NASCAR Sprint Showdown – Contender or Pretender

Kyle Larson (Contender) – Kyle Larson is a contender to win the Sprint Showdown and I view him as the favorite heading into the event. With all the “Big Guns” out of the way this is a race that he should win. Among the drivers who are entered in this particular event on high-speed intermediate tracks this season Larson has the best driver rating and is tied with Paul Menard for the best average finish (9.5). Texas is the most similar track visited this season and in that race he finished 5th and had an 8th place average running position. Last fall at Charlotte Larson made his Sprint Cup debut here. He had a mid teens performance but his day was cut short by engine problems. Last year in the lower series at Charlotte Larson finished 4th and 13th.

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Danica Patrick (Pretender) – I have no clue why she would race hard in the Sprint Showdown. I think she’s a near lock to get the fan vote once again. One reason why people might view her more highly this week is her Kansas performance. That was great but we’re not in Kansas anymore. Look for what happened in that race to carry over to Michigan but not so much this race. At Kansas she finished 7th and had a 7th place average running position. In her career at Charlotte she’s improved her finishes every time she’s raced here. Last fall she finished 20th. In last years Sprint Showdown she finished 9th.