Fantasy Preview: Phoenix

The Advocare 500(k) at Phoenix International Raceway marks the 9th out of 10 races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup as well as the third race on the new configuration. Jeff Gordon was the last driver to win on the old surface which was torn up after the February 2011 race and was reconstructed in time for last season's edition of this race. The new configuration features an extended dog-leg on the back stretch, a wider front straightaway, and progressive banking in the turns. So far on the new surface, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin are the only winners and the team Kahne won with no longer exists (Red Bull Racing). However, the drivers who have typically performed well here on the old surface still seem to do well on the new one, so let's see who you may want on your fantasy team for the penultimate race.

Fantasy Preview: Phoenix

Contenders:

Jimmie Johnson: Like any other Chase track, Johnson's statistics are lights out at Phoenix. Take a 5.3 average finish, combine that with 4 wins and 12 top-5's and you have yourself a driver who knows his way around this quirky 1-mile track. The new surface hasn't slowed him down either, he has a top-5 in one of the two races on the new surface.

 Mark Martin: Not only is Martin a very cheap pickup since he only races part-time, but he's bad fast at Phoenix in whatever he drives. He scored a top-10 in the spring race here and already has two wins and an average finish of 9th in over 30 races at Phoenix.

Jeff Gordon: It took him awhile to find great success at Phoenix, but once he did, he capitalized. Gordon has earned his only two victories at Phoenix in 2007 and 2011 and has had a handful of top-5's since along with an 8th place finish in the spring.

Pretenders:

Clint Bowyer: Clint has performed outstanding since the Chase has started, but Phoenix might be his bugaboo. He's only found fleeting success here with a handful of top-10's and when he misses the setup, the results aren't good. This might be a very rare poor race for Bowyer in 2012.

Martin Truex Jr.: His stats here are eerily similar to his teammate Bowyer's in the sense that he can find success only somewhat of the time. Truex has had an inconsistent Chase and he think he's looking ahead to Homestead in the finale which is one of his best tracks, whereas Phoenix hasn't been so kind to him.

Greg Biffle: He did score a top-5 in the spring race here, but Biffle is either feast or famine at Phoenix. When he's on, he can grab a top-5, but when he's off he usually ends up in the low "teens" or 20s.

Darkhorses:

Joey Logano: Throw out Logano's rookie season and an engine issue in the spring race of 2011 here and he owns finishes of 3, 10, 11, and 10. That's not too bad after seven career races at Phoenix and I have a feeling he wants to leave Joe Gibbs Racing on a high note.

Sam Hornish Jr.: Hornish only has one career top-10 at Phoenix in the Sprint Cup Series, but you have to read between the lines. Hornish has been outstanding since filling in for the No. 22 team and he won the Nationwide Series race at Phoenix one year ago. He too wants to end the season on a high note in hopes of landing a full-time Sprint Cup ride in 2013.

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