Fantasy
football has been extremely popular for years and the Internet has
increased the popularity of fantasy sports in general to all time
highs. One of the fastest growing fantasy sports is fantasy racing.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has exploded in popularity over the
past two decades selling out all race events and grabbing huge
chunks of the TV ratings. And that, in turn, has increased the popularity of
fantasy racing leagues.
There are a wide variety of fantasy
racing leagues to choose from. Just like football, you can find a
local office pool where you choose a driver or two each week to more
sophisticated leagues that involve multi-million dollar salary caps
and point systems. Some fantasy racing leagues are free and others
charge a fee to participate. Contestants battle it out for bragging
rights to thousands of dollars in cash and prizes.
Some consider fantasy sports games
of chance but if you ask those that participate and win and finish
near the top of their league(s) consistently, you will learn that
fantasy sports are Games of Skill. You need to study and stay up to
date on all aspects of the sport your fantasy league is based on.
For fantasy racing leagues based on
the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, you need to study and chart how each
driver and his team perform at each track. NASCAR is a team sport, a
driver alone cannot win a race. If a driver changed teams during the
off season, this may impact his performance. There are 36 races on
23 different race tracks and over 50 drivers to choose from so your
notes can get quite extensive.
Wallbanger
Fantasy Racing offers a helpful
cheat sheet that you can individually chart drivers with. I
suggest you print one and then make copies or you can come up with
your own system. If you want to dominate your league, you will need
23 pages (one page for each track) for each driver you chart. You
will also need a folder or binder to stay organized.
You may be asking where do I
start?!? Here are some of the things that may factor in to which
driver you choose at a certain race track:
Some Driver Factors
you need to keep records of include:
-
How does this driver perform on short
tracks like Martinsville and Loudon?
-
How does this driver perform on flat
ovals like Indy and Phoenix?
-
How does this driver perform on super
speedways such as Atlanta and Charlotte?
-
How does this driver performance on
restrictor plate tracks? (Daytona and Talladega)
-
How does this driver perform on a
Road Course?
-
Does this driver have recent multiple
wins at a specific track?
-
Has the driver ever raced at this
track? (Busch or Nextel Cup Series)
-
Did the driver participate in
Saturday's race?
-
What is the drivers average finish at
this track?
-
What is the drivers average finish
this season?
-
Does your driver have teammates? How
many? Do they work well together?
-
How well do the Driver and Crew Chief
communicate?
-
How well does the Pit Crew perform?
-
Is the driver happy with his team?
-
Does this driver get good fuel
mileage?
-
Does this driver occasionally make a
mental mistake?
-
Does this driver usually hit
something or get caught up in a wreck?
-
Is the driver aggressive?
-
Where is your driver in the
standings? Close to a bubble spot?
Some Race Day
Factors include:
-
The drivers starting position
-
The drivers location on Pit Road
-
The drivers health status (sick or
injured)
-
Happy Hour speed
-
Happy Hour or Practice crash
-
Day or Night Race
-
Pre race engine change
Some Track Factors
include:
-
Surface (Concrete or
Asphalt)
-
Banking (Flat,
Average, High Banked)
-
Track Configuration:
Oval, Road Course, Other
-
Restrictor Plate
Required?
-
Has a certain make of
vehicle dominated this track?
-
Is gas mileage
usually a factor here?
Please remember that
this is racing. "Rubbing is racing" and accidents WILL happen. Your
driver may get collected in "The Big One" or may simply blow a tire
going into turn 3, that will happen but not as often to those that
study make smart choices on race day.
The bottom line is that
if you take notes and study the sport and its participants, you will
finish more consistently near the top of your fantasy league
standings week after week. This will ultimately land you a
championship and a chance at winning some big and sometimes
profitable prizes.
Find more information
on fantasy racing at
http://www.race4cash.com
This article may be
reproduced and redistributed in its entirety free of charge. This
article may not be altered in any way.
About the Author: Joe
Radebaugh has been participating in fantasy racing leagues for 17
years. He also owns and manages
Wallbanger Fantasy Racing which has been around for 15 years,
online since 1999. He also owns
All
Seasons Fantasy Sports, a fantasy sports directory.
