Kentucky Quaker State 400 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson will be a good fantasy NASCAR pick to win the Kentucky Quaker State 400. In 3 of the 5 races at 1.5 mile tracks this year he’s gone to victory lane. In the two races that he didn’t win he was competitive until adversity surfaced. At Kentucky Jimmie Johnson has been strong. In the combined races he has a 7.0 average result and is one of four drivers who have finished in the top ten every race. Also at Kentucky he has a 6.3 average running position and has led 203 laps. Last year at Kentucky he had a solid race but he was never a threat. In the race he started in 25th, had a 13th place average running position and finished 10th. His car handled well in traffic and he was able to work his way up through the field. In 2013 he had the best car but failed to reach victory lane. In that race he started 3rd, had a 2nd place average running position, earned the best driver rating, led 182 laps and finished 9th. His 9th place finish deserves an asterisk mark. On lap 246 while he was running in 2nd he had problems on a restart and spun in the front of the field. That dropped him back to 22nd with only 30 laps remaining. He drove hard and was able to rally up to his eventual 9th place finish. Johnson’s strength in that race was being good over long runs. In 2012 at Kentucky Johnson started on the pole, led 21 laps and finished 6th. As soon as darkness set in his car really came to life. In the race he likely would’ve finished better but he struggled during a late restart because he had dirty tires and it dropped him from 5th to the low double digits. At the end he had to drive hard up to his 6th place finish. In 2011 at Kentucky he finished 3rd and was inched by David Reutimann at the line. Also in that race he had the 2nd best driver rating and a 6th place average running position. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Kevin Harvick – Kevin Harvick has been the man to beat at 1.5 mile tracks this season. In 2015 at tracks of this length he’s scored the most points, has a 3.2 average finish, 3.8 average running position, has led 433 laps and has ran 270 fastest laps. At Kentucky Harvick has an 11.0 average finish and has had a better result each time he’s raced here. Last year he had a solid evening and was a consistent front runner. In the race he started 5th, earned the 5th best driver rating, had a 6th place average running position and finished 7th. In 2013 at Kentucky he ran a good race. He started 22nd, had a 12th place average running position, finished 10th and earned the 9th best driver rating. From his 22nd starting position he moved up into the top five by lap 60. Then on lap 78 the caution came out during the pit cycle and that trapped him back in the high-teens. From that point to the conclusion of the race he slowly climbed up to his eventual 10th place finish. In 2012 he started in 4th, finished 11th and had an 11th place average running position. In 2011 he had an OK performance and finished 16th. (Yahoo A Driver)

Further Recommended Reading – Kentucky Front Runner Rankings, Kentucky Mid Pack Predictions, Kentucky Scouting Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – This season at 1.5 mile tracks Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been strong. In the five races at tracks of this length he’s scored the 2nd most points, has a 3.2 average finish and is the only driver who’s had a result in the top five every race. In the five races at tracks of this length he has four results of 3rd and one result of 4th. Last season at Kentucky Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran well. He started in 19th, had a 9th place average running position, earned the 7th best driver rating and finished 5th. Towards the end of the race he was the beneficiary of a caution during the pit cycle. He was on pit road at the time of the caution and as a result it cycled him into the top 3. In 2013 at Kentucky Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the pole, led 10 laps and finished 12th. In the race his car was better than his result because his afternoon wasn’t incident free. On lap 38 Denny Hamlin’s tire inner-liner came off his car and it went up the track and hit Dale Earnhardt Jr. while he was leading. It caused damage to his front splitter and his car was the never the same. Shortly after the tire hit him he made two long pit stops to correct the issue. From that point on he ran around 18th for much of the afternoon until the last run where he moved up about 6 positions to his 12th place result. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a strong car at Kentucky in 2012. Following practice many people considered him the favorite. His #88 was viewed highly because it ran well on the bottom of the track and didn’t wobble. He didn’t win, but he was a consistent front runner. He started 7th, had a 7th place average running position, earned the 5th best driver rating and finished 4th. In the inaugural race at Kentucky Earnhardt Jr. didn’t perform well. He had an average running position of 20th and finished 30th due to a late flat tire. (Yahoo A Driver)

Make sure you read the full spectrum of our Kentucky Quaker State 400 Fantasy NASCAR Rankings

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