Kyle Busch 2014 Fantasy NASCAR Preview
2013 Stats: Points Finish 4th, 3 Poles, 4 Wins, 16 Top Fives, 22 Top Tens, Average Running Position 11.2, Average Finish 12.7, Laps Led 1,227, Driver Rating 101.88
Strengths- Kyle Busch is a versatile driver who’s strong across the board. He’s capable of winning on any track type. In 2014 he could easily win the most Sprint Cup races in the series.
Weaknesses- Himself. Kyle Busch is still prone to being his own worst enemy. Kansas is also a traditional weak spot on the schedule.
NASCAR 2014 Printable Schedule
Intermediate Track Grade- A, Kyle Busch had a great season on intermediate tracks in 2013. On this track type he scored the 4th most points, won three races and had more top fives than anybody. Also on intermediate tracks only Kevin Harvick had more top tens than him. On this track type he would’ve easily got a 4th win but he had a flat tire at Darlington late in the race that took away a near certain victory. On intermediate tracks Kyle Busch is typically at his best at venues where the surface has aged.
Flat Track Grade- A, In 2013 on flat tracks Kyle Busch scored the 3rd most points. For the season on this track type he had a 8.3 average finish and only had one result outside the top ten.
On the big flat tracks Kyle Busch is a very strong performer. On this sub track type in 2013 he scored the 8th most points and had a result in the top ten every race. At Pocono he had results of 8th and 6th. In 2012 he had problems in both races. In 2011 he had results of 2nd and 3rd. Indy has been a good track for Busch. He has a 11.9 average finish and currently has four consecutive top tens. Last season he finished 10th. In 2011 he finished 2nd.
Busch had a very strong season on the shorter flat tracks in 2013. Minus the spring Phoenix race where he started in the back of the field and had problems in the race he had a 3.7 average finish and a 7.3 average running position. In the fall Phoenix race he finished 7th. At New Hampshire last season he finished 2nd twice. In 2012 he had a car that was capable of winning there both races but he had problems in each of those events.
Denny Hamlin 2014 Fantasy NASCAR Preview
Short Track Grade- A, Kyle Busch belongs in the conversation for the best short track driver in NASCAR. He’s capable of winning at all three venues. Last season on short tracks he scored the 7th most points in the series and had a 12.7 average finish. Also on this track type last season he had the 3rd best average running position and the 4th best driver rating.
Richmond is Kyle Busch’s best short track. He’s won there four times and has finished in the top five 67% percent of the time. Last year he had his worst season at RIR. In the spring he had a car that was capable of winning and he even earned the #1 position in the PROS Rankings. In that race he was taken out of contention by an untimely caution which got him back in traffic and then an accident shortly after that. In the fall his team was essentially testing out a new setup and it failed miserably.
Bristol has been a great track for him. At Thunder Valley he has a 9.9 average finish and has won in more than a quarter of his starts. His most recent win was in 2011. Last spring at Bristol Busch started on the pole, finished 2nd and led 56 laps. In August he started dead last after a crash in qualifying and finished 11th.
Martinsville is the lone short track Busch has never won on. In the last nine races he’s finished in the top five 5 times. Last fall he finished 15th and led 12 laps. His next two most recent results are 5th and 2nd.
Restrictor Plate Track Grade- A-, Kyle Busch is a strong performer on restrictor plate tracks. He’s a proven winner at both venues. Last season at Daytona he was strong in both races. In the Daytona 500 he looked like a lock for a top five finish but in the last quarter of the race he had an engine failure. In July he started on the pole, led 29 laps but finished 12th.
Kyle Busch has had a lot of recent success at Talladega. In three out of the last four races he’s had a top five result. His one finish not in that range was last spring when he was involved in an accident while he was bump drafting Kasey Kahne.
In 2012 on this track type he scored the 4th most points and had a 11.5 average finish.
Road Course Track Grade- A-, Kyle Busch is an extremely skilled road course driver. On this track type he’s as good as it gets at Watkins Glen. That particular venue belongs in the conversation as to what track is his best venue. Last season at the Glen he got his 2nd career win. If it wasn’t for how circumstances played out at the end of the 2012 and 2011 races he could easily have three consecutive wins. Currently at Watkins Glen he has 8 consecutive top ten finishes. Since 2006 Busch has a 4.7 average finish, led the most laps and has the best driver rating.
Infineon hasn’t been as friendly to Busch. He’s a former winner but since his 2008 win he has a best finish of 11th and a 24.8 average finish. His performance at Sonoma was a disaster last season. He got spun by Montoya early, got a pit road penalty, and then later had contact with Edwards. Despite his lack of recent success don’t overlook him.
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