Fantasy NASCAR Preview: California (Fontana)

by Eric McGuire , Updated Wednesday, February 20, 2008

This week, fantasy players will have one of their most difficult challenges of the year when choosing their drivers. This will be the first time the COT has been on a large track like California in race conditions without a restrictor plate. Since we have no track record with this car, I'm going to base my rankings on past performance at California (specifically recent performance) and the testing results from late January and early February that the teams did at Fontana.

The track is similar to Michigan, and the racing is somewhat similar with several grooves around the D shaped oval for the drivers to choose from. The major difference between the two tracks is that Michigan is banked four degrees steeper in the turns, making it more difficult for the drivers to get back in the throttle at California in the center of the turn if they have an ill handling racecar.

Horsepower is a major factor in this race, and nobody had more of it last week at Daytona than the Toyota camp. When the engines were placed on the Dynamo, the Toyota engine of Tony Stewart had 15 more horsepower than that of the Hendrick engine ran by Dale Earnhardt Jr. If Toyota does the same thing with their non-restrictor plate power, they could have the stable to beat with drivers like Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch, who have all had success at Fontana in the past.

Both Class A and Class B are stacked deep with good picks, so there will be more luck involved this week. There are no less than 11 solid class B selections with 4 roster spots, and only a couple of guys really stand out ahead of the others. Try and take a look at the schedule and determine which guys you will want to use more frequently later in the year, and whether or not the drivers you will use have tracks where they are much stronger.

1. Carl Edwards, #99 Office Depot Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing

This weekend is a great time to use Edwards, even in the heavily star-studded class A group. He posted several of the fastest testing times, including the fastest time in the 6 PM group (the race will finish at night). Edwards was 2nd in the fall 2007 event, and in 7 career starts he has finished outside the top six only once. He won the June 2007 race at Michigan after leading 63 laps and was 7th in the second even there.

2. Kyle Busch, #18 M & M's Toyota, Gibbs Racing

Last season, Kyle had finishes of 9th and 3rd at Fontana, leading 97 laps in the second race there. He was also 6th and 13th at Michigan, and turned some great laps in testing. He should be a top class B selection this week.

3. Jimmie Johnson, #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Hendrick Motor Sports

Johnson won the last race here, leading 84 laps in the process. Johnson's team was not as strong in testing as the Roush group or several of the Toyota cars, but you can expect the Hendrick camp to rebound strong after Daytona. Johnson was strong at Michigan in June, leading 56 laps, and was also 3rd at California in this race last year (to go with a 2nd in the spring of 2006). Johnson has the best average finish at California of any active driver (6.8) with two career victories, and has accumulated more Cup points in the last 10 races there than any other driver.

4. Matt Kenseth, #17 DeWalt Tools Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing

Kenseth won the first race at California last year, leading 133 laps, and was 7th in the fall. In 2006, he had victories at both Michigan and Fontana, and only Jimmie Johnson has accumulated more points at California over the past 10 races at the speedway.

5. Kurt Busch, #2 Miller Lite Dodge, Penske Racing South

Busch had finishes of 7th and 9th at Fontana last year, leading 21 laps in the second event. He dominated the second race at Michigan by leading 92 laps, and while he should be considered this weekend he is not the top pick in the class A group.

6. Jeff Gordon, #24 DuPont Chevrolet, Hendrick Motor Sports

Gordon was 2nd in this race last year, and also scored a top 10 in the June race at Michigan. You can never consider him a bad option, but he did finish 22nd in the last race at California. He was good in testing, and is another good choice should you not like the other class A picks.

7. Jeff Burton, #31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

Burton was 4th at Fontana in both races last season, but for some reason struggled badly at Michigan. His team was solid but not spectacular during testing, typical for Burton's driving style. There are better class A choices, but the two 4th place finishes make him a tempting option.

8. Martin Truex, Jr., #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc

Truex was 6th at Fontana in the fall, rebounding from an engine failure in the spring. He nabbed a 2nd place finish at Michigan in June, leading 54 laps and looking dominant at times, and followed it up with another 2nd place run at Michigan in late summer. He is a great class B selection this weekend.

Next Page >>