Since a lot of NASCAR fans play more than one type of Fantasy NASCAR game, it’s time to offer up a few hints toward Yahoo’s game. I’ve used many of these tips to whip my brothers. Since they don’t read anything I write, the secrets are safe from them but available to everyone else.

How Yahoo! Fantasy NASCAR Game Works

First a few notes on how the Yahoo game works. Drivers are assigned to one of three groups at the start of the season. The elite drivers reside in Group A, while the weakest drivers comprise Group C.

Drivers don’t change groups during the season, although Group C tends to grow as the lesser teams hire new drivers during the season.

Each week you select two drivers from Groups A and C and four drivers from Group B. This is your team for the week, but you only start half of your drivers from each group. The starters are the only drivers that get points during the race for laps led and their final position.

Each driver is also limited to eight starts during the season. If you start a driver more than eight times, no points are awarded.

Pay Attention To Qualifying

While only drivers in your starting lineup get points for the race, the top five qualifiers get one to five points for starting up front.

It doesn’t sound like a lot, but the trick is that you get credit for qualifying points whether you start a driver or not. They simply have to be part of that week’s team.

For example, even if you knew Ryan Newman wasn’t very good at Phoenix or you somehow foresaw Newman’s engine bonking, you still could have put him on your team to take advantage of his pole-winning prowess.

Another thing to monitor is drivers that don’t have a guaranteed starting spot. Boris Said is a great play at a road course, but has to qualify on time when he enters races. Last year qualifying at Watkins Glen was rained out and Said didn’t make the field.

If you add a driver to your team that’s a risk to qualify, be sure you have another driver assured of making the show on your roster that week.

The easiest way to know which drivers are guaranteed a starting spot is to check the owner points standings. Any car number inside the top 35 makes the race. Everyone else is at the mercy of their qualifying laps.

Team Rotation

You can only start each driver nine times during the season. It might be tempting to start Carl Edwards at every 1.5 mile track, but you’ll quickly burn through his starts.

Rotation is especially crucial in Group B where you have to start two drivers each week and the pool of quality drivers is smaller than Group A.

This year Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kyle Busch fall in Group B.

Obviously they are both good at a place like Talladega, but are you willing to risk a precious start from your aces at a place where a good finish is never a sure thing? Find other drivers capable of top tens and save Shrub and Junebug for places like Richmond or Michigan where results are less volatile.

It helps to look long term and circle specific races where certain drivers run well.

• Robby Gordon is an obvious choice at road courses.
• Kevin Harvick is a great play at Richmond, Chicago and Indianapolis, but not at some other 1.5 mile tracks.

It will pay off at the end of the year when you have strong drivers left to play.

Find a Group C Gem

You’re not going to find any wins in this group. Instead find that one or two drivers that can finish in the top 10 at select tracks. The group is filled with emerging rookies and veterans entering the twilight.

Drivers like Brian Vickers, Travis Kvapil, Scott Riggs and Paul Menard will alternate strong runs with flops. Choose your races wisely.

Update Your Team

It’s the cardinal rule in Fantasy sports. Make sure your team is updated by deadline. This is the easiest way to squander points. It has stung me many times over the years.

Consider setting your team’s lineup early in the week when you check the results from the previous week. If something happens later in the week you can still make changes, but if you forget you still have a full squad for the coming week.