Loudon 2 Post Practice Fantasy NASCAR Predictions
This weekend’s Bad Boy Off Road 300 has the potential to be a very exciting race–and probably one that’s going to end up being frustrating for Fantasy NASCAR players. Heading into Sunday, there are really only a handful of cars that could legitimately go out and dominate and win this race. However, how aggressive will teams be to get a win and secure their place in the next round of the Chase? We know that some are points racing in this first round, but how many? We’ll have to wait and see.
Carl Edwards will lead the field to the green on Sunday alongside quasi-teammate Martin Truex, Jr. Click here for the full starting lineup. There was one practice on Friday followed by two sessions held on Saturday, and those speeds can be found here: Practice #1 — Practice #2 — Happy Hour. As usual, our in-depth notes will tell you more than just speeds, so check them out here: Practice #1 — Practice #2 — Happy Hour.
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Final Top 25 Ranking For Loudon 2
1. Denny Hamlin – Starts 5th – DraftKings Price: $9,300 – Yahoo! A Group
**Risk Factor: Medium Risk**
During Practice #2 on Saturday morning, Denny Hamlin’s exact words were that the car wasn’t driving very good. He ended up 4th-fastest with the 4th-best ten lap average as well. In Happy Hour, he showed even more speed, ranking 2nd on the overall speed chart and 6th in ten-lap average. I know Denny is a pessimist, but it’s hard for me to believe that a driver can be so dissatisfied with a top 5 car. Hamlin is a two-time winner here at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and owns the best average finish among active drivers at 10.2. He finished 2nd in this race one year ago but that’s his only top 5 here at Loudon in the last seven races. With that being said, this #11 team keeps rattling off good finish after good finish, even if they don’t have the greatest car–like at Chicagoland last weekend and apparently here at Loudon this weekend. Hamlin will start from 5th in Sunday’s Bad Boy Off Road 300 and I’m expecting a solid performance out of him and this #11 team. Do I think they’re going to go up there and lead a bunch of laps? Probably not, but a top 5 finish is well within reach, and with a little luck, maybe even a win.
2. Martin Truex, Jr. – Starts 2nd – DraftKings Price: $10,400 – Yahoo! B Group
**Risk Factor: Medium Risk**
With his win at Chicagoland last week, Martin Truex, Jr. is now locked in to the next round of the Chase, so for the next two races he can just go for broke and try to add on more wins to stop his competitors for automatically advancing. And while Truex typically isn’t the guy to go out and win a bunch of races every season, he already has three this year and could add a fourth here at New Hampshire on Sunday. The #78 Toyota will start alongside pole sitter Carl Edwards when the Bad Boy Off Road 300 goes green, and I’m expecting Truex to lead quite a few laps on Sunday. Don’t forget that he led 123 laps here back in the July race but broke his shifter and ended up finishing a respectable 16th. Assuming there are no mechanical issues this weekend, expect a very strong race out of Truex. He ranked 2nd-fastest in Practice #2 on Saturday morning and had the best ten-lap average in that session, and then during Happy Hour, Truex was 6th and 12th on those two charts, respectively. He has just two top 10s in the last ten Loudon races but I honestly think Truex could challenge for his first career win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend.
3. Kevin Harvick – Starts 19th – DraftKings Price: $10,700 – Yahoo! A Group
**Risk Factor: Medium Risk**
Due to their bad luck at Chicagoland last weekend, the #4 team is starting off this year’s Chase in a bit of a hole. They don’t have to win to make it to the next round, but a bad run here at Loudon on Sunday could force them into that situation next week at Dover. And speaking of that hole they’re in, they dug it a little bit deeper on Friday when Harvick qualified 19th for the Bad Boy Off Road 300. Qualifying hasn’t really been this team’s strength, and while I’m not concerned one bit about Harvick’s ability to make his way toward the front, this is still a short track and one minor slip up by someone in front of the #4 car could ruin this team’s day. In terms of practice speed, Harvick was 9th on the overall speed chart during Practice #2 on Saturday morning and ranked 9th-fastest in Happy Hour with the 2nd-best ten-lap average. He has three top 5s in the last four races at this track and would have won this race last year if he had an extra gallon or so of fuel in the tank. Harvick hasn’t had two bad weeks in a row all season and I don’t expect that to change this weekend. He should be top 5 good on Sunday, and a great pick in leagues that award points for place differential.
