Last week at Pocono we got a glimpse into what these new Gen Six cars will do on a low banking horsepower track. While this is just one race, Pocono does give us a pure look at car speed on this type of track. So this week we will rely on the Track Type numbers a little more than usual.

Oh sure, Pocono and Michigan seem worlds apart but over the years the cars that have performed well at one track do very well at the other.

Fontana also fits this track category but for several reasons I am discounting those results. First, the weather was vastly different at Fontana than we will see this weekend at Michigan. The second reason is that the Toyota brand backed off their horsepower last week and now promises to raise their horsepower again this week. Will they have issues?

Until we see more speed with durability the Toyota brand is a gamble. One curious factor to worry about also fits into the type casting ability of this track. Over the years Ford has dominated in the win department here but the blue oval only has one win over the last eight starts at MIS.

This might be the week Jimmie Johnson gets his first win at Michigan. His average finishing position of 15^th is still in the top 10, despite being winless, and his qualifying average is the best of the NASCAR Cup regulars.

Despite a 27^th place finish in his last start here he has scored the ninth most points in the last five races. But this week I like a longshot who seems to be rounding into form. Ryan Newman raced strong at Pocono and is hungry for a win with a team that is also picking up its program over the last four weeks. The “Rocket Man” won back-to-back at MIS in his sophomore season and is an attractive pick at 40-to-1 odds.

Good luck with your fantasy racing picks this week and don’t forget to send in your pick for “Whiteboard Fantasy Racing” this week for Michigan.

Send in your pick to win this week’s Cup race to dennis@racetalkradio.com for a chance to win a copy of the National Speedway Directory from SpeedwaysOnline.com. 

National Speedway Directory

Hot off the press the 2013 edition of the National Speedway Directory is now available. For over 3 decades the NSD has given race fans and teams information about every track in North America. Order your copy today at http://speedwaysonline.com

Weather Report

Increasing cloudiness with a threat of showers and thunderstorms, high temp around 79F.

If you have a question about Fantasy Racing send it to dennis@racetalkradio.com and get it answered next week.

NASCAR by the Numbers

Using a proprietary race analysis technique we take the fans inside the numbers every week. DMIC’s rating system has been in use since 2002 and has proven to pick the contenders from the pretenders!

Consistency is King (Last Five Races)

Driver	Last 5
J Johnson	90
K Harvick	89
C Edwards	89
T Stewart	89
C Bowyer	88
J Gordon	88
Ku Busch	87
JP Montoya	87
D Hamlin	86
D Earnhardt Jr	86

Horses for Courses (Track Rating)

Driver	Course
M Kenseth	93
C Bowyer	91
G Biffle	91
T Stewart	89
C Edwards	89
R Newman	89
D Earnhardt Jr	88
K Harvick	87
Ky Busch	87
AJ Allmendinger	86

Type Casting (Track Type Factor)

Driver	Type
G Biffle	95
R Newman	93
D Earnhardt Jr	91
Ky Busch	90
B Keselowski	89
J Johnson	89
K Kahne	89
R Smith	89
J Gordon	89
M Truex	88

Power Rating (240 Minimum to Qualify as Contender)

Driver	Power
G Biffle	268
D Earnhardt Jr	266
C Edwards	266
R Newman	265
C Bowyer	265
J Johnson	265
T Stewart	264
K Harvick	263
Ky Busch	261
J Gordon	260
M Truex	256
M Kenseth	256
D Hamlin	256
B Keselowski	255
K Kahne	252
M Ambrose	250
AJ Allmendinger	247
R Smith	246
J Logano	246
P Menard	246
JP Montoya	245
J McMurray	245
A Almirola	243
J Burton	243
R Stenhouse Jr	242
Ku Busch	240
M Martin	237
D Ragan	234
T Bayne	231
B Labonte	229
D Gilliland	228
D Reutimann	227
T Kvapil	224
C Mears	224
D Stremme	219
D Blaney	219
D Patrick	216

DMIC’s Fantasy Picks presented by Speedwaysonline.com

Each week we will take you beyond the numbers to handicap the field from top to bottom to help your Fantasy Racing team succeed. You are also invited to join Lori Munro and I on “White Board Fantasy Racing” every Monday night on “Doin’ Donuts” at 8pm ET on RaceTalkRadio.com. Win fun prizes by picking just the race winners in our unique format. Send your picks to info@racetalkradio.com to enter. 

Top Pick (Last Week Finished 12^th)  

Ryan Newman- Team and driver rounding into form for a win

(40 to 1 Odds)

Best Long Shot (Odds of 20-1 or More) (Last Week Finished 5^th)

Clint Bowyer- Toyota down on horsepower is a concern but at a nice price

(25 to 1 Odds) 

Top Dogs (Group A in Yahoo) (Last Week Finished 1^st)

Jimmie Johnson- A must have on your fantasy team every week.

(4 to 1 Odds)

Second Class (Group B in Yahoo) (Last Week Won Pole and Finished 7^th)     

Greg Biffle- Has been a strong Ford track in the past

(15 to 1 Odds)

Middle Packer (Group C in Yahoo) (Last Week Finished 33^rd)    

Ricky Stenhouse Jr- Another strong track for that first career win

(40 to 1 Odds)

Crazy 8s for Michigan

Each week Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen battle in the most unique racing game around! We pick one driver each from each 8 driver group using the current points’ standings. Our picks can help you round out your fantasy racing lineup!

Dennis won 3-2 in week 14 and Lori leads the game 9-5 for the year

Group 1: Dennis picks Jimmie Johnson and Lori picks Matt Kenseth

Group 2: Lori picks Brad Keselowski and Dennis picks Greg Biffle

Group 3: Dennis picks Ryan Newman and Lori picks Jamie McMurray

Group 4: Lori picks Denny Hamlin and Dennis picks Bobby Labonte

Group 5: Dennis picks Austin Dillon and Lori picks AJ Allmendinger

Do you have what it takes to handicap the races? Join Lori and Dennis every week and play in the Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Series! Send your pick for the Cup race to info@racetalkradio.com to enter. Weekly prize given away! 

Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. Three-time Daytona 500 winner. Four-time Brickyard 400 winner. And the list goes on. Jeff Gordon has combined determination, hard work and decades of experience to achieve an unparalleled roster of victories. His fans expect only the best from him, and they are rewarded at every turn with Gordon’s racing agility that defines the skill of the sport.

Jeff was five when he began running laps at a makeshift racetrack that he and his stepfather, John Bickford, converted from a fairground in his hometown of Vallejo, California. Inspired at an early age by John to be the best he could be in everything he did, Jeff embraced racing with a natural talent and true humility.

The young man from California jumped behind the wheel of a quarter midget and his competitive spirit quickly ignited. “He slipped around the track for days getting used to the car and how to drive it,” John says. Jeff didn’t do so well in his first year of competition, but he knew he could do it. At just six years of age, Jeff won 35 main events and set five track records. And so it began…

Jeff later took interest in sprint cars because of their size and power. There was one roadblock though–Jeff was only 13 and the rules stated the minimum age to drive the 650 horsepower machines was 16. But Jeff and his family appealed to the insurance companies and their persistence paid off when Jeff was allowed to run in the All Star Florida Speedweeks. He was successful driving sprint cars and the family moved to Pittsboro, Indiana so Jeff could settle and learn in the heart of sprint car country. Racing sprints was the first time Jeff had received national attention, partly due to his young age and partly because of his amazing driving abilities. Success came easily as Jeff captured several track championships at Bloomington Speedway and a title at Eldora Speedway.

When there were no opportunities available in open-wheel racing for Jeff to pursue, someone suggested that he try out the Buck Baker Driving School at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina. When Jeff drove his first laps in a stock car, he declared to his parents that this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. What exciting times those were. It was a transition from the traditional open-wheel racing that Jeff was used to, something he had never done before–race a car that had fenders. Jeff met a man named Hugh Connerty, who owned some Hooters restaurants and was a partner in Outback Steakhouse. Hugh secured some funding for a car through Outback, and it went to a test for the Busch Grand National race in Charlotte in 1990. A then unknown figure in the motorsports community from New Jersey by the name of Ray Evernham was asked to come work with Jeff. They ran a few races together to end the 1990 Busch Grand National season.

In 1991, Jeff Gordon and Hugh Connerty amicably parted ways when funding became difficult to secure. After tire testing the No. 1 car for Bill Davis, conversations started between Jeff and Bill and the two entered into a one page agreement for Jeff to drive for the ’91 season. Jeff won Rookie of the Year honors driving the Carolina Ford Dealers car that year. Nestle Chocolate, with their Baby Ruth brand, sponsored the car for the 1992 season, and Davis hired Ray Evernham at Daytona that year.

1992 marked the first time the Busch cars ran at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jeff sat on the pole and also won the race, turning many heads in the process. One person who took immediate notice was Rick Hendrick. The rest is history. Jeff became a part of the Hendrick Motorsports family and has continued the winning tradition ever since. His desire to drive was fueled by gritty determination to win races and championships, which has remained throughout an unparalleled career in racing.

At the close of the 2010 racing season, Jeff’s 18th in Cup, he had  amassed 82 victories, 69 poles and numerous records.

2011 was a season of change for Jeff and the #24 team. Jeff paired up with crew chief Alan Gustafson and joined the AARP Foundation’s ‘Drive to End Hunger’ campaign in a pursuit to end hunger amongst elder Americans. It proved to be a year of resurgence as Jeff went on to win 3 races including his historic 85th win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which placed him in sole position of 3rd on the NASCAR All-Time Wins list.

In 2012, Jeff and Alan Gustafson completed their second year together as a driver/crew chief combination. The Drive to End Hunger team finished the year with 2 wins, 2 poles, 11 Top 5′s, 18 Top 10′s en route to a 10th place points finish. The #24 made it’s way to Victory Lane in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in a DuPont celebratory paint scheme highlighting their 20 years of partnership with Jeff Gordon.

The #24 Drive to End Hunger team hopes to carry the momentum from their 2012 season finale win into the 2013 season.  With 2 year’s experience working together, Jeff and Alan are ready to take on the competition in the all-new Generation-6 Chevy SS race car as they contend for more wins and that coveted 5th championship. Jeff and the #24 team will be partnered with Drive to End Hunger, newly re-branded Axalta Performance Coatings and Pepsi Max throughout the 2013 racing season

Over the years in NASCAR racing there are race winners that seem to fit the script so perfectly the tin foil hat brigade has the perfect conspiracy theory material possible: Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning at Daytona in the first race there after his Dad died. Kevin Harvick winning in his third start in the Cup series after replacing the famous No. 3 was more conspiracy theory fodder. How about Jimmie Johnson winning the last race at Lowes Motor Speedway? Then of course there is Danica Patrick winning the pole at the Daytona 500 in her rookie season.

This week NASCAR adds another Cinderella story to their history with Denny Hamlin winning in his first full race back.

This isn’t just wishful thinking to fit a pattern for a wonderful article, the numbers back my prediction up. Hamlin is on top of the Horses for Courses ratings by five full points! This is very rare in power ratings for any driver to have that big of an advantage on the field. If anybody is going to beat Hamlin, Johnson is probably the best pick. It takes good luck to go with skill at the “Lady in Black.” Isn’t Hamlin due for some good luck too? He will be the next Cinderella Story in NASCAR.

Good luck with your fantasy racing picks this week and don’t forget to send in your pick for “Whiteboard Fantasy Racing” this week for Darlington.

Send in your pick to win this week’s Cup race to dennis@racetalkradio.com for a chance to win a copy of the National Speedway Directory from SpeedwaysOnline.com.

Help Kris Martin Become NASCAR’s First Deaf Racer

Kris Martin was born to race!

Kris is following in his grandfather’s footsteps and is trying to race his way all the way to NASCAR. But Kris was born profoundly Deaf. Technology helps Kris hear his Crew Chief and Spotter so he can race safely but sponsors are not willing to take a chance on him…yet. Your help in funding his racing this season can help Kris show sponsors he will be an excellent representative for them all the way to NASCAR. I am working with Kris Martin Racing and his family to help them make this dream come true.

http://igg.me/at/krismartinracing/x/2900200

Weather Report

Increasing cloudiness with a chance for showers and thunderstorms with a high temperature of 85F

If you have a question about Fantasy Racing send it to dennis@racetalkradio.com and get it answered next week. 

NASCAR by the Numbers

Using a proprietary race analysis technique we take the fans inside the numbers every week. DMIC’s rating system has been in use since 2002 and has proven to pick the contenders from the pretenders!

Consistency is King (Last Five Races)

Driver	Last 5
J Johnson	95
C Bowyer	92
M Kenseth	92
C Edwards	91
A Almirola	89
M Truex	88
B Keselowski	87
K Kahne	86
J Gordon	86
K Harvick	86

Horses for Courses (Track Rating)

Driver	Course
D Hamlin	94
B Keselowski	89
Ky Busch	89
M Truex	89
J Gordon	89
C Edwards	89
T Stewart	89
M Kenseth	88
J Johnson	88
R Newman	86

Type Casting (Track Type Factor)

Driver	Type
J Johnson	96
C Bowyer	96
J Gordon	93
B Keselowski	90
K Kahne	90
M Kenseth	89
C Edwards	88
K Harvick	86
J Burton	86
A Almirola	86

Power Rating (240 Minimum to Qualify as Contender)

Driver	Power
J Johnson	279
J Gordon	269
M Kenseth	268
C Edwards	268
B Keselowski	266
C Bowyer	265
D Hamlin	262
K Kahne	259
K Harvick	257
Ky Busch	255
M Truex	254
T Stewart	252
J Burton	252
A Almirola	251
D Earnhardt Jr	250
M Martin	250
J McMurray	250
R Smith	249
G Biffle	249
R Newman	247
P Menard	246
J Logano	245
R Stenhouse Jr	243
M Ambrose	243
JP Montoya	242
Ku Busch	240
B Labonte	236
D Ragan	232
D Reutimann	225
D Patrick	224
D Blaney	223
C Mears	223
D Gilliland	222
T Kvapil	218
D Stremme	217

DMIC’s Fantasy Picks presented by Speedwaysonline.com

Each week we will take you beyond the numbers to handicap the field from top to bottom to help your Fantasy Racing team

succeed. You are also invited to join Lori Munro and I on “White Board Fantasy Racing” every Monday night on “Doin’ Donuts” at 8pm ET on RaceTalkRadio.com. Win fun prizes by picking just the race winners in our unique format. Send your picks to info@racetalkradio.com to enter.

Top Pick (Last Week Finished 18^th)

Denny Hamlin- Add another page to the rich history of come-back wins

(8 to 1 Odds)

Best Long Shot (Odds of 20-1 or More) (Last Week Finished 28^th)          

Tony Stewart- Solid Horses for Courses rating and can’t stay this bad much longer

(25 to 1 Odds)               

Top Dogs (Group A in Yahoo) (Last Week Finished 40^th)       

Jimmie Johnson- Best bet for a top five finish this week

(6 to 1 Odds)

Second Class (Group B in Yahoo) (Last Week Won Pole and Finished 17^th)       

Carl Edwards- In the top ten in all three categories  

(10 to 1 Odds)

Middle Packer (Group C in Yahoo) (Last Week Finished 4^th)  

Ricky Stenhouse Jr- Won the pole and finished sixth in Nationwide race here

(50 to 1 Odds)

Crazy 8s for Darlington

Each week Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen battle in the most unique racing game around! We pick one driver each from each 8 driver group using the current points’ standings. Our picks can help you round out your fantasy racing lineup!

Lori won 5-0 in week 10 and leads the game 8-2 for the year

Group 1: Lori picks Clint Bowyer and Dennis picks Jimmie Johnson

Group 2: Dennis picks Matt Kenseth and Lori picks Kevin Harvick

Group 3: Lori picks Tony Stewart and Dennis picks Ryan Newman

Group 4: Dennis picks Denny Hamlin and Lori picks JP Montoya

Group 5: Lori picks Regan Smith and Dennis picks David Reutimann

Do you have what it takes to handicap the races? Join Lori and Dennis every week and play in the Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Series! Send your pick for the Cup race to info@racetalkradio.com to enter. Weekly prize given away! 

NASCAR will not get the showdown they had last year when Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart battled to a tie, but Jimmie Johnson will not go down without a fight.

Last week in Phoenix the No. 48 team had an uncharacteristic bump in their championship road. All weekend the team struggled to find the speed to run up front and only Johnson’s ability to hustle a car kept them in the top 10. But sometimes when you have to push the limits as a driver you see the tires unable to hold up to the extra strain.

This weekend in Homestead-Miami you can count on the No. 48 team to bounce back in a big way. Look for it to be fast right off the truck to attempt to put the pressure on Brad Keselowski. This is as close as team owner Roger Penske has ever gotten to the NASCAR Sprint Cup title so you know they will be on the top of their game this weekend too. It should be an epic battle. Johnson is likely to win the battle but I think Keselowski will win the war and earn the NASCAR Sprint Cup title.

Good luck with your fantasy racing picks this week and don’t forget to send in your pick for “Whiteboard Fantasy Racing” this week for Miami.

Send in your pick to win this week’s Cup race to dennis@racetalkradio.com for a chance to win a copy of the National Speedway Directory from SpeedwaysOnline.com.

Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Winner Last Week

Jason W was the winner

Whiteboard Fantasy Standings After Phoenix

Rank	Player	Total
1	LAM	65
2	Grainger	57
3	Rick	55
4T	Mike N	54
4T	RA	54
4T	DMIC	54
7	Gertie	50
8	Carbon	47
9	Erik G	39
10T	Chris U	34
10T	Aaron C	34

Weather Report

Partly sunny with a high near 78F

If you have a question about Fantasy Racing send it to dennis@racetalkradio.com and get it answered next week. 

NASCAR by the Numbers

Using a proprietary race analysis technique we take the fans inside the numbers every week. DMIC’s rating system has been in use since 2002 and has proven to pick the contenders from the pretenders!

Consistency is King (Last Five Races)

Driver	Last 5
B Keselowski	93
M Kenseth	93
Ky Busch	91
J Johnson	91
K Kahne	91
C Bowyer	91
G Biffle	88
C Edwards	87
D Hamlin	87
K Harvick	87

Horses for Courses (Track Rating)

Driver	Mia
C Edwards	95
D Hamlin	94
M Truex	94
M Kenseth	93
K Harvick	92
J Johnson	89
C Bowyer	89
K Kahne	88
J Burton	87
G Biffle	86

Type Casting (Track Type Factor)

Driver	Type
Ky Busch	94
G Biffle	93
D Hamlin	93
D Earnhardt Jr	92
M Kenseth	92
M Truex	91
J Gordon	91
K Harvick	91
J Johnson	91
B Keselowski	90

Power Rating (240 Minimum to Qualify as Contender)

Driver	Power
M Kenseth	278
D Hamlin	273
J Johnson	271
K Harvick	270
M Truex	269
C Edwards	268
G Biffle	268
C Bowyer	267
K Kahne	267
B Keselowski	265
Ky Busch	264
J Gordon	261
M Martin	254
T Stewart	253
D Earnhardt Jr	252
Ku Busch	251
R Newman	248
A Almirola	246
J Logano	244
J McMurray	244
P Menard	244
J Burton	244
S Hornish	240
R Smith	240
JP Montoya	232
C Mears	229
T Kvapil	227
B Labonte	224
L Cassill	223
M Ambrose	223
D Ragan	220
D Blaney	218
D Gilliland	217

DMIC’s Fantasy Picks- Lubricated by TheOilMedics.com

Each week we will take you beyond the numbers to handicap the field from top to bottom to help your Fantasy Racing team succeed. You are also invited to join Lori Munro and I on “White Board Fantasy Racing” every Monday night on “Doin’ Donuts” at 8pm ET on RaceTalkRadio.com. Win fun prizes by picking just the race winners in our unique format. Send your picks to info@racetalkradio.com to enter.

Top Pick (Last Week 6^th)

Jimmie Johnson- Team and driver will make a statement in the final race of the year

(5 to 1 Odds) 

Best Long Shot (Odds of 20-1 or More) (Last Week 5^th)

Kevin Harvick- Back to back wins after being winless all year is possible

(20 to 1 Odds)              

Top Dogs (Group A in Yahoo) (Last Week 32^nd)                

Matt Kenseth- Strong chance to go out a winner at Roush Racing

(8 to 1 Odds)

Second Class (Group B in Yahoo) (Last Week 21^st)                     

Martin Truex Jr- Team should bounce back with strong run after issues last week

(10 to 1 Odds)

Middle Packer (Group C in Yahoo) (Last Week 31^st)                    

Ricky Stenhouse Jr- Ready for Cup full time in 2013

Crazy 8s for Miami

Each week Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen battle in the most unique racing game around! We pick one driver each from each 8 driver group using the current points’ standings. Our picks can help you round out your fantasy racing lineup!

Last Race at Phoenix: Dennis won the matchup 4-1

Season Record: Lori leads Dennis at 20-15

Group 1: Dennis picks Matt Kenseth and Lori picks Jimmie Johnson

Group 2: Lori picks Kyle Busch and Dennis picks Martin Truex

Group 3: Dennis picks Joey Logano and Lori picks Marcos Ambrose

Group 4: Lori picks Mark Martin and Dennis picks Kurt Busch

Group 5: Dennis picks Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Lori picks Trevor Bayne

Do you have what it takes to handicap the races? Join Lori and Dennis every week and play in the Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Series! Send your pick for the Cup race to info@racetalkradio.com to enter. Weekly prize given away! 

Statistics, when used properly, can help distinguish the contenders from the pretenders at every race. But in sports there are often performances that surprise and amaze us when the championship is on the line.

This week I think we will see one of those big performances from Brad Keselowski. There isn’t a hungrier driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series right now which is saying something since Jimmie Johnson shows his amazing hunger every weekend. But Keselowski has a secret weapon on his side this week…KARMA.

Phoenix International Raceway used to be an open wheel track. The Copper Classic was their big event every year and the fans loved it when USAC came to town. The biggest names in open wheel racing including Lloyd Ruby, AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, and the Unsers cherished their wins on the tough one-mile track.

NASCAR came to town for the first time in 1977 with the old Winston West Series in a race won by Cale Yarborough. The NASCAR Winston Cup Series came to town in 1988 and that leads us to the KARMA that will help Keselowski win this weekend.

The driver that won that first Cup race at Phoenix was none other than Alan Kulwicki. That was Kulwicki’s first win of his career and he celebrated in unique style with his famous “Polish Victory Lap.” NASCAR was not pleased and told him not to do that again.

In pure Kulwicki style he said he wouldn’t do the “Polish Victory Lap” again until he won the championship. How fitting would it be if Keselowski does a “Polish Victory Lap” with the American Flag flying at Phoenix as he takes over the championship lead?

Let’s order up a PVL for BAK at PIR ASAP.

Good luck with your fantasy racing picks this week and don’t forget to send in your pick for “Whiteboard Fantasy Racing” this week for Phoenix.

Send in your pick to win this week’s Cup race to dennis@racetalkradio.com for a chance to win a copy of the National Speedway Directory from SpeedwaysOnline.com.

Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Winner Last Week

Josh picked the winner

Whiteboard Fantasy Standings After Texas

Rank	Player	Total
1	LAM	65
2	Grainger	57
3	Mike N	54
4T	RA	53
4T	DMIC	53
6T	Gertie	50
6T	Rick	50
8	Carbon	46
9	Erik G	39
10	Chris U	34

Weather Report

Sunny and pleasant with a high near 65F

If you have a question about Fantasy Racing send it to dennis@racetalkradio.com and get it answered next week.

NASCAR by the Numbers

Using a proprietary race analysis technique we take the fans inside the numbers every week. DMIC’s rating system has been in use since 2002 and has proven to pick the contenders from the pretenders!

Consistency is King (Last Five Races)

Driver	Last 5
J Johnson	94
M Kenseth	93
B Keselowski	93
C Bowyer	92
Ky Busch	91
J Gordon	90
K Kahne	90
G Biffle	89
M Truex	88
D Earnhardt Jr	86

Horses for Courses (Track Rating)

Driver	Course
J Johnson	95
D Hamlin	92
M Martin	90
R Newman	89
G Biffle	89
K Harvick	89
J Gordon	88
Ku Busch	88
M Truex	88
Ky Busch	87

Type Casting (Track Type Factor)

Driver	Type
J Johnson	95
C Bowyer	95
K Kahne	94
B Keselowski	92
J Gordon	90
M Kenseth	90
D Hamlin	89
T Stewart	89
M Martin	89
G Biffle	88

Power Rating (240 Minimum to Qualify as Contender)

Driver	Power
J Johnson	284
J Gordon	268
C Bowyer	268
K Kahne	267
M Kenseth	267
G Biffle	266
B Keselowski	266
D Hamlin	266
Ky Busch	266
M Martin	264
R Newman	261
T Stewart	260
M Truex	260
K Harvick	259
C Edwards	254
D Earnhardt Jr	254
J Logano	252
J Burton	246
Ku Busch	246
AJ Allmendinger	244
P Menard	242
A Almirola	242
JP Montoya	241
S Hornish	241
M Ambrose	240
J McMurray	236
B Labonte	234
D Ragan	223
L Cassill	222
T Kvapil	222
C Mears	222
D Gilliland	219
D Blaney	212

DMIC’s Fantasy Picks- Lubricated by TheOilMedics.com

Each week we will take you beyond the numbers to handicap the field from top to bottom to help your Fantasy Racing team succeed. You are also invited to join Lori Munro and I on “White Board Fantasy Racing” every Monday night on “Doin’ Donuts” at 8pm ET on RaceTalkRadio.com. Win fun prizes by picking just the race winners in our unique format. Send your picks to info@racetalkradio.com to enter.

Top Pick (Last Week 4^th)

Brad Keselowski- Much better on this version of PIR

(6 to 1 Odds) 

Best Long Shot (Odds of 20-1 or More) (Last Week 29^th)

Ryan Newman- Two top fives in the last three starts here

(25 to 1 Odds)             

Top Dogs (Group A in Yahoo) (Last Week Winner)              

Jimmie Johnson- Smart choice every week at any kind of track

(4 to 1 Odds) 

Second Class (Group B in Yahoo) (Last Week 10^th)                   

Dale Earnhardt Jr- Should have a strong finish this week

(12 to 1 Odds)

Middle Packer (Group C in Yahoo) (Last Week 17^th)                  

Sam Hornish Jr- Expect another solid top 20 run

Crazy 8s for Phoenix 2

Each week Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen battle in the most unique racing game around! We pick one driver each from each 8 driver group using the current points’ standings. Our picks can help you round out your fantasy racing lineup!

Last Race at Texas: Lori won the matchup 3-2

Season Record: Lori leads Dennis at 20-14

Group 1: Lori picks Jimmie Johnson and Dennis picks Brad Keselowski

Group 2: Dennis picks Greg Biffle and Lori picks Kyle Busch

Group 3: Lori picks Joey Logano and Dennis picks Kurt Busch

Group 4: Dennis picks Mark Martin and Lori picks Casey Mears

Group 5: Lori picks Sam Hornish Jr and Dennis picks Danica Patrick

Do you have what it takes to handicap the races? Join Lori and Dennis every week and play in the Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Series! Send your pick for the Cup race to info@racetalkradio.com to enter. Weekly prize given away! 

Each week we hear the NASCAR experts quoting statistics in the upcoming race and tell you how this race might be a problem for Brad Keselowski because of his past performances.

But every once in a while we see a driver mature at the Cup division and you can discount his past statistics. When a driver bucks the trend as consistently as “Bad Brad” has done this season you know he is having a career year. Let’s take a look at Keselowski’s career average at each of the Chase tracks this year and his performance in the Chase at each of those tracks.

Track	Career Average	2012 Finish
Chicago	18.3	1
New Hampshire	15.3	6
Dover	16.9	1
Talladega	13.9	7
Charlotte	15.7	11
Kansas	10.2	8
Martinsville	13.4	6
Texas	25.2

Even at his worst Chase finish of the season he outperformed his career average by almost five positions! It can be quoted as a statistically significant trend when someone has been better seven races in a row this season when compared to their career statistics.

Keselowski’s record at Texas Motor Speedway is awful but as they tell you on the Schwab advertisements, “Past Performance Is No Guarantee of Future Results.” While they are covering their butts with such a statement, you can use that advice to have success on your fantasy racing team by including the “Blue Deuce” in your selections.

Good luck with your fantasy racing picks this week and don’t forget to send in your pick for “Whiteboard Fantasy Racing” this week for Texas.

Send in your pick to win this week’s Cup race to dennis@racetalkradio.com for a chance to win a copy of the National Speedway Directory from SpeedwaysOnline.com.

Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Winner Last Week

Lori was the winner this week

Whiteboard Fantasy Standings After Martinsville

Rank	Player	Total
1	LAM	60
2	Grainger	57
3	RA	53
4	DMIC	50
5	Mike N	49
6	Gertie	47
7T	Carbon	45
7T	Rick	45
9	Erik G	38
10	Chris U	34

Weather Report

Expect a great day for racing with partly sunny skies and a high temp near 70F

If you have a question about Fantasy Racing send it to dennis@racetalkradio.com and get it answered next week. 

NASCAR by the Numbers

Using a proprietary race analysis technique we take the fans inside the numbers every week. DMIC’s rating system has been in use since 2002 and has proven to pick the contenders from the pretenders!

 

Consistency is King (Last Five Races)

Driver	Last 5
B Keselowski	93
J Johnson	93
J Gordon	92
K Kahne	92
C Bowyer	91
Ky Busch	91
M Martin	90
M Truex	89
M Kenseth	88
G Biffle	87

Horses for Courses (Track Rating)

Driver	Course
G Biffle	95
M Kenseth	94
J Johnson	93
K Kahne	90
D Hamlin	90
K Harvick	89
D Earnhardt Jr	88
M Martin	88
C Bowyer	87
M Ambrose	87

Type Casting (Track Type Factor)

Driver	Type
G Biffle	95
D Hamlin	93
J Gordon	91
D Earnhardt Jr	91
J Johnson	90
Ky Busch	90
K Harvick	90
M Truex	90
K Kahne	88
C Edwards	88

Power Rating (240 Minimum to Qualify as Contender)

Driver	Power
G Biffle	277
J Johnson	277
K Kahne	270
M Kenseth	270
D Hamlin	269
C Bowyer	265
J Gordon	265
D Earnhardt Jr	265
M Martin	264
Ky Busch	263
K Harvick	263
M Truex	263
C Edwards	259
B Keselowski	254
P Menard	251
T Stewart	250
R Newman	248
J Logano	245
AJ Allmendinger	243
M Ambrose	243
J McMurray	240
Ku Busch	240
A Almirola	240
S Hornish	238
JP Montoya	237
D Ragan	236
J Burton	235
B Labonte	227
L Cassill	223
T Kvapil	221
C Mears	221
D Gilliland	218
D Blaney	211

DMIC’s Fantasy Picks- Lubricated by TheOilMedics.com

Each week we will take you beyond the numbers to handicap the field from top to bottom to help your Fantasy Racing team succeed. You are also invited to join Lori Munro and I on “White Board Fantasy Racing” every Monday night on “Doin’ Donuts” at 8pm ET on RaceTalkRadio.com. Win fun prizes by picking just the race winners in our unique format. Send your picks to info@racetalkradio.com to enter.

Top Pick (Last Week Winner)

Matt Kenseth- Another emotional win for the second best driver in the history of Roush Racing

(9 to 1 Odds) 

Best Long Shot (Odds of 20-1 or More) (Last Week 16^th)  

Mark Martin- The Kid should be a force on Sunday

(20 to 1 Odds)             

Top Dogs (Group A in Yahoo) (Last Week 6^th)                  

Jimmie Johnson- You would go broke betting against Five Time

(6 to 1 Odds) 

Second Class (Group B in Yahoo) (Last Week 5^th)                   

Greg Biffle- This has been a great track for Roush and the Biff won earlier this year

(8 to 1 Odds)

Middle Packer (Group C in Yahoo) (Last Week 8^th)                   

Sam Hornish Jr- One of his last best chances at a surprise win

 

Crazy 8s for Texas 2

Each week Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen battle in the most unique racing game around! We pick one driver each from each 8 driver group using the current points’ standings. Our picks can help you round out your fantasy racing lineup!

Last Race at Martinsville: Dennis won the matchup 5-0

Season Record: Lori leads Dennis at 19-14

Group 1: Dennis picks Jimmie Johnson and Lori picks Matt Kenseth

Group 2: Lori picks Dale Earnhardt Jr and Dennis picks Greg Biffle

Group 3: Dennis picks Joey Logano and Lori picks Kurt Busch

Group 4: Lori picks Mark Martin and Dennis picks AJ Allmendinger

Group 5: Dennis picks Sam Hornish Jr and Lori picks Trevor Bayne

Do you have what it takes to handicap the races? Join Lori and Dennis every week and play in the Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Series! Send your pick for the Cup race to info@racetalkradio.com

Take a drive around the great state of Virginia and you inevitably stumble across Civil War battlegrounds. This week at Martinsville we will have the “Battle of Martinsville” in the war to keep the sixth Cup off Jimmie Johnson’s shelf. Unlike the battle between the states which pitted North versus South and brother against brother; the “Battle of Martinsville” is a three-way fight for NASCAR’s top prize.

It is well documented how strong Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin are at the track that is nicknamed “The Paper Clip.” Johnson has won 6 times with a winning percentage of 28.5%. Hamlin has four wins in his career with a winning percentage of 28.5%. Meanwhile, Brad Keselowski is winless at Martinsville and has not posted a top five finish in five career starts.

But if you look at the first five starts in Johnson and Hamlin’s career at Martinsville they both averaged an 11.2 finish. Keselowski has posted an average finish of 13.4 in his five starts.

Look back at the race in March and you can see that the finishing order doesn’t always reflect how well a driver was doing. It appeared that the win would go to either Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon until Clint Bowyer forced the issue on the restart.

But look a bit closer at the replay of that infamous crash and you can see Keselowski’s “Blue Deuce” running in fourth place. Bad Brad’s last two starts have shown a big improvement in starting position, qualifying 7^th and 3^rd respectively, versus an average starting position of 25.6 in his first three starts. Earlier this year we saw Keselowski win at tracks where he had never posted a top-five finish before so this week he will be a contender for the win.

“The Battle of Martinsville” could be one of the title contender’s Waterloo. Load up on the top contenders for your Fantasy picks this week because they will bring their “A Game” the rest of the season.

Good luck with your fantasy racing picks this week and don’t forget to send in your pick for “Whiteboard Fantasy Racing” this week for Martinsville.

Send in your pick to win this week’s Cup race to dennis@racetalkradio.com for a chance to win a copy of the National Speedway Directory from SpeedwaysOnline.com.

Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Winner Last Week

Erik was the winner last week

Whiteboard Fantasy Standings After Kansas

Rank	Player	Total
1	Grainger	57
2	LAM	55
3	RA	52
4	Mike N	49
5	Gertie	47
6	DMIC	45
7	Carbon	44
8	Rick	40
9T	Chris U	34
9T	Aaron C	34

Weather Report

Tough weather forecast for Sunday…Variable Cloudiness with a period of showers possible.

If you have a question about Fantasy Racing send it to dennis@racetalkradio.com and get it answered next week. 

NASCAR by the Numbers

Using a proprietary race analysis technique we take the fans inside the numbers every week. DMIC’s rating system has been in use since 2002 and has proven to pick the contenders from the pretenders!

Consistency is King (Last Five Races)

 

Driver	Last 5
B Keselowski	93
J Johnson	93
J Gordon	93
D Hamlin	92
C Bowyer	91
K Kahne	91
M Truex	90
M Kenseth	88
K Harvick	88
B Vickers	88

Horses for Courses (Track Rating)

Driver	Course
D Hamlin	95
D Earnhardt Jr	93
J Johnson	92
J Gordon	91
C Edwards	89
K Harvick	89
J Logano	88
R Newman	87
B Keselowski	87
AJ Allmendinger	86

Type Casting (Track Type Factor)

Driver	Type
C Bowyer	95
D Hamlin	95
J Johnson	94
T Stewart	94
K Kahne	94
B Keselowski	92
M Kenseth	90
D Earnhardt Jr	90
J Gordon	87
K Harvick	87

Power Rating (240 Minimum to Qualify as Contender)

Driver	Power
D Hamlin	282
J Johnson	279
B Keselowski	272
C Bowyer	271
J Gordon	271
D Earnhardt Jr	270
M Kenseth	264
K Harvick	263
T Stewart	263
K Kahne	262
C Edwards	260
M Truex	259
R Newman	256
Ky Busch	255
J Logano	255
G Biffle	255
AJ Allmendinger	254
B Vickers	252
P Menard	245
J Burton	244
JP Montoya	238
M Ambrose	237
J McMurray	236
A Almirola	233
S Hornish Jr	230
Ku Busch	230
D Ragan	229
B Labonte	228
T Kvapil	223
C Mears	222
L Cassill	221
D Gilliland	220
D Blaney	212

DMIC’s Fantasy Picks- Lubricated by TheOilMedics.com

Each week we will take you beyond the numbers to handicap the field from top to bottom to help your Fantasy Racing team succeed. You are also invited to join Lori Munro and I on “White Board Fantasy Racing” every Monday night on “Doin’ Donuts” at 8pm ET on RaceTalkRadio.com. Win fun prizes by picking just the race winners in our unique format. Send your picks to info@racetalkradio.com to enter. 

Top Pick (Last Week 9^th)

Jimmie Johnson- Doesn’t pay to bet against the “Big Dog” here

(4 to 1 Odds)

Best Long Shot (Odds of 20-1 or More) (Last Week 30^th)

Joey Logano- Strong track rating here for driver and team

(40 to 1 Odds)              

Top Dogs (Group A in Yahoo) (Last Week 8^th)                 

Brad Keselowski- Was sitting in good position in March race before final restart

(10 to 1 Odds)

Second Class (Group B in Yahoo) (Last Week 27^th)                  

Clint Bowyer- Always great on flat tracks

(12 to 1 Odds)

Middle Packer (Group C in Yahoo) (Last Week 26^th)                  

Brian Vickers- Any time he races this car he has been a contender   

Crazy 8s for Martinsville 2

Each week Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen battle in the most unique racing game around! We pick one driver each from each 8 driver group using the current points’ standings. Our picks can help you round out your fantasy racing lineup!

Last Race at Kansas: Dennis won the matchup 3-2

Season Record: Lori leads Dennis at 19-13

Group 1: Dennis picks Jimmie Johnson and Lori picks Denny Hamlin

Group 2: Lori picks Dale Earnhardt Jr and Dennis picks Matt Kenseth

Group 3: Dennis picks Joey Logano and Lori picks Jeff Burton

Group 4: Lori picks Casey Mears and Dennis picks David Ragan

Group 5: Dennis picks Brian Vickers and Lori picks Sam Hornish Jr

Do you have what it takes to handicap the races? Join Lori and Dennis every week and play in the Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Series! Send your pick for the Cup race to info@racetalkradio.com

The old saying that “Change is inevitable except from a vending machine” is very true in NASCAR.

When a track is repaved you never know which team or driver the change might help or hurt. Charlotte Motor Speedway turned into “Jimmie’s House” after the grinding but when they repaved it evened the playing field.

This week we get to see the new and improved Kansas Speedway. Instead of just repaving it has added progressive banking. After the tire test some of the crew chiefs said the track drove more like Michigan International Speedway than a typical 1.5-mile track. This means that this week handicapping the race is a little more of an unknown.

Let’s take a look at the Kansas Speedway statistics in a slightly different way. As readers of Fantasy Insight know I believe in adding all three ratings to come up with the Power Rating that has proven effective at separating the contenders from the pretenders. This week I lay out two different Track Type Ratings and let you see the difference.

Here is what the top 15 in Power Ratings would look like using the old Track Type Rating and New Track Type for Kansas Speedway.

Driver	New	Driver	Old
J Johnson	280	J Johnson	286
B Keselowski	275	B Keselowski	280
G Biffle	274	K Kahne	274
T Stewart	268	D Hamlin	271
D Hamlin	268	K Harvick	270
J Gordon	265	G Biffle	269
C Edwards	264	Ky Busch	266
K Kahne	264	C Edwards	266
C Bowyer	264	T Stewart	265
K Harvick	264	M Kenseth	264
M Truex	261	M Martin	259
R Newman	261	C Bowyer	258
M Martin	260	M Truex	258
M Kenseth	258	J Gordon	255
Ky Busch	256	R Newman	254

The good news for racing handicappers is that the top two guys stay the same no matter how you figure Kansas Speedway will race under the new configuration. But this data still factors in the old racing at Kansas and that data might be useless. Here is the top 15 drivers based on just Consensus and Track Type Ratings.

Driver	Power B
B Keselowski	186
J Johnson	184
C Bowyer	182
G Biffle	179
M Truex	178
R Newman	177
J Gordon	177
T Stewart	176
K Kahne	176
M Martin	176
D Hamlin	176
K Harvick	174
C Edwards	171
Ky Busch	170
M Kenseth	169

Based on the numbers if you leave Jimmie Johnson or Brad Keselowski out of your fantasy racing lineup this week you will be sorry. The new track surface will mean a new track rating philosophy so until we figure out how this place will race at least we can enjoy the new track smell.

Good luck with your fantasy racing picks this week and don’t forget to send in your pick for “Whiteboard Fantasy Racing” this week for Kansas.

Send in your pick to win this week’s Cup race to dennis@racetalkradio.com for a chance to win a copy of the National Speedway Directory from SpeedwaysOnline.com.

Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Winner Last Week

Grangier was the winner at Charlotte

Whiteboard Fantasy Standings After Charlotte

Rank	Player	Total
1	Grainger	57
2	LAM	54
3	RA	49
4	Mike N	48
5T	Gertie	44
5T	Carbon	44
5T	DMIC	44
8	Rick	40
9T	Chris U	34
9T	Aaron C	34

Weather Report

Mostly sunny and pleasant, high temp of 75F

If you have a question about Fantasy Racing send it to dennis@racetalkradio.com and get it answered next week.

NASCAR by the Numbers- Presented by “Stock Car Racing Goes to the Dogs”…your pet can ride along in a real NASCAR race.

http://www.indiegogo.com/goestothedogs?a=405509

Using a proprietary race analysis technique we take the fans inside the numbers every week. DMIC’s rating system has been in use since 2002 and has proven to pick the contenders from the pretenders!

Consistency is King (Last Five Races)

Driver	Last 5
B Keselowski	95
J Johnson	94
M Martin	93
D Hamlin	92
K Kahne	91
C Bowyer	91
Ky Busch	91
J Gordon	89
M Truex	89
G Biffle	89

Horses for Courses (Track Rating)

Driver	Course
J Johnson	96
G Biffle	95
C Edwards	93
D Hamlin	93
T Stewart	92
K Harvick	90
B Keselowski	90
M Kenseth	90
K Kahne	88
J Gordon	88

Type Casting (Track Type Factor)

Driver	Type
C Bowyer	91
B Keselowski	91
G Biffle	91
R Newman	90
T Stewart	90
J Johnson	90
M Truex	89
M Ambrose	89
J Gordon	88
C Edwards	87

Power Rating (240 Minimum to Qualify as Contender)

Driver	Power
J Johnson	280
B Keselowski	275
G Biffle	274
T Stewart	268
D Hamlin	268
J Gordon	265
C Edwards	264
K Kahne	264
C Bowyer	264
K Harvick	264
M Truex	261
R Newman	261
M Martin	260
M Kenseth	258
Ky Busch	256
P Menard	249
M Ambrose	244
J Logano	244
AJ Allmendinger	241
JP Montoya	241
J McMurray	240
A Almirola	240
S Hornish	237
J Burton	236
Ku Busch	235
R Smith	235
D Ragan	229
B Labonte	226
D Gilliland	224
T Kvapil	223
L Cassill	219
C Mears	218
D Blaney	214

DMIC’s Fantasy Picks- Lubricated by TheOilMedics.com

Each week we will take you beyond the numbers to handicap the field from top to bottom to help your Fantasy Racing team succeed. You are also invited to join Lori Munro and I on “White Board Fantasy Racing” every Monday night on “Doin’ Donuts” at 8pm ET on RaceTalkRadio.com. Win fun prizes by picking just the race winners in our unique format. Send your picks to info@racetalkradio.com to enter.

Top Pick (Last Week 4^th)

Jimmie Johnson- Nobody better at figuring out a new track set up than Chad Knaus

(5 to 1 Odds)

Best Long Shot (Odds of 20-1 or More) (Last Week 16^th)            

Ryan Newman- Has struggled at the old Kansas recently, might love new track smell

(60 to 1 Odds)

Top Dogs (Group A in Yahoo) (Last Week 5^th)                

Brad Keselowski- Seems to do well on progressive banking

(8 to 1 Odds)

Second Class (Group B in Yahoo) (Last Week 8^th)                 

Greg Biffle- They say it might race like Michigan and this guy is great at MIS

(7 to 1 Odds)

Middle Packer (Group C in Yahoo) (Last Week 35^th)                 

Sam Hornish Jr- Team should be well prepared this week

Crazy 8s for Kansas 2

Each week Lori Munro and Dennis Michelsen battle in the most unique racing game around! We pick one driver each from each 8 driver group using the current points’ standings. Our picks can help you round out your fantasy racing lineup!

Last Race at Talladega: Dennis won the matchup 3-2

Season Record: Lori leads Dennis at 19-12

Group 1: Lori picks Jimmie Johnson and Dennis picks Greg Biffle

Group 2: Dennis picks Matt Kenseth and Lori picks Tony Stewart

Group 3: Lori picks Regan Smith and Dennis picks Mark Martin

Group 4: Dennis picks Kurt Busch and Lori picks AJ Allmendinger

Group 5: Lori picks Sam Hornish Jr and Dennis picks Trevor Bayne

Do you have what it takes to handicap the races? Join Lori and Dennis every week and play in the Whiteboard Fantasy Racing Series! Send your pick for the Cup race to info@racetalkradio.com to enter. Weekly prize given away!