Fast Forward ~ The Profit on CNBC 500K at Phoenix Fantasy Race Picks And Preview
2/27/2014
Staff
Article
The
Track: Phoenix International Raceway
Location:
Avondale, Arizona
Length:
1.0 Mile
Banking:
11 degrees in turns 1-2;
9 degrees in turns 3-4;
9 degrees on the
backstretch;
3 degrees on the front
stretch
Pit
Road Length/Speed: 1140 feet/45 MPH
The
Race: The Profit On CNBC 500k
312
Laps (500 Kilometers)
2014
Purse: $5,115,165
Defending
Champion: Carl Edwards, 105.187 MPH
Most
recent winner: Kevin Harvick, 105.733
MPH
Track
Record: Tony Stewart, 118.132 MPH, November, 1999
Event
Record: Denny Hamlin, 110.085 MPH, March, 2012
Qualifying
record: Kevin Harvick, 139.222 MPH, November 2013
TV:FOX, 3:00PM EST
Radio:
MRN (www.motorracingnetwork.com); Sirius XM 90
The
History:
1964
– Construction completed, consisting of a one-mile oval and a 2.5 mile road
course.
11/6/1988
- The first race at Phoenix was run and won by 1992 Sprint Cup Champion Alan
Kulwicki. This is also the race for the
slowest average speed at 90.457 MPH.
4/23/2005
– The first early season race and night race was run, won by Kurt Busch
11/13/2005
– Kyle Busch becomes the youngest race winner at 20 years, 5 months, 11 days
4/18/2009
– Mark Martin becomes the oldest race winner at the track at 50 years, 3
months, 9 days.
4/10/2010
– The closest margin of victory was set when Ryan Newman defeated Jeff Gordon
by 0.13 seconds
2011
– The track underwent a change in configuration and a repave.
The
Picks:
Last
week, we had a large group of picks, nine different picks, actually, but none
of those picks was the correct one! We
did have several top-five finishers, however, and it is keeping the points
tight for the most part. Here are the
results from the Daytona 500.
Player |
Selection |
Race Pts |
Previous Pts |
Total Pts |
Behind |
Wins |
DNFs |
Alabama Fitz |
2 |
42 |
43 |
85 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Jim Fitzgerald |
11 |
43 |
42 |
85 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Mr. Pole |
3 |
36 |
48 |
84 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Brian Marchetti |
20 |
38 |
40 |
78 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
PattyKay Lilley |
20 |
38 |
40 |
78 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
Vivian |
48 |
40 |
36 |
76 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
Mr. Seven |
17 |
37 |
37 |
74 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
Barbara |
24 |
40 |
32 |
72 |
13 |
0 |
1 |
Darrell |
16 |
37 |
34 |
71 |
14 |
0 |
1 |
Kevin Abraham |
3 |
36 |
28 |
64 |
21 |
0 |
1 |
Nate |
31 |
22 |
30 |
52 |
33 |
0 |
1 |
Round
Table Picks:
Here
are our picks for Phoenix:
JIM
FITZGERALD: Well, I'm going to take the lead this week and pick first. Since we're at Phoenix, my first impulse was
to go with last fall's race winner, Kevin Harvick. Two wins and no one has
scored more points than he has in the last six races here. However, I'm not sure what kind of car
Stewart-Haas will put underneath of him.
So, I chose to go in a different, but familiar direction. The driver who has scored the second most
points in the last six races is Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin has been on a charge, and his record at the "Diamond In The Desert" is impressive. One finish outside of the top 12, and that includes a win.
True, all of the JGR cars were a bit off here last fall, and Hamlin finished
28th. I'm hoping that was just a bad
day, because I'm taking Hamlin again this week.
KEVIN
ABRAHAM: Jim! You stole my pick this week.
That being said I am going to NOT copy you. MY pick has been strong at this track and won
last spring. I am going out on the Carl
Edwards limb. I hope it does
not break on us this week.
PATTYKAY
LILLEY: Well Jim, is it going to be all Denny all the way for you this year?
That's okay; at Phoenix, I will be more than happy to cheer for that guy that's
outscored them all in the past six races. "Big Ones" don't usually
happen at flat little Phoenix, and it takes a brain to be in front at the
end... or some great gas management, so heck yes, Kevin Harvick is my guy this
week. Should I just go ahead and pick him for Brian too? You know it
is coming!
ALABAMA
FITZ: That’s funny about Brian's
pick....but he may surprise you. I'm
going with the numbers folks...21 races, 17 Top 10's including three of the
last four, two poles including last year’s fall race and four wins. The guy has only missed running 38 laps
here! Plus, his run at Daytona was a
good one ending up 5th after starting 32nd.
So, if you haven't already guessed by all the hints, I will not ignore
the numbers. This Ford man is riding with
the No. 48 this week. “I
will not ignore these numbers,” he says again.
KEVIN
ABRAHAM: So the FORD guy picks a
Chevy and the Chevy guy picked a FORD to win.
Are we near the NASCAR apocalypse?
PATTYKAY
LILLEY: NASCARMAGEDDON!
KEVIN
ABRAHAM: That started with Junior winning at Daytona
Sunday night. All sense of reason in
NASCAR Has gone out the window.
ALABAMA
FITZ: Could it be that Silly Season has already begun?
BRIAN
MARCHETTI: Wow! And, you know, just for
the record, I don't intentionally copy PattyKay, it just works out that great
minds think alike! As for Junior at
Daytona, I will say that I thought it was Biffle's race, and he had the car to
beat in the 3rd to 4th quarter of the race. I was pulling for him.
KEVIN
ABRAHAM: So, we can safely say
you are taking her pick again this week, and picking Kevin Harvick?
BRIAN
MARCHETTI: No, but I’m not alone in my pick, either. This week at Phoenix, I think it's pretty
hard to ignore Jimmie Johnson's numbers.
There is the Driver Rating of 116.7, and a solid 15.4 points over the
number two spot of Kevin Harvick. Driver
Average based on the last 10 races shows the 48 is the only car with a Top 10
Average, at 7.1. Mark Martin sits at a 10.1, and Denny Hamlin at 10.8. Jimmie leads the Pack with having the Fastest
Car early, and the Fastest Car late in the races at
Phoenix, and has spent 88% of the races running in the Top 15. I'm not sure why all of us don't pick the 48!
One note, nobody mentioned Jeff Gordon.
His numbers are not bad at Phoenix, and he ran well at Daytona last
week.....look for the 48 and the 24 to have some fun up front at Phoenix, and Jimmie
in the Winner's Circle.
JIM
FITZGERALD: I did think about Gordon, but as you said, I didn’t bring him
up. Stickin’
with Hamlin!
PATTYKAY
LILLEY: I can tell y'all why this lady didn't pick Jimmie. It's because I think
the numbers Brian is quoting are flawed. I have to say that I don't much care
what a driver did 5 years ago. SO much can change in that amount of time, including
his talent level, for better or worse. I see that Jim uses about the same time
frame that I do, the past 6 races. At a track where they race only once, I back
that off to 3 or 4. Good luck with Jimmie guys, but I'm sticking with Kevin. Ridin' with the best this week...
KEVIN
ABRAHAM: Like I said, I hope the Edwards train does not blow up like a Roush
engine at Bristol. I thought about
copying Jim after he took my pick, but I then got thinking and last November I
picked Hamlin and was burnt by that pick.
BRIAN
MARCHETTI: I'm becoming increasingly concerned about Edwards’s general health
and well-being, as you people seem to be tearing him apart!
JIM
FITZGERALD: No, Kevin, no...You
already said you were out on the Edwards limb...you can't change it to the
Edwards train now. How am I supposed to
keep all of this straight?
KEVIN
ABRAHAM: That’s why you get paid the big bucks.
You’re the Brian France of Race Fans Forever.
ALABAMA
FITZ: You deserve a raise. Give yourself
one.
JIM
FITZGERALD: The only raise I’m going to get is sitting on a phone book. Speaking of phone books, let’s give a call to
our fans that are making picks along with us.
Nate, get us started this week!
Fan
Picks:
NATE:
Quite simply because he has been tearing it up coming out of the gate so far
this season, and because his history at the Phoenix track is excellent, I’m
taking Denny Hamlin to win.
BARBARA:
My pick for the Phoenix rules out the logic of the Busch Brothers or Jimmie
Johnson. I am fully aware they are counting on “Home Track Advantage”, but, I
think “The Harv” is going to rise up and put it to
them. The No. 4, Kevin Harvick is showing his ruthlessness and I expect his
point to make is itching to come forth. I’ve got Happy Harvick on this one.
DARRELL:
My
pick for Phoenix is Denny Hamlin. With a 4th place finish at this track
last year and the focus, speed and determination he is showing this year it's
an easy pick.
VIVIAN:
Phoenix is a different kind of track, and although there are several drivers
that do well on this kind of track, I am picking Kevin Harvick to win. He has won here before and wants to get off
to a good start at SHR. With the rule
changes he is anxious to get a win so he will be pretty much assured of having
a spot in the season ending Chase. Go
Kevin!
Well,
there you have it. In previous races we
have seen only one repeat pick each week.
This week, however, probably because we’re no longer plate racing, we
only have four drivers selected.
We
have Hamlin (3), Edwards, Harvick (3), and Johnson (2). We’ll see how all of that works out, as well
as who Mr. Pole and Mr. Seven end up with at Phoenix. Until then, good luck, best wishes, and keep
the shiny side up.
“I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix.” ~ Dan Quayle
Who is YOUR pick to win this week?