Dennis' Lowe's Picks

Roush Attack at Lowe's

Betting against Jimmie Johnson at his home track takes a lot of guts or stupidity! But this season on these intermediate speedways Roush Racing has been king! (4 wins in the last 10 races and 15 top fives at this size of track) This weekend I expect all of the Roushkateers to be tough and ya'll know I don't like to play the safe plays. Yes Jimmie Johnson will be in the hunt but I see three better picks for the win. Childress Racing's guys will also be tough in what should be an instant classic under the lights on Saturday night! Good luck with your Fantasy picks this week!

Pace Laps:

AJ Allmendinger drivers the No. 00

Mark Martin drives the No. 8

Bill Elliott drives the No. 21

Brad Kesolowski drives the No. 25

Bryan Clauson drives the No. 40

Chad McCumbee drives the No. 45

Tony Raines drives the No. 70

Scott Speed drives the No. 82

Mike Skinner drives the No. 84

Ken Schrader drives the No. 96

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have the most wins of active drivers (5)

Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman have the most poles of active drivers (7)

Ryan Newman has the best average starting position (6.3)

Carl Edwards has the best average finishing position (7.6)

13 of 99 Cup winners started on the pole

28 of 99 Cup winners started on the front row

78% of all winners started in the top ten

Only 5 of 99 winners started worse than 20th

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: Dega 2 (28th, 9th, and 35th)

Win: Carl Edwards (5-1 Odds)
Can Crazy Cousin Carl keep from wrecking?

Place: Greg Biffle (6-1 Odds)
Runner up in the 600

Show: Matt Kenseth (10-1 Odds)
Great chance to break winless drought

Outsider: Mark Martin (25-1 Odds)
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(10th Last Week)
Another track he loves

Long Shot Special: Jeff Burton (25-1 Odds)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(3rd Last Week)
Tops the Power Ratings this week

Rookie of the Race: Regan Smith
(18th Last Week)
Kid almost pulled one off at Dega

Struggling Star: Kyle Busch
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 24th)
Team has gone down, down, down!

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Dennis' Talladega Picks

Gotta Pick Junior at Dega

It is easy to start a riot at Talladega, just have someone spin Junior! You can't spell this track without the D and the E and the Earnhardts have dominated here over the years. Daddy had ten wins and Junior has five wins in less than half as many starts. From 2001 through 2004 Junior was on fire here with five wins and an average finish of just over two! Now that he has the best equipment of his career you can expect a return to strong runs every race for Junior at the house that Daddy made famous. Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won five of the last seven races here too. You can never say a race is a lock at Talladega because it is all about being at the right place at the right time. But your odds go up astronomically if you pick the guys expected to have the best cars in the draft. So don't try to get fancy this week start your picks off with Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jimmie Johnson and you can't go wrong! Good luck with your fantasy picks this week and GO JUNIOR GO!

Pace Laps:

Boris Said will drive the No. 08

Sterling Marlin drives the No. 09

Aric Almirola replaces Mark Martin in the No. 8

Jon Wood gets the ride in the No. 21

Mike Wallace will be in a 4th RCR car in the No. 33

Terry Labonte replaces Kyle Petty in the No. 45

Tony Raines drives the No. 70

Mike Skinner replaces AJ Allmendinger in the No. 84

Ken Schrader drives the No. 96

Joe Nemechek has the most poles among drivers on entry list (4)

Jeff Gordon has the most wins of any active driver (6)

Jimmie Johnson has the best average starting position (8.2)

Kurt Busch has the best average finishing position (11.9)

Kurt Busch only has a career best of 3rd place though

From 2001 through 2004 Junior had an average finishing position of 2.13

Despite the threat of the BIG ONE, 3 races have run without a caution

13 of 78 Cup winners started on the pole

31 of 78 Cup winners started on the front row

Only 5 of 78 Cup winners have started outside of the top 20

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: Kansas (40th, 1st, 3rd)

Win: Dale Earnhardt Jr (6-1 Odds)
Unbeatable in good equipment a few years ago

Place: Jimmie Johnson (8-1 Odds)
Team is on hot streak at right time

Show: Brian Vickers (35-1 Odds)
Could this be first win for Red Bull Racing?

Outsider: Elliot Sadler
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(18th Last Week)
Needs to keep the rubber side down

Long Shot Special: David Ragan (25-1 Odds)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(21st Last Week)
Fourth place in April race here

Rookie of the Race: Regan Smith
(DNQ Last Week)
Again don't expect much better than 25th

Struggling Star: Greg Biffle
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 11th)
Career best is only 13th with only 3 of 11 starts ending in top 20s

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Dennis' Kansas Picks

Second Race Should Be About Merit, Not Casinos

Kansas Speedway is a magnificent facility with state of the art accoutrements for the fans and competitors! But the racing here is not the kind of heart pumping excitement that we see at other tracks. Now we hear the rumor that a second race at Kansas Speedway could be on the way soon if they are approved to run a casino on the property. Shouldn't a second race here be based on the quality of the racing and not the addition of a casino? Thankfully the racing does get better as the pavement ages but the big question is what track will lose a date so Kansas can gain one? NASCAR needs to be careful and not sacrifice a traditional short track such as Martinsville just for financial gain. While the cash earned for that one race by International Speedway Corp would be greater, if fewer people tune in to watch the result will be a net loss for NASCAR! A second race at Kansas Speedway should be based on merit not just because there is a bright new casino on the property. Good luck with your fantasy picks this week!

Pace Laps:

Mark Martin drives the No. 8

Bill Elliott drives the No. 21

Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 47

Tony Raines drives the No. 70

Joey Logano drives the No. 96

Jeff Gordon has the most wins (2)

Clint Bowyer has the best average finish (5.5)

Jimmie Johnson has the most poles (2)

Jimmie Johnson has the best starting position (5.5)

2 of the 7 Cup winners started from the pole

Only 1 winner started from outside the top 20

Six different drivers have won the pole in 7 Cup races here

Six different drivers have won a Cup race at Kansas

Chevy has won 4 of the 7 Cup races

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: Dover 2 (3rd, 4th, and 5th)

Win: Tony Stewart (12-1 Odds)
Winless drought comes to end finally

Place: Jimmie Johnson (9-2 Odds)
Always in the hunt

Show: Greg Biffle (5-1 Odds)
Could go from winless for 33 races to winning 3 in a row

Outsider: Mark Martin (20-1 Odds)
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(23rd Last Week)
Old man must live on Ponce de Leon Blvd

Long Shot Special: Kasey Kahne (35-1 Odds)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(34th Last Week)
Should qualify well

Rookie of the Race: Michael McDowell
(37th Last Week)
Don't expect better than 25th

Struggling Star: Denny Hamlin
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 8th)
Best finish here is 18th

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Dennis' Dover Picks

Monster Mile More Magical

Why can't we start the Chase at Dover? This place is pure adrenalin with the high banks and no escape when something happens. Dover is like slamming 43 cars on a roulette wheel and seeing which number can pop up without crashing! We have seen drivers dominating races here only to be caught up in a wreck when two laps down cars collide. Laps fly by in less than 25 seconds on a one-mile track! No there is nothing wrong with the Magical Mile in New Hampshire but there is something even more majikal about the Monster Mile! Good luck with your fantasy picks this week and remember to grab the best qualifiers at Dover.

Pace Laps:

Mark Martin drives the No. 8 this week

Johnny Sauter is in the No. 08

Marcos Ambrose returns to the No. 21

Famous ARCA star TBA named to drive the No. 34

Kyle Petty returns to the No. 45

Stanton Barrett drives the No. 50

Tony Raines gets the start in the No. 70

Ken Schrader is listed in the No. 96

Mark Martin has the record for the fastest and slowest average speed for a winner

Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon lead active drivers for most wins (4)

Richard Petty and Bobby Allison are tied for most wins (7)

Ryan Newman and Mark Martin lead active drivers for most poles (4)

David Pearson leads all drivers in poles (6)

Ryan Newman has the best average starting position of active drivers (7.5)

Carl Edwards has the best average finishing position of active drivers (8.2)

14% of all races have been won from the pole

78% of all races have been won from a top ten starting position

Only 3 of 77 races have been won from outside the top 20 starting spots

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: New Hampshire 2 (9th, 2nd, 34th)

Win: Carl Edwards (5-1 Odds)
Can't pick against “Concrete Carl” this week

Place: Mark Martin (35-1 Odds)
Part time can dominate with good car here

Show: Jimmie Johnson (11-2 Odds)
Super boring and super consistent

Outsider: Travis Kvapil
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(24th Last Week)
Great here in trucks, 11th here in June

Long Shot Special: Kurt Busch (40-1 Odds)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(13th Last Week)
Team showed a pulse last week, great qualifier

Rookie of the Race: Regan Smith
(27th Last Week)
Maybe another 20th

Struggling Star: Clint Bowyer
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 10th)
Not awful around 15th but bad qualifier here

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Dennis' New Hampshire Picks

Cream Rises to the Top

Fantasy Race handicapping is all about playing the odds. When it comes to this time of the year it is best to go with the cream of the crop in your selections every week. The top twelve drivers have earned those spots by being the most consistent in the first 26 races and it is likely they will continue that trend in the playoffs too! Last year Chasers won 11 of the 12 races with the top two taking six races in a row. Even more impressive were the average finishing positions of all the playoff teams last season led by Jeff Gordon and champion Jimmie Johnson. The tough part is figuring out which drivers will be the most dominant. Good luck with your fantasy picks this week and remember the cream always rises to the top!

Pace Laps:

Ryan Newman has the best average starting position of active drivers (7.0)

Ryan Newman has the most poles of active drivers (4)

Denny Hamlin has the best average finishing position of active drivers (6.8)

Jeff Burton has the most wins among active drivers (4)

Aric Almirola will drive the No. 8

Bill Elliott gets the drive in the No. 21

Johnny Sauter will drive the No. 70

TBA gets the week off from ARCA to drive the No. 96

Forty-five drivers will try for the forty-three starting positions

Only 4 of 27 Cup races have been won from the pole

14 of 27 winners started in the top 10

7 of 27 winners started worse than 20th

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: Richmond 2 (4th, 15th, and 2nd)

Win: Denny Hamlin
Needs to get the Chase off to a great start!

Place: Jimmie Johnson
Team is on a baguette!

Show: Kyle Busch
Leader heading into the Chase usually finishes top 3 in Chase!

Outsider: Elliot Sadler
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(5th Last Week)
Fifth place here earlier this year.

Long Shot Special: Bobby Labonte
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(32nd Last Week)
Would be cool to see the King's car in Victory Lane

Rookie of the Race: Michael McDowell
(23rd Last Week)
Team and driver improving slowly.

Struggling Star: Kevin Harvick
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 8th)
Won't be awful...around 15th

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Dennis' California Picks

World Record for Synchronized Snoring

Last week at Bristol Motor Speedway history was made with the world record wave of 168,000 fans! What can California Speedway do to establish a world record this weekend? Perhaps they can set an all time world record for most cases of heat exhaustion! If wild fires break out at the right time maybe the world record for smoke inhalation cases. How about the world record for the most empty seats in a stadium? There are so many possible records that could be set at California Speedway of Southern California in the United States of America on the Planet Earth Speedway, but none of them is likely to convey a positive message for future fans. Thank goodness NASCAR made the switch of this race to a better time of the season. Unfortunately that means this Fall Lack of Classic will be a Chase for the Championship race in 2009. After the debacle with the weeping turns in February I have the perfect way to earn a World Record. Maybe we can set a new record for the most bulldozers racing in a line to demolish this place so we never have to suffer through another race at the Auto Parts Auto Club Super Speedway of Southern California in Fontana California Speedway Speedway. But this week as millions of race fans from coast to coast fall asleep because of the lack of excitement a new world record for synchronized snoring will be set!

Pace Laps:

Mike Skinner is in the No. 00 this week

Aric Almirola is in the No. 8

Marcos Ambrose hops in the No. 21

Kyle Petty is listed in the No. 45

Tony Raines gets the ride in the No. 70

Jeremy Mayfield will race the No. 96 for Hall of Shame Racing

Only forty-four drivers are on the entry list for forty-three starting spots

Eleven of the twelve current Chase eligible drivers could clinch this week

Jeff Gordon has the most wins here (3)

Kurt Busch has the most poles (3)

No one has ever won from the pole

Only half of the races have been won from a top ten starting spot

4 of 16 winners have started outside of the top 20

Jim Johnson has the best average finish (6.4)

Kasey Kahne has the best average starting position (8.6)

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: Bristol 2 (8th, 18th, and 2nd)
Bristol is always a crazy race and Dale Earnhardt Jr made it crazier by jumping the start of the race! My other picks were strong and the top five in the Power Ratings all performed well.

Win: Matt Kenseth (9-1 Odds)
Strong of six straight top tens includes two wins!

Place: Carl Edwards (4-1 Odds)
Oil cover lid or no oil cover lid he will be strong!

Show: Kyle Busch (5-1 Odds)
Did you really think I would leave Kyle out of the picks?

Outsider: AJ Allmendinger
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(13th Last Week)
Top ten is within reach!

Long Shot Special: Jeff Burton (30-1 Odds)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(10th Last Week)
Five top five finishes here so he will be in the hunt!

Rookie of the Race: Who Cares?
(37th Last Week)
None of the rookies deserve to be picked!

Struggling Star: Greg Biffle
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 5th)
Will win or finish 25th

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Dennis' Bristol Picks

This Time for Sure

Do you remember Bullwinkle's magic act on the old Rocky and Bullwinkle show? During each episode Bullwinkle would give it the old, "Nothing up my sleeve...presto!" Inevitably instead of pulling a rabbit out of his hat it would be something else. Tony Stewart has tried time and time again this season to pull a win out of his hat. Each time he ends up pulling something else out...even though often it has been a top five finish! This week under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway Tony will get it done. THIS TIME FOR SURE! Now I hope he doesn't pull his buddy Zippy out of his hat instead of a win! Good luck on your fantasy racing picks this week!

Pace Laps:

Jeff Gordon has the best average starting position of any active driver (5.4)

Jeff Gordon has the most polls of any driver on the entry list (5)

22% of all Cup races at BMS have been won from the poll

82% of all Cup races have been won from a top ten starting position

Only 5 of 95 races have been won from outside the top 20 starting spots

Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon share the lead for most wins by an active driver (5)

Only one of each guys wins came in the night race

In 1978 attendance was 30,000

In 1988 attendance was 42,000

In 1998 attendance was 150,000

This year attendance will top 168,000

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: Michigan 2 (2nd, 5th, Winner)
Last week was one of those weeks where all the numbers added up and the race was decided based on who was the best not on gas mileage. All of the top picks scored top five finishes and my long shot and sleeper picks came home 3rd and 6th!

Win: Tony Stewart (8-1 Odds)
This time for sure!

Place: Dale Earnhardt Jr (9-1 Odds)
If he wins will it be Tony Jr's fault for that too?

Show: Kyle Busch (6-1 Odds)
Bow under the bright lights of Bristol possible

Outsider: Aric Almirola
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(6th Last Week)
Expect decent run (15th?)

Long Shot Special: David Ragan (25-1)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(3rd Last Week)
Team and driver have the big MO-mentum!

Rookie of the Race: Sam Hornish Jr
(22nd and Top Rookie Last Week)
Best of the weak rookie class again (25th?)

Struggling Star: Jeff Gordon
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 8th)
Team and driver in a slump

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Dennis' Michigan Picks

Can't Pick Against Him

Can you give me one good reason not to pick Kyle Busch in any of the races the rest of the season? Kyle Busch has yet to post a top five finish at Michigan International Speedway but don't expect that trend to continue! In fact I am telling you right now to expect a nine finger salute and a bow after this week's race at MIS. The boys in Vegas are usually right on top of the trends but for some reason he is the third pick at 6-1 odds. Take it to the bank folks no one is going to stop the Kyle Busch express this week. The scary thing is that some of Rowdy's wins have come at tracks he has not been great at in the past. Just how many wins can he grab this season? My bet is that he will run out of space on his wall to display those fourteen checkered flags from the Cup series in 2008!

Good luck with your Fantasy Racing picks this week.

Pace Laps:

Kyle Busch has the best average starting position (8.1)

Carl Edwards has the best average finishing position (7.2)

Mark Martin leads all active drivers with four wins at MIS

Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five poles at MIS

15 of 78 Cup races have been won from the pole (19.2%)

Almost 80% of all winners have started in the top 10

Only four times has the winner started outside of the top 20

Mike Skinner will drive the No. 00

Johnny Sauter will drive the No. 08

Mark Martin will drive the No. 8

Marcos Ambrose will drive the No. 21

Terry Labonte will drive the No. 45

Tony Raines will drive the No. 70

Brad Coleman makes his debut in the No. 96

There have been 14 different winners in the last 18 races

Carl Edwards has finished on the lead lap in all 8 of his starts

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: The Glen (2nd, 29th, 3rd)
Jeff Gordon 29th at the Glen? OK now I have seen it all! This is either a sign of the coming of the Armageddon or a Cub's World Championship! My other two picks did great including my pick of Ambrose. Since weather looked iffy for Friday's qualifying I knew he might have to do it from the back and I was not scared in the least!

Win: Kyle Busch (6-1 Odds)
Looking for his first top five here

Place: Matt Kenseth (8-1 Odds)
Roush Racing is always strong at MIS

Show: Carl Edwards (6-1 Odds)
Best average finish at MIS

Outsider: Mark Martin (30-1 Odds)
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(27thLast Week)
Martin's best chance to win in the No. 8

Long Shot Special: David Ragan (30-1 Odds)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(24th Last Week)
8th in first MIS race this season

Rookie of the Race: Sam Hornish Jr
(25th last week)
Don't expect much better than 25th

Struggling Star: Kevin Harvick
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 21st)
Worst finish among Top 12 could be top 15 this week

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Dennis' Pocono Picks

Do We Need Two Races at Pocono?

If you want to win a NASCAR championship you need to be versatile. But the series only races once at some tracks and Pocono would be the kind of place that one visit would be enough. Could you imagine if Watkins Glen had been on the schedule twice and still had two races? Fans would scream that we don't need that many road course races! Pocono has squatter's rights to two races because they have had two races since 1982. The races are so close together that the fans sure aren't hungry for the second race to get here! Yes the track is unique and it would be a shame to see the track close. But two races at Pocono makes less sense than two races at a road course. When it comes to Fantasy handicapping the new car makes the first race even more important to analyze since teams that are fast in the first event usually come back with a good car again. Good luck with your fantasy picks this week!

Pace Laps:

Only forty-four cars entered this week

Bill Elliott drives the No. 21

Tony Raines is in the No. 70

Chad McCumbee is in the No. 45

Michael McDowell and the No. 00 fell out of the Top 35

Famous ARCA driver TBA is listed for the No. 34

Bill Elliott leads active drivers with five wins

Mark Martin has more top fives and top tens but has never won here

Denny Hamlin has the best average starting position at 5.2

Denny Hamlin has the best average finishing position at 2.8

21% of all races have been won from the pole

72% of all races have been won from a top ten starting spot

Only 4 of 61 races have been won from outside a top 20 starting spot

One driver has swept both races in the last two even numbered years

Toyota is still looking for their first win at Pocono

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: Indy (3rd, 23rd, 15th)
When a 400 mile race turns into a bunch of 18 mile heat races it is tougher to predict a winner! All three of my picks from last week were in contention at one point during the race. But when tires are an issue for wearing too fast guys like Kyle Busch that can't slow down are bad choices. Hopefully we will get a real race at Pocono!

Win: Tony Stewart (10-1 Odds)
Pocono race broke winless streak in 2003

Place: Jimmie Johnson (5-1 Odds)
Always in the hunt and team is on consistent run

Show: Denny Hamlin (9-1 Odds)
Incredible record in his short career here

Outsider: Mark Martin (30-1 Odds)
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(11th Last Week)
So often the bride's maid and never the bride here

Long Shot Special: Ryan Newman (40-1 Odds)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(9th Last Week)
Qualifying is important here

Rookie of the Race: Sam Hornish Jr
(21st and top rookie last week)
25th about the best to expect from a rookie

Struggling Star: Clint Bowyer
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 8th)
Inconsistent at Pocono

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• Fantasy

Dennis' Indianapolis Picks

Barney Oldfield Rolling Over in his Grave

Back in Barney Oldfield's day the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the proving ground of American technology. It didn't take long until the European powers in engine design were using Indy to test their engines. But back in those early days of the Brickyard if you told Ford, Maserati, and Mercedes that races would be dominated by a Japanese brand they would have laughed you off of the premises! But now Honda is the only engine at the Indianapolis 500 and Toyota is starting to show supremacy in the world of NASCAR. How times have changed! Will this trend continue? Will it get even worse as American manufacturers suffer huge losses and talk about cutting back their support to NASCAR? This year I expect the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing and Red Bull Racing to show the way. Good luck with your Fantasy Racing picks this week.

Pace Laps:

Only forty-seven entries are filed for this week's race...fewest in history

Bill Elliott will be in the No. 21 and second on the list for past champ provisional

Terry Labonte drives the No. 45 and is guaranteed a starting spot

Jason Leffler drives the No. 70

Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 47

Johnny Sauter drives the No. 08

Stanton Barrett will drive the No. 50

Jeff Gordon has the most wins, poles, top fives, and top tens at the Brickyard

8 of 14 races have been won from a top ten starting spot

3 of 14 races have been won from outside the top twenty

Kevin Harvick was the last driver to win from the pole (2003)

Six times the winner at Indy has gone on to win the Cup championship
(Jimmie Johnson the last to do so in 2006)

Only two drivers have won the Daytona 500 and Brickyard in the same year
(Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson)

ESPN takes over coverage of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Division this week

DMIC's Picks:

Last Week's Results: Chicagoland (32nd, 5th, 22nd)
My top pick Carl Edwards had the car to beat at Chicagoland until his splitter broke! Stewart was a solid pick but Clint Bowyer had trouble on an intermediate track, which concerns me for his chances of making it into the Chase this season.

Win: Denny Hamlin (11-1 Odds)
Fustatin' season can turn around this week

Place: Tony Stewart (7-1 Odds)
Back home again in Indiana where he has won twice

Show: Kyle Busch (5-1 Favorite)
Dream season would be even dreamier with win here

Outsider: Mark Martin (30-1 Odds)
(Outside of Top 20 in Points)
(17th Last Week)
Smooth style will pay off here

Long Shot Special: Jeff Burton (25-1 Odds)
(20-1 or Greater in Vegas)
(8th Last Week)
8th place last year

Rookie of the Race: Sam Hornish Jr
(43rd last week)
Slight edge in weak field of rookies

Struggling Star: Greg Biffle
(Inside Top 12 in Points)
(Last Week 15th)
Only one finish inside the top 15 in 5 tries

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