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Fantasy NASCAR 101
Welcome to the exciting world of fantasy auto racing!
This guide is for Fantasy Auto Racing (aka Fantasy NASCAR) rookies and anyone wanting to improve their knowledge of fantasy auto racing. Here you will find an explanation of the game, tips to select your drivers and links to additional resources on the web.What Is It?
Fantasy Auto Racing is a game where you build your own dream team of NASCAR drivers and compete against the other teams in your league.
The outcome of each race can be quickly impacted by wrecks, mechanical problems or a slow pit stop. Since so much of a race's finish depends on luck, this is one of the easier fantasy sports for new players to jump into, be competitive and have fun.
The outcome of each race can be quickly impacted by wrecks, mechanical problems or a slow pit stop. Since so much of a race's finish depends on luck, this is one of the easier fantasy sports for new players to jump into, be competitive and have fun.
The Basics
All fantasy auto racing leagues require each player to select a team of drivers to start for each week's race. The sum of the driver scores for each team is that team's score for the week. The team with the most total points at the end of the season is the champion.
Scoring is based primarily on how each of your starting drivers does in the actual NASCAR race. Some sites allocate points equal to the number of Nextel Cup points that the driver received for the actual race. Other sites will award the 1st place driver x points and every position after that gets 2 fewer points than the position before.
A league may also award bonus points for leading at least one lap of the race, leading the most laps or award points depending on how the driver qualified. Some leagues even award bonus points if the driver finishes better than their starting position.
Scoring is based primarily on how each of your starting drivers does in the actual NASCAR race. Some sites allocate points equal to the number of Nextel Cup points that the driver received for the actual race. Other sites will award the 1st place driver x points and every position after that gets 2 fewer points than the position before.
A league may also award bonus points for leading at least one lap of the race, leading the most laps or award points depending on how the driver qualified. Some leagues even award bonus points if the driver finishes better than their starting position.
Game Variations
There are three main variations of Fantasy Auto Racing depending on which site you use to host your league. Here is a description of each...
- Draft Based - This version is the most like other fantasy sports. You draft a team of drivers prior to the start of the season and each driver can only race for one team. During the season you can trade drivers with other teams or drop a driver to pick up a new one from the free agent list.
- Salary Cap Based - In this version, all drivers have a salary based on their Nextel Cup standings. Each team is given a salary cap (typically $1,000,000) that it can use to purchase drivers for the week. Multiple teams can own the same driver. Driver salaries may change throughout the season based on their actual performance.
- Class Based - All drivers are grouped into one of three classes (usually A, B and C) based on their performance the previous season. Each team is required to pick and start a certain number of drivers from each class to form their team for the week. Multiple teams may start the same driver.
Fantasy Auto Racing Sites
Most fantasy league sites are free and provide the basics of stats, scoring, league and team management, message posting, etc. Some also offer premium (pay) games as well that offer cash prizes.
- Yahoo! Sports
- The one I've used for all of my leagues. Good features, easy to use and offers weekly advice for selecting drivers. Includes a 'Fantasy Profile' section with a history of all of your fantasy sports (auto racing, football, baseball, etc) teams over time.
- CBS Sports
- CBS Sportsline's fantasy auto racing home page.
- Fox Sports
- Fox Sports' fantasy auto racing home page.
- NASCAR
- NASCAR offers several variations of fantasy auto racing on their site.
The Latest NASCAR News
From Yahoo! Sports
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byTips For Selecting Drivers
- Check The Driver's Status - Make sure that the driver is racing this week. Some drivers don't enter every race or they may not have qualified. If the driver has NE or DNQ in his status field, he's not racing.
- How Many Times Have You Started This Driver? - Many games limit the number of times you can start each driver during the season. If you've already hit the limit and he's still in your lineup, you'll get a big 0 no matter how well he finishes.
- Know The Track - NASCAR races are run on a variety of tracks such as flat tracks, road courses, super speedways and short tracks. Some drivers do better or worse on different track types so check their stats. If the race is on a short track like Bristol or Richmond, where wrecks can be frequent, consider starting fewer big names and go with guys who will be spread out through the pack. That way a wreck up front won't take out all of your drivers.
- Check The Average Start Position - If your league awards qualifying points, you'll want to have drivers in your lineup who consistently qualify in the top 4 to increase your chance of getting extra points.
- Who Won The Busch/Nationwide Series Race Yesterday? - There is usually a Busch series race the day before a NASCAR Cup series race. Many of the Cup drivers compete in the Busch race and drivers who finish well there usually do well in the big race the next day, sometimes with back to back wins.
Go See A Race!
The best way to enjoy and learn about NASCAR is to see it up close and personal with no commercial breaks. I've been to the Daytona 500 and its qualifying races. My favorite part is walking down to the fence and feeling the wind as the cars speed by you at 180mph. What a rush!
StubHub is an easy way to buy or sell tickets to NASCAR races
and other sporting events (even if it is sold out). I've used their service several times.
StubHub is an easy way to buy or sell tickets to NASCAR races
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Cool NASCAR DVDs
These videos will get you up to speed on the history of NASCAR and the thrill of racing.
NASCAR - The IMAX Experience
A perfect primer for newcomers to the sport of stock-car racing.0 points
Great Moments in the History of NASCAR
Relive the glory of NASCAR with over 6 decades of spectacular photos, audio, and video footage of NASCAR´s greatest drivers, families and events. From the sands of Daytona to the Brickyard at Indy, this DVD will surely fascinate fans of all ages.0 points
The Golden Era of NASCAR
A 4 disc set that shows NASCAR's early history from 1936 up to 1971.0 points
Helpful Links
- NASCAR Tracks
- A listing of all the NASCAR tracks. Includes a diagram and quick stats for each track along with a link to the track's website.
- Yahoo! Sports - NASCAR
- Yahoo! does a good job of providing the top stories, current rankings and driver info with fewer annoying ads than the other major sports sites.
- Driver Stats
- You'll want to know how a driver has performed in past races on each track.
NASCAR Memorabilia on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Hot Fantasy NASCAR Blog Posts
- NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 ...
- This gives fantasy owners a very clear idea on the top options for this weekend's race at Phoenix International Raceway. I've created another NASCAR Fantasy Tool, 2009 Average Finish at Flat Tracks. Martinsville Speedway, Phoenix ...
- NASCAR Fantasy Experts Picks: Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 : On ...
- NASCAR Fantasy Racing. Simple Fantasy Racing at On Pit Row. What, you can't handle the pressure of running your own Fantasy Racing League? Want something dead simple, yet fun to play? Check out our "One and Done" Fantasy Racing Game. ...
- NASCAR Fantasy Racing Preview: Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway ...
- View my updated NASCAR Fantasy Tool: 2009 Average Finish at Similar Tracks - Atlanta, Texas and Lowe's table to see the results at all five races, plus the average finish of 32 drivers. Chasing the pole at Texas Motor Speedway ...
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Leave your comments on fantasy auto racing, your favorite driver or anything NASCAR.
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- SusanVillasLewis SusanVillasLewis Aug 2, 2008 @ 8:11 am
- You're kidding, right? For auto racing? Really? Wow.
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- racerman28 racerman28 Mar 6, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
- Great lens...Fantasy Racing for NASCAR is becoming huge. I'm even part of a league and alot of my readers are as well.
Ken at NASCAR News & Rumors
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by Mac33
2009 is my 5th season playing Fantasy NASCAR. My team is currently in the 95th percentile of all Yahoo Fantasy NASCAR teams. (more)
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