Pay The Fan

Some had a week off and some didn't. But we're all back at this weekend at one of the fastest tracks in the sport. Buckle up and get ready for some good old fashioned racing on Sunday night. Two more races before we drop those 4 low scores. In our A group this weekend the 9 would be the favorite as defending champ and the way he's run on these tracks all season. But it's not like he won't have some company and look for the 24, 48, 5, and 2 to be fighting for the checkered flag. And JP in the 42 could steal someone's thunder.

In the B group there are at least 3 cars to choose from this weekend. The 17, 29, and the 18 really stand out. Right now the 33 is in the Chase but his lead is not insurmountable by any means. He needs to run a good clean race stay out of trouble so he might be a good start. The others in this group that could certainly be a factor include the 00 and the 1. The other Hendrick car that is not in the A group and has run well here and could very well be a factor is the 88.

The all important C group is getting tougher each week. You really need to be careful and try not to select a driver that might not make too many laps and ends up parking it very early in the race. So the safe selections in this group are led by the 98 who got a top 5 here in the spring. Maybe pair him up with the 83 who got a top 10 here earlier this year. And anytime Mr. Elliott is in the 21 it's hard not to find a place for him.

That's it. Good luck this weekend. Enjoy your Labor Day and stay safe.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

It's good to be back South and really good to be at Bristol this weekend. Really a unique experience at this track. Still hoping for that college football match up between TN and WVA to take place but doesn't look likely to happen. Great place to watch a race - could you imagine what it'd be like to watch a football game here? OK enough of that let's talk about fantasy racing now.

Everyone probably has a certain strategy their using and as we get deeper in the season some drivers maybe used up or pretty close since we can only start a driver 6 times. But still in the A group there are more than enough options to fit everyone. You have to be impressed by the way the 14 has been finishing lately without the best car but getting it done. And he heads to a track that has been good to him in the past so put him in the lineup and hook him up with either the 16, the 24, the 99, or the 9. The 48 won here in the spring and will be a force to reckon with this weekend.

The B group has a pretty obvious pick if you can afford to start him and that is the 18. Then look to start any of the RCR cars here - it's a huge race for the 31 and the 33, or the 29. It is also a very important race for the 17 so don't hesitate to put him in your lineup. While things are not going in his favor the 88 is at a track that has been good to him in the past so it wouldn't be a complete surprise to see him run and finish well here. You can keep an eye on the 19 here - coming off a top 10 last week...

Man this C group really gets tougher and tougher each week. You need to keep an eye on qualifying but the drivers that stick out here are the 12, the 09, the 37, and the 82. But the 6 should be the favorite out of this group this weekend. He snuck up and grabbed an 11th place finish last week so maybe her can carry that to Bristol.

Good luck to everyone this weekend. Thanks for playing with fantasy racing with us.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

We're back in Michigan this weekend. Seems like we were just here but this is one of those tracks you never get tired of coming to. Winning here is pretty cool since all the manufacturers are in the neighborhood. Glad to see the 42 get it done at The Glen. He had the best car and was able to finish it. A well deserved and maybe overdue victory.

At Michigan this Sunday in the A group the guy you should really focus on is the 99. He's been very good here and they seem to be moving the right way and at the right time. There really are quite a few drivers that run well here and you may want to look pretty hard at the 11, the 14, and the 2. The 48 has led a ton of laps here and his teammate in the 24 could snap his streak on Sunday. Sleeper pick - why not the 42 and the momentum they've got behind them right now.

Lots of good choices in the B group this weekend. The 17 tops the list but is followed closely by the 31, 20, and 43. Is this the track that the 88 races to victory? Keep an eye out for them this weekend.

The later we get in the season the tougher the C group becomes. But anytime Mr. Elliott is in the race you should really think hard about using him. The others from this group to look at are the 12, the 98, the 77, and the 83.

Good luck to everyone this weekend. For the latest news in all of racing please check out www.motorracingnetwork.com. Next thing you know you'll be getting an email notifying you about the prize your team won.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

Hello fellow fantasy race fans and welcome to Watkins Glen NY the home of our second road race of the season. This always promises to be an exciting race and this year should be no exception. Before we get talking about who to possibly take this weekend we need to recognize last week's winners. Wallbangers and the team str8 & crooked (you got to like that name) finished in a tie for the top spot at PTF and congratulations to both teams!

This week in the A group of drivers if you've got a start for him you really should put the 14 in your lineup. You can't afford to leave him out at this track. And if you wondering who to pair him with here are some pretty fine options: the 16 is on a roll and the 99 has it going the right way or look at the 5 or his teammate in the 24 could find himself in Victory Lane on Sunday.

In our B group the list starts with the 18 and the 47. It should also include the 43 and the 56 as well as the 33.

The C group is an interesting group this weekend. They'll be some road course drivers entered in this event and if they make the race some are really worthy of putting in your lineup. The 83 should be a solid choice as well as his teammate in the 82. Don't sell the 7 short and the 98 could make some noise and get you some good points.

The Chase game and our Football game are now on the site. The Chase game might be a good place to get a fresh start in fantasy racing. And no one has a better football game than PTF. Check them out.

If you aren't in front of a television on Sunday then be sure to listen to the pros over at MRN - the voice of NASCAR.

Good luck this weekend.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

Back to Long Pond PA for the Pennsylvania 500 and what promises to be a good race this Sunday. The Brickyard provided us with excitement and you got to feel for Juan Pablo and his team. Two straight years he had the car to win the race but just couldn't finish the deal. But it was good to see his teammate in the 1 car take the checkered flag for the second time this year. His other win was at the biggest race of the year - The Daytona 500. At PTF Whiplash Racing took home the top prize winning $500 and Kab 1 won the weekly shootout and $250. Good going guys!

Looking at the PA 500 the A group the 11 jumps out as the favorite at this track. He's won the last 2 races here and if he didn't win he finished in the top 10 most every time. You might group him with the 14 this weekend. The 14 has been really good here the last 3 races and he really did a heck of a job last weekend at the Brickyard in a car that wasn't the best. The others to consider in this group include the 42 - he led a ton of laps here earlier this year, the 16 - might be a dark horse but he had a really good car last weekend and they seem to have it going the right way at the right time, and the 24 could use a win right about now.

The RCR cars are the cars to really look at this weekend. They all finished in the top 10 earlier this year and maybe you rank them 33, 29, 31. The other drivers to give serious consideration to include the 17, the 20, and the 43.

In our C group - again try to make your selection after qualifying if at all possible - the driver that sticks out is the 98. The 77, the 78, the 82 and the 83 are the others to keep an eye on.

Thanks for playing fantasy racing at PTF and look for the annual Chase game at PTF! Also the best fantasy football game around is back at PTF!

Our friends at MRN have the broadcast this week so if you can't catch us on ESPN be sure to tune in to MRN - the next best thing to being there.

Good luck this weekend.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

Fun time is over - it's back to work again. Just kidding. This is work but it's also fun and we are really looking forward to another exciting racing season on ESPN/ABC. Hopefully we'll keep seeing the kind of races we've had the first half of the season. You have to admit we've seen some good racing and we can only think as the pressure builds to make the Chase and then to try and win the Championship how good the racing is going to be. And what a better place to open the telecast than the historic Brickyard.

The A drivers for the running of the Brickyard 400 can be narrowed to about 3 choices: the 48, the 24, and the 14. Between them they've won 9 of the 14 races and the 48 has won the last two. But if you are running low on starts for those drivers then maybe look at the 9 and why not the 42.

This week in the B group nobody really jumps out as a clear cut favorite. A fair number of these drivers could run well and make you glad you had them in your lineup. The guys to look at include the 43, 33, and the 56. But take a real good look at the 00 and then if you want to start someone that might be considered a dark horse look at the 19.

There a few choices to look really hard at in the C group this week. Again you really need to make these picks after qualifying which this week starts on Saturday morning. But the 83 with Sorenson could fill a spot in your lineup and maybe pair him up the 77 or the 7. If the 32 makes the race he will likely be in some lineups and that might be a good choice.

Good luck this weekend and the Chase game is open for teams to sign up. And our football game is open too. Now football is a really fun and exciting game. Hope to see you in both!

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

The Cup Series is off this weekend so we'll take the time to work on some other things - like golf. We get at it next Sunday the 25th with the Brickyard 400 - a great race at a special place.

Congratulations to the top scoring teams from Chicagoland! We are getting closer to the 26th race of the season - Richmond. And everyone knows we drop your 4 lowest scores after the Richmond race. It's starting to heat up here at PTF!

Have a good weekend and see you next week from Indy!

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

Welcome to the Midwest - Joliet IL and Chicagoland Speedway. After a wild race in Daytona last Saturday night we are back on a 1.5 mile track and back under the lights again this weekend. Congratulations to all the winning teams last week especially to the teams of Brown Brow Racing and racinhell for each finishing in first place with over 531 points. You guys are good! Oh and the weekly shootout had some names we've seen a few times this season - J.C Brown and Marcie Runyon. Good going.

We all know that PTF drops your 4 worst scores after the Richmond race on 9/11/10. So any the 4 lowest scores from the 1st race to the 26th will be dropped. That means if you've missed a race then don't worry that score will be dropped. Too bad NASCAR doesn't do that - sure would have been more interesting. But once the scores are dropped and standings are reset then the last 10 races are going to be really exciting for all of us at PTF.

Let's look at the drivers in the A group for this week. Man this could be tough trying to pick just 2 out of this group. How do you not start the 2 with the way he's run on these tracks this season? You could pair him up with either the 48 or the 14. But if you are running out of starts for those drivers don't hesitate to put the defending champ - the 5 - in and maybe use the 24 here too.

Momentum in this sport is good to have and in our B group he's coming off a big win last weekend and the 29 has run well at Chicagoland. He could use a good run here this weekend because he'll see more of these tracks in the Chase and running well and building some confidence would be very helpful for that team. You can look at the 18 - we say that just about every week but they are that good. The others to really consider include the 47, the 00, the 56, and the 43. We know the 88 really needs to keep it going and don't be surprised to see him run well here. Something is good is going on there. The dark horse from this group is the 19 with a new but not really new crew chief. They've had prior success and know each other pretty good.

The C group always gets tougher the deeper we get in the season. It's easy early on to sit on a few of the top C drivers but since you can only use a driver 6 times you have to start making some choices. You should have plenty of starts to use on the 83 with Sorenson in the car. Hook him up with his teammate in the 82 or try out Bobby Labonte in the 09 this weekend. Whatever you do here if you can check back after qualifying to be sure your driver is indeed in the race.

The Cup race coverage is live at 6:30 pm ET on Saturday night with our friends at MRN having all the action for you. Speaking of MRN for all your racing news and info please go to www.motorracingnetwork.com. It well worth your time and believe me it will help you with your fantasy picks.

Thanks for playing at PTF and good luck to everyone this weekend.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

Back to Daytona for our mid season race. The Coke Zero 400 should be another wild ride and let's hope mother nature is on our side Saturday night. After a record setting week at Infineon scores in our racing game came back to a more normal level at New Hampshire. Congratulations to KBuck for taking the 1st place check in the Season Long Weekly game and corvetteracer grabing the top prize in the weekly game. Ready for this week?

In the A group maybe we should talk more about who not to take this weekend. Seriously this is a race where you have to stay out of trouble and trouble can be hard to avoid for 400 miles. The defending July Champ - the 14 - might warrant a start in your lineup this week. Hook him up with either the 2 or the 24. There is a lot going on at Roush but the 99 has run good here and if they can get it going he could be a factor.

The B group has a number of good choices this weekend. Look at the team of the 29 and 33. Or the hot 43 coming off a great race last weekend. And the crowd will be on their feet when the 88 gets to the front.

The C group is getting tougher and tougher to get quality finishes. You can sit each week on the cream of this group so some races you need to take a chance on a sleeper pick. If you can wait for qualifying to make your selections then that's what you need to do. Look at starting the 83 here. Maybe pair him up with the 12 or the 6 if you aren't running low on starts. The 82 could be the one out of this group to have a good finish.

The other way of selecting your lineup out this week is throwing 6 darts and just take what shows up. Then cross your fingers and hope it works out. It's a tough call at this track. Everyone wants to win at Daytona - more so in February of course but a July win looks good on the resume too.

Good luck this weekend and thanks for playing fantasy racing at PTF.

Don' forget to log into www.motorracingnetwork.com to get all the racing news and some really good help on your fantasy lineup.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

From the west coast last week to the east coast and the New Hampshire Motor Speedway this week. From a road course to a little more than a 1 mile oval situated in the Northeast of our great country. But what about last week! Records were broken and new ones were set at PTF. When you score 553.8 points and have 6 drivers finish 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 then you have flat out earned your money. We had 6 teams that tied for 1st place - maybe one of you should be giving some advice each week. Congratulations to those 6 record setting teams.

At Loudon in the A group you can look no further than last week's winner and start the 48 this week. He'd be the favorite but he'll have some competition mainly from one of his teammates - Mr. Gordon and the 24 team. Another driver you might want to use this weekend is the 39. We haven't talked a lot about him this year but he's been very good this season on these type of tracks. And don't be surprised if the 11 isn't racing for it all at the end.

In our B group this weekend you could rank them along this order: 18, 33, 20 (defending champ), and the 29. But would it be a major upset if the 88 finished up front? They are quietly edging up in the standings each week so something seems to be working for them and what would a victory do for that team.

And in the C group where you really need to pay attention and be careful on your selections, look for this group to be led by the 12. It should be interesting to see Mr. Labonte driving the 7 this weekend. They've got some momentum coming from a 2nd place at Infineon and they look to build on that with a new driver for this track. Could be a really good move. Might want to keep a spot open for Reed Sorenson in the 83 this weekend. He could get you a finish in the top 20 or better. If you need to spread out some of your C starts then use the 38 with Travis Kvapil.

Good luck this Sunday to all the fantasy players! Can anyone match last week's record? That would really be something. If you need some help or want the latest racing news be sure to check out our friends at www.motorracingnetwork.com. No one has more updated news on all racing fronts!

Thanks for playing at PTF!

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

It's that time of the season - time for the first road course race of 2010. And Infineon Raceway in the Sonoma Valley is without a doubt one of the more scenic stops on the circuit. This will be a good test for the top tier teams this season and some teams might find themselves closer to the mix after this weekend. And this will be a good test for our fantasy players out there. So much of a drivers success here depends on how well they qualify. That's not to say you can't make up some spots on the track but starting up near the front carries a real premium here.

In the A group this week it's really difficult to narrow it down to just 2 drivers. All of these guys run well on road courses but since we start 2 from here the 24 has the shown over the years he would be the best choice here and the other driver from group A to look at is the 14. This might be the place that the 14 grabs his first checkered flag in 2010. And if you want to use a start on the 42 this would be a good place - he's the only driver to have started higher than 30th and won the race. If momentum means anything, and you'd rather have it than not, then it would be tough not starting the 11.

In our B group we can narrow it down to a few choices this week. The 31 should be at the top of your list for sure. Depending on how many starts you have left with the 18 you could put him in here and likely won't be disappointed. The other drivers that are worth taking a long look at in this group are the 47 and the 19. Yes the 19 - he can get it done here.

Well this is one of those weeks that the C group will likely have some new names to choose from. And you have to decide if you want to take a chance with one of the specialists or not. These guys are brought in for a good reason so in that respect you would expect a better than average C finish from them. Tough call but with what's available to win here at PTF each week it would be hard not to do everything possible to win some cold cash. So if you step outside the usual C group drivers then go with a proven name like Mr. Said in the 26. But the car from this group to watch would be the 7 - racing on a track that he's very familiar with. Selections from this group really need to be made after qualifying. Once you know where these guys are starting deciding who to take is a little easier. Many of the specialists have to race their way in and most probably will but then you want to be careful so that your selections aren't going to exit the race too early. Look to see where the 83 qualifies - that could be a real interesting selection this weekend.

Good luck to everyone this weekend! Thanks for playing fantasy racing with us at PTF and when doing your research for this race or any other be sure to go to www.motorracingnetwork.com for all of your racing news.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

We're in Michigan this weekend and this has to be one of my favorite tracks in all of NASCAR. Great track and great fans - and always fun in a great car! Michigan is the home of so many of the major manufacturers in our business so it is really special to win at this track. If this race is like so many of the others we've had this year it will be exciting - especially at the end. There were a lot of high scores last week in the PTF Fantasy racing game at Pocono even when so many of the cars got caught up in the mess near the end of the race. Congratulations are in order for MaplesMotorSports and NascarMike both veterans at PTF. Nice job scoring 528.1 points at that race. Let's see who can bring it this weekend.

In the A group you might want to take a long look at the Roush cars and especially the 99. He's not won this year but don't be surprised if that 2010 winless streak comes to a halt this week. His teammates in the 16 and the 17 have both been very strong at this track. If you look outside of the Roush cars then you might want to check the box next to the 24. He's been so close this year to victory lane this may very well be his week. The other driver in this group to look at for is the 14. He wasn't happy with things last week and still managed to finish 3rd. Oh and hey if you missed out on the 11 last week he runs well here.

The B group is going to be tough to narrow down to just a couple of drivers. So let's give you some pretty good options here. Look at the 3 teammates at RCR - the 29, 31, and 33. All of them are in the top 12 overall and all of them have had some good runs here at Michigan. The 18 is again a likely solid choice for one of your B drivers. But we're going to have to use most of the B drivers this season so if you haven't used them this could be a good time to plug them in. Like the 19 - it's been a frustrating year for him but he's at a track that he likes and he's in a Ford. And his teammate in the 43 has been up front a lot this season unfortunately just not at the end. Could this be the week the 88 ends a long winless streak? It's a good track to plug him in your lineup.

We've got to pull 2 good finishes out of the C group to get a check from PTF. The 77 got it going again last week and the 98 did too. From this group this weekend look hard at the 6, the 77, the 98, and the 12. But if Mr. Elliott is in the race it would be a good place to start him. And someone with something to prove this weekend is the 34 - just hope they don't try and do too much.

Good luck to everyone on Sunday at Michigan! Thanks for playing fantasy racing at PTF!

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

We're headed to the mountains of Pennsylvania this weekend for another challenging 500 mile race. This is a very demanding track and very unique on the circuit. It's a great event that historically has seen fans gather from all over to attend this 200 lap race. There were some really high scores in our fantasy racing game last week which was a little surprising seeing as how some of the favorites got in trouble and exited early. It's pretty apparent you know your fantasy racing and congratulations to the top team - Snowballs from Hell with an amazing 537.5 points!

In our Group A this week try to find a place to start the 11 - he's on a really good run and this has been a very good track for him. Someone that might find his way back to Victory Lane this weekend - and he knows his way at Pocono - is the 14. You have to like the 5 and the 24 based on their history here. And it might be the race that sees the 99 ending a long non winning streak. But if you are going to start a driver based on momentum then the 2 would get that start.

There some drivers in the B group that have not had the kind of year that many expected. The 47 ran well here last year and it would be good to see him finish strong here this weekend. If the 00 can put together back to back strong races he will continue to climb in the standings and keep getting closer to that cherished 12th place in the standings. The 18 is always a factor no matter where we're racing and if he and the 31 can keep apart then look for good things from him. Look for the 56 to keep it up and the 1 to be around at the end. The dark-horse from the B group this week is the 88!

The 77 in the C group really needs a good run and this might be the track that gets them going. The 6 and the 34 and the 98 are the top picks this week in this group. Not much separation here - yet.

Good luck this weekend and be sure to tune into the race on your local MRN station. Get all your fantasy and racing needs at www.motorracingnetwork.com.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

The All Star race caused some friction like it has been known to do but some sparks were flying among teammates after last Saturday night's big event. Hey you're out there racing for $1 million and it's winner take all so everyone is going all out - even teammates - to get a shot at that million dollar pay day or pay night in this case. Congratulations to Kurt Busch and his team for winning his first All Star race in his ninth attempt!

The Coca - Cola 600 is ready to go on Sunday - Nascar's version of a day/night doubleheader. They'll start in the day and finish under the lights and teams that make the right adjustments and have the most patience generally fair well at this race. We just completed one third of the 36 race season and only being able to start a driver 6 times during the 36 race season gets tougher and tougher as we go on. But that's part of what makes this fantasy racing game so fun and strategy will pay off big time this season. In the A group you can look for the familiar names to be there at the end and any 2 of these cars should be solid: the 9, the 48, the 24, the 39, or the 16.

The B group is full of good choices for this race. The 18 stands out along with the 31 and the 17. A couple of cars to watch out for on Sunday and they might make a good pairing in this group are the teammates in the 56 and 00. Looking for young gun to start? Put the 20 in that spot.

Our C group at PTF can prove difficult. I know many of you have had some great scores from your A and B drivers only to have tough luck in the C group cost you a check from PTF. It's really hard selecting all 6 drivers to go out and run well and more importantly finish well. But it gets done every week here at PTF so let's get 2 out of this group - the 6, the 12, the 77, the 82, or the 71. Every time I like the 71 it seems he runs into some bad luck but if his luck is decent Sunday he can finish in the top 15.

Good luck to everyone this Sunday evening. Enjoy the race and have as safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. Remember our servicemen and women and all the veterans in our Armed Services because of them we are free and because of them we live in the greatest country on earth!

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis

From Darlington to Dover and from Saturday night racing back to Sunday afternoon racing - it just keeps getting better and better. There sure were some high scores last week in the Pay The Fan Fantasy Racing game - congratulations to those that finished in the money. This weekend there are some really good choices and since you can only start 2 drivers in each group it's going to be tough to narrow it down especially in the A group. This is a good place to see which A drivers you need to start because just about all of them have had some success here. The 48 used the broom on them here in '09 and swept both races and if you want to pair him with a teammate take either the 24 or the 5. The other A drivers that should contend for the win are the 11 - no one is hotter than him right now; the 16 - solid history here; the 99 - watch out for him; the 14 and the 9 are both solid choices. And don't be afraid to start the 39.

The B group is pretty solid here as well. It appears Casey Mears is going to be in the Red Bull 83 for Brian Vickers on Sunday and Casey has run well here at Dover. It might come with some risk starting Casey but he will be in good equipment with a good team and he has a good record here. The 17, the 31, the 56, and the 18 are all very good choices for Sunday. The 1 ran really well last week, came close to winning and if they've got things going he will make some noise here Sunday.

Here's some of the drivers in the C group to really look at starting on Sunday: the 07, the 34, the 6, and the 77. But my sleeper pick from the C group is the 71 - he could finish around the top 15.

Good luck to everyone this weekend. Our friends at MRN have the race this weekend from Dover so be sure to tune in and catch all the action from 12 pm ET on Sunday. Don't forget to visit MRN's site for all your racing needs.

Next weekend is the All Star Race in Charlotte. The next Cup series points race is the Coca Cola 600 on May 30 from Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC.

Thanks.

DJ

Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis