Auto Club 400 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Joey Logano – Joey Logano would be a smart fantasy pick for the Auto Club 400. Last year he had one of the strongest cars at Auto Club Speedway. If he would’ve avoided his last lap incident with Denny Hamlin he either would’ve finished 1st or 2nd. As a result of his contact and damage he finished 3rd. In the event last season he started 6th, led 41 laps, had a 3rd place average running position and earned the 2nd best driver rating. With the exception of last season he only has one more top ten result to his name at Auto Club Speedway. Michigan is the most similar track on the circuit and last season he performed very well there. In August at MIS he started on the pole and finished 1st. Also in that event he had a 4th place average running position, led 51 laps and earned the best driver rating. In June he was also very strong. He finished 9th, led 21 laps, had a 6th place average running position and earned the 4th best driver rating. In the combined races on 2.0 mile ovals last year he scored the most points, had the best driver rating, and was one of only three drivers who finished in the top ten every race. Ford cars in particular perform well on 2.0 mile ovals. The other two drivers who swept the top ten were also Ford drivers (Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards). At Las Vegas Logano won the pole, finished 4th, had the 4th best driver rating and led 44 laps. My fantasy prediction is Joey Logano will win the Auto Club 400. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Kevin Harvick – Kevin Harvick is a driver who you should seriously consider picking for the Auto Club 400. This is his home track and since 2008 he’s been one of the strongest performers. Since then minus a spring 2009 crash he has a 5.9 average finish, 8.6 average running position and the 2nd best driver rating. Also in the races over this stretch minus spring 2009 he’s finished in the top ten every race with the exception of the race last year. In 2013 at Auto Club Speedway Kevin Harvick had a good car but finished a disappointing 13th. That finish deserves an asterisk mark because his car was better than that. During the final caution he restarted in 4th but faded back to his eventual finish against competition that was on fresher tires. From lap 130 to the finish I would estimate his average running position was around 5th. In 2012 at Auto Club he finished 4th, had a 7th place average running position and earned the 8th best driver rating. In 2011 at Auto Club Speedway he was very impressive. He reeled in both Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson late in the race and pulled off the last lap pass on Johnson for the win. In 2013 on 2.0 mile intermediate tracks Harvick had a 5.7 average finish, 7.7 average running position and earned the 3rd best driver rating. At Auto Club Speedway’s sister track Michigan he finished 2nd twice last season. At Las Vegas a few weeks ago Harvick had top five potential but had problems in the race. As long as his equipment holds up for all 400 miles he should be in the mix for the win in the Auto Club 400. (Yahoo A Driver)

Recommended Reading – Auto Club 400 Front Runner Rankings, Auto Club 400 Mid Pack Predictions, Yahoo C List Preview, Who will win the Auto Club 400

Jimmie Johnson – Making Jimmie Johnson your fantasy pick at Auto Club Speedway is a smart thing to do. It’s his home track and he always performs well in front of his locals. In 2002 in just his 10th career start Jimmie Johnson got his first career victory here at Fontana. Since then he’s been victorious four more times for a grand total of 5 wins. That’s pretty impressive when you consider he’s raced here 19 times. That equates out to one victory in every 3.8 starts. His Auto Club Speedway win percentage isn’t that far off from his Martinsville and Dover win percentage. At Auto Club Speedway the greatest attribute Jimmie Johnson has for fantasy NASCAR players is his consistency. He has a 5.8 average finish and since 2006 he’s only finished outside the top ten twice. His two finishes outside the top ten were 11th and 12th place results. In his career he also only has two finishes outside the top fifteen and those two results were 16th. Perhaps the greatest testament to his consistency is that he’s completed every lap run over his 19 races. His top five percentage is 63% percent and his top ten percentage is 74% percent. Last season at Auto Club Speedway Jimmie Johnson was shockingly uncompetitive. He finished 12th, had a 16th place average running position and earned the 16th best driver rating. Heading into the Auto Club 400 I wouldn’t be to concerned over how he performed in last years race because it was only the second time the Gen 6 car raced at an intermediate track. In the ten race stretch before 2013 he had 10 consecutive top tens, a 3.8 average finish, led 747 laps and had the best driver rating by a wide margin. In 2012 Johnson had a fast competitive car but was fortunate the race was rain shortened. Under the red flag it became clear his motor wasn’t going to go much farther. At Las Vegas a few weeks ago Johnson finished 6th, had a 3rd place average running position and earned the 2nd best driver rating. (Yahoo A Driver)

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