With two Darlington wins to his credit, Greg Biffle should be in the mix for the checkered flag Saturday.
Stephen A. Arce/ASP Inc/Icon SMI
After last weekend's race at Richmond, some fantasy owners may worry about being able to stomach another Saturday night race. For those of you that had Denny Hamlin on your team, you suffered major heartbreak when his tire went down after he had dominated the race. For those of you that were riding the Junior bandwagon, you were probably sick when he was involved in that incident with Kyle Busch with the checkered flag in site. Many of you probably stressed over Jeff Gordon's early race woes only to be rewarded at the end with a top-10 finish.
Get out the antacids, the aspirin or a beer -- whatever you need to make it through the night; because another Saturday night showdown is in front of us with the running of the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway, and it could be just as exciting. With the new track repaving job, everyone is pointing to a fast pace this Saturday night; but it's still Darlington and they don't call it the "Track Too Tough To Tame" for nothing.
So which drivers will help you woo the Lady in Black this weekend? Continue on to read our picks for favorites, sleepers and longshots.
Favorites
This Saturday night could be a good night for Ford with Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards returning to a track where they have both done so well in the past. Biffle is a two-time Darlington winner and was in the top 10 in both practice sessions run on Thursday. Edwards has three top-10 finishes in the four races he's run at Darlington and while he is still winless at the famed track, he has scored win this year at Vegas and Texas; two of the fastest tracks on the circuit.
Another set of teammates to keep an eye on are Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Obviously neither driver is running as well as they were at this point last season, but at times both have shown glimpses of their past domination. Gordon and his team fought back after running poorly in the early stages at Richmond to score a top 10; while Johnson was caught up in a wreck while trying to make his way back through the field. But Darlington could be a remedy for what ails them. Together they have three wins in the last five Darlington races, with Gordon posting four straight Top 5s while Johnson has eight top 10s in his nine starts.
Sleepers
You may not realize it, but Ryan Newman is one of the hottest drivers in the series right now. With three Top 10s in the last four races, Newman currently sits 11th in the standings and has an equally impressive record at Darlington. In the last five trips to Darlington, Newman has finished sixth or higher. With the new pavement, several drivers have said that passing could be at a premium making track position very important; and we all know how well Newman can qualify. He was in the top dozen during both practice sessions Thursday; so keep an eye on the No. 12 car Saturday night.
Part-time drivers may not be appealing to some fantasy owners, but don't let that cloud your judgment on Mark Martin. In the last three races he's run he has finished in the Top 10 and at Darlington he has four top 10s in the last five races. Given his part-timer status, Martin might be a deal in your fantasy league -- take advantage.
Longshots
Looking for a real long shot? Keep an eye out to see if Dave Blaney manages to qualify for this weekend's race. He was fast in both practice sessions and scored a career high third place at Darlington. Granted it was back in 2003, but it's not called a longshot for nothing.
Another longshot for this weekend that can help fill out your fantasy roster is Travis Kvapil. In an underfunded Yates Racing Ford, Kvapil has managed to score two top-10 finishes, including an eighth place run earlier this year at Las Vegas. He was fourth fastest in the first practice session on Thursday and you don't have to worry about him making the show since he is locked into the top 35 in owner points. He may not have much history at Darlington, but this year he has done well with limited resources.
Quote of the Week
"It's a great track. I'm eager to get on the track to see the repave job and what that's going to be like. I have to admit I'm going to miss the old track - it was just such a challenge. And over time I'm sure it will evolve back to what it was. It's nice that the shape is still the same. I'm really looking forward to Thursday's test sessions that they have now just to get familiar with the track. Jeff went there and tested so I feel like we're going there smarter as a company than maybe some of the other guys. So I'm looking forward to it."
-- Jimmie Johnson
Cami Starr is the Fantasy Racing Editor at Frontstretch.com (http://www.frontstretch.com/fantasy_archive/13888/), where she currently co-writes the weekly Picks N Pans column as well as administers the site's various fantasy games.



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