Struggling Economy Affecting Fantasy Owners
By Brian Polking
January 22, 2009 11:53am CST
It seems like every day another Sprint Cup team is left searching for a sponsor or looking for a merger partner just to keep their cars on the track. The poor economy has hit NASCAR hard, shutting down teams and leaving drivers without jobs. Lost in the whole mess is the impact the economic hardships have had on fantasy racing owners. There aren't an abundance of dependable drivers available to begin with, and with more and more losing rides, owners are left scrambling to fill their teams. The problem is worse for fantasy owners that have had their drafts already and are stuck with drivers that have since been stripped of owner points, changed teams, or even lost their rides completely. Times are tough in the fantasy racing world, and if some of the rumors are true, fielding a competitive team isn't going to get any easier.
We can start with some good news. Bobby Labonte secured himself a full-time ride in 2009, albeit driving the No. 96 for a Hall of Fame Racing team that is partnering with Robert Yates. He also received owner points from David Gilliland's No. 38 machine, which locks Labonte into the first five races of the season. His teammate, Paul Menard, is also guaranteed to start in the first five events after receiving owner points from Travis Kvapil's No. 28. While Menard and Labonte become serviceable fantasy options, the problem is that swapping points also kills another driver's value. In this case, Kvapil, who actually outperformed Menard last year, is now a risky play for the first five weeks of the season and even beyond if he misses a race early on. As for Gilliland, it appears he is completely out of a job for the '09 season. He wasn't a very productive fantasy option, but at least he made the race and provided points every week.
The situation at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing isn't helping fantasy owners sleep at night, either. Rumors circulated that sponsorship trouble would force the organization to field only two cars this season, leaving Aric Almirola out of a job. Team officials have since announced that Almirola will drive he No. 8 with or without a sponsor to start the year with the plan of running a full schedule. Almirola showed some promise while filling in for Mark Martin last year, but it is hard to back a driver without a reliable sponsor. The team could easily shut down if Almirola struggles early. Almirola has the potential to be a useful fantasy option this season, but not if his team is going to suddenly throw in the towel.
Richard Petty Motorsports, formerly Gillett Evernham Motorsports, is also leaving the fantasy world in limbo. After initially giving Elliott Sadler owners a heart attack by temporarily releasing him, RPM is now making it difficult for fantasy owners to commit to A.J. Allmendinger. Owners know Allmendinger will be starting the season in the No. 10 car, but he has yet to be given a contract for the entire season. He showed a lot of promise during the final five races of last season, posting a 16.4 average finish, but he is a huge risk until he secures a ride for the entire season. Owners are forced to decide if his potential is worth the possibility of losing a driver in the middle of the season.
Fantasy owners have also lost the services of veterans Dave Blaney and Joe Nemechek. While neither was great by any means, both drivers provided an occasional strong run and could be picked up late in drafts or for a cheap price. After all, Nemechek won a race in 2003 and in the Chase in 2004, and Blaney finished 30th in the standings last season despite missing a race. Even Clint Bowyer, a top-five finisher the last two seasons, has to qualify on time after his owner points were given to Casey Mears in the offseason.
Fantasy owners in draft leagues are going to be forced to pick drivers that are field fillers and in some cases part-time drivers. Every owner is in the same predicament, so the playing field does remain equal. I'm sure owners would love to have more stable, full-time options to chose from, but the current state of the economy and NASCAR won't allow it. Despite the annoyance, the situation does add another dimension to fantasy racing. In order to maximize points, owners now have to know when to pick up and play part-time drivers that run only at certain events. If you want to win a fantasy league this season, you will have to stay on top of driver tendencies and entry lists. It won't hurt to be aware of the top 35 in points each week, either. Success in fantasy racing is going to require a little more in depth knowledge and research this season if you want to come out on top.
We can start with some good news. Bobby Labonte secured himself a full-time ride in 2009, albeit driving the No. 96 for a Hall of Fame Racing team that is partnering with Robert Yates. He also received owner points from David Gilliland's No. 38 machine, which locks Labonte into the first five races of the season. His teammate, Paul Menard, is also guaranteed to start in the first five events after receiving owner points from Travis Kvapil's No. 28. While Menard and Labonte become serviceable fantasy options, the problem is that swapping points also kills another driver's value. In this case, Kvapil, who actually outperformed Menard last year, is now a risky play for the first five weeks of the season and even beyond if he misses a race early on. As for Gilliland, it appears he is completely out of a job for the '09 season. He wasn't a very productive fantasy option, but at least he made the race and provided points every week.
The situation at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing isn't helping fantasy owners sleep at night, either. Rumors circulated that sponsorship trouble would force the organization to field only two cars this season, leaving Aric Almirola out of a job. Team officials have since announced that Almirola will drive he No. 8 with or without a sponsor to start the year with the plan of running a full schedule. Almirola showed some promise while filling in for Mark Martin last year, but it is hard to back a driver without a reliable sponsor. The team could easily shut down if Almirola struggles early. Almirola has the potential to be a useful fantasy option this season, but not if his team is going to suddenly throw in the towel.
Richard Petty Motorsports, formerly Gillett Evernham Motorsports, is also leaving the fantasy world in limbo. After initially giving Elliott Sadler owners a heart attack by temporarily releasing him, RPM is now making it difficult for fantasy owners to commit to A.J. Allmendinger. Owners know Allmendinger will be starting the season in the No. 10 car, but he has yet to be given a contract for the entire season. He showed a lot of promise during the final five races of last season, posting a 16.4 average finish, but he is a huge risk until he secures a ride for the entire season. Owners are forced to decide if his potential is worth the possibility of losing a driver in the middle of the season.
Fantasy owners have also lost the services of veterans Dave Blaney and Joe Nemechek. While neither was great by any means, both drivers provided an occasional strong run and could be picked up late in drafts or for a cheap price. After all, Nemechek won a race in 2003 and in the Chase in 2004, and Blaney finished 30th in the standings last season despite missing a race. Even Clint Bowyer, a top-five finisher the last two seasons, has to qualify on time after his owner points were given to Casey Mears in the offseason.
Fantasy owners in draft leagues are going to be forced to pick drivers that are field fillers and in some cases part-time drivers. Every owner is in the same predicament, so the playing field does remain equal. I'm sure owners would love to have more stable, full-time options to chose from, but the current state of the economy and NASCAR won't allow it. Despite the annoyance, the situation does add another dimension to fantasy racing. In order to maximize points, owners now have to know when to pick up and play part-time drivers that run only at certain events. If you want to win a fantasy league this season, you will have to stay on top of driver tendencies and entry lists. It won't hurt to be aware of the top 35 in points each week, either. Success in fantasy racing is going to require a little more in depth knowledge and research this season if you want to come out on top.
