Keselowski and the 2 team.

3-Austin Dillon: Dillon is coming off an top 10 finish at New Hampshire. I been overall impressed with Dillon over the past few months. His results don't show how good he been. Last season he finished 10th at Indianapolis while posting 13.0 average running position and 89.7 driver rating. If he can continue to run well like he have this season, then I think he can repeat that performance from 2014. A lot of people don't realize that Dillon is a legit sleeper on a weekly basis now. At Pocono earlier this season, he finished 19th but had a top 15 car for the event though. In fact he spent almost half of the race inside the top 15.

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick was reportedly scary fast in a test session recently at Indianapolis. If that true, then the field better be prepared to watch the Kevin Harvick show from a far distance. Of course that was before Nascar announced a new rule package for this weekend race. So not sure how valid that test data is now. Over the past 2 seasons at Indy, he have compiled 13.5 average finish, 12.5 average start, 11.0 average running position, 14 laps led and 95.9 driver rating. Last season he finished 8th after starting on the pole, but he was better than that. In that race, he held 6.0 average running position and 114.3 driver rating. I would say only Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon had better cars in that race. Digging deeper into his track record at Indy, he have been one of the most consistent drivers in the series. His lone win came in 2003.
Since making his debut in 2001, he finished 11 of 14 races inside of the top 13. Minus his 2008 misfortune, he have finished every single race inside the top 19. Earlier this season at Pocono, he finished 2nd in that race and arguably had the best car behind Martin Truex Jr.

5-Kasey Kahne: Kasey Kahne had the car to beat last season at Indianapolis, but I think that was more to do with him wanting to make the chase than anything really. As I don't expect him to repeat such performance. Even though this is a very good track for Kahne and Hendrick MotorSports. Over the past 2 seasons at Indy, he have compiled 4.5 average running position with 5.5 average running position, 70 laps led  and 124.6 driver rating. Not many realize how good Kahne is at Indianapolis. He been a great racer at this venue long before he joined Hendrick. Since his debut in 2004, he have finished inside the top 13 in 8 of his 11 career starts. In fact he have finished 7th or better in 6 of those races. Including back-to-back finishes inside the top 6. Outside of Charlotte (and maybe Bristol), I would consider this Kasey's best racetrack. However the results have not always transformed from Pocono as he have struggled there from time to time. Earlier this season, he finished 13th at Pocono. He had about a 10th-place car in that race. Honestly it hard saying how Kasey will do this weekend. As he really haven't flexed much muscle up front this season.

10-Danica Patrick: Danica is coming off an 24th-place at New Hampshire and truthfully I am not sure if her season gonna get any easier at Indianapolis. Patrick have struggled to produce consistent results at flat racetracks in general. Especially the larger flat tracks. In fact, she have zero top 25 finishes in 5 starts at Pocono and Indy which is more than enough to draw some major red flags. Even though she have performed halfway decent in few races. Last season she 42nd here after having mechanical issues. In her debut, she finished 2 laps down in 30th place. Earlier this season at Pocono, she had top 20 car and was actually running inside the top 15 before smashing into the wall. Honestly my hopes aren't terribly high for Danica this week.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin is coming off a 14th place finish at New Hampshire. He have been pretty inconsistent on the flats in general this season. He won at Martinsville, but have struggled to finish inside the top 10 otherwise. Over the past 2 season at Indy, he have compiled 10.5 average finish with 12.5 average running position, 22 laps led and 93.1 driver rating. Last season he finished inside the top 5 here. But that only been one of his few solid showing at the 2.5 mile racetrack. In 9 career races, he have only 2 Top 10s and 4 Top 10s. While those are terrible stats, he also have finished 15th or worse in 5 races here. Including finishes of 27th, 22nd and 34th. On the plus side, he have led in 3 straight races. Hamlin struggled at Pocono for the most part. I believe he finished outside the top 10 in that race. If I am not mistaken, he wasn't even a contender for a top 10 finisher either. If he was it was just inside the top 10. I will be honest that I am not real high on Hamlin or JGR as a whole. I understand why a lot of people are though.

16-Greg Biffle: Indianapolis used to be a top racetrack for Biff. The word use to be is a very common term to describe the Biff nowadays. It sad really! Over the past two seasons at Indy, he have really stumbled down hill (real shocker). He have came home with results of 13th last season and 24th in 2013. Believe it or not, but Greg use to be one of the best drivers here at Indy. In a 5-year stench (2008-2012), Biff finished in the 3rd-8th place range. Honestly if Greg finishes inside the top 15, then it would probably be considered a small victory. Especially with his latest comments on RFR. Personally I want no part of the 16 this week or any other week. Least not until Jack and co solve their slowness problems.

18-Kyle Busch: Someone tell Kyle Busch to stop winning (please don't though) as he is making it look easy out there with 3 wins in 4 races. Most drivers don't even have win, so that is very impressive considering he isn't even 10 races back in the Cup series. This is in my opinion , the golden part of Kyle's schedule. Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Indy are three of his best racetracks. He have won two of them and will now try for the hat trick. Personally I think he does exactly that. Of course I am a Kyle Busch's fan, so not sure how valid my opinion is. Even though he have some impressive stats here. Over the past 2 season, he have complied 6.0 average finish with 9.5 average running position and 106.3 driver rating. In fact Kyle have finished 2nd in 2 of his past 3 races at this venue. However he always been great at this track. In 10 career starts, Kyle have scored 8 Top 10 finishes. Including 5 straight Top 10 finishes.

19-Carl Edwards: Cousin Carl is starting to look like Cousin Carl again. He finished 4th at Kentucky and finished 7th at New Hampshire. I believe that is a season high back-to-back top 10 finishes. Question is can he make it 3 straight? It is very tough to say, but way JGR been looking of late it is very possible. Looking at his track record, Carl been a teen driver all of his career at this place. In 10 career starts, he have finished 12th-18th in 6 races. The other four consist of 1 top 5 finishes (2nd place - 2008) , 2 top 10 finishes (coming in 2007 and 2010) and 29th place finish coming in 2012. So overall not impressive record, but Joe Gibbs Racing have a far better flat track program than RFR ever had. So don't be surprised to see Edwards in the top 10 when it all said and done on Sunday.

20-Matt Kenseth: Matt Kenseth is a pretty underrated driver at Indy. He have finished inside the top 5 in both his starts with Joe Gibbs Racing. With finishes of 4th and 5th the past two seasons, but he have been great here since 2002. In only his 3rd career start at this venue, he finished inside the top 5 (3rd) in 2002. He followed that up in 2003 with a 2nd place finish to pole sitter and eventual winner Kevin Harvick. In 15 career starts at Indy, he have finished inside the top 5 in 7 races. In fact, he have finished inside the top 10 in 9 of his past 13 career starts. Including 3 top 5 finishes in his past 4 races this this track. If you want a safe pick, then Matt Kenseth may be your man. Who knows he might surprise you with a win or something.

22-Joey Logano: Logano have now finished 4 of his past 5 races this season inside the top 5. He is coming off a 4th-place at New Hampshire. Which gives him 11 Top 5 for the 2015 season. He is my hunch play for the week. He was never anything special with Gibbs, but he been a solid fantasy option since joining Penske. He finished 8th in his debut and followed that up with a top 5 run last season. Logano have proven to be a reliable fantasy option all season, so no reason why he won't continue to be that this week. Honestly I feel like he is way overlooked at track like Indy because he doesn't have a good track. Most tracks we go to, he won't have the track record like most of his competition. I believe in momentum first and everything else second. Right now only Kyle Busch have more going for him than Joey Logano. Not to mention, he been a qualifying machine all season long. Don't be shocked to him on the pole or at very least the front row.

24-Jeff Gordon: Gordon is having a pretty down season in his final year. He will most likely make the chase, but I doubt he finds a way to victory lane though. I understand his fans are upset, but it not Jeff fault or his team's fault. The race package (up to this point of the season) doesn't line up with his preferred style of driving like it did in 2014. Honestly I feel like this new race package actually might help him more than others. However that just my personal opinion though. Over the past 2 seasons, Gordon have compiled 4.0 average finish with 7.0 average running position, 51 laps led and 121.1 driver rating. This have always been a great track for Gordon though. Ever since his debut here in 1994, he been one of the best ever. In 21 career races, Gordon have finished inside the top 10 in 17 races here. Including 9th or better in 12 of his past 14 races here. In that 14-race span, Gordon have finished 9 races inside the top 6. with 8 of those races ending inside the top 5. He truly been impressive.

27-Paul Menard: July 31, 2011 a date that I considered to be one of the biggest upsets in Nascar history. A day where a dominant Jeff Gordon paced laps around the field and was nearly untouchable from the green flag. However Menard made his debut for RCR at Indy had other plans in mind. His late fuel mileage strategy allowed him to hold off a fast and charging Jeff Gordon. And he did and went to victory lane. Don't be fooled though. He had at best 20th place car for that race. Since? His best finish of 12th was in 2013. Even though he also finished 14th in 2012. It tough to say how Menard will do honestly. Realistically I would say he finishes somewhere in the teen area.

41-Kurt Busch: Indy is probably one of Kurt's worst racetracks on the schedule. Over the past 2 seasons here, he have compiled 21.0 average finish with 17.0 average running position and 83.1 driver rating. He finished 14th in 2013 with the 78 team but that been his only solid finish since 2010 where he finished 10th in the 2010 event. In 14 career starts, Busch have only 6 Top 12 finishes with only 4 of them ending inside the top 10. His best career finish? 5th in 2001 in his debut at the track in the Sprint Cup Series with Roush Racing. On the plus side, he had one of the strongest cars at Pocono Raceway.

42-Kyle Larson: Larson is coming off back-to-back-to-back finishes outside the top 30. Yes that is a thing. He needs to find a way to finish races again. PJ Walsh of FantasyNascarPreview.com made a great point about Larson not liking the slick racetracks. A lot of us (including myself) were sold that Larson would come alive once the weather got warmer. In fact I don't think we ever 'truly' believe that, but rather wanted that to be true so much we actually convinced ourselves. I been very high on Larson all season, but over the last few weeks I have lost a lot of faith in Larson. He finished 7th at Indianapolis last season after starting in 15th.

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson is coming off a disappointing race at New Hampshire, but he should get back on track at one of his best venues. Over the past two seasons, he have compiled 8.0 average running position with 7.5 average running position , 73 laps led and 115.1 driver rating. Last season he finished 14th and was never a true contender in that race. Honestly Johnson had a down year for the most part last season. However that was one of the few times Johnson didn't contend at this track. Over his past 8 races (minus last season race), Johnson have finished either 1st or 2nd  which is a series-best (by a large margin). In fact he have scored 4 wins in that span since the 2006 season. Typically if Johnson doesn't finish up front, then something happened to him in the race. In my opinion, Johnson have a boom or bust outlook to him. In 13 career races, he finished inside the top 5 in 5 races and have finished 18th or worse in 6 other races.

78-Martin Truex Jr: It seems like the 78 team have taken their foot off the gas and honestly I cannot say I am shocked. Even though finishing 12th at New Hampshire isn't terrible either. Indy have been a tough track for Truex since his debut in 2005. In 10 career starts, he have only finished inside the top 12 in 3 races. Before leaving MWR, he knocking off back-to-back finishes of 11th or better. Including a career-best 8th place finish in 2012. However he did win at Pocono earlier this season in a dominating victory after the field. So there that I guess.

88-Dale Jr: Dale Jr have knocked off 3 straight finishes inside the top 10. Over the past 2 seasons, he have compiled 7.5 average finish with 16.0 average running position and 91.7 driver rating. Last season he actually struggled here. He only held an 17.0 average running position, but did still managed to finish inside the top 10 though. In 2013 he finished 6th in that race. He didn't exactly have a top 10 car, but he mainly hung out just outside of the top 10 for a lot of that event. Earlier this season at Pocono, he finished 11th but he had a potential top 5 car. I think he will finish inside the top 10 once again this week though.

***All stats are from DriverAverages and FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com

Email - JeffNathan74@yahoo.com

Twitter - @JeffNathans 

Fantasy Nascar RaceDay Thoughts (New Hampshire)

Welcome to TimersSports

Happy Raceday. Setting your fantasy team can be difficult , especially with everything being factored in. Below our group of experts give their thoughts on today race (Including their final
picks).

Kate Roswell (@CrazyKateNascar):

- JGR have been really fast this weekend.

-How will warmer temps effect today's race compared to practice?

-Martin Truex Jr will get back on track today. Last week nose damage killed his chances. He won't win, but I am higher than most on Truex.

-Hendrick MotorSports looked off as a whole on Saturday. Kinda wondering how they will do today.


Garry Briggs (@Garryy12):

- Driver to watch is Denny Hamlin from 5th. His teammates (Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch) been talk of the weekend. However the 11 owned this place few years ago. He slowly starting to return to form.

-A popular sleeper this week been JMac. I agree he's very good here, but I think he due for a letdown. Letdown meaning 15th-ish.

-I been very impressed by the JGR cars lately. Dominated at Kentucky and look class of the field on Saturday in practice. If they can deliver again today, then JGR might be back.

-Track position will be key today. Also this is a 1-mile racetrack, so being lapped doesn't take long here. New Hampshire is a (short) flat racetrack.

Matt Aleza (@MattAleza):

- I am little down on Brad Keselowski. He was bit overhyped this week. He's easily a top 10 driver though. Probably top 5 too.

-My Driver to watch is Kyle Larson. He starts from 17th, but he has a car capable of top 10.

-Pit crews may be the most important factor today.

-Dillon is a nice sleeper to consider today. He starts deeper in the field, but he has a car capable of finishing near top 15. He was happy with car in practice.

Yahoo Lineups -

Kate's Lineup: 18,15,41,55

Garry's Lineup: 11,42,19,21

Matt's Lineup: 18,19,15,21

Sleepers:

Kate's Pick - Jamie McMurray

Garry's Pick - Austin Dillon

Matt's Pick - Jamie McMurray

Winner:

Kate's Pick - Kevin Harvick

Garry's Pick - Kyle Busch

Matt's Pick - Kyle Busch

Fantasy Nascar Update (New Hampshire)

Welcome to TimersSports

New Hampshire is a 1-mile flat racetrack that is difficult to consistency finish well at. There a big difference between running well and finishing well here. Many of you will learn that the hard way. Big reason is track position. This will be the key to success on Sunday. Passing can be done here, but don't expect to pass ten or twelve cars on a green flag run. Which also means restarts will be critical! I remember few years ago Clint Bowyer had a car capable of dominating in practice, but couldn't overcome a poor qualifying run. Guess my point being don't undervalue the advantage of starting up front/track position when setting your lineups.

Let get started!

A:

1. Kevin Harvick - Harvick started off practice on Saturday with using older tires (ones he used in qualifying). He was actually pretty solid considering. But once he put new tires on, he rocketed to the top of the board. Mark my words he have one of the best cars this weekend. Especially on the long runs. Nobody in my opinion was better in that category on Saturday than Harvick. He's the man to beat in my eyes.

My Overall Ranking: 1st

2. Jimmie Johnson - Johnson probably could have been ranked 2nd or 3rd. I decided to go with the higher power. There several valid reasons for this. He was very fast in both practices on Saturday and consistency been one of the drivers to beat with this race package. Plus New Hampshire been a great track for him. Johnson almost a lock for a top 10 on his track record alone. So he should be easily a top 5 fantasy option. I have him across 2nd in my overall rankings!

My Overall Ranking: 2nd

3. Kyle Busch - Busch been hot lately and he not cooling down either. He looked like the best car out of the JGR stable which is staying something since they all look really fast. Its help that he's starting from 4th which should make his afternoon that much easier. Busch also have finished 2nd in the past two July races. In fact he have three 2nd place finishes in his past 4 starts. There risk with Busch since he trying to close the gap in points, but I really like his potential and upside.

My Overall Ranking: 3rd

4. Joey Logano - Logano will start from 2nd and should be able to have a opportunity to finish inside the top 5. Logano have a habbit of taking strong starting positions and turning them into solid results. He have finished 3 of his past 4 races inside the top 5 which is a series-high since Pocono race. I don't think he has a winning car, but he should still make for a solid fantasy option. A big advantage for Logano should be his pit stall. Something that isn't always considered. This is a short race, so having a great pit stall could be worth 2-3 positions on a late caution.

My Overall Ranking: 4th

5. Denny Hamlin - I considered Brad Keselowski for the 5th slot, but decided to go with Hamlin. Hamlin is my sleeper in this grouping tier. He will roll off from 5th and have a pretty fast Toyota for Sunday's race. He was once the man here and showed flashes of his old self in 2014 at this 1-mile racetrack. The one thing I like about Hamlin is he is have plenty of momentum and seems to be hitting his stride at the moment.

My Overall Ranking: 6th

Other Options - Keselowski (7th), Kenseth (8th), Dale Jr (10th), Gordon (11th) and Newman (15th)

B:

1. Kurt Busch - Busch will roll off from 6th starting position and looked pretty good in both practices on Saturday. I say he have about top 10 speed, but it probably closer to the top 5 though. I think this is one of the better places to unload him. Especially with the new packages coming up at Michigan, Indy and Darlington. There so much uncertainty.

My Overall Ranking: 5th

2. Carl Edwards - Edwards starts from the pole, but I doubt he can stay up front even though he looked strong in practice. I have a feeling he will eventually fade in 2nd half of the race. However I do think he has potential to finish inside the top 5 if everything goes his way. Honestly his performance this season is what scares me. Otherwise I like him a whole bunch. So 9th seems like a fair ranking. It's not too high and allows room for error, if needed that is.

My Overall Ranking: 9th

3. Kasey Kahne - Kahne will roll off from inside the top 10, but honestly I wasn't overly impressed by Kahne in either practices. He had decent speed with top 10 potential or close to it. He is a driver who consistency get better as the weekend goes on. I have him across the line in 12th in my overall rankings.

My Overall Ranking: 12th

4. Martin Truex Jr - Truex starts from outside the top 15, but he should be able to move forward though. Honestly I am not sure how good he is overall. As Truex been a tough driver to get read on this season. He been fast all season, but that speed haven't always been there in practice. Ultimately that was why I have him lower than I would I like.

My Overall Ranking: 13th

5. Kyle Larson - Larson will start from around 17th, but he seems to have top 10 speed and potential. However I wouldn't bank on him finishing there. As Larson have proven this season, he cannot be trusted. Fortunately this was a very good track for him in his rookie season, so there isn't any reason to believe he won't run well. It really a matter of trust and judgment. I have him across 14th in my overall rankings.

My Overall Ranking: 14th

Other Options - Bowyer (16th), JMac (17th), Dillon (19th), and Menard (20th)

C:

1. David Ragan - Ragan is easily the top driver in this tier. Honestly it hard to overlook his 3rd place starting position. He wasn't the fastest guy, but he showed enough speed to convince me he have top 15 potential. However that is given he can keep that car out of trouble and maintain track position. I have him across the line in 18th in my overall rankings.

My Overall Ranking: 18th

2. Ryan Blaney - Blaney made a strong case for the top spot, but he been super inconsistent this season. So I will give him the 2nd spot. In practice he looked really fast and swept the top 10 on the speed charts. Remember the 21 car is a fully-powered Penske car entered by the Wood bros. So no surprise he fast every time he is on the track. I think he can run top 15, but hard saying way Blaney's season have gone.

My Overall Ranking: 21st

3. Danica Patrick - Patrick will roll from just inside the top 25 and honestly I don't think she will finish that far ahead of that range. At the moment, I think it very tough to trust Danica. Plus not like she blew the world away in practice. Most she ran lap times in the 20s and will likely finish there too.

My Overall Ranking: 24th

Email - JeffNathan74@yahoo.com

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar Final Rankings (New Hampshire)

Welcome to TimersSports

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Kyle Busch
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Joey Logano
5. Carl Edwards
6. Kurt Busch
7. Jimmie Johnson
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Matt Kenseth
10. Dale Jr
11. Kyle Larson
12. Martin Truex Jr
13. Clint Bowyer
14. Ryan Newman
15. Jeff Gordon
16. Jamie McMurray
17. Austin Dillon
18. Ryan Blaney
19. David Ragan
20. Kasey Kahne
21. Paul Menard
22. Greg Biffle
23. Aric Almirola
24. Tony Stewart
25. Danica Patrick
26. AJ Dinger
27. Justin Allagier
28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
29. Casey Mears
30. Landon Cassill

Twitter - @CrazyKateNascar

Fantasy Nascar Sleepers (New Hampshire)

Welcome to TImersSports


Sleepers -

Kyle Larson: Larson makes the sleeper list for 2nd week in a row. People tend to overvalue (or undervalue) the term sleeper a lot. Its simply means a driver who isn't getting enough attention have ''potential'' to performance well. However there nothing 100% guaranteed with this as we have seen throughout the season with Larson. Personally I think he been one of the more stronger drivers all season long as he consistency have had least a top 12 car. More often than not, he have contended for top 10 finishes. Unfortunately rarely have those strong performances translated into solid results. Larson finished 2nd twice last season which tells me a lot about him. Even though he probably only had about top 10 car in both races. I think Larson have a lot of potential to run well and finish well, but remember there will be a lot of risk with him too.

AJ Dinger: The best kept secret this week in my opinion is the Dinger! I have not heard one person mention him. Since beginning of last season (minus road course), the Dinger have performed his best on the short-flat racetracks. New Hampshire qualifies as short-flat racetrack. This season he have an 24.0 average finish at the short-flats (Martinsville, Phoenix and Richmond). To be fair, he was running top 10 at Martinsville before his equipment took a crap. At Phoenix and Richmond, he have an 15.0 average finish with 18.0 ARP and 77.1 driver rating. Last season he raced in both events at New Hampshire and had 15.5 average finishing position. If you need a deep sleeper with top 15 or so potential, then Dinger is your man. Hey you might get lucky and steal some major value.

Greg Biffle: Biff is probably one of the safest fantasy options for this weekend race. Only 3 times since 2005 he have finished outside the top 20. No driver in the field have formed consistency such as Greg. Okay maybe Jimmie Johnson or Carl Edwards, but still that is very impressive. Over his past 8 races at this track, he have an 12.1 average finish which is good enough for 10th-best in the series. Okay that might be too big of a data pool. So let look at the past two seasons (4 races) at New Hampshire. Greg have the 10th-best average finish of 12.3. I guess my point being is Biff will give you security if you are looking to play it safe without using a top tier driver. However he doesn't have much upside, so don't count on squeezing a top 10 finish out of him.


 ***Decided to leave out the busts this week. Mainly because I don't have time. Also I feel like they are useless at New Hampshire with all the crazy factors that goes into the finishes at this racetrack.



For awhile I been meaning to give a shoutout to Nascar Behind The Wall (NBTW)! Just a awesome blog with great information. Always appreciate the retweets on twitter and mentions from NBTW.


Email - briggs_garry48@yahoo.com

Twitter - @Garryy12

Fantasy Nascar Picks (New Hampshire)

Welcome to TimersSports


After one of the most competitive races ever at Kentucky (in my opinion), we head to New Hampshire! This is a tough track to make passes at and a track position comes first-type racetrack. The key to success this week will be able to find a hidden gem in between the fine lines. Typically that the difference of a good score and a great score. Also don't be afraid to put together some sleepers and potential under the radar drivers. With that said don't be afraid to go against the gain either though.

Yahoo -

A:

Start: Kyle Busch (8)

Bench: Brad Keselowski (8)

Reason - I like Busch much better than Keselowski. He was arguably the best driver in final practice and should benefit from warmer temps on Sunday.

B:

Start: Clint Bowyer (7) , Carl Edwards (7)

Bench: Jamie Mac (7) , Martin Truex Jr (4)

Reason - Edwards start from pole, so he is a lock IMO. Really came down to Bowyer or Jamie Mac. I decided to go with Bowyer because he was little faster and his Clint's track record is pretty solid. Jamie is a great fantasy option though.

C:

Start: Ryan Blaney (7)

Bench: Danica Patrick (5)

Reason - Blaney is fast and he is starting Sunday's race. Good enough for me!

Fantasy Live - 18,19,4,51,3

Sleeper - Jamie Mac

Race Winner - Kyle Busch

Twitter - @MattAleza

Fantasy Nascar Early Rankings (New Hampshire)

Welcome to TimersSports

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Kyle Busch
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Joey Logano
5. Kurt Busch
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Jeff Gordon
8. Martin Truex Jr
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Matt Kenseth
11. Kasey Kahne
12. Dale Jr
13. Kyle Larson
14. Jamie McMurray
15. Carl Edwards
16. Paul Menard
17. Ryan Newman
18. Clint Bowyer
19. Greg Biffle
20. Tony Stewart
21. Austin Dillon
22. Aric Almirola
23. AJ Dinger
24. David Ragan
25. Ryan Blaney
26. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
27. Danica Patrick
28. Casey Mears
29. Justin Allagier
30. Sam Hornish Jr

Twitter - @CrazyKateNascar

Fantasy Nascar Preview (New Hampshire)

Welcome to TimersSports

We are headed to New Hampshire this weekend! I personally think this is one of the toughest places to make fantasy picks at. Typically passing is tough and track position is a key to success. If you are gonna win this race, then your pit crew will have to be one point. Last season we saw several drivers run out of gas due to a untimely late caution. New Hampshire is a short-flat racetrack. We have raced at two short flat-tracks this season of Phoenix and Richmond. Success doesn't always translate, but it sure does help though. So looking at data at those venues wouldn't be a terrible idea.

1-Jamie Mac: JMac is probably one of the most underrated fantasy options of the 2015 season. He once again finished inside the top 15 at Kentucky. However things are looking up for JMac as he seems to run his best on the shorter-flats compared to other type tracks. This season he been very strong on similar racetracks. He have compiled an 3.0 average finish with 7.0 average running position, 110.5 driver rating and 2 top 5 finishes in 2 races. His performance at Richmond stands out because he had the best car on the long run in that race. Up until the final green flag run in my opinion. He wasn't as strong at Phoenix, but he still finished inside  the top 5. JMac also been one of the strongest performers over the past 4 races at New Hampshire as well. He have compiled an 9.3 average finish, 10.3 average start, 11.5 average running position and 95.5 driver rating. It also worth noting he have finished inside the top 5 in 2 of the past 3 races here. If there was one downside to picking Jamie, then it would be that he have finished worse in the July race then he have in the September race. In the July race he have finished 12th and 16th the past two seasons. In September, he have finished 4th and 5tth.

2-Brad Keselowski: Keselowski had the best car at Kentucky, but he couldn't do anything with it. Can he deliver at another good racetrack? Honestly I don't know. On similar tracks, he have compiled 11.5 average with 1 top 10, 4.5 average running position, 61 laps led and 113.7 driver rating. The one thing that jumps out is his 4.5 average running position which would rank him 3rd in the series. Also his New Hampshire is very strong. Over the past 4 races, he have compiled 5.8 average finish, 7.8 average start, 6.5 average running position, 232 laps led and 120.4 driver rating.


3-Austin Dillon: Dillon haven't set the world on fire this season, but not like he have been terrible either though. On similar tracks this season, he have complied 21.0 average finish, 15.5 average start, 20.5 average running position and 69.1 driver rating. Those aren't bad numbers for Dillon , in fact I say those are your typical Austin Dillon's stats. Most weekends he is middle of the road driver. He been performing better, but he still haven't found ways to translate speed into solid race results. A lot of that have to due with his development at the cup level. However New Hampshire was one of Dillon stronger tracks in his rookie season. Last season, he compiled 12.5 average finish with 20.5 average running position and 74.5 driver rating. He finished 11th and 14th last season. Expect a finish somewhere in the top 20, but don't be shocked to see him run near the top 10 for some of the race though.

4-Kevin Harvick: Harvick is coming off his worst race of the season probably in my opinion. I think a lot of that had to do with the aero package at Kentucky. However we are using the old package at New Hampshire and he been a bad man this season! On similar tracks, he have compiled 1.5 average finish, 3.0 average start, 3.0 average running position, 226 laps led and 136.4 driver rating. In simpler terms, he been pretty much unstoppable. A lot of those stats are from Phoenix. Even though he did very well at Richmond and finished 2nd to eventual race winner Kurt Busch. Over the past 4 races at New Hampshire, he have compiled 15.0 average finish, 10.3 average start, 10.8 average running position,  104 laps led and 94.5 driver rating. He finished 30th and 3rd last season. He probably should have finished inside the top 3 in both races, but he ran out of gas after a late caution last July.

5-Kasey Kahne: I  am not sure what happened to Kahne, but dropped like a rock on that final green flag run at Kentucky. There was something very wrong with his car. He should get back on track at New Hampshire though. This have not been one of his strongest tracks since joining Hendrick, but he have gotten some solid outcomes though. In 6 races with Hendrick MotorSports, he have compiled 14.7 average finish with 4 finishes of 11th or better. Including 2 Top 5 finishes. However both top 5 finishes came in his debut with HMS in 2012. Since? He have finished 11th twice and 23rd or worse twice as well. He been a strong performer on the short-flats this season though. In 2 races, he have compiled 5.0 average finish, 24.0 average start, 9.5 average running position and 100.5 driver rating. He should contend for a top 10 on Sunday.

10-Danica Patrick: Danica is coming off her 2nd straight race where she have finished outside of the top 30. Honestly I am not even sure if she is even useable in Yahoo Fantasy Racing right now which is saying a lot. I understand it not her fault she had issues at Daytona and got wrecked at Kentucky. But I just don't feel too great about picking her at the moment. Not like she have blown us away at New Hampshire either though. She have an 22.6 average finish in her last 3 starts here. Tough to make a case for her here when there tracks like Pocono and Michigan which are tracks she seems to run better at. Even though I think she can finish inside the top 20 on Sunday.

11-Denny Hamlin: Hamlin should be a very good fantasy pick for this weekend race. New Hampshire is one of his better racetracks on the schedule.  Over the past 6 races at New Hampshire, he have compiled 13.5 average finish, 10.5 average start, 11.7 average running position, 395 laps led and 113.6 driver rating. In that 6 race span, he have finished 12th or better in 4 races. He finished 1st and 2nd in 2012. From 2010-2012, Hamlin was the king of flats. So it only reasonable he was so strong here. Since Hamlin and JGR have stepped back some, but he ran very strong here last season. His finishes of 37th and 8th don't justify how good he truly was. However he haven't feared too well on the shorter flats this season. On similar racetracks, Hamlin have compiled 22.5 average finish, 13.5 average start, 20.5 average running position and 67.7 driver rating. Most noticeably he struggled very bad at Richmond. Honestly I was quite surprised by that. Nevertheless feel like JGR is running much better right now.

16-Greg Biffle: Let me let everyone in on a little secret: Greg Biffle runs very well at New Hampshire! Over the past 4 races here, Biff have compiled 12.7 average finish, 18.2 average start, 16.8 average running position and 80.0 driver rating. In fact Biffle been one of the most consistent fantasy options since 2005 here. In those 20 races (since 2005), Biff have finished 18th or better in 18 of 20 races. Last time he finished outside the top 20? 2008 (14 races ago) where he finished 21st. Biff have feared too well on shorter-flat this season though. He finished 27th at Phoenix and 21st at Richmond. So that isn't exactly comforting, but he might be worth a flier in deeper leagues.

18-Kyle Busch: There is no driver in the Sprint Cup Series hotter than Kyle Busch! If you have played fantasy racing long enough, then you know Busch is a streaky driver. Meaning he usually goes on hot streaks and cold streaks. He is smoking right now and you should probably consider him this weekend at New Hampshire. Over the past 4 races here, he have compiled 3.5 average finish, 5.5 average start, 6.8 average running position, 115 laps led and 114.8 driver rating. In that 4-race span, Busch have finished 2nd a series-leading 3 times. His only finish outside of the top 5? Was last September in 8th.  Busch haven't raced this season on a short-flat racetrack, but his track record says he should be a contender for another win.

19-Carl Edwards: Got to love Carl Edwards! If he practice well, then he will disappoint. However if he practice poorly then he gonna go out and prove you wrong. That exactly what he did at Kentucky and finished 4th. Question is what does have in store for us at New Hampshire? Good question, but I have no idea to be honest. On similar tracks, he have compiled 16.0 average finish, 12.5 average start, 17.0 average running position, and 76.6 driver rating. He struggled at Richmond earlier this season, but I am not too worried about that. He have been solid at New Hampshire lately. Over the past 4 races here, he have compiled 11.8 average finish, 13.5 average start, 14.3 average running position and 84.6 driver rating. If he can keep his Toyota up front, then he due for another solid outing. Honestly I am hoping Kentucky was a turning point for Edwards.

20-Matt Kenseth: Kenseth have been strong at New Hampshire since joining JGR. Truthfully he started off his career off at New Hampshire very well and then hit a bumpy path from 2008 to 2011. Of course now he back to running well here. Since joining JGR (4 races), he have compiled 8.8 average finish, 13.0 average start, 7.3 average running position, 151 laps led and 114.0 driver rating. His only finish outside of the top 10 was last season event in July. He ran very well in that event though. He started 16th , finished 21st, had 10.0 average running position and 90.1 driver rating. He also been very strong on similar tracks this season too. He have compiled 11.5 average finish, 6.0 average start, 8.0 average running position and 99.7 driver rating.

22-Joey Logano: Logano is a very good fantasy pick this week. He scored his first career victory back in 2009 at the magic mile in his debut at the track with Joe Gibbs Racing. Over the past 4 races, he have compiled 23.8 average finish, 11.0 average start, 17.8 average running position, 77 laps led and 87.0 driver rating. He finished 40th the past two July races, but he been very competitive despite poor results. Last season he wrecked into Morgan Shepard while leading. It funny that he completed 211 laps in each of the past two July races at New Hampshire. It almost like it fixed. However he came back in September and won for 2nd time in his career at the 1-mile flat racetrack in 2014. He been a strong performer on the shorter-flats this season which helps out his case. He have had some impressive stats: 6.5 average finish, 1.5 average start, 5.5 average running position, 129 laps led and 113.7 driver rating. For those that are wondering, Logano have 4 top 5 finishes in the past 5 Sprint Cup Series Races which leads the series.

24-Jeff Gordon: Gordon is coming off an 6th place finish at Kentucky Speedway. He comes to New Hampshire with little chip on his shoulder. Last season he was a strong performer in both races, but pretty sure he ran out of gas both times. Before last season poor results, he was a very consistent and reliable fantasy option here. Minus last season two races, he have wheeled off 17 straight finishes inside the top 15. In fact, he have only finished worse than 15th in 3 races since the 2003(!) season. That is super impressive and personally I think he get back on track this weekend. He been very good this season on the shorter-flats, he have compiled 8.5 average finish, 10.5 average running position, 8.0 average running position and 121.5 driver rating. Expect Gordon to contend for another top 10 finish on Sunday.

27-Paul Menard: Menard is a better driver on the intermediate racetracks, but I think there are worse options laying out there. He been decent at New Hampshire over his past 4 starts. He have compiled 18.3 average finish , 15.0 average start, 17.0 average running position and 73.9 driver rating. Those are not great stats, but he finished 22nd or better in every single start since joining RCR in 2012 (6 races). Last season, he finished 17th and 19th. His best race was probably back in September 2012 where he finished 12th. Otherwise every other race have ended between 15th-22nd and driver rating have been south of 80.0 as well. On the shorter flats this season, he have compiled 14.5 average finish with 16.5 average running position and 80.0 driver rating. Expect another finish around 15th-ish.

41-Kurt Busch: Busch wasn't very good at Kentucky, but he should get back on track this weekend at New Hampshire. Last season he finished 36th and 17th. He wasn't very good last season at a lot of racetracks, so I will give him a pass. However before bouncing around to several different teams, he was one of the strongest driver from 2007-2010. So maybe he can return to a elite driver at this venue? I think he will. On similar tracks this season, he have compiled 3.0 average finish, 5.5 average start, 3.0 average running position, 291 laps led and 133.1 driver rating. He finished 5th at Phoenix and won at Richmond for those that have forgotten. I think he should be easily one of the drivers to beat this Sunday.

42-Kyle Larson: Larson finished 35th at Kentucky, but it was shame since he was arguably having one of his best races of the season. On the plus side, he had a great rookie season at New Hampshire though. Last season he finished 2.5 average finish, 11.5 average start, 11.0 average running position, 14 laps led and 99.1 driver rating. Those are some very good stats. He also have been pretty good this season on the shorter flats tracks. He have compiled 11.0 average finish with 12.0 average finish and 90.9 driver rating. You expect another top 15 finish from Larson, but I think it will be more like top 10 finish though. Honestly I think a lot of people will avoid Larson after last week bust at Kentucky.

48-Jimmie Johnson: Johnson is coming off an 9th place finish at Kentucky. Last season he struggled at New Hampshire where he finished 5th and 42nd. His 42nd place finish have been only one of 3 finishes out of the top 10 since 2006. In that span (the past 16 races), he have 13 finishes of 9th or better. Including 4 finishes of 6th or better in his past 5 races. Looking at all of his races individually, he have never been a dominating driver. But he been one of the most consistent drivers though. On similar tracks, Johnson have compiled 7.0 average finish, 28.0 average start,12.5 average running position and 96.8 driver rating. He finished 11th at Phoenix and 3rd at Richmond.

78-Martin Truex Jr: Truex had another off-race at Kentucky and quite frankly I get the feeling his hot streak might be over. Even though I also feel like it was a streak of rough patches as well. I think we will know for sure which one it is after this weekend. Last season he finished 12th in both races. In fact I think New Hampshire is one of Truex best racetracks. Dating back to his days with MWR, he have finished 8 straight inside the top 17. Including 4 finishes of 12th or better in his past 6 races. He also been a very strong performer this season on similar track. He have compiled 8.5 average finish, 10.5 average running position, 8.5 average running position and 101.7 driver rating. He should be a top 10 heading into Sunday race.

88-Dale Jr: Dale Earnhardt Jr have not been at his best this season on the shorter flats tracks for some reason. He finished 43rd at Phoenix after a blown tire. He followed that up by finishing 14th at Richmond. Honestly he wasn't ever a race winner contender in either event. Last season he finished 9th and 10th at New Hampshire. In fact, he been very good at this venue since 2010. He have wheeled off 9 Top 15 finishes in his past 10 starts at the track. Including 4 top 10 finishes in his 6 races. Honestly I think you can expect a finish somewhere from 6th-14th from Dale Jr.

***All stats from FantasyRacingCheatSheet.com and Driveraverages.com

Email - JeffNathan74@yahoo.com

Twitter - @JeffNathans

Fantasy Nascar RaceDay Thoughts (Kentucky)

Welcome to TimersSports

Happy Raceday. Setting your fantasy team can be difficult , especially with everything being factored in. Below our group of experts give their thoughts on today race (Including their final
picks).

Kate Roswell (@CrazyKateNascar):

- The Penske cars look really good this weekend. So don't overlook them when filling out your fantasy lineup.

- Track position will be key this weekend. Still don't think the new aero package will make much difference. Passing will be tough still IMO.

- Kyle Busch is my pick to win. He is hungry and this is a Kyle Busch type track and race.

- What wrong with the MWR cars? I was hoping they would have looked better than they did.

Garry Briggs (@Garryy12):

- So who is my disappointment pick? Jimmie Johnson. Why? Well let just say that what my gut says. I am not feeling the 48. However everyone have a different opinion. Go with your gut this week would be my best advice to everyone.

- Kyle Larson was one of my sleepers earlier this week and so far it have looked really good for him. I think he will finish around 10th tonight. He fell off too much in my opinion.

- Joey Logano have been on my radar all week long. Few weeks ago at Sonoma I chickened out at the last second with using him. The good things about mistakes is you learn from them. And Logano look really strong.

-Brad Keselowski probably have the car to beat. Don't think it a dominating car though.

Matt Aleza (@MattAleza):

-A guy who struggled was Matt Kenseth. He wasn't very happy with his car on Friday. I was expecting him to be better.

- Austin Dillon is a guy to watch out for! I been pretty impressive by him. He been pretty strong since Kansas though.

- Kevin Harvick is a guy who is being overlooked. I thought he was very strong in practice. Don't be shocked to see him back in victory lane.

- I find it hard to bet against Brad Keselowski this week. I think he takes the weekend sweep!

Yahoo Lineup -

Kate's Lineup - 2,27,41,10

Garry's Lineup - 22,41,5,10

Matt's Lineup - 18,19,41,10

Sleepers:

Kate's Pick - Paul Menard

Garry's Pick - Austin Dillon

Matt's Pick - Paul Menard

Race Winner:

Kate's Pick - Kyle Busch

Garry's Pick - Kyle Busch

Matt's Pick - Brad Keselowski

Fantasy Nascar Picks (Kentucky)

Welcome to TimersSports

Kentucky Speedway is this week's stop on the 2015 schedule. In my opinion, this is one of the most boring races we go to. Hopefully the new package being debut at this week will shake things up and create more passing. However I am afraid with the current tire they are bringing it won't do much good. The key to success this week may heavily rely on Wednesday's testing results. Now remember there only a selected amount of races that will be using a new race package (as of right). I also have heard this package will be used again at Darlington. So we will see what Nascar decisions to do with it.


Yahoo -

A:

Start - Kyle Busch (9)

Bench - Jimmie Johnson (6)

Reason - Johnson vs Busch is a tough one. I think Johnson have more security, but I think Busch have more potential and upside. Johnson will be good no doubt, but I just wasn't overly impressed. Usually when Johnson gonna dominate a race, we can see it in practice. This week I didn't see it.

B:

Start - Kurt Busch (4) , Carl Edwards (8)

Bench - Kasey Kahne (4) , Paul Menard (6)

Reasons -Welp I made my bed and now I will have to lay in it. The best two options in this tier in my opinion this week are Truex and possibly Larson. I left them both off. So going with Busch and Edwards over Kahne and Menard. I don't love Busch this week, but he will be a solid option no doubt. With Edwards I am pretty much rolling the dice with. He wasn't very good in practice, but if history holds true then he will finish up front. He love screwing with us fantasy players minds.

C:

Start - Danica Patrick (5)

Bench - Ryan Blaney (7)

Reasons -Pretty easy decision. Blaney missed the race, so Danica get the start. Plus this grouping tier is pretty weak outside of Danica and Ragan.

Fantasy Live -2,41,18,55,7

Sleeper - Paul Menard

Winner - Brad Keselowski

Twitter - @MattAleza