Auto Club 400 Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Ryan Newman – Ryan Newman won’t compete for the win at Auto Club Speedway but he should be competitive. He’s recently been one of the better drivers here. Over the last five races he has the 9th best driver rating, a 9.4 average finish and a 10.6 average running position. Also over this stretch he’s only finished outside the top ten once and that was for good reason. His one finish not within the top ten was in last year’s race. In 2014 he had a good car that absolutely had top ten potential. In the race he started in 16th and drove up into the top three around lap 60. Then following the caution on lap 70 he stupidly choose not to pit which immediately led to him falling back in the running order. After he got fresh rubber back on his car he started driving forward again but he never really got higher than 9th. At the end Newman was one of many drivers who was a victim to tire problems. With 6 laps to go while he was running around 10th he had a flat tire and that led to his disappointing 20th place finish. In 2013 he finished 10th despite his 16th place average running position and 15th best driver rating. In his next three most recent races he had results of 7th, 5th and 5th. Last season on 2.0 mile ovals Newman scored the 11th most points. In the last three races at high-speed intermediate tracks Newman has a 5.0 average finish. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Kurt Busch – Kurt Busch probably isn’t too high on anybody’s fantasy prospect list but he shouldn’t be overlooked. At Auto Club Speedway he’s a former winner and has finished in the top ten 52% percent of the time. He’s also a fairly safe pick because he’s finished in the top twenty 81% percent of the time. Currently at this venue he has three straight top ten finishes. In last season’s race he was very competitive. In the event he finished 3rd, earned the 6th best driver rating and had a 9th place average running position. Over the final 80 laps I would estimate his average running position was 5th. I will note he was aided by the final caution when he took two tires and moved up to 2nd. If the final caution didn’t come out and multiple competitors didn’t have late flats he likely would’ve finished around 7th. In 2013 he ran a solid race. He finished 5th and had the 9th best driver rating. In 2012 when he drove for Finch Racing he finished 9th. That’s impressive when you consider the equipment he was piloting. It’s important to point out though his good result was inflated at the end because some drivers who ran well decided to pit at the end and due to the weather it never went back green. Michigan is similar to Auto Club and he ran well at that venue last season. In June at MIS he finished 13th and led 16 laps. In August he had top five potential but got into the wall with about 20 laps to go while he was running in 2nd. At high-speed intermediate tracks Kurt Busch has one start under his belt with Tony Gibson as his crew chief and in that event he finished 8th at Texas. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Further Recommended Reading – Top Tier Elite Picks, Mid Pack Predictions, Yahoo C List Preview, Auto Club Scouting Report, Who will win the Auto Club 400?

Denny Hamlin – I believe Denny Hamlin will be ultra-motivated at Fontana. Last season at Auto Club Speedway he had a piece of metal in his eye and as a result he missed the race. If he raced I think he would’ve been competitive. In his place Sam Hornish Jr. made his lone 2014 Sprint Cup start. Hornish raced pretty well finishing in 17th and racing as high as 10th. With 25 laps to go Hornish was in 12th but Paul Menard got into the back of him which cost him momentum and dropped him back to 22nd. In 2013 at Auto Club Speedway Hamlin was impressive and if he didn’t have late contact with Joey Logano on the final lap he would’ve finished in either 1st or 2nd. I personally think he was likely going to win. In that race he started on the pole, had a 5th place average running position and earned the 6th best driver rating. Late in the race over the last run when he choose to get tires he drove from the mid-twenties all the way to the front before Joey Logano wrecked him. In 2012 at Auto Club Hamlin also started on the pole but finished 11th. That’s a result that deserves an asterisk mark. That event was rain shortened and at the end he rolled the dice and pitted from the top three but the race never went back green and as a result he finished 11th. Also in that event he had a 3rd place average running position and earned the 3rd best driver rating. In 2011 Hamlin appeared to have a good car but he had engine problems just before the mid-point. Before he had problems he never ran lower than 4th. In fall 2010 he finished 8th. This season at high-speed intermediate tracks Denny Hamlin has run well in both events.

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