Bristol Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson should be counted on for a solid showing at Bristol. He’s a two-time winner who’s been remarkably consistent. In 9 of the last 10 races at “Thunder Valley” he’s finished in the top 11. Currently, Johnson has six straight results in the top 11. Over that six race stretch he has the best average finish (6.8) and the third best average running position (9.7). Earlier this year, Johnson ran well. He finished 10th, had a 10th place average running position and earned the 11th best driver rating. Last summer, Johnson had a great car and came home with a 9th place finish. I’ll note that result underrates him because during a late caution with about 20 laps to go he pitted from 3rd which dropped him back to 15th. Also from the race I’ll note he finished 10th in Stage #1, 8th in Stage #2, had a 10th place average running position and earned the 10th best driver rating. In spring 2018, Jimmie Johnson had a strong performance. He finished 3rd and earned the 3rd best driver rating. Additionally, he finished 8th in Stage #1 and 3rd in Stage #2. In the three races prior to that Johnson had results of 11th, 1st and 7th.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. should be high on your radar at Bristol. Among mid-tier options you won’t find a better option. His last two Bristol results aren’t great, but prior to that he’s run extremely well here. Over his 13 starts at “Thunder Valley” his average finish is 13th. This spring, Stenhouse Jr. had a tough race and finished 33rd. He really didn’t get to show his hand because on lap 2 he damaged his car and that was a knock out blow for his competitive afternoon. Last summer, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had a fast car, but had multiple problems which led to his 24th place finish. Following the competition around lap 60 he was the first car off pit road but he was caught speeding which dropped him from 1st to 27th. Later trouble struck again and on lap 121 while he was in 12th he had a flat tire which led to an unexpected pit stop which dropped him two laps down. In spring 2018, Stenhouse Jr. had a strong showing and finished 4th despite his race not being incident free. He overcame getting spun on lap 61 while running in 2nd and an uncontrolled tire penalty during the Stage #1 caution (was in 9th). Despite his adversity he finished 9th in Stage #1, 6th in Stage #2 and earned the 6th best driver rating. In the three races prior to that he had results of 14th, 9th and 2nd.

Ryan Newman – Ryan Newman is a solid performer at “Thunder Valley” who shouldn’t get overlooked. Over the last four races he sports a 9.3 average finish, a 12.8 average running position and the 13th best driver rating. Earlier this year, Newman had a solid showing. He finished 9th, had a 9th place average running position and earned the 7th best driver rating. Last summer, he had a respectable showing. He finished 12th and had a 16th place average running position. In spring 2018 he started back in 30th but finished 10th and had a 14th place average running position. In summer 2017, Newman had a strong showing. He finished 6th, earned the 10th best driver rating and had a 12th place average running position. In spring 2017 he ran well and was a solid competitor throughout the event. In the race he had an 11th place average running position, earned the 12th best driver rating and finished 14th.

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