Fantasy NASCAR Picks – Bristol
Carl Edwards and Kurt Bush are the Drivers to Beat at the Bullring
Mar 17, 2009
Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the most exciting tracks in NASCAR; with 43 cars all battling for position on only a half-mile of track, a wreck can happen at any time. Because of its unpredictable nature, picking drivers for your fantasy NASCAR league at Bristol can be difficult. Here are the best choices for this weekend's race.
Favorites at Bristol
Carl Edwards:Not only has Edwards won two of the last three at Bristol, but he has an average finish of seventh here over the past six races. Edwards’ results do not reflect how well the No. 99 car has run this season, and coming off a strong third-place finish in Atlanta, Edwards is primed to capture his first win of the year.
Matt Kenseth: After starting the season with back-to-back victories at Daytona and California, Kenseth has struggled the past few weeks, but Bristol provides the perfect opportunity for the No.17 team to rebound. Kenseth has two career wins at the half-mile oval, and an average finish of 12th over his career. Kenseth has always been tough at short tracks, and should be there at the end of the race.
Kurt Busch: There are few drivers that are better at Bristol than Kurt Busch. Despite struggling at the Bullring the past few seasons, Busch has five wins and nine career top-10 finishes here. The No. 2 team is off to their best start in years, and coming off his win two weeks ago in Atlanta – Busch has a great chance to capture back-to-back victories.
Jeff Gordon: Like Busch, Gordon has been inconsistent the past few years at Bristol, but he is also one of the best ever at the high-banked oval. Gordon has five career Bristol wins. More importantly, he is almost guaranteed to make it to the end of the race – Gordon has only been taken out of the race by a wreck at Bristol once since 1998. Gordon is trying to break out from the longest losing streak of his career, and this could be the week he finally does.
Safe Picks for Bristol
Kyle Busch:Kyle has been a fast learner at Bristol; after struggling in his rookie season at the Tennessee short-track, Busch has scored five top-10 finishes in the past six races. He may not turn in a repeat performance of his spring 2007 win, but Busch is a strong bet for another top-10.
Kevin Harvick:It is amazing that Harvick only has one win at Bristol. At one of the toughest tracks in the sport, Harvick not only has an averaged a ninth place finish, but he has been runner-up here four times. Expect another top-10 finish.
Greg Biffle: Biffle, like Harvick, has averaged a top-10 finish over his career at Bristol. The only downside, though, is that he has never been able to take a checkered flag here. Biffle may not break out of his Bristol losing streak this week, but if you need a safe bet for a good finish, take the No.16 car.
Clint Bowyer: Like a lot of drivers, Bowyer struggled in his rookie year to learn the right way to drive Bristol. Since then, however, Bowyer has been nothing short of spectacular, scoring four-straight top-10 finishes, and it is only a matter of time before he gets to victory lane.
The Bristol Underdogs
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.:Dale Junior has struggled to start the season, but he is due for a good finish, and has had success here in the past – with one win, and three top-5 finishes in his last five Bristol races.
Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has taken longer than some of the other NASCAR ‘young guns’ to get comfortable at Bristol, but he finally broke through with a pair of top-10 finishes last season, and should continue to improve, making the No.11 a good pick.
Ryan Newman: To say that Ryan Newman is off to a bad start with Stewart-Haas Racing is an understatement – the No. 38 car has yet to crack the top-20 in any race this season. Newman knows how to drive Bristol, though, and it is a safe bet that he will start to turn his year around with a good finish this weekend.
Kasey Kahne: Kahne’s performance has improved in each race this season, and there is no reason for that trend to stop at Bristol; Kahne has top-10 finishes in two of his last three Bristol races, and is a good value pick for a possible top-10 this week.
Winning your Fantasy NASCAR league is about more than picking the race winner each week; with the right combination of drivers, you can maximize the number of points you score. Expect Sunday's race at Bristol to be a battle between Edwards and Gordon for the win, but including drivers like Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin on your roster can get you the extra points you need to get an edge in your NASCAR league.
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