Mick Smeltzer: Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing Expert

Continuing on in the quest to turn my Yahoo Fantasy Auto Racing fortunes around, I shot an email out to Mick Smeltzer, better known to the ladies (and the rest of us too) as Jeepstud Motorsports. Mick, or Jeepstud for short, graciously replied and was open to sharing some of his Yahoo Fantasy Racing strategy.

Meet Mick Smeltzer, aka Jeepstud Motorsports

Mick has been playing Yahoo’s fantasy games since 2001. He has had great success in dominating the game and other players. He plays all kinds of fantasy sports including Baseball, Hockey, Golf, Pro and College Football and Basketball. He really shines in the NASCAR racing game.

Mick’s Yahoo Auto Racing Results

• 2010: 98%
• 2009: 72%
• 2008: 99%
• 2007: 91%
• 2006: 83%
• 2005: 95%
• 2004: 95%
• 2003: 95%
• 2002: 95%
• 2001: 97%

Getting to Know This Yahoo Racing Expert

Q: How long have you been a NASCAR fan?

A: Since 1988. 22 years.

Q: How long have you been playing fantasy NASCAR games?

A: Since 2001

Q: How many fantasy NASCAR games a year do you play?

A: I play around 10.

Q: Who is your favorite driver?

A: Kurt Busch

Mick’s Yahoo Fantasy Racing Strategy

Q: What is it that you like the most about the Yahoo fantasy racing game?

A: It makes driver management a big factor in making picks. Driver management is what I think separates the casual player from the hardcore player.

Q: You have done EXTREMELY well over the years of playing the Yahoo game. Do you just really ‘get’ this type of game (having multiple driver groups with limited usage)? Do you have as much success on other types of NASCAR games?

A: In my opinion, it’s not really that I ‘get’ this type of game. You really need to:

• Digest all the fantasy advice on the internet to be successful. There are lots of great sites for fantasy info.
• Combine that with practice times, driver ratings, and team trends to make good picks.
• Basically, the more research you do, the more successful you’ll be.

I’m real successful in other types of NASCAR fantasy games also, because I do a lot of pre-race research.

Q: What are the factors you take in to consideration when making your Yahoo picks?

A: Driver Ratings for that particular track are probably my first consideration for making my first picks for that race. I’ll also consider what the fantasy sites are saying who the ‘Hot Picks’ will be. I also take any particular teams with current hot streaks or running particularly well recently. Then, I’ll make my final picks based a lot on practice times and qualifying.

Q: Do you go into the season with a plan for which drivers you want to run the most? How do you handle ‘driver management’?

A: No, not really, because some drivers can be on teams that fall behind and really screw up your plans. For example like Richard Childress Racing did in 2009. And, the Ford teams in 2010.

I think you really have to take each week as it comes. Try to ride the ‘hot-streaks’ that teams have and do your research.

In the Yahoo game, the A-group is pretty easy to manage because you’ll easily have enough quality drivers to get through the season. But, the B and C-groups are tougher because this is not the case. The keys to doing well with those groups is picking the particular ‘hot’ teams in that group for that week. The key to driver management is once again, do your research.

Q: What is the biggest mistake that you think fantasy NASCAR players make on the Yahoo game or any other games you’ve played?

A: Staying with your favorite driver at tracks where they don’t run particularly well. Never be afraid to bench your favorite driver.

Q: Anything else you want to share?

A: I really enjoy fantasy racing and I think it really increases my enjoyment of watching NASCAR racing. It makes me root for drivers I probably would have no interest in otherwise and follow the sport more closely.

Here is a Summary of Mick’s Yahoo Racing Strategy

1. Driver management separates the casual player from the hardcore player.
2. Digest all the fantasy advice on the internet to be successful.
3. Use practice times, driver ratings, and team trends to make good picks.
4. The more research you do, the more successful you’ll be.
5. Pre-season driver allocation can hurt you if you make decisions using a team that hits a slump.
6. Try to ride the ‘hot-streaks’ that teams have.
7. The key to big points from the B- & C-groups is using drivers when they get ‘hot’.
8. Never be afraid to bench your favorite driver.