Fantasy Nascar

New York, New York

And while I have mentioned some of the road course experts who shine from time to time, there are plenty
of cup drivers that do the same at the Glen. And because of that, my picks are going to come from the
mainstream. The above names (Said who starts 29th, Fellows and the “other” Gordon, who starts 7th) may all be decent picks for the fifth or sixth driver in your league, but your big bucks won’t be badly spent some veterans.

Poor Jeff Gordon is looking to be the standout choice of this week. Regardless of his lousing streak
(anyone say 29 races since a win?), Gordon seems to have what it takes at Watkins Glen. He has won 4 of
the last six races here. He won last year. He knows how to win at Watkins Glen. And he has a lot to win
for. While catching Sterling Marlin here might not be completely feasible (or at least realistic), Gordon can
take a chunk off Marlin’s lead (Marlin’s average finish in the last four races here is 29th), on his way to yet
another championship. The idea seems to be as people keep picking him, he will continue to falter. This may
or may not hold water. Yet, my money is going with Gordon on Sunday, despite him starting 23rd.

Mark Martin is another veteran with something to prove. Driving possible one of his best seasons yet,
Martin is trailing cup leader Marlin by only 109 points. He has been much closer to the lead, and Martin
wants to be atop that leader board. On top of his desire for it, Martin has the record at the Glen that many are lacking. He has 11 top 5’s in 14 starts at the Glen. He has five top 10’s in the last six races at the Glen.
Martin is definitely a contender this weekend. He is also a contender to tighten up his following in the Cup
standings. He starts 15th this week.

While Rusty Wallace doesn’t have a chance of exactly catching Marlin on Sunday, this race, in which he is starting 10th, could make or break his chances of catching up at all. He currently sits 171 behind the Silver Bullet and a win here could secure his place or move up a bit. A lose on the other end, could increase his deficit and make that mountain even higher. Wallace has three top 5 finishes in the last six races at the Glen. He has been racing a decent season and I don’t know if one can ever really count him out of the picks. He may be an expensive pick this week, but not a waste of money.

Others to watch include Tony Stewart, rookie Jimmie Johnson, and the Labonte brothers. First, Tony
Stewart is going to walk out this weekend and get into his car with his tail in between his knees. His punch
thrown at a photographer was uncalled for and inappropriate, yet he has paid the price for it. He was fined
not only by Nascar (who is fine happy this season anyways) but also by his sponsor Home Depot. He has a
lot to prove, and a lot of making up to do. He also has a decent record in New York, and he starts in 3rd place this week. He has placed in the top 10 in 2 of the 3 races he has run at the Glen with WC and he is a true driver that can find his comfort level on his track. Rookie Jimmie Johnson will run his first cup race at the Glen this weekend. Yet, newness has never seemed a problem for this hot rookie, and he qualified to start 12th this weekend. He has a fast test at Watkins Glen earlier this year, which just shows his versatile. He currently sits a mere 93 back from Marlin and only 12 in front of hard-charging Marlin. And finally the Labonte brothers. They have been popping up the last couple weeks, although they haven’t worked up to their potential. Yet, I am going to list them this week anyways. Older bro Terry, who qualified 38th, has finished in the top 10 in 2 of the last 6 races. That record alone isn’t that impressive, but Terry has the experience on the road to keep out of trouble. Little brother Bobby, who starts 24th, has a bit better record, having finished in the top 10 in 3 of the last 6 races at the Glen. Neither are in championship range, yet both have plenty to prove. Not total wasted picks at all.

And my long-shot pick of the week is the young Casey Atwood. Yes, he finished 22nd in this race last year. Yes, he sits in 33rd place in the standings right now. But this week’s race is one of his sponsor’s Sirius. It
would please his sponsors to see their driver win, or at least finish well this weekend. One can only hope. He starts 26th on Sunday.

Enjoy the race on the road this weekend; it will be awhile before we see another one.

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