The Pit Stop is the essential guide to setting your Fantasy Racing lineup for the upcoming week. We provide you with pertinent news and roster management advice during every race week. The upcoming race Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway is the first night event this year. This flat track layout is one-mile long and the race is 312 laps covering 500 kilometers. The track was opened in 1964, it has 11 degree banking in Turns 1-2 and nine degrees in Turns 3-4. There is no banking on the straights.
Although Jeff Gordon finished 43rd at Texas, he should be able to put that bad day behind him considering he comes to Phoenix as the defending champion of the race in April. Last year, Gordon was the first driver to win at Phoenix from the pole position as he led three times for 53 laps. Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson won the Phoenix race in November.
Gordon's last place finish in Fort Worth was only the second time in his career he placed last. The coincidence is that his other last-place result also happened to occur in Texas in 1999.
Carl Edwards drove to the checkered flag for the third time this season. Edwards had a solid run, leading for a race-high 123 laps. Edwards appears to be in good form and should continue to perform well on the intermediate tracks.
On Tuesday, Ryan Newman was docked 25 points after it was discovered in the post-race inspection that the rear end of his No. 12 Dodge was too high. Car owner Roger Penske also was penalized 25 points and crew chief Roy McCauley was fined $25,000 and placed on probation until the end of the year
The penalty drops Newman from eighth to 10th in the Sprint Cup standings.
In regards to Phoenix, there are three drivers who have won twice at the track -- Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick, who swept both races in 2006. Obviously, these drivers and a few others have figured out the flat tracks a little better than some of the others which makes them among Fantasy favorites to be considered for your weekly lineups.
Driver Stockwatch
Here's a list of drivers expected to produce better or worse than their salaries indicate on the coming track. Prices are derived from the
CBS Sports.com Fantasy Racing Challenge: Best value
Jeff Gordon, $204,642: His stock went down some because of his last place finish in Texas, but that does not mean he should not be considered for Fantasy lineups. On the contrary, Gordon has one of the best average finishes in the last 10 years here, 6.5. He has not finished outside the first 12 in the last 13 races. That is pretty impressive by anyone's standards.
Martin Truex Jr., $194,642: He had a good run in Texas until late in the race when his engine failed with just a few laps to go. In four races at this track, Truex Jr. averages a 15th place finish, with his best result being a seventh last fall.
Jimmie Johnson, $253,928: He is coming off a fine run in Texas where he finished second after leading five times for 65 laps. Johnson has been tremendous at this track, never finishing lower than 15th in nine career starts topped by his win last fall. Barring any mechanical issues or wrecks, bank on Jimmie having another good result on Saturday night.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., $274,285: Junior won back-to-back races at Phoenix in 2003-04 and has had some mixed results since. He has finished in the top 20 three other times and three times lower than that. Junior was 19th in this event last spring.
Tony Stewart, $266,785: 'Smoke' is one of the best flat track racers on the circuit and can usually be counted on to perform well in Phoenix. Stewart won here back in 1999 and has since averaged a 11th-place finish at the track. He was runner-up in the spring races the last two years. While one might consider his price high, look for Stewart to follow his seventh place result in Texas with another good run on Saturday night.
Jeff Burton, $305,357: Don't tell me he is too expensive. He is. But it's because he has been performing on the track with consistency and let's the results speak for themselves. Burton has been fantastic in Phoenix in the last 10 years, which includes two wins. No finish has been lower than 15th during that stretch and he averages an 8.7 finish. Last season he placed 13th in this race and improved to ninth in the November stop at the track.
Reed Sorenson,$141,785: His first two races in Phoenix were nothing to talk about (40th, 29th), but he sure has done much better in the two events last year. Sorenson was 15th and 19th in the two Phoenix stops for significant improvements. His money value is pretty good for a track where he can have a decent showing.
Carl Edwards, $275,357: He is driving quite well right now, staying out of trouble and getting the results for it. Edwards leads the series with three wins and should continue to have good races. He missed a top 10 in this event, placing 11th, but he has finished in the first 10 drivers in the previous four races at the track.
Matt Kenseth, $217,857: Already has a win at this track back in 2002, but last year's results of fifth and third should indicate he likes the layout and can do very well here. Kenseth also has finished in the top six three other times.
Kevin Harvick, $284,285: He has been one of the better drivers in Phoenix the past two years. Harvick claimed both races in 2006, was 10th in this race last spring and an even better sixth in the fall stop over. It's hard not to give him some credit despite being a fairly expensive driver for this week.
Overpriced value
Kasey Kahne, $237,142: If he runs like he did last year when he was 31st and 40th, then this is too much money to spend on Kahne for this race.
Ryan Newman, $246,785: This is also a fairly stiff amount to invest in a driver who only averages 21.2 finish in 11 Phoenix races. He did have a second in 2004, but has only managed a 39th and 38th in the spring races.
Jamie McMurray, $144,642: Phoenix is not a track McMurray has done too well in his career. If you want the mediocre 23rd finishes he had in both races last year, then by all means go ahead and use him. But his average finish in nine races is 24.6, and that includes two finishes of 40th.
Elliott Sadler, $178,928: Not a reliable driver when it comes to performing in Phoenix. He was 34th last spring and a slightly better 27th in the fall, but his average finish is 24.5 in 12 races. Take this amount and use it on another racer this week.
Juan Pablo Montoya, $188,928: Sure, he only raced here the two times last season, but those results can give an indication when a driver can do well at one particular track or not. He was 33rd in April and give him some credit for improving to 17th in November. Still, a lot of money for something rather risky.
Joe Nemechek, $58,000: He is one of the less expensive drivers, but he is because he has not been able to come up with good results this season. Nemechek only averages a 23rd finish in his career at Phoenix, with his best result being a 10th in 2005. He was 16th and 38th last year.
Casey Mears, $143,214: Not the kind of money you want to throw around this week, not on Mears. His avverage finish in Phoenix is a disappointing 30.6 in eight races. Best results was 13th last November, but he was 37th in the spring.
Greg Biffle, $246,785: That is a lot of money to take a chance on a driver who averages an 18.3 finish at this track. There are a little better Fantasy options available for this price. Biffle was 17th last spring which is close to about his average finish.
David Ragan, $193,571: His two results from last year speak volumes about handling this track. Ragan was 41st and 32nd in his two starts here. Needless to say, take this money and use it for another driver.
David Gilliland, $174,642: Another driver who has not performed all that well on flat tracks, at least not in Phoenix. Gilliland was 35th and 28th last year. That should say enough for his price.
| T H E P I T S T O P S T A R T I N G F I V E |
| Beat the Expert! Staying within the $1,000,000 parameters set in the 2008 CBS Sports.com Fantasy Racing Challenge, here are the picks for this week's best lineup for the money: |
| Driver | 2008 Phoenix finish | Salary |
| Tony Stewart (No. 20, Toyota) | 2nd | $266,785 |
| Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1, Chevrolet) | 20th | $194,642 |
| Jeff Gordon (No. 24, Chevrolet) | 1st | $204,642 |
| Reed Sorenson (No. 41, Dodge) | 15th | $141,785 |
| Bobby Labonte (No. 43, Dodge) | 8th | $177,500 |
| Total salaries | $985,354 |
Next race: Aaron's 500 -- Talladega Superspeedway -- April 27
