Toyota / Save Mart 350k

Dan Beaver Road courses, Sonoma Raceway Leave a comment

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Road course racing is perhaps the purest discipline drivers face. Each corner of every track is nuanced. That is true of ovals, of course, but even more so for road courses.

Entry, apex, elevation change, paving, even which turn one is approaching from the total number on the course—all of these factors go into determining how to approach a corner. Each turn feels different. Each has a unique challenge. It is as difficult to get every corner correct at Sonoma or Watkins Glen International, just as it was Pocono Raceway a few weeks ago so drivers have to decide where to compromise.

Drivers can give up a little on tighter corners because the trailing competition may have difficulty out-braking them to overtake. Blocking is allowed and even common in NASCAR. It is not in open wheel series. And there is an easy explanation for this: fenders.

Drivers are paid a lot of money to keep their opponents behind them. They are also paid to pass the competition and one’s attitude toward the fairness of blocking depends entirely on whether one is the leading or trailing driver. Block the wrong person or too much, and one nudge at the right part of the corner can result in an off-road excursion.

Sonoma is a much more technical course than Watkins Glen. The overall speed is a little slower and corner exit is more important than entry. For students of the discipline, that makes a big difference, but NASCAR is made up of a herd of bulls and a very small china shop. “Discipline” is a relative terms when a victory is on the line. The Toyota / Save Mart 350k, all three regular season restrictor-plate, superspeedway events, and the upcoming contest at the Glen carry the same berth into the Chase and full time drivers will take whatever risks they need to get to the checkers first.

The same is true of part time drivers, of course. And also of drivers who already have a victory to their credit. Basically, anyone in the top five can be counted on to do whatever is necessary to win.

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Firekeepers Casino 400

Dan Beaver Michigan International Speedway, Unrestricted intermediate speedways Leave a comment

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Long time readers of this preview will probably remember this quote from a time or two throughout the last 14 seasons: “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men | Gang aft a-gley.”

And so with a tip of the hat and a kiss my butt to Robert Burns, we turn our attention from Pocono Raceway to Michigan International Speedway.

There is no reason to dwell on the past.

Well, maybe just one little shanty shack: May your fire suit be eaten by moths Jimmie Johnson for screwing up so many fantasy rosters in a multitude of ways in the Axalta We Paint Winners 400. When the No. 48 broke loose on new tires underneath Casey Mears to bring out the final caution of the afternoon, Johnson not only wrecked the rosters he was on, but turned the Axalta 400 on its head. Most of the field was already committed to stretching their fuel, but the extra laps under yellow gave them increased confidence they could do so.

The final 33 green flag laps were certainly interesting. Drivers jockeyed to see who could go the fastest under the conditions they faced.

Draft from the lead or follow.

Keep cars behind you, but don’t go too fast.

Coast into the corners and take a line that stalls the trailing car.

Honestly, the end of the Axalta 400 might have been one of the more interesting fans have seen in quite some while—but fuel mileage races tend to play havoc with fantasy rosters.

So it’s time to move on.

“Really, this time,” he said, muttering under his breath.

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Adventures in Dementia

Dan Beaver Uncategorized Leave a comment

A long day is coming.

Many of you who follow me on Twitter (@FantasyRace) know that I have been struggling with some issues for the past couple of years—not the least of which is my 87-year-old father’s dementia. Last night was a bad one with severe confusion and at least a half dozen wakeups during the night. At a certain point, you stop counting.

Today is deadline day for the newsletter—and it will get completed—but I wanted to give you a head’s up that once again it will be toward the end of the day. Expect a typo or two as well. There ain’t enough coffee in the world to keep me 100% mentally sharp this morning/afternoon/evening. And I roast my own coffee, so it’s not in short supply.

(I am also on the NBC Motorsports’ desk this afternoon, which will eat up a chunk of hours.)

(We lost a day to rain, so Monday became SunMonday and those two days should never be combined.)

If you have someone in your life with dementia, give them a big hug because they are in their somewhere no matter how advanced the symptoms.

If you know a dementia caregiver, buy them a cup of coffee (or send me a note and buy a pound of Zanzenberg Coffee; I have a Bourbon-infused Guatemalan Huehuetenango that is killer).

Thanks for your support. I wouldn’t be doing this without you and I am ever mindful of how lucky I am to have a job that allows me some flexibility.

Axalta We Paint Winners 400

Dan Beaver Flat Tracks, Pocono Raceway Leave a comment

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One thing fantasy players cannot complain this week is a lack of uniqueness where Pocono Raceway is concerned.

If a three-turned track with three distinctive radiuses to the corners, three distinctive degrees of banking, and three distinctive lengths to the straightaways is not enough differentiate this track, then there is no pleasing critics. Pocono is one of the longest tracks on the circuit and with its flat corners and tight turns, it takes the greatest amount of time to complete a lap there.

The longest straight leads to the corner with the most banking. From there through turn three, the straights get shorter and the banking less steep so that the effect is like a corkscrew. Eventually drivers have to tiptoe through the final turn and then strain their engines to beat the competition to the next left-hand swerve.

It can take a while to adjust to Pocono, but once that happens, it is possible to string some strong runs together. Sweeping Victory Lane in a season is not uncommon. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the latest driver to do so in 2014. Before his sweep, Denny Hamlin won back-to-back summer and spring events in 2009/2010, as well as famously doing so in during his rookie season. Harvick finished second in consecutive races in 2014/2015.

Four-, five-, or even six-week streaks of top-fives and -10s are not rare and when they are broken up, it is typically because of pit strategy that goes awry.

One reason for this is because Pocono’s two races are held close to one another on the schedule that track conditions and momentum does not change appreciably. Only six races get run between the waving of the checkered flag over the Pocono 400 and the green on the Pennsylvania 400 and two of those are held on flat tracks.

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Coca-Cola 600

Dan Beaver Charlotte Motor Speedway, Similarly-configured 1.5-mile tracks Leave a comment

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There are certain races and tracks that transcend.

Radically different from most of the tracks of its time, Charlotte Motor Speedway was designed to provide maximum exposure for fans. Its double-doglegged configuration allowed anyone on the frontstretch, to see the cars as they exited turn four and entered turn one. The two kinks made the front markedly different from the backstretch and unique created passing opportunities.

Charlotte was the mold from which many of the other so-called “cookie-cutter” tracks was designed—and there is a reason. This track regularly hosted some of the most exiting races of the season. Its uniqueness has been lost with the addition of tracks like Texas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, and Kentucky Speedway, as well as the reconfiguration of Atlanta Motor Speedway from a true oval to its current doglegged version. Auto Club Speedway and Michigan International Speedway can be viewed as slightly longer versions of the same mold.

There another other part of the equation, however, and that is certain races are also iconic. There are weekends that define NASCAR. The Daytona 500, Southern 500, and Brickyard 400 are all events that add to a driver’s greatness. The World 600 belongs to that group.

While NASCAR’s headquarters were based in Daytona Beach, Fla., Charlotte became the emotional center of the sport. Most of the major race teams began within easy driving distance of this city and an abundance of races in the 1970s, 80s, and well into the 90s occurred within a day of this epicenter. As NASCAR expanded from its roots, the Charlotte area remained home for most race teams because the infrastructure was built up there.

Even the fall race is special because this is one of the Chase races in the Contender Round.

Simply put, winning at Charlotte is special.

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AAA 400 Drive for Autism

Dan Beaver Dover International Speedway Leave a comment

2473_DB_DFS_skyscraperDover International Speedway is deceptive.

Drivers stopped trying to pigeonhole all tracks some time ago, which makes it effortless for them to avoid the phrase similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks on courses like last week’s Kansas Speedway venue. But even if that were not uniformly true, Dover would still defy description.

At one mile in length Dover track is adjacent to the short tracks. The high banks and rapidity with which drivers circle the oval certainly make it race more like a short track than speedway. The groove is narrow and treacherous and on several occasions throughout the years, there have been track-blocking “”Big One” crashes that make this course nearly as dangerous as Talladega SuperSpeedway or Daytona International Speedway. The cars are not running nose-to-tail like on the restrictor-plate, superspeedways, but with a horse track on the inside of the concrete oval, the backstretch is perilously narrow.

Drivers run around this track in about 22 seconds and even with 40 cars in attendance instead of the previous normal of 43, there is not a lot of room between vehicles when they get single file. As with a short track, drivers are constantly in traffic and it takes a combination of patience and aggression to succeed on this course. The equation is not perfectly balanced, however, and success leans toward those racers who are more likely to be patient. Jimmie Johnson stands head and shoulders above the competition with 10 wins on this track—and achieving double-digit victories on a course has not been common since Richard Petty and David Pearson left the series.

The next closest active drivers in terms of wins lean toward the aggressive side of the equation and have three apiece. Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart are unlikely to add to their totals this week, but one could see solid performances from the Busch brother or Kevin Harvick, who are also former winners.

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GoBowling.com 400

Dan Beaver Kansas Speedway, Similarly-configured 1.5-mile tracks Leave a comment

2473_DB_DFS_skyscraperLast year, both the spring and fall editions of Kansas Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway’s two races run were back-to-back. This gave the teams some consecutive time on two of the seven similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks of Atlanta Motor Speedway, Charlotte, Texas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kansas, Chicagoland Speedway, and Kentucky Speedway and allowed them to generate some momentum.

This year, the two races are interrupted by Dover International Speedway and the All-star break, which will give fantasy owners an extra week to examine the data from the GoBowling.com 400 before committing to Charlotte’s roster. Then Pocono Raceway is on the schedule, followed by the two-mile Michigan International Speedway that many believe is similar to the 1.5-milers.

The series is stutter-stepping its way to the summer and what was once the traditional halfway point of the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Even though it is technically one week from the center, that still demarks the season and gets fantasy players prepared for a long stretch to the Chase.

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GEICO 500

Victoria Beaver Restrictor-plate Superspeedways, Talladega SuperSpeedway Leave a comment

Four times per year, this writer is tempted to throw his hands in the air and refuse to write a preview about Talladega SuperSpeedway or Daytona International Speedway.

One can look at all the data possible and still watch as their fantasy roster is wiped out by the smallest mistake by the most experienced or novice driver. The Daytona 500 is a prime example. On lap 19, Chase Elliott spun by himself after Carl Edwards robbed the air from his spoiler. The rookie started on the pole and maintained a position in the top 10 up till that point.

Ah, but picks must be made, contests must be played, and life goes merrily along until NASCAR decides to make all four restrictor-plate, superspeedway races into exhibition events.

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Toyota Owners 400 Draft Kings Contest

Dan Beaver Flat Tracks, Richmond International Raceway, Short Tracks Leave a comment

This week, we created a 25-person contest Draft Kings contest—and if that fills quickly, we will add another smaller league. As the week’s roll along, we will continue to seek the upper limit of these contests, but we need your feedback.

Communicate with us via Twitter or through the DanBeaver.com web site so that we can determine how to proceed. If you want us to keep growing this league so that the prize gets bigger, that is one option. The other option is to create multiple, 25-person contests with the top five positions paying out.

Send your response to Dan @FantasyRace or Victoria at @VictoriaBeav42.

Search for NAS $5 25-Player (Top 5 Win) by FantasyRace or click on the link https://www.draftkings.com/contest/draftteam/23442304?ugc=0 to join.

Since contests must be full to be in effect, we are taking baby steps. Anyone who wishes to be invited, should send @FantasyRace a note on twitter with his or her Draft Kings handle, and we will send invitations.

 

Toyota Owners 400

Dan Beaver Flat Tracks, Richmond International Raceway, Short Tracks Leave a comment

NASCAR visits its third short track in four weeks.

This year the Toyota Owners 400 is scheduled for daylight hours. Like last week’s venue Bristol Motor Speedway, that means their two races will be run in different conditions, which could eventually lead to a pattern of some racers performing better in the spring or fall.

And that is likely to make a bigger difference at Richmond than Bristol. Mostly concrete, the half-mile bullring is not as heat sensitive as the three-quarter-mile asphalt track.

This little track has delusions of grandeur. It is a short track that has as many similarities to the similarly-configured, 1.5- and two-mile tracks as it does to the other short courses and in some ways it is the best of two worlds. At less than a mile in length, cars are constantly in traffic. And with only 40 cars instead of 43 as the maximum field, drivers can maneuver more skillfully around the course.

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