2015 Fantasy Nascar Driver Preview: Kurt Busch

Welcome to Timerssports

2015 Kurt Busch Profile

Kurt Busch had a interesting offseason to say the least. But that irreverent to the 2015 nascar season. Kurt had a down year overall , but he came around in the final three races. The changing of the crew chiefs was something I loved. Kurt and Tony Gibson really understands each other.

On Intermediate track expect latter single digits to mid teen results on high-speed Intermediate tracks. Atlanta is probably his top track. He have won 3 times in 24 starts. Since 2010 , his worst finish is 13th. Including one win and 4 finishes in the top 6. Chicago , Texas and Kentucky are another solid places to use Kurt Busch at. Expect least teen-like results at those venues.

Auto Club may be his best track overall. Since 2009 (8 races) , Kurt have 6 finishes in the top 9. Including 3 straight finishes in the top 10 (back-to-back top 5). With an 5.6 average finish. Michigan quite possibly one of Kurt worse tracks from a career stand point. He a two time winner in 28 starts , but only have 6 finishes inside the top 10 outside those wins. He only have one top 10 since 2010 (9 races).

Flats tracks always been a great type track for Kurt Busch. Pocono , Phoenix , and  New Hampshire ranks among his best 8 track (career stats). Phoenix is a strange track. In the fall , he been one of the most consistent drivers since 2008 (7 races). With finishes of 7,5,8,22,9,6 and 2 for 8.4 average finish. In the spring since 2008? 21.4 average finish. 0 Top 10s in his past 3 spring races.

At New Hampshire , Busch been off lately. In his past 7 races , he have 7 straight races of 13th or worse. 5 of those 7 races have resulted in 22nd or worse. 3 of 5 races were worse then 30th. In 2014 , Busch had finishes of 36th and 14th. From 2008 to 2010 , he had 5 straight races in the top 6. Busch last win at Pocono was 2007. But since 2009 (10 races) , Busch have 7 Top 10s including 5 finishes of 6th or better. Also Busch have 8 qualifying efforts in the top 6 in that span. 3 of the past 4 have either ended in 3rd or 7th. Last season Busch had pair of strong finishes.

Indianapolis by far his worst flat track. In 14 career races , Busch have 8 Top 20s. So far so good. Only 3 of those were in the top 10 unfortunately. Of the other 6 races , five finishes were 27th or worse. Including finishes of 36 ,40 and 41. Not exactly a track he will have a lot of upside at.

Road courses will be a strong spot for Busch. Sonoma is his better track though. Busch seems to always run well there. Even in 51 car Busch was pretty competitive few years back. Almost won that race. Since 2011 , Busch have 4 finishes in the top 12. 3 of them were 4th or better. Watkins Glenn isn't a widely known strong track for Kurt. But don't be fooled , he made strides of late. Since 2008 (7 races) , Busch have 5 Top 10s. From 2001 to 2007 , Busch had only 3 Top 15s and best finish of 10th. In 2014 at Watkins Glenn he finished 3rd and was one of the most competitive drivers.

Short track been up and down for Busch his whole career. He have had some great finishes and some poor ones. Pretty much like any other driver. At Richmond , Busch have an 17.7 average finish including 1 win. Over past 4 races , Busch have 3 Top 10s. All three race he had over 100 driver rating. Which suggests he didn't luck into them.

Martinsville been a terrible track for Kurt. Don't be fool by last season win. His last top before his win in 2014? All the way back in 2005. In 29 career starts , he have 3 top 10s. Bristol is Busch best short track. In 29 career starts , he have 5 wins and 14.5 average finish. Unfortunately lately Busch been inconsistent as heck. 2 Finishes outside of 30th and 2 finishes inside the top 5 past two seasons. I feel more lucky at playing the lottery.

If you have watched Busch over the years at Daytona and Talladega, then you already know his history. 28 of 42 races have resulted in the top 10 combined at the two venues. Neither venue been kind to him lately. At Talladega , 4 of the previous 7 races have resulted in 30th or worse. His record recently been better at Daytona. Past two seasons , he been much better in the summer race. Both races in the top 6. The Daytona 500? Both races ended outside top 20.

Look I am not saying Kurt Busch gonna go out and win 6 or 7 races , but I expect a multi-win season out of Kurt. I felt like Busch struggled early on in 2014 due to he wasn't comfortable with SHR. In 2015 it won't be a issue. Flats, road courses and Intermediate tracks will be the places to use him. I feel like Busch will be overlook a lot early in the season. Hoping for a few good finishes in first 12 races. Would love that kind of fantasy value.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Driver Preview: Kasey Kahne

Welcome to Timerssports

2015 Kasey Kahne Profile

Kahne had a very Kahne-like 2014 season. Not great , but just enough to stay relevant. Kahne will be far from consistent and that a given. His best days will be on Intermediate tracks and flats. Those are the places to use him. I feel like this is a make or break type year. Even with a contract deal in-place , I feel like HMS gave him a deal to avoid silly season drama.

Intermediate tracks will be Kahne strongest area. In his career , 10 victories have came on this type track. Last season his lone win came at Atlanta. Charlotte is his best track and it isn't very debate. Since his debut he have an 11.3 average finish and 4 wins. Since joining HMS in 2012 (6 races) , Kahne have 6.1 average finish and 5 Top 10s. From 2006 to 2009 (8 races) , he had 5.7 average finish and 6 finishes of 3rd or better. Including 3 wins.

Las Vegas another good track for Kahne. Past two seasons , he have an 5.0 average finish and 115.1 driver rating. In 2013 , he was dominated. Led 114 laps and 138.1 driver rating. He posted three straight races of 91.0 or better driver ratings. Had 13.5 average finish in 11 career races.

Since joining HMS , Kansas been a strong spot for Kahne. Much stronger in the spring then fall. In the spring , he have 4.3 average finish and 2 Top 5s. All three races with finishes of 8th or better. In the fall , he been decent. In three races he have 13.6 average finish with finishes of 15 and 22 past 2 seasons.

At larger tracks , he been solid  at his best. Michigan he been excellent  since joining HMS. Excluding his two bad finish in 2013 & 2012 (June races). Kahne have 4 finishes of 16th or better. 3 Of those were in the top 10 in 6 starts. Over past 2 seasons at California , he posted 25.0 average finish. He much better then that though. Last season he was victim of the tire failures and finished 41th. From 2010 - 2013 (4 races) , Kasey had 4 finishes in the top 15. 3 Of them were either 9th or 3rd. Had a 9.0 average finish in that span as well.

At flats Kahne seems to excelled on the larger tracks. Pocono is a strange track for Kahne. Since joining HMS in June race he have 3 finishes of 36,41 and 29. For average finish of 35.6. In the August race , he have finish of 10,1, and 2. For average finish of 4.3. Not a gambler , but I would put money on the August race over June.

Indianapolis been a great track for Kasey lately. Especially past few seasons. Since 2012 , Kahne have 7.0 average finish and all three races had 91.0 driver rating or better. Past two seasons , he been stellar. 4.5 Average finish and driver rating above 110.0 in both races. In 2014 , Kahne finish 6th. But he was much better. Led 70 laps and posted 132.7 driver rating. In 2013 finished 3rd and had 116.4 driver rating.

At New Hampshire , Kahne been pretty darn good performance wise. Since he clipped the top 5 in both during 2012 season (1st , 5th). In past 4 races , he been better in the June race. Past 2 seasons , Kahne have pair of 11th place finishes. In September? 23rd and 37th finishes. From July 2011 to July 2014 (8 races) , Kahne posted driver rating between 95.1 and 131.5. 7 Of those races resulted in 15th or better. In 2013 he finished 37th. But led 31 laps after starting 2nd.

Kahne have new Phoenix figured out. Least in the fall. Since winning in November of 2011 , Kahne have average finish of 7.0 including 3 finishes of 7th or better. In spring he been trending in the right direction. In 2012 finished 34th. 2013 It was 19th and 2014 it improved to 11th. Not too bad at all.

Road courses will be tricky. Kahne much better at Sonoma then Watkins Glenn. But Kahne rarely get any credit for being a much improved road course racer. In his past 6 races at Sonoma , Kahne have 8.5 average finish. 5 of those 6 races , Kahne posted a driver rating above 90.0. He finished 20th in other race. 3 Of those 5 races , he posted driver ratings above 100.0. At Watkins he yet to score a top 10. But since 2008 (7 races) , he have 5 finishes from 12th - 17th. Including two of the past 3 seasons.

At short tracks Kahne been decent. His best track is Bristol and it isn't close. Minus last season August race , Kahne have an 5.0 average finish and 4 finishes of 9th or better since 2012. At Martinsville , Kahne have 2 Top 5s since joining HMS. Unfortunately past 3 races have resulted in 27,22 and 40. Not exactly stellar stats. At Richmond since September 2012 Kahne actually been predictable. 4 of those 5 races have resulted in finish from 12th to 17th. The other finish was 21th.

At plate tracks , Kahne been inconsistent to say the least. Daytona been a train wreck. Since joining HMS , only 1 Top 10. His next best finish is 27th. That's just terrible. At Talladega however , lady luck been on his side. Over past 6 races , Kahne have 4 finishes of 12th or better. From a career standpoint , both venues been terrible for Kahne.

I believe Kahne will be inconsistent and will likely disappoint more then a few times. But that doesn't mean he cannot have a productive year. Use him at the Intermediate venues. Especially Charlotte and Michigan. Larger flats and Sonoma will also be nice places to unload Kahne. At end of the day , Kahne needs to prove everyone wrong that he's just a pretty boy. Good looks don't win races. Good drivers do.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Driver Preview: Greg Biffle

Welcome to Timerssports

2015 Greg Biffle Profile

One of the most disappointing individuals in 2014 was the Biff. The 46 years old driver didn't reach victory nor really contend much at all. Only two seasons after dominating the regular season in 2012. The regression of RFR was a big reason for the poor results. Not all can pinned on RFR though. Biff needs to become a leader in 2015. One of the biggest questions heading into 2015 season been can RFR rebound this season? That's a difficult question to answer. This solely depends on your personal opinion and beliefs. I honestly do. I truly believe Biff and co will be better in 2015.

Intermediate tracks will be the Biff strength. RFR always brings fast cars to these venues. Expect that to continue in 2015. Texas can be considered his top high-speed Intermediate track. Due to how consistent he been. Over the past 5 races , Biff have an 7.6 average finish. Last time he finished outside top 15? April 2008.

Kansas is another popular venue for Biff. Since Fall 2012 , Biff just haven't been right. In that span , he have a average finish of 18.0 and highest individual driver rating of 83.3 in those six races. From fall 2004 until spring 2012 (10 races) , Biff had a 4.8 average finish. What changed? Repave between the fall and spring 2012 races. Kansas like a new track. To Biff it is.

Dover , Charlotte , Miami and Las Vegas are other popular tracks. Las Vegas been a somewhat iffy track. Since 2010 have an 16.0 average finish with 3 of those races resulting in 15th or worse. From to 2010- 2012 (3 races) , he had 110.2 driver rating and 13.6 average finish. Past two seasons he been terrible. With 19.5 average finish and 64.5 driver rating. No consequences that RFR went south start of 2013 when Kenseth left and their performance did too.

Dover was once a great track for Biffle. From 2005 to 2010 , he had 9 finishes of 8th or better. Including 2 wins. Since (8 races)? 1 Top 10 and that was a 9th in 2013. Even though most of his results been in the teens. Charlotte and Homestead been decent tracks for Biff. But not that great either. Been up and down his entire career at both track. Kinda feel like Biff get more credit then he deserves. The team he drives for could have a big reason for that. Stat wise (career) , Charlotte and Homestead ranked as 16th/17th best tracks. Similar rankings in past 2 seasons among average finish.

Michigan is a great larger track for Biff. Over past 6 races , Biff have an 7.5 average finish. Including two wins. In 32 career races ,he have an 11.5 average finish. That's pretty darn good. At ACS , he been good times over the years. 2 of the past 3 races have resulted in top 10s.

Flats tracks been pretty good for Biff in his career. In 2014 , he was pretty darn consistent. Posted a lot of teen results. But was reliable. Indy is his best track (career pov). In 12 career starts , Biff have 13.3 average finish. Finish in the top 8 from 2008 to 2012. Finished 24 and 13 past two seasons. Last season 13th was definitely a improvement from 2013. In 2013 , he finished a lap off the pace.

Pocono been a great track past few seasons. Biff turned a corner recently here. 3 Of the past 4 races have resulted in 10th or better. Biff won in 2010. I believe that was the turning point. Most recently ( since June 2013) , I believe Biff have found something to more consistent at Pocono.

Since winning in July 2008 , Biff have only 4 Top 10s in past 12 starts at New Hampshire. Haven't been a stellar track. But he consistently finishing in the teens. Becoming more of a predictable option of late at NHMS. At Phoenix he been pretty average. Knocked off a few top 10s , but have trended more towarded an teen-type fantasy option. Expect low-end top 10 finish at best.

At plate tracks , I almost always try to use Greg Biffle. More times then not it ends in a good points day. The RFR cars seems to always be fast. Almost like they have a slight advantage over majority of the field. They have found a lot of success here. No reason to think it will change in 2015. Even if RFR  have a down year , I would highly consider the Biff.

Short tracks remains to be a weakness for the Biff. Even though I believe he is greatly underrated. Martinsville probably his worst track career wise. But have found something positive lately. 3 Of the past 5 races have resulted in 9th or 10th. His previous two results (2014) , he have finishes of 18 and 13 though. Still before 2013 , he had 2 Top 10 at Martinsville.

Bristol been a very good track. In 24 career races , Biff have an 11.9 average finish. Past 4 races all have been 12th or better. Which tells me he been a reliable fantasy option. Biff underrated for the most part.

Richmond is probably his second best short track. Over his career , he have 17.0 average finish. Over past 6 races had few good races. Including 18.1 average finish. Minus his lone back finish in 2013 , Biff had an 14.6 average finish. Typically that in his range of usually finishes at short tracks. From September 2004 to September 2006 (5 races) , Biff have 5 straight races with finishes of 8th or better.

At road courses , most people don't think of Greg as a good option. But past few years he have turned a corner. After only having 2 Top 10 from 2003 to 2011 at Watkins Glenn. Biff have scored 2 Top 10s in past 3 seasons. Including results of 6th and 8th. At Sonoma , Biff been great. 6 Of 12 career races have resulted in 10th or better. 4 of them have came in previous 5 starts. He doesn't get enough credit at either place.

Weather or not Biff returns to championship form depends on RFR improvements. I believe he will be better then 2014. Unfortunately at 46, you have to wonder how much is left in the tank. Biff best days will come Intermediate track , flats , plates tracks and road courses. His main weakness may come at short track. Even though I think he underrated most of the time at them. Biff have a lot to prove and many more to prove wrong. Can he did it? Time will tell.

Twitter - @MattAleza

2015 Fantasy Nascar Driver Preview: Tony Stewart

Welcome to TimersSports

2015 Tony Stewart Profile

Tony Stewart been under the radar since winning his last championship in fantasy nascar. I believe he still more then capable of being that guy again. Look for him to start the season off sluggish , but once the calendar flip to June. That where Smoke becomes relevant. I usually don't use Smoke until the first Pocono race. Don't really see the point.

Intermediate tracks have been a strength for Smoke in his career. Honestly  in 2014 , he wasn't quite as bad as I thought. Only had 3 bad races. Outside of those races , he had only 2 races (Charlotte II , Kansas I) worse then 18th. Should be noted at those races , he finished 20th and 21st. Most of his races he finished in the low to mid teens. He was even stronger at larger tracks. Had an 8.0 average finish between the tracks of California and Michigan.

Smoke always been a strong flat track racer. 2014 was a bit down performance wise. But no doubt he knows how to find success on them. Let look at his career numbers and recent race data.

Indy could be his best track among the flats from a career standpoint. In 16 career races , Smoke have an 8.5 average finish and 2 wins. Finished 17th in 2014. But finished in the top 10 in 9 of the previous 10 races at IMS. Hard to not like him at Indianapolis. Pocono is my personal favorite track to use Smoke at. In 36 races , Smoke have an 11.8 average finish. In 2014 , he finished 36 and 13. Since July 2005 , he had only 3 finishes worse then 15th. 16 finishes of 13th or better. Hard to beat that. That almost a decade span.

New Hampshire is a very good track for Smoke. In 31 career races , he have an 12.3 average finish. Finish 36th and 7th in 2014. Recently been better in the summer race. 3 Top 10s in his last three summer races. The Fall been pretty messy for Smoke. Smoke been good at Phoenix in his career. Unfortunately since the repave , Smoke been pretty unreliable at Phoenix. Something to consider.

At short tracks , Smoke been inconsistent recently. Had 2 Top 5s in 2014. Outside of that , Smoke short tracks been iffy. He will hold value at short tracks.

Richmond probably his best track for a career point of view. He have 3 wins and 11.2 career average finish. Even though over his previous 3 races at RIR , Smoke average finish is 19.3. But on the plus side , the previous 4 races Smoke had an 4.6 average finish. So basically an 11.9 average finish altogether. Slightly below his average for his career.

Martinsville been a decent track recently for Stewart. Kinda overrated in my opinion. More hype then his record can back up. 6 Of the past 10 races have resulted in 17th or worse. 4 Of them were 24th or worse. Not exactly good numbers at any track.Bristol been pretty unkind to Smoke. Since 2006 , Smoke have 3 finishes inside the top 10. That's is terrible. Then again Bristol never been a strong track for Smoke. I would avoid him at Bristol. Despite his 4th place finish in 2014.

Road courses will be a solid area for Smoke. He always had a knack for running well at them. Behind Gordon , Smoke have the most wins. Watkins Glenn is the preferred over Sonoma though. Both are good spots to use Smoke. Side note on Sonoma , I feel like he have fallen off a bit there. Still a useful option , but not what he been at WGI.

Plate track been a down trending type track for Smoke. But I will give him benefit of the doubt. I am sure he can deliver top notch results. But recent results there have me wanting to stay away. Least until he get back to his old self at Daytona and Talladega. Just for the record , I wouldn't use him at the 500 even if he was on a hot trend.

I don't know what to expect from Smoke. As I stated in the Profile , I think Smoke could have a very good season in 2015. My fellow writers must feel the same way we all have him from 13th - 17th range on our rankings to start the season. His best days will be Intermediate tracks , flats and road courses. The plate tracks and shorts will likely be the places to avoid him. Also it worth noting Smoke been at his best during the summer months. 2014 that was also the case. We saw a upstick in production once the weather got warmer.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Driver Preview: Austin Dillon

Welcome to Timerssports

2015 Austin Dillon Profile

Austin Dillon was a consistent performer in 2014. Didn't really show any flashes of greatness like Larson , but he was always the safer bet. Usually had an top 25 car in practice and was able to finish in the teens when the checkers waved.

Plate tracks will likely continue to be a strong suit for Dillon. In 2014 , he finished inside the top 15 at all four races. Dillon understands how to race at both Daytona and Talladega. His experience in NNS pays off big time.

Short tracks was a solid area for Dillon in 2014. Martinsville by far his best short track. He posted finishes of 13 and 15 for an 14.0 average finish. He did what he needed to do. Keep his nose clean. Bristol he had mix results. The spring race , he had a car good enough for mid-teen results. But finished 11th. The summer portion , he finished 7 laps down in 28th. Could use a little improve.

At Richmond , Dillon needs to improve at the most. Had finishes of 20 and 27. Either race did he look anything close to be competitive. Overall he needs to work his short track game. Had an 19.0 average finish in 6 races and only 3 top 15s.

At Flats , Dillon showed consistency for the most part. Had several good runs. Outside of Phoenix , Dillon had an 15.2 average finish and worse finish of 17th. New Hampshire was his best track. Had finishes of 11 and 14. Solid outcomes for a rookie. At Pocono , he had finishes of 14 and 17. Still good. Could use some improvement and try to finish closer to the top 10 in 2015.

Indianapolis was Dillon lone top 10. Kinda interested if he can back that up in 2015. Indy no cake walk for young drivers. His 89.9 driver rating encouraging though. Finally Phoenix was Dillon worst track. Had finishes of 24 and 38. Wasn't very competitive in either race. The second Phoenix race Dillon had a flat and caused him to go behind the wall for repairs. Don't remember the reason why. Was running about 20-ish at the time.

Road courses went better for Dillon then I initially expected. At Sonoma , Dillon finish 17th. Run around 20th all race long though. At Watkins , Dillon had a high-teen competitive type car. But faded on the longer runs. Eventually finished 17th. Not terrible for Dillon who isn't known for his road courses abilities.

Intermediate racetracks Dillon needs to definitely improve at. They are a big bulk of the schedule. In 2014 , he had an 18.3 average finish and 1Top 10. Dillon biggest issue was backing up a solid result. Also he didn't have many top 15 results. In year 2 , he needs to take those top 20s and turn them into Top 15s. Otherwise Dillon pretty much useless in fantasyland.

We don't have a lot to go on with Dillon. Young drivers don't have the race data for us to make an accurate and fair judgement. Especially since usually the more race data= more accurate predictions. Based on his first full season , Dillon will be strong on plate track and flats. Questionable on short tracks and Intermediate tracks. Realistically I could see a sizeable improvement from year 1 and year 2. If there gonna be any viewable improvements , expect it to on the high-speed Intermediate tracks. Probably was his biggest weakness in 2014.

Twitter - @MattAleza

2015 Fantasy Nascar Driver Preview: Clint Bowyer

Welcome to Timerssports

2015 Clint Bowyer Profile

Clint Bowyer had a tough and down 2014 season , but trust me he isn't quite that bad. In fact I believe he can contend for a championship when given a fast car each week. I wouldn't use 2014 data to judge Bowyer 2015 fantasy outlook though. I would recommended using data from 2013 and before.

Short tracks I would consider Bowyer best type track. He been great on them since joining MWR. He an elite caliber driver at Martinsville. Over past 6 races , Bowyer have an 6.0 average finish and 113.5 driver rating. Very impressive. Last 6 races were with MWR and all 6 races he posted an driver rating above 100.0.

Richmond also been a very good track. I would put it in his top 5 of all tracks. Since joining MWR , Bowyer been a big threat to win pretty much every time. Outside of two bad finish , Bowyer been money with MWR. Including an 3.2 average finish and 116.6 driver rating. Bristol been a decent track for Bowyer not stellar though. Started off well with MWR with 3 finishes inside the top 5. Unfortunately have trended downhill in his past three starts.

Road courses will be definitely a strength for Bowyer. Since joining MWR , he been one of the stronger performers overall. Sonoma will be where he does most of the damage. Watkins Glenn isn't far behind though. Both tracks are attributable places to use Bowyer at.

Bowyer is surprisingly underrated at Plate tracks. I say surprisingly because he doesn't get enough credit at either track. In 36 career starts , Bowyer have 26 finishes inside the top 20 and 15.1 average finish. Pretty darn good. Bowyer finish 3rd both times in 2014 at Talladega. Daytona wasn't quite as friendly though.

Flats tracks been up and down for Bowyer. New Hampshire is his best flat. I consider Clint underrated. Never given enough credit. Bowyer always seems to unload a fast car at NHMS. In 2012 , he showed what he could do with pair of Top 5s. In 2013 , he wasn't quite as good. Had cars capable of finishing in the top 10. 2014 he had mix results. The stats don't show he can deliver top notch finishes.

Phoenix never been a good track for Bowyer. From time to time , he will knock off a top 10. But most of the time he nothing more then a teen-like driver. At Indy , Bowyer have never finish worse then 20th. Unfortunately his best finish with MWR is 15th in 2012. Not much upside lately with him. At Pocono he been better. Over the past 6 races , he have an 9.6 average finish. His worst finish in that span is 15th. In last three races , he posted driver rating above 91.0 in all three events.

At Intermediate racetracks , Bowyer will be inconsistent and post his best results at Michigan , Dover and Miami. Those are by far his best racetracks in past few seasons. At Michigan , Bowyer is an top 10 machine. Money every single time. Dover is one of his best unknown tracks. His name rarely comes up. Hard to believe his stout 7.0 average finish over past 2 seasons get overlooked. Last time he finish worse then 10th? All the way back in September 2010. He like a guy at freaking slot machine who cannot lose.

Bowyer will post some bad finishes , but there will be more good then bad. His best days will be on short tracks and road courses. Plate and his top Intermediate tracks also will be some of his better days. Bowyer worst days will likely come on certain high-speed Intermediate tracks and flats. If there one thing we know about Bowyer , then its he tend to perform his best with motivation. After a down year in 2014 , there plenty of it.

Twitter - @JeffNathans

2015 Fantasy Nascar Driver Preview: Jamie McMurray

Welcome to Timerssports

2015 Jamie Mac Profile

Jamie Mac probably had his best season in 2014 in quite some time. Unfortunately he showed inconsistency all season long. His biggest problem over the years been bad luck. Anytime he having day , then watch out. There a good chance we will find a way to finish poorly.

I feel like Intermediate racetracks will give him the most potential overall. Even though there also will be some terrible finishes as well. Charlotte jumps out as his best track. Many people thought it was a fluke at the All-star race. But it wasn't. He backed it up with top 5 at the 600. Past 4 races here , he have an 11.5 average finish. His 16.6 average finish in 25 career races not too shabby itself. Including two wins.

Atlanta isn't JMac best track by any means. But 4 of the past 5 races have resulted in efforts of 16th or better. Teen finishes usually his range/outlook. Texas and Kentucky are other tracks he potentially could find success at.

On the flip side , Kansas and Chicago are high-speed Intermediate racetracks to avoid JMac. Kansas been a iffy place for JMac. Last season he have strong at the 1.5 mile venue. Had an top 5 car before experiencing mechanical issues. Perfect example from the opening paragraph. Chicago not an overall strong track for Jamie outside last season solid finish. After 2010 , 5th finish JMac had 3 straight finishes outside top 20s. Before last season's 9th place finish. So he been so-and-so at Chicago.

On shorts tracks expect JMac to be very underrated. He been pretty good on all three venues. Unfortunately the results don't show it. I believe Martinsville is JMac is best track. JMac understands what it takes to be successful here. In his past 4 races , JMac have an 18.7 average finish. Seems accurate right? Wrong. Driver rating doesn't match. His 94.4 driver rating resembles an top 10 result or close to it.

Bristol is his second best short track. Over past 7 races, JMac have an 14.8 average finish. Dating back to 2010 , he have 13.6 average finish. His only bad finish was the first Bristol race of 2014. Was running competitively in the top 10 before the Harvick wreck. Richmond is another good track. Showed excellent promise in the past few seasons. Past 3 races, he have an 7.0 average finish with an 106.7 driver rating.

Flats are questionable for JMac. He will at times deliver quality results. But there room for improvements. New Hampshire been his best flat over the past 2 seasons. His worst result been 16th and have 2 Top 5s in that span. 95.5 Driver rating backs up that 9.2 average finish for the most part. Phoenix is the track I am suspicious about. He been decent past few seasons. But outside of an 10th place finish in 2014. JMac Phoenix record been pretty dull. Not a ideal place to use him honestly.

Larger Flats been good to JMac for the most part. Pocono better of the two large flats. Before 2012 , JMac was pretty average here. Then June 2012 race he turned a corner suddenly. All 4 finishes in that span have been 16th or better. Which comes to an 11.5 average finish.

Indianapolis on the other hand been bleak for JMac lately. After 3 finishes of 6th or better in four race span from 2008-2011. His last three finishes are 15,22,and 20. Not exactly stellar numbers. But if the trend continues , he is expected to have a great finish in 2015 at Indy. At least according to the pattern in his career finishes.

At road courses expect mix results. At Sonoma , you can expect a great run by JMac. But questionable if he can close the deal. At Watkins expect a results in the teens. JMac much better at Sonoma just for the record. And it not very debatable either.

JMac is fool gold at plate races. There always will be a small chance he score an respectable finish. Unfortunately most times he will either win or finish outside the top 20. Checkers or wreckers basically. Not exactly something I want in a fantasy pick. So by all means keep picking him at Daytona and Talladega , just more fantasy points for me.

JMac will be inconsistent all season. That been his MO in his career. I think that a given. Most weekends expect him to be underrated. Why? The combo of inconsistency & the talent level of the NSCS field. I think his best days will on the shorts and high-speed Intermediate tracks. Also Sonoma isn't a bad place to use him. His worse days will likely come unexpectedly. For JMac it usually does.

Twitter - @MattAleza