Month: August 2019

Matt DiBenedetto almost shook up the playoff picture in what would have been a minor upset on Saturday night in Bristol. If he would have been able to hang on and win this race it would have eliminated one of the bubble drivers, who right now is Daniel Suarez who is two points ahead of his teammate Clint Bowyer for the final spot in the playoffs. This is going to make for some exciting racing in the next two events before the playoffs starts.

BOJANGLES’ SOUTHERN 500

The series will be off this week before the head to the Darlington Raceway on Labor Day weekend for the running of the Bojangle’ Southern 500. This track is also known as “The Track Too Touch to Tame” and “The Lady in Black”. I heard Darrell Waltrip say on the broadcast once something to the effect of ‘She ain’t no lady.’ You will often hear about the Darlington Stripe during the race which refers to the paint drivers will get from the wall on their cars. This happens because of the track configuration which is more of an egg shape than an oval.

While this track still has some pretty good banking, the configuration makes it a little harder to set up the cars to handle the way the drivers want on both ends of the track. You will see a lot of adjustments made during this race and cars that are handling good at the beginning of the race might just fade at the end and vice versa.

Denny Hamlin: I am going to pick Denny to win back to back races and gain some more valuable playoff points in this race. He won here for the second time two years ago and also has three runner-up finishes in thirteen starts at this track. He has been very consistent lately which is another reason to think he will be the driver to beat on Labor Day weekend.

Ryan Newman: I like Ryan this race as well because of how good he was at Bristol and how good he has been at Darlington throughout his career no matter who he was driving for. In fact, Ryan has seven top ten finishes in his last ten starts here and thirteen top ten finishes in twenty starts in his career at this track.

Kyle Busch: Kyle has been very good here throughout his career also. His only win at this track came way back in the 2008 season, but he hasn’t finished worse than eleventh in his last nine starts. He is going to want to do everything he can to keep Denny from winning this race and taking those playoff points away from him.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin has five top five finishes in his last six starts here including his only win back in 2014. He has also lead over two-hundred laps in two of those races which tells us that he really knows how to get around this track. After a disappointing end to his Bristol race he will be looking forward to getting back on track at Darlington.

Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie leads all active drivers with three wins at Darlington, but he really hasn’t shown much all season. In fact, in his last four Darlington starts his average finish is a bit over twenty-fifth. I really don’t see him having a very good race again this week, but he could surprise.

Kurt Busch: Kurt has three top ten finishes in his last four starts at this track, yet those were all with Stewart-Haas Racing. The question here is, will his new crew chief be able to get his car set up to his liking? The only way we are really going to know is to wait and see how he does in the practice sessions. We will really want to look at his ten lap averages and also see how well he qualifies before deciding to start him.

Erik Jones: With only two races under his belt at Darlington there really isn’t a lot to go on for Erik. However, in those two races he has finishes fifth and eighth and has really looked good lately. Once again if you want to put him on your roster you will still have to wait and see how he practices and qualifies before deciding if you want to start him or not.

Kyle Larson: Kyle looked really good at Bristol coming away with a top ten finish and has four top ten finishes in five starts at Darlington. I think he is another driver you can put on your roster and start if you are running out of some of the other top drivers in his group. I think he is going to have a competitive car once again and might win this race.

Brad Keselowski: Brad won this race last year and has five top ten finishes in ten career starts here. I’m sure they are going to have a fast car right off of the truck and should be competitive all weekend. Brad is already in the playoffs and this team is known for doing something different to try and win races and gain playoff points. That can be good or bad for us fantasy players, because we don’t know if they will do that and if it will work out or not.

Martin Truex Jr.: Martin won this race three years ago and has finished outside of the top fifteen only once in his last eight starts at this track. He has lead laps in each of his last three starts and won both of the stages in the race two years ago. That tells us that he should have a very good car that is capable of winning this race.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR DARLINGTON RACEWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Kevin Harvick
• Martin Truex Jr.

Driver Group Game Group B

• Denny Hamlin
• Ryan Newman
• Erik Jones
• Kurt Busch

Driver Group Game Group C

• Chris Buescher
• Ty Dillon

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Kyle Larson
5. Kyle Busch

Dark Horse: Erik Jones

Stay Away From: Daniel Suarez

Big 18: Kyle Larson

Tough race for us fantasy fans when fuel mileage eliminates your drivers from contention, but that is part of racing. That is something no one can predict and as fantasy players this is where luck comes into play. So, congratulations to Kevin Harvick who picked up his second win of the season and five playoff points. He was one of the fastest cars all weekend and the big thing here is they won on an intermediate track as we get closer to the playoffs.

BASS PRO SHOPS NRA NIGHT RACE

This week the series heads back to the Bristol Motor Speedway and the running of the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. I think there is the possibility of some very exciting and entertaining racing this weekend as we get that much closer to the playoffs and the bubble teams are all still fighting for the final few spots in those playoffs. A win is what everyone close to the bubble is looking for because if someone not in the top sixteen wins a race that hasn’t yet this year then there will be one less spot to fight for on points.

Kyle Busch: Kyle has won three of the last four races here, so why shouldn’t he win again this week? His last two finishes weren’t even close to what he expects and this week he is expecting to win again. With his confidence and driving ability he is going to have to have some type of problem to not win this race.

Kyle Larson: This is my dark horse this week and he is the driver that can help you make a move in your league. He looked really good at Michigan last weekend coming away with a third place finish and he has been very good at Bristol lately. In fact he finished second in both races here last season and I think his luck is starting to change. I look for him to have a fast car and be in contention throughout this week’s race.

Kurt Busch: Kurt won this race last year and finished second here in April. They were having a great run at Michigan last week until they ran out of gas on the final lap and now this is one of their best chances to get some more playoff points in the next few races. This might end up being another classic brother verses brother finish that makes most fans want to keep watching.

Joey Logano: After a disappointing finish at Michigan last week when they had to stop for fuel with just a few laps left in the race this team is going to be looking for a little redemption and to try and wrestle the regular season points lead away from Kyle Busch. Joey has seven top ten finishes in his last eight starts here and should be good once again this weekend.

Ryan Blaney: Another of the Penske drivers who was disappointed with their finish last week because of fuel issues, Ryan has run very well at Bristol recently and will be looking to win his first race of the season and gain some playoff points. Ryan has lead at least one-hundred laps in each of his last three starts at Bristol and if you can lead that many laps here you can dominate an entire race. Look for him to be a contender once again this weekend.

Jimmie Johnson: With eight top ten finishes in his last ten races at this track, Jimmie might have his best shot at winning a race this year and making the playoffs this weekend. Right now they are in a battle for the final playoff spot and a win would guarantee them a spot. This is one of those drivers you are going to see be very aggressive this weekend to try and win this race.

Erik Jones. Two years ago Erik lead more than half of the fall race at Bristol and finished second. He has shown a lot of speed this year and a lot of ability to get the job done at all types of tracks. This could be the week that they break through into the win column for this year and gain some momentum heading into the playoffs.

Clint Bowyer: With six top ten finishes in his last eight starts at Bristol and a bit of a chip on his shoulder, Clint is another driver who will do whatever he can to pick up the win this weekend and get those five extra playoff points. This is the type of track where Clint has been his best no matter who he was driving for throughout his career. I think he could make this race interesting.

Ryan Newman: Ryan is another of the drivers who is close to the bubble and this is one of his best tracks. He has three top ten finishes in his last four starts here and isn’t afraid to mix it up a little bit on this track if someone starts it. He is one of the hardest drivers to pass each and every week and he won’t make it easy this week at Bristol for any driver who wants to get by him.

Kevin Harvick: With seven top ten finishes in his last eight races at Bristol and momentum on his side from his win last week at Michigan, Kevin might be ready to win back to back races once again. They have to feel much better at this point of the season now that they got a win on an intermediate track and would love to grab some more playoff points. Look for them to have another good car this weekend.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Kyle Busch
• Kyle Larson

Driver Group Game Group B

• Ryan Blaney
• Clint Bowyer
• Jimmie Johnson
• Ryan Newman

Driver Group Game Group C

• Matt DiBenedetto
• Ty Dillon

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

1. Kyle Busch
2. Kyle Larson
3. Clint Bowyer
4. Ryan Blaney
5. Joey Logano

Dark Horse: Kyle Larson

Stay Away From: Aric Almirola

Big 18: Kyle Larson

Chase Elliott goes back to back at Watkins Glen holding off Martin Truex Jr. for the second straight year to win his second race of the season. Other than those two, there really wasn’t anyone who was in contention for the win this week. The Toyota teams had a great amount of success overall taking four of the top six spots in the race.

CONSUMERS ENERGY 400

This week the series heads back to the Michigan International Speedway. There are only four races left before the playoffs start and they are going to be run on four very different tracks. This week the drivers will be on a two-mile D-shaped oval track where speeds should reach over 200 miles per hour. This track really showcases the new aero package the series is running this season.

Joey Logano: Joey won the race here in June and I will pick him to repeat once again this weekend. He has only finished outside of the top ten here once in his last thirteen starts, winning three of those races. after the showing he put on here the first time this year it is hard to pick anyone else to win this race.

Kyle Busch: Kyle hasn’t won here since winning back in the 2011 season. However, he has reeled off three straight top five finishes and five straight top ten finishes here. After having a few run ins at Watkins Glen last weekend I think this team will be itching to get back on the track and see if they can pick up some more playoff points.

Martin Truex Jr.: Martin is still looking for his first win at Michigan in his career although he has numerous second and third place finishes at this track. He has been one of the better drivers with the new aero package and finished third here in June. This team could really use some more playoff points and you need to win stages and races to get them. His first win here couldn’t come at a better time.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin has lead more laps at this track in the last five races run here than any other driver. He has also finished in the top five in nine of his last thirteen starts here. This team has looked good early on at these types of tracks this season only to have pit issues or fade towards the end of the race. Those are two things they will have to eliminate if they want to win a championship this season.

Chase Elliott: Chase finished second in his first three career starts and in the top ten in his first six starts before finishing 20th here in June. The Hendrick teams struggled with speed early in the year, but they seem to have found that speed lately. After winning last week at Watkins Glen this team will have a lot of confidence heading into this weekend and should be in contention throughout this race.

Brad Keselowski: Brad is looking for his first win at what he considers his home track. He almost pulled that off in this race last year when he finished second. In the August race two years ago he lead over 100 laps, but finished a disappointing seventeenth in that race. The Penske teams have shown speed all year and Brad is going to win here before the end of his career and this might be the weekend.

Ryan Blaney: In his three starts here since moving to Penske Racing, Ryan has finished in the top ten in all of them. This is the type of track where he excels because of how wide it is. He can make moves and run in different grooves here without getting himself in too much trouble. He just needs to have a little more patience and let his crew adjust the car throughout the race so he has a shot at the end.

Kurt Busch: Kurt finished second here in the June race and has shown a lot of potential in this his first season with Chip Ganassi Racing. He already has a win and is qualified for the playoffs. If they can have another good showing this weekend that will make them a legitimate contender for the championship this season as the majority of the last ten races are on intermediate tracks. A few more playoff points would help too.

Kyle Larson: Let’s not forget that Kyle won three straight races here not too long ago. This team has struggled quite a bit this year, but most of that is due to bad luck. They have shown flashes of what they can do recently and this might be the track where he can break out of his slump. I think he is worth taking a chance on if you need to make up ground in your league.

Denny Hamlin: Denny has really been consistent this season and though he really seems to run better on the flat tracks and the restrictor plate tracks, he can still get the job done on the intermediate tracks. This is the race before the start of the playoffs where they might really do some experimenting on set ups and such to see if they can improve heading into the playoffs and all of those intermediate tracks.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Joey Logano
• Martin Truex Jr.

Driver Group Game Group B

• Ryan Blaney
• Kurt Busch
• Denny Hamlin
• Erik Jones

Driver Group Game Group C

• Daniel Hemric
• Chris Buescher

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

1. Joey Logano
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Kyle Busch
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Kevin Harvick

Dark Horse: Kyle Larson

Stay Away From: Jimmie Johnson

Big 18: Joey Logano