Fantasy NASCAR Blog

We are now just one race away from the start of the playoffs and there is still a lot to be decided. As of right now the final spot in the playoffs belongs to Daniel Suarez who wins a tie breaker between himself and Ryan Newman for that final spot as they both have the exact same amount of points. Clint Bowyer is only eight points ahead of those two and Jimmie Johnson only trails them by eighteen points. Stage points are going to be huge for these drivers and yet there could be a new winner who isn’t in the top sixteen in points that could knock someone out. All in all it should be a fun race to watch.

BIG MACHINE VODKA AT THE BRICKYARD

The final race before the playoffs will be run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, also known as “The Brickyard”. This is a two and a half mile low banked rectangular oval track that has long straightaways, which means that speed is a major factor in winning this race. The temperature will also have a lot to do with how cars will handle here and let’s not forget about tire management. On long green flag runs the speeds will fall off quickly and those who are fast at the start of a run might get run down the longer those runs go by cars that are handling better and drivers able to manage the tire wear.

Kyle Busch: I have to go with Kyle winning this race and padding his playoff points a little more. He has two wins here and eleven top ten finishes in his fourteen career starts here. His pit crew seems to be one of the most consistent on the circuit this year and he doesn’t make many mistakes getting on or off pit road. I think he is going to qualify well and run well this week.

Kevin Harvick: Although he hasn’t won here since the 2003 season, Kevin always seems to have something to say before this race is over. He has five straight top eight finishes here and that trend should continue. He would like nothing more to win for the second time at Indy and get a few more of those playoff points himself.

Brad Keselowski: Brad won this race last season and finished second in 2017. I talked about speed being a big factor in this race and the Penske teams have shown that they have the speed this year to get the job done on this type of track. We also know that Paul Wolff will try different strategies to try a steal wins when they don’t have the best car on the track, but that can backfire at times too.

Joey Logano: Joey is still looking for his first win at this track, but usually runs well here despite not getting that elusive win. He has finished in the top ten in five of his last six starts here and lead laps in four of those six races. He lost out on the regular season championship, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to win this race and get five more playoff points this week.

Kyle Larson: Kyle has only run five races here and finished in the top ten in his first three. This team has really come on strong the past month or so and is poised to make some noise in the playoffs. He would be a great driver to put on your roster and if he practices well he could be a bit of a surprise and allow you to make some gains if you are looking to make up ground in your league.

Denny Hamlin: It is a bit surprising to me that Denny hasn’t won a race here yet. However, he has finished in the top five in four of his last five starts here and he knows that second place this week won’t do him any good at all as far as where he sits in the standings for the regular season or the playoffs. Look for him to go all out for the win this week.

Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie’s best shot at making the playoffs is to win this race. It is something he has done four times in his career, so he could do it again. However, this team really hasn’t shown me much at all this season and I don’t see them all of a sudden making major strides in winning a race. Especially on a track like this. He might be worth having on your roster in case something does happen and you can use him to save some starts for others if he practices well, but don’t count on him too much.

Erik Jones: Last week’s winner has only run two races here and he finished second in this race last year. He also ran very well at Pocono this year and this track is a bit similar in the fact that it has long straightaways and not a lot of banking in the corners. I think he is probably someone you want on your roster this week. Momentum is a big deal for a young driver and hopefully he doesn’t get over confident and make a mistake that could cost him late in the race.

Clint Bowyer: Clint won the first stage of this race last year, but he has been inconsistent to say the least at this track in his career. In thirteen starts he has three top five and four top ten finishes. On the other side of the coin, his worst finish here was twenty-first when he was running for HScott Motorsports which was a team that didn’t have big sponsorship money to spend.

Paul Menard: Paul won this race back in the 2011 season, but has only lead one lap here since then. He has finished in the top ten in two of his last three starts here and he ran well at Darlington last week which should give them some confidence coming into this weekend. He is another driver you might want to put on your roster and then decide if you should starts him after seeing how he does in the practice sessions. He has to win this race if he wants to make the playoffs.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Kyle Busch
• Brad Keselowski

Driver Group Game Group B

• Denny Hamlin
• Erik Jones
• Clint Bowyer
• Jimmie Johnson

Driver Group Game Group C

• Chris Buescher
• Ty Dillon

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

1. Kyle Busch
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Joey Logano
5. Kyle Larson

Dark Horse: Paul Menard

Stay Away From: Martin Truex Jr.

Big 18: Kurt Busch

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

Congratulations to Denny Hamlin who picked up his third win of the season this past weekend at Pocono. Now there are only five races left until the start of the playoffs and we only have nine drivers who have punched their ticket for those playoffs. The other seven spots are still up for grabs and anything can happen in these final five races. A win can get you in as long as you are in the top thirty in the point standings.

GOBOWLING AT THE GLEN

This week the drivers heat to Watkins Glen International for the running of the GoBowling at The Glen. This is the second road course race of the season and could have a lot of say in who gets into the playoffs and who is left out. The drivers who are on the bubble will really need to run well here and stay out of trouble or it could be a disastrous weekend for them. This track is hard on equipment and something that breaks on your car can end your chances at making the playoffs.

Martin Truex Jr.: I am going to pick Martin to win this week’s race. He won here two years ago and then followed that up with a runner up finish last season. He also won the race at Sonoma earlier this year at the other road course race that was run. This team has gotten really good at this type of track and Martin should be the odds on favorite to win once again.

Kyle Busch: Kyle has two career wins at this track and will most likely be the driver to put the most pressure on his teammate, Martin Truex Jr. and challenge him for the win. Besides his two wins here he has also finished in the top ten in twelve of his fourteen career starts Watkins Glen and those are good stats for any track.

Daniel Suarez: Daniel has finished in the top five in both of his starts at this track. Not a lot of data to look at when you only run two races somewhere, but he must be doing something right. The question is going to be, will he be able to do it again now that he is driving for Stewart-Haas Racing instead of Joe Gibbs? I think he has a chance as all of the Stewart-Haas drivers are pretty good on this type of track.

Erik Jones: Erik is another driver who has only run two races here, but he has finished in the top ten in each of those races. It looks like the Gibbs drivers will be the cream of the crop this week. This is one of the teams who are sitting on the bubble. Currently they would be in the playoffs, but a bad finish coupled with a new winner could knock them out. This is going to be a big test for this team.

Denny Hamlin: I might as well talk about the last of the Gibbs drivers and last week’s winner. Denny won this race three years ago and sat on the pole here for last year’s race. Qualifying is huge here as the pole sitter gets to pick the best pit stall and that often leads to getting great track position and gaining spots on pit road. I think all four of the Gibbs drivers have a great shot to win this week.

Kurt Busch: Kurt is still looking for his first win at this track, but usually runs quite well here. He has finished in the top ten in nine of his last fifteen starts at Watkins Glen and has been having a great year in his first season with Ganassi Racing. With a win under his belt he can relax a little bit knowing he is qualified for the playoffs and that makes it easier to run here.

Joey Logano: Joey is pretty good on the road course tracks himself and has won once here in ten starts. He has also finished in the top seven in five of those starts. This team already has multiple wins on the season and is looking for nothing more than winning stages and races to gain some more valuable playoff points. He could take some chance with different pit strategy to try and pick up some more of those points.

Chase Elliott: Let’s not forget about last year’s race winner at Watkins Glen. Chase is going to come into this weekend with a lot of confidence and hopes for going back to back here. He lost an engine at Sonoma earlier this year, so I think he will really be looking forward to defending his win from last season this week. I think he is worth taking a shot on if you are looking to make a move in your league.

Brad Keselowski: Brad finished second here three years in a row during the 2011-2013 seasons. This is the type of track where he isn’t afraid to trade a little paint with other drivers and really relishes that part. After races he doesn’t really seem to care who wins as long as he is in the mix and he is good about taking a pounding as well as giving one out. Another driver to maybe take a chance on this weekend

Kevin Harvick: Kevin has one win at this track and has finished in the top ten in half of his eighteen starts at this track. Now that he has a win on the season he can relax a little and not have to worry about the point standings. However, he knows how important playoff points are and he will do everything in his power to pick up some more of those valuable points over the next five races.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL

Driver Group Game Group A

• Martin Truex Jr.
• Kyle Busch

Driver Group Game Group B

• Daniel Suarez
• Denny Hamlin
• Erik Jones
• Kurt Busch

Driver Group Game Group C

• Matt DiBenedetto
• Daniel Hemric

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL

1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Kyle Busch
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Erik Jones
5. Brad Keselowski

Dark Horse: Daniel Suarez

Stay Away From: Alex Bowman

Big 18: Denny Hamlin