Fantasy Preview: The Glen

Only five race weekends have passed since the Nextel Cup Series rolled out of Infineon Raceway and in three of those events drivers challenged the flat tracks of New Hampshire International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway. Many drivers think the entry into a road-course corner is similar to that of the flat tracks, so they have kept their skills sharp.

Added to the mix is a pair of Busch road races. The number of Buschwhackers in the field last week was limited somewhat by the difficulty in commuting from Pocono to Montreal, but those who were in the race gained valuable experience. This week, the Busch lineup at Watkins Glen International will have even more Cup regulars as even veterans try to get a little more seat time.

• By the Numbers: Cup
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• Video: FedEx Preview

The only way to get better on a road course is to log laps, and evidence for this can be seen in last week's race when Carl Edwards went back on the course many laps down to get some practice.

Last week at Pocono, fantasy owners were advised to fill their roster with veterans. This week is no exception because experience counts on a road course.

Road Warriors

Until last year's edition of this race, three drivers had swept Victory Lane on the road courses since the fall of 2002. Tony Stewart did it twice for four victories, while Jeff Gordon and Robby Gordon each accomplished the two-win feat once and none of these men show any signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Stewart has been as close to perfect as a driver can be at The Glen, with three victories and a runner-up finish in his last five races. The only time he struggled was in 2003 and in that event, he still managed to finish 11th. With back-to-back victories at Chicagoland Speedway and Indy, plus a solid sixth-place result last week at Pocono, he may have more momentum than ever. Disappointing results in the spring and early summer have left him with a relatively affordable salary cap, and with several good road ringers to stretch your fantasy dollar, he is the best value in the game.

Both racing Gordons are favored to earn top-five finishes, but might need a little luck to find Victory Lane. Jeff Gordon is one of the best road-course racers in the business, but The Glen has not been kind to him in recent seasons. After winning four of five races from 1997 through 2001, he's failed to crack the top 10 in the five races that followed. The closest he's come was 13th in this race last year, but it hasn't been for a lack of strength. Problems in the pits, errant fuel calculations and general bad luck have plagued him during that span. In 2007, he's finished in the top 10 in all but two races, however, and it's hard to imagine that with momentum like that on his side, he won't get the monkey off his back.

Robby Gordon is probably just happy to be here. After failing to heed NASCAR's instructions in last week's Busch race, Gordon was parked at Pocono and one has to believe serious consideration was given to suspending him for more than that single race. Officials fined him $35,000 and placed him on probation through the end of the season, but he will race in the Centurion Boats at The Glen and that is good news for fantasy owners. He's had some trouble recently on the more technical Infineon Raceway, but he's always great at The Glen. As a road ringer, he finished fourth here in 1997 and since then he's been in the top five in five of seven races. That includes a victory in 2003, a runner-up finish in 2005 and a fourth last year.

Road Wannabees

Last year Kevin Harvick broke into Victory Lane on a road course for the first time in this race. To prove it was not a fluke, he drove from the back of the pack to the front at Montreal last week. While that wasn't the prettiest performance we've seen in recent years, it will increase his confidence entering this weekend. Harvick's victory last year came as a bit of a surprise since his three previous road-course events ended in 37th-, 15th-, and 24th-place finishes at The Glen and Infineon combined. However, with that win under his belt, he went to Infineon in June and finished second. (Continued)