In the Pits: Racin' Texas style
The Pit Stop is the essential guide to setting your Fantasy Racing lineup for the upcoming week. We provide you with pertinent news and roster management advice during every race week.
After two races on short tracks at Bristol and Martinsville, the Sprint Cup moves to the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway tri-oval.
This is a track that has become quite popular since its inception in 1996. The length of the frontstretch is 2,250 feet, the backstretch is 1,330 feet and the banking is 24 degrees in the corners and five degrees on the straights.
In 2007, Jeff Burton became the first multiple winner at Texas Motor Speedway where he led only the final lap after passing Matt Kenseth on some side-by-side racing. Burton captured his first career win at Texas in 1997. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also scored his first career win at this track in 2000. Junior finished sixth last year.
This is one of only three tracks at which Jeff Gordon has yet to win in his career. His teammate, Jimmie Johnson, won at the track last November. But both drivers have good numbers in Texas; Gordon with five top five finishes and Johnson finished 11th or better in eight of his nine starts.
To recap the Martinsville race, Denny Hamlin won at what can be considered his home track, as he is a native of Chesterfield, Virginia. It was his fourth career checkered flag. All in all, it was an impressive day for the Joe Gibbs Racing (Hamlin first, Tony Stewart was fifth) and Hendrick Motorsports teams. Jeff Gordon (4th), Jimmie Johnson (4th), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (6th) and Casey Mears (7th) finished in the top 10, all Hendrick drivers.
The Hendrick team is still without a win this year, but frankly, a win is right around the corner for one of the drivers. Driver Stockwatch
Here's a list of drivers expected to produce better or worse than their salaries indicate on the coming track. Prices are derived from the CBS Sports.com Fantasy Racing Challenge:
Best value
Jimmie Johnson, $235,838: The fourth-place finish at Martinsville was only his second top 10 this year, but may be the kind of result to get him going in Texas where he won in the second stop at the track last fall. Johnson has finished 11th or better in eight of his nine starts at Texas.
Martin Truex Jr., $214,583: He only has five career starts in Texas, but they are all finishes of 15th or better. In this race last year Truex was seventh and he did even better in November, finishing third. Jeff Burton, $306,250: Although his price is pretty steep, Burton is the defending champion and will look to carry his positive momentum from his third place finish at Martinsville. He also had a good run in the second race at Texas last season with a sixth-place result. Jeff Burton has also raced well this season, completing all the laps in all the races. Denny Hamlin, $240,833: He should come to Texas Motor Speedway with confidence after a nice win in Martinsville, a track in his home state. Before a 29th result in the November race at Texas last year, Hamlin finished in the first 10 in his first four races at the speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr., $277,500: Junior averages a 13th place finish in 11 starts at Texas Motor Speedway, where he recorded his first career Cup win in 2000. His sixth-place finish at Martinsville leads the series with five top 10s. Jeff Gordon, $237,083: He managed to overcome an early crash at Martinsville where he led 90 laps to finish an impressive second. Gordon is still looking for his first career win in Texas, but he does average about a 12th finish in his last six races here. He was fourth in this race last season and seventh later in the year. Matt Kenseth, $207,083: He has been tremendous at this speedway with the exception of perhaps his first two starts in 2000-01 (31st and 20th). But since then he averages a 10th-place finish which includes one win (2002) and three runner-ups. Matt Kenseth took second in both Texas stops last year. Jamie McMurray, $130,833: This is a pretty good value driver for the race in Texas. This consideration comes based on some good runs at the track last year when he placed fifth and ninth. His best finish in Texas was second in 2005. Kurt Busch, $203,750: The older of the Busch brothers has had some consistent results at this venue. Kurt averages a finish of 12th in 10 races, with fourth being a top result. He just missed a top 10 in this race last season and was eighth in the second visit in November. Casey Mears, $139,166: Although his results in Texas last season (23rd, 31st) were not his best, Mears is among a list of drivers who average solid finishes in Texas with 14th. His top runs were fourth in both 2005 races.
Overpriced value
Carl Edwards, $252,500: He is a past winner at Texas where he won in the fall of 2005, but that was his only finish in the top 10 at TMS. His average finish in six starts is a modest 18th.
Kasey Kahne, $252,500: Another driver with a bit of an expensive amount for this track despite his one win in 2006. Other than that he has only posted better than 18th just one more time. Some of his results are 35th, 42nd, 33rd and 20th. Bobby Labonte, $176,666: After driving well at his home state track early, Labonte has had some tough results that combine for an average finish of just 21.7. His first three races were eight and a pair of thirds, but has only broken into the top 10 just one time since. Greg Biffle, $281,250: Another past winner in Texas, just not any time recent. Besides a sixth finish last spring, Biffle has not had a lot of success here with results of 33rd, 35th, 42nd, 20th, 31st and 28th. The value to use him this week might be a little too expensive for an average finish of just 24.5. Brian Vickers, $187,916: An amount too hefty for a driver that only averages a 24.6 finish in seven starts in Texas. Look for better options if you can. Ryan Newman, $233,750: With the exception of a win back in 2003, Newman has placed 25th or lower in six other races here, two races which even include as low as 40th. J.J. Yeley, $120,000: In four races, no finish has been better than 17th. He was dead last in this event last year. Take this money and try a different driver this week.
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