Fantasy NASCAR 2011

We are about wave the green flag on the 2011 Fantasy NASCAR season. There have been a lot of recent changes in the season long fantasy NASCAR industry with the closure of Fantasy Thunder last year and the closure of Fantasy Cup this year. I thought I would take some time and go over how Weekly Fantasy NASCAR works at Fantasy Sports Live for those transitioning over from season long Fantasy NASCAR, or for those who have never played Weekly Fantasy NASCAR before at FSL. So here we go.

Weekly Fantasy NASCAR

All leagues at FSL must comply with the UIGEA of 2006 which require at least two games or events in any lawful fantasy sports league. A single event fantasy NASCAR league would be considered “betting or wagering” and would be unlawful for us to run. As a result we offer two types of weekly fantasy NASCAR structures both consisting of two events.

Sprint Plus Nationwide Fantasy NASCAR Leagues

This is our most popular Fantasy NASCAR structure, and we run it on any weekend when there is both a Sprint and a Nationwide race. You draft a nine driver fantasy team which consists of 4 drivers from the Nationwide race, and 5 drivers from the Sprint race. These leagues are usually named after the track the races will be held (“Daytona Races” for example)

Sprint Qualifying Plus Sprint Race Fantasy NASCAR Leagues

For this structure we treat Sprint qualifying as a unique event and pair it with the Sprint race for a two event fantasy NASCAR league. You draft a nine driver fantasy team which consists of 4 qualifiers, and 5 racers. The driver selections for qualifying and racing are completely independent of each other. This means you can draft the same driver for both qualifying and the race if you want the same driver scored for both events, or you could draft completely different qualifiers and racers. Once the starting order for the race has been determined, your 4 qualifier’s fantasy scoring will be completed. The race itself will determine the scoring for the 5 racers you drafted. These leagues are usually named after the Sprint race (“Daytona 500” for example)

Salary Cap and Automated Drafts

We offer three types of drafts for Fantasy NASCAR. The simplest is called “No Cap” and is indicated by the word “No” in the cap column of the contest lobby. For this draft type you simply pick the 9 drivers you think will score the most fantasy points with no restrictions. Go ahead and build your dream NASCAR team, and watch them destroy the competition.

The most popular type is a salary cap draft we call “Ranking Cap”. These leagues are indicated by a point total in the Cap column (“950pts” for example). For these leagues you get to spend the points indicated in the CAP column to build your 9 driver team. Drivers are priced at 2 times their average fantasy points scored per race at the position drafted (Sprint Qualifier, Nationwide Racer, or Sprint Racer). For example if a driver averages 42 fantasy points per race, his cost would be 82 pts. You are not required to draft a full 9 drivers, so if you get low on cash, and don’t want to draft a dud, you can use 8 drivers if you want (We don’t recommend this!). All competitors get the same amount to spend and draft from the same driver pool. It is possible to have some of the same drivers as your opponent with this draft method.

If you want to be guaranteed a completely unique fantasy NASCAR team from your heads-up opponent you may want to try our “Automated” draft method. Theses leagues are indicated by “Auto” in the Cap column. For this draft you rank your top drivers for each position by how many fantasy points you think they will score. For example, in the Nationwide plus Sprint race structure you would rank the top 8 Nationwide racers and the top 10 Sprint Racers by expected fantasy points. Your opponent does the same thing. When the league begins we use an automated, modified snake draft to select a unique 9 driver fantasy team for you and your opponent. With this draft method you never have to share a driver. See the bottom of our rules tab for complete info on how the Autodraft works.

Fantasy NASCAR Scoring

We do things a little different in scoring Fantasy NASCAR, but it makes for a pretty exciting and skillful fantasy game. Our scoring system is shown below.

Sprint Racer Scoring

Lead at least one lap = 10 pts
Lap led (up to 25) = 2 pts
Lap not completed (up to 25) = -2 pts
1st Place in Race = 150 pts
2nd Place in Race = 135 pts
3rd Place in Race = 120 pts
4th Place in Race = 110 pts
5th Place in Race = 105 pts
6th Place in Race = 100 pts
7th Place in Race = 95 pts
8th Place in Race = 90 pts
9th Place in Race = 85 pts
10th Place in Race = 80 pts
11th Place in Race = 75 pts
12th Place in Race = 70 pts
13th Place in Race = 65 pts
14th Place in Race = 60 pts
15th Place in Race = 55 pts
16th Place in Race = 50 pts
17th Place in Race = 45 pts
18th Place in Race = 40 pts
19th Place in Race = 35 pts
20th Place in Race = 30 pts
21th Place in Race = 25 pts
22th Place in Race = 20 pts
23th Place in Race = 15 pts
24th Place in Race = 10 pts
25th Place in Race = 5 pts

Nationwide Racer Scoring

Lead at least one lap = 10 pts
Lap led (up to 25) = 2 pts
Lap not completed (up to 25) = -2 pts
1st Place in Race = 100 pts
2nd Place in Race = 90 pts
3rd Place in Race = 80 pts
4th Place in Race = 70 pts
5th Place in Race = 65 pts
6th Place in Race = 60 pts
7th Place in Race = 55 pts
8th Place in Race = 50 pts
9th Place in Race = 46 pts
10th Place in Race = 42 pts
11th Place in Race = 38 pts
12th Place in Race = 34 pts
13th Place in Race = 30 pts
14th Place in Race = 26 pts
15th Place in Race = 22 pts
16th Place in Race = 18 pts
17th Place in Race = 14 pts
18th Place in Race = 10 pts
19th Place in Race = 6 pts
20th Place in Race = 2 pts

Sprint Qualifier Scoring*

Qualified for Pole = 150 pts
Qualified 2nd = 125 pts
Qualified 3rd = 110 pts
Qualified 4th = 100 pts
Qualified 5th = 90 pts
Qualified 6th = 80 pts
Qualified 7th = 70 pts
Qualified 8th = 65 pts
Qualified 9th = 60 pts
Qualified 10th = 55 pts
Qualified 11th = 50 pts
Qualified 12th = 45 pts
Qualified 13th = 40 pts
Qualified 14th = 35 pts
Qualified 15th = 30 pts
Qualified 16th = 25 pts
Qualified 17th = 20 pts
Qualified 18th = 15 pts
Qualified 19th = 10 pts
Qualified 20th = 5 pts

* Qualified position is actual starting position.

We already have Sprint qualifying plus Sprint race leagues available in the Racing lobby for the Daytona 500. Leagues typically begin forming on the Tuesday before the race, when the list of drivers attempting to qualify becomes known. Scoring is done with the final box score, and leagues are settled a few hours after the Sprint race is completed.