Kentucky Quaker State 400 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks
Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson is a good fantasy NASCAR pick to win the Kentucky Quaker State 400. Last year he had the dominant car but failed to go to victory lane. In the race he started 3rd, had a 2nd place average running position, earned the best driver rating, led 182 laps and finished 9th. His 9th place finish can be chalked up to restart issues. On lap 246 while he was running in 2nd he had problems on a restart and spun. As a result of his spin he fell all the way back to 22nd with only about 30 laps left. When the checkered flag waved he was able to rally up to 9th. His strength in the race was being good over long runs. Over the duration of a run nobody showed better speed than him. In 2012 at Kentucky Johnson started on the pole, led 21 laps and finished 6th. As soon as darkness set in his car really came to life. In the race he likely would’ve finished better but he struggled during a late restart because he had dirty tires and it dropped him from 5th to the low double digits. At the end he had to drive hard up to his 6th place finish. In 2011 at Kentucky he finished 3rd and was inched by David Reutimann at the line. Also in that race he had the 2nd best driver rating and a 6th place average running position. This season on 1.5 mile tracks Johnson has demonstrated good speed. Charlotte is the most recent 1.5 mile track visited and at that venue he went to victory lane. For the season at these tracks minus Texas he’s scored the most points and has a 5.3 average finish. (Yahoo A Driver)
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Joey Logano – Joey Logano will be a driver to be reckoned with in the Kentucky Quaker State 400. In the Nationwide Series he’s had a lot of success here and at one point won three consecutive races. Last year at Kentucky Logano ran a great race. From about lap 120 to the conclusion of the event he consistently ran in the top 5. When the checkered flag waved he finished 4th and earned the 4th best driver rating. In 2012 Logano performed much better than he finished. Around lap #160 he was battling Clint Bowyer for 10th but then Ryan Newman ran into the back of him and that shot his car down the track right into Clint Bowyer. This hard quick contact forced him to make an emergency pit stop. When the checkered flag waved he crossed the finish line in 22nd. In the inaugural race at Kentucky he started in 15th, finished in 14th and had an average running position of 16th. This season on 1.5 mile tracks there’s no disputing how good Logano has been. In the four races on 1.5 mile tracks he has a 5.3 average result and is the only driver with 3 top five finishes. Texas is a 1.5 mile track like Kentucky and at that venue he went to victory lane. (Yahoo B Driver)
Recommended Reading – Kentucky Front Runner Rankings, Kentucky Mid Pack Predictions, Yahoo C List Preview, Kentucky Scouting Report, Who will win the Quaker State 400
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Last year at Kentucky Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the pole, led 10 laps and finished 12th. In the race his car was better than 12th because his afternoon wasn’t incident free. On lap 38 Denny Hamlin’s tire outer-liner came off his car and it went up the track and hit Dale Earnhardt Jr. while he was leading. It caused damage to his front splitter and his car was the never the same. Shortly after the tire hit him he did two long pit stops to correct the issue. From that point on he ran around 18th for much of the afternoon until the last run when he moved up about 6 positions to his 12th place finish. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a strong car at Kentucky in 2012. Following practice many people considered him a favorite to win the Quaker State 400. His #88 was viewed highly because it ran well on the bottom of the track and didn’t wobble. He didn’t go on to win, but he was a consistent front runner. In the race he started in 7th, had an average running position of 7th and finished 4th. Also in the race he earned the 5th best driver rating. In the inaugural race at Kentucky Junior didn’t perform well. He had an average running position of 20th and finished 30th due to a late flat tire. This season on 1.5 mile tracks Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been strong. In the two races he avoided trouble he’s had results of 2nd (Las Vegas) and 5th (Kansas). One attribute you have to like about Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the Kentucky Quaker State 400 is his momentum. (Yahoo A Driver)
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