Fantasy Preview: Infineon

Fans that miss the good old days of NASCAR when stockers ran on dirt get a little relief this week as the modern day version of the sport goes off road. They won't necessarily intend to, but most of the Nextel Cup regulars will spend a major portion of the day with one wheel or another off course.

While the NASCAR cream rises to the top and drivers like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart click off perfect laps at Infineon Raceway, watch the edges of your television screen because that is where the action lies. There is a more distinct difference between the "haves" and the "have nots" on a road course than on any other type of circuit, and it has less to do with equipment and nearly everything to do with talent.

This week, the field is split into three parts:

1. NASCAR regulars who enjoy road racing and have put the effort into learning how to go fast on the twisty tracks.

2. NASCAR regulars who simply hope to survive the road courses with as many points as the officials see fit to give them at the end of the afternoon.

3. Road-racing ringers.

Avoid the "survivors" because they are the ones most likely to put a wheel off course and drop to the back of the pack at any given time, and on a track where a lap takes more than 90 seconds to complete, the difference between first and 41st is a single mistake.

The regulars
It's notable -- and actually somewhat remarkable -- that three of the best road racers in NASCAR have Sprint Car backgrounds. Gordon has won more road-course races than any other driver in NASCAR's history, Stewart has won more races on these tracks in the last three years, and Ryan Newman has always had a knack for turning both right and left.

On Wednesday, Gordon's wife Ingrid Vandebosch gave birth to their first daughter, a 7-pound, 1-ounce bundle named Ella Sofia, which removes any doubt about him completing all of the practice and race sessions this weekend. With nine victories on the road courses in his career -- the most recent of which came in this event last year -- fantasy owners don't need any added incentive to start the Rainbow Warrior, but drivers have an uncanny knack for winning immediately following major milestones like this and Gordon is going to be walking on Cloud Nine.

He's going to have to drive past Stewart, however, and that has not been an easy task lately on the twisty tracks. Three of his five victories have come in the last five races and if not for a mechanical problem in this event last year, he would have been battling for a fourth consecutive. He bounced back nicely at Watkins Glen International with a second-place finish to Kevin Harvick and has more road-course momentum than any other driver on the circuit. If you can afford both Gordon and Stewart, they should be on your roster, but if the choice comes down to only one, the No. 20 is not only cheaper, but currently stronger.

Fantasy owners were a little surprised to see Newman battling for the lead last year, but they shouldn't have been. He has never finished worse than 14th on this track in five previous starts and has another runner-up finish at The Glen in his rookie season. In fact, he has finished outside the top 15 only twice in 10 career road races and both of those came on the New York track. (Continued)