Fantasy Preview: H'stead (cont'd)

First-year driver Martin Truex Jr. ran a pre-rookie race here in 2004 and struggled to finish 32nd. He capped off his remarkable freshman season last year with a second in the Ford 400 and looked like he was capable of winning most of afternoon. His first Nextel Cup career victory came this season on the high banks of Dover, so you can expect him to run the upper groove most of the day and finish in the top five.

Denny Hamlin was still getting started in the fall 2005 race when he finished 33rd. Last year, he ended the day third and with threes factoring heavily into the equation, the third time might be the charm. It's been 18 races since he won at New Hampshire this summer, and that victory capped off a strong run of 10 top-10s in 12 events. Since then, he has only six such finishes in his last 18 attempts, but this team is better than the record shows. Watch him in practice and if he shows promise, he should get the start.

The driver most likely to gain 30 positions over his 2006 result this week is Casey Mears, which would give him a second-place finish. He was strong on this course with Chip Ganassi Racing power under the hood, finishing fifth in 2005 and running nearly as well last year before he blew an engine late in the race. With the reliable Hendrick Motorsports engine package propelling him down the straightways, his odds have only improved.