Fantasy Nascar : Interesting Indy : Fantasy Nascar

Indianapolis. The very word brings to mind winners climbing fences and drinking milk. Yet, another type of cars, besides the famed Indy cars, will take the track this weekend as the WInston Cup stock cars try to tame the track that is Indy.
The Brickyard 500, considered by many to be one of the more important races in the yearly cup circuit, will be a first this weekend. As the 43 cars take to the track, a 12 degree, 2.5 mile track, they will be racing with the comfort of what many have hailed as soft walls. The padded walls, which several tracks wanted to install earlier this season at regular Winston Cup venues, add a cushion to the walls when drives hit.
After the horrifying wreck at the beginning of last week's race, most don't want to see any cup drivers try out the new soft walls. But it will be interesting to see the difference, if the inevitable happens.
The Indy Cup race was only added in 1993, and since then mostly veterans have prevailed. My first pick for this week's race is Dale Jarrett. DJ sits in 11th, the highest he has sat all year. And he has one of the best records since the Cup started the yearly pilgrimage to Indy. He has placed in the top 10 in four of the last six races here. He won the races in 1996, and 1999. He is slowly coming into his momentum this year and I look for him to definitely be a factor this weekend.
Probably my strongest pick for this week would be Jeff Gordon. Yes, he has been plagued by awful luck this year, yet somehow he still sits in the 4th position in Winston Cup points. He is looking for a win. Regardless if he does or doesn't, Gordon has to feel he has something to prove. If he can keep his car out of the "soft" walls and out of trouble he may just have that chance to break his career-longest non-winning streak. On top of that winning streak, Gordon is also trying to break the record for the most wins at Indy. He is one to watch, and put your money on this weekend.
Rusty Wallace, who I have said before and will say again has had a quiet, if not decent season, is a factor this weekend at Indy. He currently sits in 8th place and his track record shows his comfort level at this mammoth of a track. He has placed in the top 10 in 5 of the last six races here. Wallace is still looking for a championship, and while its up for debate as to whether this year's top spot is still available for him, a win would certainly offer some answers to that question. My money will be on Wallace.
Bobby Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, also seems to run well on this oval. He has placed in the top 10 in 4 of the last 6 races, including a win in 2000. He hasn't had a banner year by any stretch of the imagination, but a win at someplace (like Indy) would certainly brighten his outlook. He currently sits in 19th place overall.
And this week's others to watch are Ricky Rudd, Kurt Busch and Bill Elliott. First, Elliot, last week's winner, is on a roll. With a high four pole's this year, many are picking him to take this pole as well. Yet, we don't win fantasy games picking pole winners. But Elliot has a momentum and a desire to win. He has two wins already this year and a 9th place in the points. This cup favorite is still looking for his first career championship and he is picking up momentum still this season. He has also placed in the top 10 in 4 of the last six races at Indy. Kurt Busch placed 5th here last year, his rookie season. He has had a decent year, with one win, and currently sits in 5th position overall in the standings. He may be the long shot of the race, but if he qualifies well he may better his finish from last year. And finally, Ricky Rudd is another possible pick for this week. He has placed in the top 10 in 3 of the last six races here, including a win back in 1997. He sits in 6th place overall and he is certainly looking for a championship. Being early still in the season a win here could help Rudd along and help him make his decisions about just what car he will be driving next season. He isn't too shabby a pick.
And always, I would love to know what you think. Drop me an e-mail.
I will post this column each Friday afternoon. The ideas are strictly mine, with a little bit of help from the statistics and some of my racing enthusiast friends. AND I want to know what you think: If you agree, tell me. If you don't, tell me that as well. Drop me at a line at Theracingirl@yahoo.com