Fantasy Preview - Kansas
The fantasy season is dwindling down and we’re inching ever so closer to crowning the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Champion as we head into the third race in the Chase set to go in Kansas. You may be asking yourself right now what one has to do with the other, so take my advice when I say that the Chase for the Cup has absolutely everything to do with the outcome of your fantasy season from here on out.
With the 2006 season serving as an exception (refer to Tony Stewart dominating the last 10 races while sitting on the outside of the Chase contenders), history has shown that the final races to determine the Cup Series Champion are typically dominated by those contending for the Cup. It makes perfect sense when you relate race car driving to any other team sport … in baseball, the Houston Astros are one of the toughest teams you can possibly play in the last month of the season when they’re trying to catch the Cardinals or the Cubs for the Division Championship, but when they’re already out of contention, they’re a lot like the Kansas City Royals at any given point. NFL teams dread the thought of having to play any team in the NFC East in the last 2 weeks of the football season, as 4 of the 5 teams are usually still fighting for playoff spots. NASCAR is no different, but the exception in all of these sports is the teams that are fighting for pride. That is why Tony Stewart absolutely turned up the heat in ’06 after an embarrassing run at Richmond that ruined his hopes at a Championship run, and this is what makes drivers like Casey Mears and Juan Pablo Montoya so dangerous as they will do anything they can to ensure that they head into the 2008 season as more established drivers.
That being said, this week you’ll want to keep an eye on Tony Stewart for your fantasy price. Sure, he’s likely to come at a rather hefty price, but just keep this in mind … Tony Stewart has been the most consistent driver in NASCAR in the latter parts of the year nearly every year since 2002. In the past 10 races, his only finish outside of the Top 10 came at California where he posted a solid 13th place finish and has allotted 3 wins and 7 top five’s in that span. As if that all were not enough, Tony also heads to Kansas with the best average finish amongst all active drivers. In six races at Kansas Speedway, Stewart has posted 2 top fives, five top tens, and a win there just last year.
Jeff Gordon has been a favorite to win at every track so far this entire season, and with the numbers he’s put up to this point, he should continue to be a favorite every week for the remainder of the season. Gordon has led the points standings almost every week this season until the beginning of the Chase for the Cup, and then just two races into the Chase, there he is right back in front with a two point lead over fellow chaser Tony Stewart. In six races at Kansas, Gordon has 3 top fives, two of which resulted in victories in 2001 and 2002 in the tracks inaugural Cup events. Going into last season, Gordon’s average finish at Kansas was 6.0, but a dismal 39th place finish at the track in ’06 as dropped that average to 11.5.
Other drivers to keep an eye on at Kansas include Carl Edwards who is coming off of a win at Dover last week and has finished 3rd and 6th in his last two races at Kansas; Kyle Busch who is coming off of two consecutive top five finishes in the past two weeks and finished in 7th place in this event last year. And my sleeper pick for this week is non-other than Casey Mears. Mears, who received his first career victory in the Cup Series earlier this year at Lowe’s Motor Speedway heads to Kansas with two straight top ten finishes and has had some moderate success in recent years as it relates to this track. He finished eighth here in 2005 and second last year.
Tags: kansas speedway, lifelock 400, NASCAR, nextel cup seriesRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Fantasy Preview / Follow-Up, NASCAR
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