Kevin Harvick did what he needed to do to qualify for the second round of the Chase by winning the race at Dover this past weekend. Dale Earnhardt Jr. did what he had to do and beat Jamie McMurray by one position and moved on the the next round while Jimmie Johnson had mechanical problems that knocked him out of the playoffs. The second round starts next week and it should only get more exciting as the season comes to a close and we crown the 2015 Sprint Cup Champion.
BANK OF AMERICA 500
The first race of the second round will be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the running of the Bank of America 500. Charlotte is another of the mile-and-a-half tracks that represent the majority of the races in the Chase. The points will also be reset this weekend for twelve drivers who have qualified for the second round the next three races will determine who will be in the final eight.
Kevin Harvick: I am going to pick Kevin to win his second race in a row and qualify for the third round of the Chase right away. Kevin has won two of the last five points races here including this race last year. He has also finished in the top ten in his last five points races at Charlotte and this team has been fast every week for the past two seasons. I’m sure none of the Chase drivers would have been disappointed if Kevin wouldn’t have made it to the second round because he is going to be hard to stop as he looks for back-to-back Sprint Cup championships.
Jimmie Johnson: Although I’m sure Jimmie is very disappointed by not making the second round, but he always runs well at Charlotte and has seven wins here to prove that point. His latest win here came last season during the Coca-Cola 600 and he has run well at the mile-and-a-half tracks this year once again.
Matt Kenseth: Matt always runs well at this track also. He has won two races here with the last of those coming in the fall of 2011. All of the Joe Gibbs teams are still running well and all four of them have made it to the second round of the Chase. The speed these guys have shown for the past few months shows that they are all capable of winning the championship this year and Matt’s poise makes him one of the drivers to keep your eye on.
Kyle Busch: Kyle is still looking for his first win at Charlotte, but he has finished in the top five in ten of his twenty-three starts here. Kyle has been using his head so far during the Chase and that is what it takes to win a championship under this format. Don’t take unnecessary chances and just make sure you get a good finish and you can move on to the next round in each of the first two rounds. After that the strategy will change a little bit.
Jeff Gordon: Jeff’s has kept his hopes of winning another championship in his final year alive. He has been very good at Charlotte during his career with five wins and twenty-four top ten finishes in only forty five starts. Even though he doesn’t have a win yet this year he is still running consistent enough to be a threat to win a race most any weekend and keep advancing.
Carl Edwards: Carl won the Coca-Cola 600 this year and has finished in the top ten here in fourteen of his twenty-one career starts. His car might not always be good throughout the race, but they never give up on their adjustments and it always seems that Carl is in the top ten towards the end of the race and has a chance to pickup another win if everything falls just right.
Denny Hamlin: Denny is another driver looking for his first win at this track during a points race. However, he did win the Sprint All-Star race this year and has finished in the top ten in twelve of his twenty starts at this track. Denny has been quietly going about his business and won the first race of the Chase at Chicagoland Speedway which gave him a free pass the last two weeks. This week they will be back on the top of their game.
Jamie McMurray: Even though Jamie didn’t qualify for the second round he is still very good at Charlotte. He has two wins here during his career and has ten top ten finishes in his twenty-six starts here. I think this team should be proud that they made the Chase for the first time and now they have something to look forward to improving on next season.
Joey Logano: Joey is another of the Chase drivers who is still seeking his first win at this track, but he has run very well here during his short career. He has finished in the top ten in seven of his thirteen starts and just needs to make one more correct call late in a race to come away with his first win here. I think this team will do well for the rest of the Chase because Joey is very good at this style of track.
Kasey Kahne: Kasey has four wins at this track and has finished in the top ten in thirteen of his twenty-three starts here with nine of those finishes being in the top five. Even though they didn’t qualify for the Chase, this team will do everything they can to pick up a win before the end of the season so they have something to build on for next season.
YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Yahoo Driver Group A
- Kevin Harvick
- Matt Kenseth
Yahoo Driver Group B
- Kasey Kahne
- Carl Edwards
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Jamie McMurray
Yahoo Driver Group C
- Ryan Blaney
- Danica Patrick
MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
- Kevin Harvick
- Matt Kenseth
- Joey Logano
- Jimmie Johnson
- Kyle Busch
Dark Horse: Jamie McMurray
Stay Away From: Ryan Newman