Sprint All-Star Race Fantasy NASCAR Picks

Kyle Busch – Kyle Busch will be tough to beat in the All-Star race. The format of the event is perfect for him. The race will be composed of short runs, lots of pit stops and lots of restarts. If I were to rank him and this team in each of those individual disciplines he would rank near the front of the class. The two elements of good restarts and fast pit stops will help keep him near the front which will give him good track position heading into the fifth segment when the order will be reset by average finish. This season on high-speed intermediate tracks Kyle Busch has been very good. He’s won half the races and had good cars in the other two races. Charlotte Motor Speedway has been a very good venue for Busch. He’s never won here but he’s as Top Tier Elite as they come. Since fall 2007 he’s only finished lower than 8th once. My prediction is that Kyle Busch will win the All-Star race.

Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson is always a factor in the All-Star race. He’s the defending champion and him and Chad Knaus are masters of taking advantage of the rules system. I’m sure they’ll have a trick up their sleeve once again that no one’s thought of. This team has been phenomenal on the track this season. That’s a typical trait of an All-Star race winner. This year on 1.5 mile tracks Johnson has been very strong. He has a 5.0 average finish and a 6.3 average running position. In this race look for Johnson to have a very special setup. In past All-Star races Johnson has had cars that were extremely fast in short runs.

Matt Kenseth – Matt Kenseth is a previous winner of the All-Star race and he’ll certainly be on a short list of favorites. This season on 1.5 mile tracks Matt Kenseth has been the best in the business. He’s won two out of the three races and has a 4.7 average finish. Also in these races he has a 5.3 average running position and has led 205 laps. He’s ranked as the best in both of those statistical categories. One factor about Matt Kenseth that I like about him that doesn’t show in stats is how fast he’s been on two tires this season. The key to winning this race will likely be to take two tires every pit stop except during the final one where everybody will be forced to take four.