2
24over48
Guest
Here we are once again ready for a fantastic Fantasy NASCAR Season. Big changes are rolling into 2017 and as always there is an awful lot to cover so please bear with me.
Before we begin, to all those who have already registered, I ask that you please confirm that your registration info is what you want. You are allowed to change it but you must confirm your registration before the season starts!
Here's a quick summary of the rules that you will find in this blog post. To learn more, check the table of contents below and navigate from there.
- In order to register, you need to claim a number, color scheme, and select one of the 3 manufacturers. It is completely free and no personal information is required. We currently have 31 people registered, so let's keep recruiting! Signing up for the email newsletter does NOT result in registering for the season.
- There are 5 different ways to post your predictions. In our racing-reference.info blogs, racing-forums.com threads, Facebook page events, Twitter, and e-mail.
- Saves are being introduced, you get 2 throughout the first half of the season. They give you a certain amount of points should you be absent. A third absence results in a loss of Playoff eligibility.
- Scoring remains the same, but there will be additional points for Top-10 finishers at the end of each Stage and at the end of the race. 1st gets 10 extra points, 2nd gets 9, down to 1 point for 10th.
- You win and you're in the Playoff. 16 players for Cup, 12 for Xfinity, 8 for Truck. At each reset, playoff points are added to your score. 1 point for every Stage win, 5 for every race win, plus some for finishing in Top-10 of regular season points.
- 4 prestigious races in each series together make the Fantasy NASCAR Grand Slam where Stages and the race itself are worth 1 extra playoff point each.
- Duels count for points for Top-10 finishers, similar to a Stage. The Clash consists of Pole Winners, and the All-Star Race consists of race winners. Non-winners will compete in Showdown, winner of each segment advance, along with one voted into the All-Star by their peers.
- As mentioned earlier, a weekly e-mail newsletter is available, sign up at the bottom of the blog post!
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Table of Contents:
I. Registering
II. Ways to Play
III. Absence Policy
IV. Points System
V. Stages
VI. Cup Playoff
VII. Xfinity and Truck Playoff
VIII. Grand Slam
IX. Clash and All-Star
X. Newsletter
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I. REGISTERING
First things first, for those that are new, this league is free and no personal information is required. For formality and accountability, I do require a quick sign-up which is as simple as you informing me how you would like to build your fantasy race team. You need to choose a number, color scheme, and manufacturer (Chevrolet, Ford, or Toyota) along with the username you wish to be referred to as in the league. It takes under a minute to jot that down and sent that info. Once you you, I can add you to our 2017 roster and you can start playing! Registration closes during the Las Vegas weekend (March 11-12), so don't wait! If you register but do not play by Las Vegas, you will be removed from the roster and will have to wait until next year to play.
Here's our 2017 roster so far (All must still confirm!!):
#1 @The Long Shot - Chevrolet
#2 Minnowfur - Ford
#3 Beef - Chevrolet
#4 VikesFan4Life - Chevrolet
#7 @DanicaFreak - Ford
#10 883110fan - Chevrolet
#11 MJM - Toyota
#13 Ricky - Chevrolet
#14 Smokegirl14 - Ford
#16 Victree8 - Toyota
#18 Oldschoolracing519 - Toyota
#20 Kevin20fan - Toyota
#21 @Mile501 - Ford
#24 @24over48 - Chevrolet
#28 Maverick - Ford
#29 Mik Maqracer83 - Ford
#34 LandonFandon34 - Ford
#42 Jakub Smetana - Chevrolet
#43 Petr Smetana - Chevrolet
#51 Captain51 - Toyota
#58 @donthaveanickname - Chevrolet
#60 Nascarnana - Ford
#70 Hitman Racin - Chevrolet
#71 Retro Racer - Chevrolet
#76 Jolly Mean Giant - Ford
#81 Nascarman - Chevrolet
#83 BiffFan - Ford
#89 Dodge - Ford
#90 @ToyYoda - Toyota
#94 @Bob - Chevrolet
#97 David - Chevrolet
#98 Chevyfan98 - Chevrolet
2016 Players That Have Not Yet Registered (at least 7 starts in 2016):
Nascar Lead Lap Points
02Justin10
SpeedWorld97
Hinch5
Joey2448
Kitkat8
Rayday15
@Michfan
24EVER
@Arjay
@pudge
Showtime
@Blaze88
Slicedbread96
@Conner
@Get That 88 Up There !!
Be aware that we are looking for FULL SEASON commitment from our players. If you register to play with us, I expect that you will be actively playing throughout the year whether you are in the Playoff or not.
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II. WAYS TO PLAY
How do you play? You post your Top-10 prediction for the upcoming race, we cover all 3 of NASCAR's national series, and you receive points based on the accuracy of that prediction. You may change your prediction as many times as you'd like before the green flag of the race, but you must notify me of such changes. There are several ways to post your prediction, you can use any one of these methods, so pay attention. (You only have to play using one of these methods)
1. The majority of our information and participation is through racing-reference.info in the blog section. On the main page, scroll down to where you see the blogs. Fantasy related blogs are separated and labeled. You are looking for blogs with the title "RR Fantasy NASCAR" corresponding to the upcoming weekend. Click on the blog and be sure to read it as there could be important information. To participate, click on the heading that says "Comment on this blog", scroll through the comments and post your Top-10 prediction as a comment. Be sure to have your username included with your post.
2. We are also on racing-forums.com. NOTE: You MUST be a registered user of the website in order to play this way. On the top right corner of the website there is a small option to log in or sign up. Creating an account is free and easy to do, you just need Facebook or an email address. Once you have an account, on the main page of racing-forums, click on "NASCAR chat". Then scroll to find a thread titled "RR Fantasy NASCAR". On that thread, comment your Top-10 prediction.
3. Like our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/RRFantasyNASCAR. Each race for each series will have its own event page. Go to our Facebook page and on the left side you'll see "Events". Click on that and you should find event pages for each race. On the event page, post your Top-10 prediction for that race. Be sure to clarify what your username is that you registered with.
4. Follow us on Twitter, @RRFantasyNASCAR (seeing a pattern yet?) and tweet your Top-10 prediction to our Twitter handle. Just start your tweet with "@RRFantasyNASCAR" and then include your Top-10 prediction. Again, please clarify what your registered username is.
5. You can also email your Top-10 prediction to me. This is also the best way to contact me privately. The email I use for Fantasy League purposes is [email protected] (Hey! There it is again!). Once more, please clarify your registered username so I know who I'm receiving predictions from.
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III. ABSENCE POLICY
I will remind you that we are looking for FULL SEASON commitment from our players. Of course, we understand life happens sometimes and an absence can be unavoidable. So that's why we are introducing "Saves"
At the beginning of the season, you are given 2 Saves. If you are absent for a race, you use your first Save. Your Save will give you 75% of the last place finisher's point total. So if the last place finisher scored 12 points, your first Save will give you 9 points. This way you do not fall too far behind your competitors but it also ensures that your participation will always score more points than an absent player would score. If you are absent a second time, your second and final Save is used. It will give you 50% of the last place finisher's score. So in the earlier example, your second Save will give you 6 points. Saves can only be used during the first half of the season (18 races in Cup, 16 in Xfinity, 11 in Truck), this is to encourage participation in the races leading up to the Playoff.
If you are absent a second time during the regular season, regardless of whether it was before or after the halfway point of the season, you are given a warning. A third absence during the regular season results in loss of Playoff eligibility.
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IV. POINTS SYSTEM
The Points system is primarily staying the same as it was in 2016, but there are new modifications to reflect the new format in NASCAR. The reason for these changes is because this league is going to do all it can to put you, the player, in the driver's seat and navigate the championship format just like your favorite drivers have to do.
As I have said, you play by presenting a Top-10 prediction for the race. For every driver you correctly predict to finish in the Top-10, you earn 2 points. If you correctly predict a driver in the Top-5, that is another 2 points, making it 4 points for a correct Top-5 prediction. Predicting the winner of the race correctly gives you an extra 10 points, adding to the 4 points for being in the Top-5 makes it 14. For every driver you predict in the exact spot in which they finish, you earn one bonus point. So predicting the winner is 15 total points. If the driver you predicted to finish 3rd finished 3rd, that's 5 points instead of the usual 4. If it was for 7th, it would be 3 instead of the usual 2. A perfect prediction is equal to 50 points. (15 for the winner, 5 for each 2-5, 3 for each 6-10). Confused? Maybe a visual example will help...
ACTUAL Top-10 Finish
1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Joey Logano
3. Chase Elliott
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Kyle Busch
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Jamie McMurray
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Kurt Busch
YOUR Top-10 Prediction
1. Martin Truex Jr. - 15 points for predicting the winner
2. Chase Elliott - 4 points for correctly being in the Top-5
3. Jimmie Johnson - 2 points for correctly being in the Top-10
4. Ryan Blaney - 0 points, did not finish in Top-10
5. Denny Hamlin - 5 points, 4 for being in the Top-5, bonus point for 5th exactly
6. Matt Kenseth - 2 points for correctly being in the Top-10
7. Brad Keselowski - 2 points for correctly being in the Top-10
8. Jamie McMurray - 3 points, 2 for being in the Top-10, bonus point for 8th exactly
9. Kasey Kahne - 0 points, did not finish in Top-10
10. Kurt Busch - 3 points, 2 for being in the Top-10, bonus point for 10th exactly
15 + 4 + 2 + 0 + 5 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 0 + 3 = 36 points, a prediction that would contend to win most races.
Your prediction is then compared to the rest of your competitors. You win a race by having the highest scoring prediction. If there is a tie in score, whoever picked the higher finishing driver to win the race gets the tie. So in the above example, if Player A picked Chase Elliott to win and Player B picked Brad Keselowski to win, Player A would win the tie since Elliott finished 3rd and Keselowski finished 4th. If the tied players picked the same driver to win, it will go down to who they picked to finish 2nd, and so on, until the tie is broken.
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V. STAGES
NASCAR has introduced Stages in the races; Stage 1, Stage 2, and the Final Stage. Points are now given at the end of each Stage. Your Top-10 prediction will be scored at the end of Stage 1, but you will not receive the points your prediction scores with the above method. Instead, your prediction will be ranked based on that score compared to your competitors and all ties will be broken as if it was the final result. The "winning" prediction at the end of Stage 1 will receive 10 points and 1 playoff point (this will be explained later), 2nd place will receive 9 points and down to 1 point for 10th. This process is repeated for Stage 2.
NOTE: The Daytona Can-Am Duel races will be treated like Stages with points for Top-10 finishers but will not give out playoff points. I would highly recommend treating that with extreme importance as playing in the Duels could be the difference between whether or not you get in the Playoffs!
The Final Stage is the one that really counts. This is when you will receive the points your prediction scores based on our scoring system. Now here is where we will deviate slightly from the actual NASCAR format. At the finish of the race, we will once again hand out points for the Top-10 finishers like we did at the end of each Stage, with 5 playoff points for winning (playoff points will be explained shortly, stick with me!). The winning score will earn an additional 10 points, with an extra 9 points for 2nd, down to 1 extra point for 10th place.
So if Player A had the prediction in the example shown earlier, scoring 36 points, and say Player A was tied with Player B for the win and Player A won the tiebreaker, Player A will receive 46 points and Player B will get 45 points. This change rewards finishing up front and winning. Before, you could have the entire Top-10 score the same amount of points even though only one is declared the winner. Now, finishing in the Top-10 ensures you will score more than all those you finished ahead of. Those that finish outside of the Top-10 receive the points their prediction scored; ties are broken to determine where you actually finish, but bonus points are not given to separate those ties any further.
With these changes, unfortunately results will not be as immediately available as they were before. I ask for your patience to allow for efficiency. I'd rather make the right call and post the right information than rush to get it out there and make a mistake. Either way, results will come out as soon as I can possibly get them out to you.
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VI. CUP PLAYOFF
Just like in real NASCAR, you win and you're in the Playoff. There are 16 Playoff competitors in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, 12 in the Xfinity Series, and 8 in the Camping World Truck Series. By winning the race, as mentioned earlier, you earn 5 playoff points, and 1 for each Stage win. Playoff points, while earned throughout the regular season, are not added to your point total until the Playoffs IF you make the Playoffs. Again, we'll come back to this, bear with me.
There is also a regular season champion. If you finish the regular season 1st in points, you are guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs regardless of whether or not you have won a race. By being the regular season champion, you also earn 15 playoff points, 2nd in regular season points earns 10 playoff points, 3rd gets 8, 4th gets 7, all the way down to 10th who gets 1. Again, these playoff points are for IF you make the Playoffs.
For the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, there are 26 races in the regular season beginning at Daytona and ending at the Fall Richmond race, and there are 16 players in the Playoff. If you are in the Top-30 in points and you won a race, or you are the regular season champion, then you are in the Playoff. If there are not 16 different winners, the rest of the Playoff spots are decided by regular season points. If there are more than 16 winners, then the winners are ranked by number of wins. Those that have the same number of wins are then sorted by regular season points. So if there are 17 winners, and you are the one player with the least amount of points among those with only one win, then you're the one that's going to be left out of the Playoff, unfortunately.
Once the 16 Playoff contenders are decided after the regular season is over, the 16 players are then reset to 2000 points each. Now here is where those playoff points finally come into play. The playoff points each player earned are now added to their score. So if Player A won 2 Stages and a race, Player A would start the Playoffs with 2007 points. If Player B won 4 Stages and 3 races, Player B would start with 2019 points. Remember, Stage wins are worth 1 playoff point each and race wins are worth 5 playoff points each. And also remember the playoff points for finishing in the Top-10 in regular season points. So if you won 1 Stage, 1 race, and were the regular season champion, you would start at Chicago with 2021 points.
Once the points are reset, the next 3 races are done normally. EVERYONE plays whether or not you are in the Playoff. You can continue to earn playoff points during the Playoffs BUT they are not added to your score until the next reset, if you advance to the next round. If you win one of the 3 races in the Round of 16, you automatically advance into the Round of 12. This is also why everyone still plays. If you're not in the Playoff and you win a Stage or a race during the Playoff, those Playoff contenders just lost a chance to add to their playoff point total or lost a chance to be locked into the next round. This brings extra excitement and competitiveness to the game.
NOTE: If you are absent for a race in a round of the Playoffs, you lose the privilege of being able to advance to the next round with a win. Being absent in a Playoff race means that in order to advance, you must do so by points.
Once the 3 races in the Round of 16 are done, the bottom 4 players are eliminated from the Playoff (but keep playing the game!), and the 12 remaining players are reset to 3000 points plus the playoff points they've accumulated throughout the entire season up to that point, including the Round of 16. So if Player A started with 2007 points and won a Stage and a race during the Round of 16, Player A starts the Rund of 12 with 3013 points. Again, if you were eliminated from the Playoff, you continue to play like everyone else.
The Round of 12 then continues just like the Round of 16 did. 3 races. You win, you advance. The bottom 4 are eliminated at the end of the Round and their points are reverted back to 2000 plus all of the points they've accumulated during the Playoff so far, putting them on the same level with those eliminated in the Round of 16.
Then the 8 remaining Playoff contenders are reset to 4000 points plus the playoff points the player earned throughout the entire season up to that point. Once more, 3 races. You win, you advance. The bottom 4 are eliminated and their points revert back similar to the other eliminated Playoff players. This means that even if you are eliminated after the first round, you may finish as high as 5th in the final point standings.
The final Championship 4 are then reset to 5000 points each. This is the one and only time in which their playoff points are NOT carried over. There will still be Stages at Homestead-Miami, but the Championship 4 receive no points from these Stages. Only the highest scoring prediction based on our scoring formula will be crowned the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion.
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VII. XFINITY AND TRUCK PLAYOFF
The Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series Playoffs will be slightly modified compared to the Cup Series. The Xfinity Series regular season is 26 races beginning at Daytona and ending at Chicagoland. Only 12 players make the Playoffs, but the ways to qualify for the Playoff and all of the playoff points as mentioned earlier work the same way. The eliminations work the same way; win and you advance, and 4 are eliminated after each round of 3 races. Playoff points accumulate and are implemented each reset except for the final one at Homestead where the highest scoring prediction among the final Championship 4 will be crowned the 2017 Xfinity Series Champion.
The Camping World Truck Series regular season is 16 races beginning at Daytona and ending at Chicagoland. Only 8 players make the Playoffs, and like Cup and Xfinity, the ways to qualify for the Playoff and playoff points work the same way. The elimination and reset format work the same way as Cup and Xfinity, however only 2 are eliminated at the end of each round, not 4. So instead of it going 16-12-8-4 like in Cup, or 12-8-4 like in Xfinity, Trucks go 8-6-4. At Homestead, the final Championship 4 will face off and the highest scoring prediction among them will be crowned the 2017 Camping World Truck Series Champion.
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VIII. GRAND SLAM
If you remember in previous years, we had a Dash4Cash-like format called the Dash4Champs, which allowed for an alternative way for Playoff eligibility. Oddly enough, it resulted in being the only way our 2016 Cup Champion was even eligible for what was then called the Chase. Since then, I have received feedback that this was too rewarding for a simple bonus point program, as it did directly pave the way for a championship. I have also received feedback that it should have focused more on prestigious races than selecting races at random. Well, players and fans, your voices have been heard.
The Dash4Champs is gone. Instead, I am introducing the Fantasy NASCAR Grand Slam. I have selected 4 of what I have determined to be the most prestigious races in each series. During these races, there will be a bonus playoff point at every payout. Winning a Stage in a Grand Slam race earns you 2 playoff points instead of just one. Winning the Grand Slam race itself is worth 6 playoff points instead of 5. This means there are a total of 3 extra playoff points available during these Grand Slam races. If you win both Stages and the race, you earn a total of 10 playoff points instead of 7 for a non-Grand Slam race.
The Grand Slam races for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series are:
1 - Daytona
12 - Charlotte
20 - Indianapolis
25 - Darlington
The Grand Slam races for the NASCAR Xfinity Series are:
1 - Daytona
14 - Iowa
21 - Mid-Ohio
25 - Darlingtn
The Grand Slam races for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are:
1 - Daytona
3 - Martinsville
11 - Eldora
15 - Canadian Tire
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IX. CLASH AND ALL-STAR
We will also be running the Clash and All-Star Race. They are both non-points events. The Clash consists of our 2016 Pole Winners as they compete and predict the Top-10 for the Clash. The prediction with the highest score based on the starting lineup for a race is given the Pole Award. The players eligible for the 2017 Clash are:
Eligible Players Registered for 2017:
#2 Minnowfur
#4 VikesFan4Life
#7 @DanicaFreak
#11 MJM
#14 Smokegirl14
#18 Oldschoolracing519
#28 Maverick
#42 Jakub Smetana
#43 Petr Smetana
#51 Captain51
#60 Nascarnana
#76 Jolly Mean Giant
#89 Dodge
#90 @ToyYoda
#94 @Bob
#97 David
Eligible Players Not Yet Registered for 2017:
Joey2448
24EVER
@Arjay
Millennium
@Conner
The All-Star Race will feature all of the winners of 2016 plus the winners of the first 11 races of 2017 (NOTE: The following Showdown and Fan-Vote advancement procedures are subject to change as they are based on the 2016 All-Star format). These winners will post predictions for the All-Star Race. Those not in the All-Star Race will have to post predictions for both the Showdown and the All-Star Race. At the end of each segment of the Showdown, the predictions will be scored and the winner of the segment will advance to the All-Star Race. This is why you post an All-Star prediction even if you're not eligible for the All-Star Race so your prediction can be immediately included with the rest. Everyone has the ability to vote their Top-3 choices for who among the Showdown players should advance to the All-Star Race. Voting begins after the Easter off week and closes at the green flag of the Showdown. You are allowed one vote per week. A vote must be ranked 1-3 as 1st place votes are worth 3 points, 2nd place votes are worth 2 points, and 3rd place votes are worth 1 point. The player with the most votes that does not advance through the Showdown gets voted into the All-Star Race by their peers. It is preferred to vote privately through email or social media so it is not publicly known who wins the voting process before the Showdown begins. The players that are, up to this point eligible for the 2017 All-Star Race are:
Eligible Players Registered for 2017:
#7 @DanicaFreak
#11 MJM
#14 Smokegirl14
#18 Oldschoolracing519
#21 @Mile501
#29 Mik Maqracer83
#34 LandonFandon34
#42 Jakub Smetana
#43 Petr Smetana
#60 Nascarnana
#81 Nascarman
#89 Dodge
#90 @ToyYoda
#97 David
#98 Chevyfan98
Eligible Players Not Yet Registered for 2017:
Nascar Lead Lap Points
02Justin10
SpeedWorld97
Joey2448
Kitkat8
@pudge
Millennium
@Blaze88
Slicedbread96
@Conner
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X. NEWSLETTER
And to cap off this 2017 introduction post, I am also providing a weekly newsletter to bring all of what this Fantasy NASCAR League has to offer right to your email! In the boxes below, just type the email address that you would like the newsletter to be sent to. You May also provide your Username, Number, and Birthday to receive a friendly birthday wishing from the Fantasy League, but this is optional.
RACING-FORUMS PLAYERS! To sign up for the email newsletter, use the link below.
http://eepurl.com/ci2Fg9
Before we begin, to all those who have already registered, I ask that you please confirm that your registration info is what you want. You are allowed to change it but you must confirm your registration before the season starts!
Here's a quick summary of the rules that you will find in this blog post. To learn more, check the table of contents below and navigate from there.
- In order to register, you need to claim a number, color scheme, and select one of the 3 manufacturers. It is completely free and no personal information is required. We currently have 31 people registered, so let's keep recruiting! Signing up for the email newsletter does NOT result in registering for the season.
- There are 5 different ways to post your predictions. In our racing-reference.info blogs, racing-forums.com threads, Facebook page events, Twitter, and e-mail.
- Saves are being introduced, you get 2 throughout the first half of the season. They give you a certain amount of points should you be absent. A third absence results in a loss of Playoff eligibility.
- Scoring remains the same, but there will be additional points for Top-10 finishers at the end of each Stage and at the end of the race. 1st gets 10 extra points, 2nd gets 9, down to 1 point for 10th.
- You win and you're in the Playoff. 16 players for Cup, 12 for Xfinity, 8 for Truck. At each reset, playoff points are added to your score. 1 point for every Stage win, 5 for every race win, plus some for finishing in Top-10 of regular season points.
- 4 prestigious races in each series together make the Fantasy NASCAR Grand Slam where Stages and the race itself are worth 1 extra playoff point each.
- Duels count for points for Top-10 finishers, similar to a Stage. The Clash consists of Pole Winners, and the All-Star Race consists of race winners. Non-winners will compete in Showdown, winner of each segment advance, along with one voted into the All-Star by their peers.
- As mentioned earlier, a weekly e-mail newsletter is available, sign up at the bottom of the blog post!
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Table of Contents:
I. Registering
II. Ways to Play
III. Absence Policy
IV. Points System
V. Stages
VI. Cup Playoff
VII. Xfinity and Truck Playoff
VIII. Grand Slam
IX. Clash and All-Star
X. Newsletter
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I. REGISTERING
First things first, for those that are new, this league is free and no personal information is required. For formality and accountability, I do require a quick sign-up which is as simple as you informing me how you would like to build your fantasy race team. You need to choose a number, color scheme, and manufacturer (Chevrolet, Ford, or Toyota) along with the username you wish to be referred to as in the league. It takes under a minute to jot that down and sent that info. Once you you, I can add you to our 2017 roster and you can start playing! Registration closes during the Las Vegas weekend (March 11-12), so don't wait! If you register but do not play by Las Vegas, you will be removed from the roster and will have to wait until next year to play.
Here's our 2017 roster so far (All must still confirm!!):
#1 @The Long Shot - Chevrolet
#2 Minnowfur - Ford
#3 Beef - Chevrolet
#4 VikesFan4Life - Chevrolet
#7 @DanicaFreak - Ford
#10 883110fan - Chevrolet
#11 MJM - Toyota
#13 Ricky - Chevrolet
#14 Smokegirl14 - Ford
#16 Victree8 - Toyota
#18 Oldschoolracing519 - Toyota
#20 Kevin20fan - Toyota
#21 @Mile501 - Ford
#24 @24over48 - Chevrolet
#28 Maverick - Ford
#29 Mik Maqracer83 - Ford
#34 LandonFandon34 - Ford
#42 Jakub Smetana - Chevrolet
#43 Petr Smetana - Chevrolet
#51 Captain51 - Toyota
#58 @donthaveanickname - Chevrolet
#60 Nascarnana - Ford
#70 Hitman Racin - Chevrolet
#71 Retro Racer - Chevrolet
#76 Jolly Mean Giant - Ford
#81 Nascarman - Chevrolet
#83 BiffFan - Ford
#89 Dodge - Ford
#90 @ToyYoda - Toyota
#94 @Bob - Chevrolet
#97 David - Chevrolet
#98 Chevyfan98 - Chevrolet
2016 Players That Have Not Yet Registered (at least 7 starts in 2016):
Nascar Lead Lap Points
02Justin10
SpeedWorld97
Hinch5
Joey2448
Kitkat8
Rayday15
@Michfan
24EVER
@Arjay
@pudge
Showtime
@Blaze88
Slicedbread96
@Conner
@Get That 88 Up There !!
Be aware that we are looking for FULL SEASON commitment from our players. If you register to play with us, I expect that you will be actively playing throughout the year whether you are in the Playoff or not.
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II. WAYS TO PLAY
How do you play? You post your Top-10 prediction for the upcoming race, we cover all 3 of NASCAR's national series, and you receive points based on the accuracy of that prediction. You may change your prediction as many times as you'd like before the green flag of the race, but you must notify me of such changes. There are several ways to post your prediction, you can use any one of these methods, so pay attention. (You only have to play using one of these methods)
1. The majority of our information and participation is through racing-reference.info in the blog section. On the main page, scroll down to where you see the blogs. Fantasy related blogs are separated and labeled. You are looking for blogs with the title "RR Fantasy NASCAR" corresponding to the upcoming weekend. Click on the blog and be sure to read it as there could be important information. To participate, click on the heading that says "Comment on this blog", scroll through the comments and post your Top-10 prediction as a comment. Be sure to have your username included with your post.
2. We are also on racing-forums.com. NOTE: You MUST be a registered user of the website in order to play this way. On the top right corner of the website there is a small option to log in or sign up. Creating an account is free and easy to do, you just need Facebook or an email address. Once you have an account, on the main page of racing-forums, click on "NASCAR chat". Then scroll to find a thread titled "RR Fantasy NASCAR". On that thread, comment your Top-10 prediction.
3. Like our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/RRFantasyNASCAR. Each race for each series will have its own event page. Go to our Facebook page and on the left side you'll see "Events". Click on that and you should find event pages for each race. On the event page, post your Top-10 prediction for that race. Be sure to clarify what your username is that you registered with.
4. Follow us on Twitter, @RRFantasyNASCAR (seeing a pattern yet?) and tweet your Top-10 prediction to our Twitter handle. Just start your tweet with "@RRFantasyNASCAR" and then include your Top-10 prediction. Again, please clarify what your registered username is.
5. You can also email your Top-10 prediction to me. This is also the best way to contact me privately. The email I use for Fantasy League purposes is [email protected] (Hey! There it is again!). Once more, please clarify your registered username so I know who I'm receiving predictions from.
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III. ABSENCE POLICY
I will remind you that we are looking for FULL SEASON commitment from our players. Of course, we understand life happens sometimes and an absence can be unavoidable. So that's why we are introducing "Saves"
At the beginning of the season, you are given 2 Saves. If you are absent for a race, you use your first Save. Your Save will give you 75% of the last place finisher's point total. So if the last place finisher scored 12 points, your first Save will give you 9 points. This way you do not fall too far behind your competitors but it also ensures that your participation will always score more points than an absent player would score. If you are absent a second time, your second and final Save is used. It will give you 50% of the last place finisher's score. So in the earlier example, your second Save will give you 6 points. Saves can only be used during the first half of the season (18 races in Cup, 16 in Xfinity, 11 in Truck), this is to encourage participation in the races leading up to the Playoff.
If you are absent a second time during the regular season, regardless of whether it was before or after the halfway point of the season, you are given a warning. A third absence during the regular season results in loss of Playoff eligibility.
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IV. POINTS SYSTEM
The Points system is primarily staying the same as it was in 2016, but there are new modifications to reflect the new format in NASCAR. The reason for these changes is because this league is going to do all it can to put you, the player, in the driver's seat and navigate the championship format just like your favorite drivers have to do.
As I have said, you play by presenting a Top-10 prediction for the race. For every driver you correctly predict to finish in the Top-10, you earn 2 points. If you correctly predict a driver in the Top-5, that is another 2 points, making it 4 points for a correct Top-5 prediction. Predicting the winner of the race correctly gives you an extra 10 points, adding to the 4 points for being in the Top-5 makes it 14. For every driver you predict in the exact spot in which they finish, you earn one bonus point. So predicting the winner is 15 total points. If the driver you predicted to finish 3rd finished 3rd, that's 5 points instead of the usual 4. If it was for 7th, it would be 3 instead of the usual 2. A perfect prediction is equal to 50 points. (15 for the winner, 5 for each 2-5, 3 for each 6-10). Confused? Maybe a visual example will help...
ACTUAL Top-10 Finish
1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Joey Logano
3. Chase Elliott
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Kyle Busch
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Jamie McMurray
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Kurt Busch
YOUR Top-10 Prediction
1. Martin Truex Jr. - 15 points for predicting the winner
2. Chase Elliott - 4 points for correctly being in the Top-5
3. Jimmie Johnson - 2 points for correctly being in the Top-10
4. Ryan Blaney - 0 points, did not finish in Top-10
5. Denny Hamlin - 5 points, 4 for being in the Top-5, bonus point for 5th exactly
6. Matt Kenseth - 2 points for correctly being in the Top-10
7. Brad Keselowski - 2 points for correctly being in the Top-10
8. Jamie McMurray - 3 points, 2 for being in the Top-10, bonus point for 8th exactly
9. Kasey Kahne - 0 points, did not finish in Top-10
10. Kurt Busch - 3 points, 2 for being in the Top-10, bonus point for 10th exactly
15 + 4 + 2 + 0 + 5 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 0 + 3 = 36 points, a prediction that would contend to win most races.
Your prediction is then compared to the rest of your competitors. You win a race by having the highest scoring prediction. If there is a tie in score, whoever picked the higher finishing driver to win the race gets the tie. So in the above example, if Player A picked Chase Elliott to win and Player B picked Brad Keselowski to win, Player A would win the tie since Elliott finished 3rd and Keselowski finished 4th. If the tied players picked the same driver to win, it will go down to who they picked to finish 2nd, and so on, until the tie is broken.
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V. STAGES
NASCAR has introduced Stages in the races; Stage 1, Stage 2, and the Final Stage. Points are now given at the end of each Stage. Your Top-10 prediction will be scored at the end of Stage 1, but you will not receive the points your prediction scores with the above method. Instead, your prediction will be ranked based on that score compared to your competitors and all ties will be broken as if it was the final result. The "winning" prediction at the end of Stage 1 will receive 10 points and 1 playoff point (this will be explained later), 2nd place will receive 9 points and down to 1 point for 10th. This process is repeated for Stage 2.
NOTE: The Daytona Can-Am Duel races will be treated like Stages with points for Top-10 finishers but will not give out playoff points. I would highly recommend treating that with extreme importance as playing in the Duels could be the difference between whether or not you get in the Playoffs!
The Final Stage is the one that really counts. This is when you will receive the points your prediction scores based on our scoring system. Now here is where we will deviate slightly from the actual NASCAR format. At the finish of the race, we will once again hand out points for the Top-10 finishers like we did at the end of each Stage, with 5 playoff points for winning (playoff points will be explained shortly, stick with me!). The winning score will earn an additional 10 points, with an extra 9 points for 2nd, down to 1 extra point for 10th place.
So if Player A had the prediction in the example shown earlier, scoring 36 points, and say Player A was tied with Player B for the win and Player A won the tiebreaker, Player A will receive 46 points and Player B will get 45 points. This change rewards finishing up front and winning. Before, you could have the entire Top-10 score the same amount of points even though only one is declared the winner. Now, finishing in the Top-10 ensures you will score more than all those you finished ahead of. Those that finish outside of the Top-10 receive the points their prediction scored; ties are broken to determine where you actually finish, but bonus points are not given to separate those ties any further.
With these changes, unfortunately results will not be as immediately available as they were before. I ask for your patience to allow for efficiency. I'd rather make the right call and post the right information than rush to get it out there and make a mistake. Either way, results will come out as soon as I can possibly get them out to you.
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VI. CUP PLAYOFF
Just like in real NASCAR, you win and you're in the Playoff. There are 16 Playoff competitors in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, 12 in the Xfinity Series, and 8 in the Camping World Truck Series. By winning the race, as mentioned earlier, you earn 5 playoff points, and 1 for each Stage win. Playoff points, while earned throughout the regular season, are not added to your point total until the Playoffs IF you make the Playoffs. Again, we'll come back to this, bear with me.
There is also a regular season champion. If you finish the regular season 1st in points, you are guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs regardless of whether or not you have won a race. By being the regular season champion, you also earn 15 playoff points, 2nd in regular season points earns 10 playoff points, 3rd gets 8, 4th gets 7, all the way down to 10th who gets 1. Again, these playoff points are for IF you make the Playoffs.
For the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, there are 26 races in the regular season beginning at Daytona and ending at the Fall Richmond race, and there are 16 players in the Playoff. If you are in the Top-30 in points and you won a race, or you are the regular season champion, then you are in the Playoff. If there are not 16 different winners, the rest of the Playoff spots are decided by regular season points. If there are more than 16 winners, then the winners are ranked by number of wins. Those that have the same number of wins are then sorted by regular season points. So if there are 17 winners, and you are the one player with the least amount of points among those with only one win, then you're the one that's going to be left out of the Playoff, unfortunately.
Once the 16 Playoff contenders are decided after the regular season is over, the 16 players are then reset to 2000 points each. Now here is where those playoff points finally come into play. The playoff points each player earned are now added to their score. So if Player A won 2 Stages and a race, Player A would start the Playoffs with 2007 points. If Player B won 4 Stages and 3 races, Player B would start with 2019 points. Remember, Stage wins are worth 1 playoff point each and race wins are worth 5 playoff points each. And also remember the playoff points for finishing in the Top-10 in regular season points. So if you won 1 Stage, 1 race, and were the regular season champion, you would start at Chicago with 2021 points.
Once the points are reset, the next 3 races are done normally. EVERYONE plays whether or not you are in the Playoff. You can continue to earn playoff points during the Playoffs BUT they are not added to your score until the next reset, if you advance to the next round. If you win one of the 3 races in the Round of 16, you automatically advance into the Round of 12. This is also why everyone still plays. If you're not in the Playoff and you win a Stage or a race during the Playoff, those Playoff contenders just lost a chance to add to their playoff point total or lost a chance to be locked into the next round. This brings extra excitement and competitiveness to the game.
NOTE: If you are absent for a race in a round of the Playoffs, you lose the privilege of being able to advance to the next round with a win. Being absent in a Playoff race means that in order to advance, you must do so by points.
Once the 3 races in the Round of 16 are done, the bottom 4 players are eliminated from the Playoff (but keep playing the game!), and the 12 remaining players are reset to 3000 points plus the playoff points they've accumulated throughout the entire season up to that point, including the Round of 16. So if Player A started with 2007 points and won a Stage and a race during the Round of 16, Player A starts the Rund of 12 with 3013 points. Again, if you were eliminated from the Playoff, you continue to play like everyone else.
The Round of 12 then continues just like the Round of 16 did. 3 races. You win, you advance. The bottom 4 are eliminated at the end of the Round and their points are reverted back to 2000 plus all of the points they've accumulated during the Playoff so far, putting them on the same level with those eliminated in the Round of 16.
Then the 8 remaining Playoff contenders are reset to 4000 points plus the playoff points the player earned throughout the entire season up to that point. Once more, 3 races. You win, you advance. The bottom 4 are eliminated and their points revert back similar to the other eliminated Playoff players. This means that even if you are eliminated after the first round, you may finish as high as 5th in the final point standings.
The final Championship 4 are then reset to 5000 points each. This is the one and only time in which their playoff points are NOT carried over. There will still be Stages at Homestead-Miami, but the Championship 4 receive no points from these Stages. Only the highest scoring prediction based on our scoring formula will be crowned the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion.
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VII. XFINITY AND TRUCK PLAYOFF
The Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series Playoffs will be slightly modified compared to the Cup Series. The Xfinity Series regular season is 26 races beginning at Daytona and ending at Chicagoland. Only 12 players make the Playoffs, but the ways to qualify for the Playoff and all of the playoff points as mentioned earlier work the same way. The eliminations work the same way; win and you advance, and 4 are eliminated after each round of 3 races. Playoff points accumulate and are implemented each reset except for the final one at Homestead where the highest scoring prediction among the final Championship 4 will be crowned the 2017 Xfinity Series Champion.
The Camping World Truck Series regular season is 16 races beginning at Daytona and ending at Chicagoland. Only 8 players make the Playoffs, and like Cup and Xfinity, the ways to qualify for the Playoff and playoff points work the same way. The elimination and reset format work the same way as Cup and Xfinity, however only 2 are eliminated at the end of each round, not 4. So instead of it going 16-12-8-4 like in Cup, or 12-8-4 like in Xfinity, Trucks go 8-6-4. At Homestead, the final Championship 4 will face off and the highest scoring prediction among them will be crowned the 2017 Camping World Truck Series Champion.
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VIII. GRAND SLAM
If you remember in previous years, we had a Dash4Cash-like format called the Dash4Champs, which allowed for an alternative way for Playoff eligibility. Oddly enough, it resulted in being the only way our 2016 Cup Champion was even eligible for what was then called the Chase. Since then, I have received feedback that this was too rewarding for a simple bonus point program, as it did directly pave the way for a championship. I have also received feedback that it should have focused more on prestigious races than selecting races at random. Well, players and fans, your voices have been heard.
The Dash4Champs is gone. Instead, I am introducing the Fantasy NASCAR Grand Slam. I have selected 4 of what I have determined to be the most prestigious races in each series. During these races, there will be a bonus playoff point at every payout. Winning a Stage in a Grand Slam race earns you 2 playoff points instead of just one. Winning the Grand Slam race itself is worth 6 playoff points instead of 5. This means there are a total of 3 extra playoff points available during these Grand Slam races. If you win both Stages and the race, you earn a total of 10 playoff points instead of 7 for a non-Grand Slam race.
The Grand Slam races for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series are:
1 - Daytona
12 - Charlotte
20 - Indianapolis
25 - Darlington
The Grand Slam races for the NASCAR Xfinity Series are:
1 - Daytona
14 - Iowa
21 - Mid-Ohio
25 - Darlingtn
The Grand Slam races for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are:
1 - Daytona
3 - Martinsville
11 - Eldora
15 - Canadian Tire
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IX. CLASH AND ALL-STAR
We will also be running the Clash and All-Star Race. They are both non-points events. The Clash consists of our 2016 Pole Winners as they compete and predict the Top-10 for the Clash. The prediction with the highest score based on the starting lineup for a race is given the Pole Award. The players eligible for the 2017 Clash are:
Eligible Players Registered for 2017:
#2 Minnowfur
#4 VikesFan4Life
#7 @DanicaFreak
#11 MJM
#14 Smokegirl14
#18 Oldschoolracing519
#28 Maverick
#42 Jakub Smetana
#43 Petr Smetana
#51 Captain51
#60 Nascarnana
#76 Jolly Mean Giant
#89 Dodge
#90 @ToyYoda
#94 @Bob
#97 David
Eligible Players Not Yet Registered for 2017:
Joey2448
24EVER
@Arjay
Millennium
@Conner
The All-Star Race will feature all of the winners of 2016 plus the winners of the first 11 races of 2017 (NOTE: The following Showdown and Fan-Vote advancement procedures are subject to change as they are based on the 2016 All-Star format). These winners will post predictions for the All-Star Race. Those not in the All-Star Race will have to post predictions for both the Showdown and the All-Star Race. At the end of each segment of the Showdown, the predictions will be scored and the winner of the segment will advance to the All-Star Race. This is why you post an All-Star prediction even if you're not eligible for the All-Star Race so your prediction can be immediately included with the rest. Everyone has the ability to vote their Top-3 choices for who among the Showdown players should advance to the All-Star Race. Voting begins after the Easter off week and closes at the green flag of the Showdown. You are allowed one vote per week. A vote must be ranked 1-3 as 1st place votes are worth 3 points, 2nd place votes are worth 2 points, and 3rd place votes are worth 1 point. The player with the most votes that does not advance through the Showdown gets voted into the All-Star Race by their peers. It is preferred to vote privately through email or social media so it is not publicly known who wins the voting process before the Showdown begins. The players that are, up to this point eligible for the 2017 All-Star Race are:
Eligible Players Registered for 2017:
#7 @DanicaFreak
#11 MJM
#14 Smokegirl14
#18 Oldschoolracing519
#21 @Mile501
#29 Mik Maqracer83
#34 LandonFandon34
#42 Jakub Smetana
#43 Petr Smetana
#60 Nascarnana
#81 Nascarman
#89 Dodge
#90 @ToyYoda
#97 David
#98 Chevyfan98
Eligible Players Not Yet Registered for 2017:
Nascar Lead Lap Points
02Justin10
SpeedWorld97
Joey2448
Kitkat8
@pudge
Millennium
@Blaze88
Slicedbread96
@Conner
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X. NEWSLETTER
And to cap off this 2017 introduction post, I am also providing a weekly newsletter to bring all of what this Fantasy NASCAR League has to offer right to your email! In the boxes below, just type the email address that you would like the newsletter to be sent to. You May also provide your Username, Number, and Birthday to receive a friendly birthday wishing from the Fantasy League, but this is optional.
RACING-FORUMS PLAYERS! To sign up for the email newsletter, use the link below.
http://eepurl.com/ci2Fg9
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