I was waiting for practice before locking down for qualifying, but with rain washing out all Cup practices Friday, I’ll be taking this roster into the weekend:
A List – Edwards
A List – Stewart
B List – Kahne
B List – Keselowski
B List – Allmendinger
B List – Truex
C List – Smith
C List – Bayne
What makes an expert? Most industries require some sort of extended education and/or a government certification process before you can tout yourself as an expert. Want to be an expert with US law? Graduate from law school and pass the Bar. Want to be an expert of the human heart? Graduate from medical school and pass the Boards. Want to be an expert chemist? Hang out with Jeremy Mayfield and learn the intricacies of cooking meth.
Want to be a fantasy sports expert? Start a website and write an article.
With fantasy sports, anybody can call themselves an expert, even my mom. Granted, that would mean she finally grasped the difference between the internet and Google, but that’s a discussion for another day.
The bottom line is that the only way we can communicate our “expert status” is by producing results. I know I sound like a 2008 Obama campaign speech, but transparency is key in gaining the trust of the people.
Since FNP’s inception in 2005, I’ve always tried to be as open and transparent as possible. We’re proud of the fact that we don’t hide behind anything. Some experts rank drivers, give you optimal Yahoo lineups (regardless of starts), don’t show their weekly point totals or give you sleepers and busts, which is fine, but it’s not FNP.
I’m sure you know by now, but Phoenix International Raceway has be repaved and reconfigured. They’ve added progressive banking and changed the dog leg a little bit. So this week I”m not going to bore you with irrelevant stats that mean nothing. Instead I’m going to list the guys I”ll be following for Friday’s practice sessions and why. Also qualifying will be huge this weekend, as drivers said during the test that it’s a one-groove track right now.
A List
Tony Stewart really doesn’t need any explanation on why I’ll be watching him. Not only is he only three points out of the Championship lead, he’s also the hottest driver on the circuit.
Carl Edwards is leading the points and should be very fast at Phoenix, no matter the configuration. Edwards also gives us a great opportunity to gain some qualifying points.
Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus are the very best at figuring out a new track or new tire combination. There learning curve is much shorter than the rest of the garage and I expect them to contend for the win on Sunday.
Kevin Harvick has always felt right at home at PIR and I don’t think the new track surface will change that. Kevin isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet on his Championship chances.