Bristol Food City 500 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Brad Keselowski – If you’re looking for a good fantasy pick for the Bristol Food City 500 Keselowski might very well be your man. He’s a driver with momentum and right now Penske Racing has an edge of the field. Bristol is a track that he has a knack at performing well. He’s a two-time winner and in three out of the last five races he’s had a result of 3rd or better. At Bristol last August Keselowski had an OK car. There was nothing special about his performance and he was a driver who got swept up in the late “Big One”. If he didn’t have that issue he likely would’ve finished around the mid teens based on how he ran in the other parts of the race. In spring 2013 he had a strong car. He wasn’t the best at the start of the race but at the mid-point it really came to life. In the event he started in 7th, led 62 laps and finished 3rd. In the race he initially inherited the lead by pit strategy following the Gordon / Kenseth wreck. He could’ve potentially finished better but during a late restart he spun his tires while leading. In August 2012 in the inaugural race on the new surface he started in 2nd but finished 30th after wrecking. In that race he typically ran between 5th and 13th. Just before the track was reconfigured Keselowski had back to back wins. Keselowski has been very strong this season. Look for him to be very tough to beat in the Food City 500. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Kyle Busch – Look for Kyle Busch to be many people’s default fantasy pick for the Bristol Food City 500. He’ll be their go to fantasy option for good reason. At Thunder Valley he’s a five-time winner who has a 9.9 career average finish. Since August of 2008 minus his March 2012 wreck he has four wins, scored the most points, has a 4.8 average finish, 8.1 average running position, led nearly twice as many laps as his closest competitor and has the best driver rating. In the three races on the current Bristol track configuration he’s fared well. In August 2013 after practice he was the hands down favorite to win the race. Then during his qualifying lap he had trouble and got into the wall. As a result he was forced to start in the back. In the race he had a good car but he likely would’ve fared better in his primary car. The race unfortunately wasn’t incident free for him. On lap 107 he got loose and Joey Logano ran into him which caused damage to his right rear. When the checkered flag waved he finished 11th. Last spring at Bristol Kyle Busch was impressive. He started on the pole, finished 2nd, earned the 2nd best driver rating, and led 56 laps. In the event he had an 8th place average running position but it could’ve been even better. What happened is that during the first round of pit stops while he was leading he was caught speeding on pit road. As a result of the penalty he dropped back to 35th. His car handled well and he didn’t stay back for long. It only took him about 100 laps to crack the top ten once again. In the first race on the current track configuration in August 2012 he finished 6th. It wasn’t an easy 6th though because in that race he also had a speeding penalty. In that race he earned the 5th best driver rating and had a 10th place average running position. (Yahoo A Driver)

Recommended Reading – Bristol Front Runner Rankings, Bristol Mid Pack Predictions, Bristol Yahoo C List Preview, Bristol Scouting Report August 2013, Bristol Scouting Report March 2013, Who will win at Bristol?

Jeff Gordon – Jeff Gordon belongs in the conversation of the best drivers at Bristol on the current track configuration. He’s performed well in all three races. Over them he has the 2nd best driver rating and is tied with Kasey Kahne for having the second best average running position (9.7). Last March at Thunder Valley Jeff Gordon arguably had the best car. His PROS Rankings for the event ranked as the 2nd best behind winner Kasey Kahne. He could’ve potentially taken the #1 spot except he had a flat tire and wrecked while he was leading. When the checkered flag waved he finished 34th, led 66 laps and still had the 7th best driver rating despite his problem. In August last season he started deep in the field and had no problem overcoming his track position deficit. His car worked well for him and he earned the 3rd best driver rating. Also in the race he finished 7th and had an 8th place average running position. In the first race on the current Bristol configuration he finished 3rd. From a career perspective Bristol has been a great track for Gordon. He has a 7.5 average starting position and a 12.3 average finish. Also at Bristol he’s a five-time winner and has finished in the top ten 55% percent of the time. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runners Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions > Yahoo C List Preview