Yahoo C List Fantasy NASCAR Preview – Atlanta Oral B USA 500
Kyle Larson – Kyle Larson will have a very strong showing at Atlanta in the Oral B USA 500. Among Yahoo C List drivers he should be the easy default fantasy pick. The attribute I really like about Larson is that he has a knack at finding the fastest way around the track. At Atlanta the fastest groove will typically be up at the top and running that line is a strength of his. This season on high-speed intermediate tracks Kyle Larson has been strong. In the six races on high-speed intermediate tracks minus Kentucky he has a 10.7 average finish, 3 top tens and has had a result in the top twenty every race. The two tracks visited earlier this year that are the most similar to Atlanta from a tire wear perspective are Texas and Auto Club Speedway. At Auto Club Speedway he finished 2nd and at Texas he finished 5th. I think Kyle Larson should be able to easily to compete for a top ten finish on Sunday night.
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Austin Dillon – Austin Dillon has one advantage this week heading into Atlanta. Recently he tested here with his RCR teammates. Advantages like that shouldn’t be overlooked. It should allow him to enter the weekend with a good baseline setup. This season on 1.5 mile tracks he’s been a consistent finisher. In all five races on tracks of this length he’s finished between 16th and 21st. In three of these races he’s finished 16th. In the combined 1.5 mile track races he’s scored the 16th most points, has a 17.6 average finish and a 16.8 average running position. Last season at Atlanta he had a very mediocre performance. He finished 19th, had a 21st place average running position and earned the 21st best driver rating. For nearly the entire event minus the first 30 laps he ran between 18th and 23rd.
Ty Dillon – Ty Dillon will be making his Sprint Cup debut in the Atlanta Oral B USA 500. Prior to the race he tested here with fellow RCR drivers Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Austin Dillon. That should help give him an advantage in his first Sprint Cup race. In 2012 in the Truck Series Ty Dillon won his first race here. In that event he started on the pole, had a third place average running position, earned the 2nd best driver rating and led 40 laps. Based on how his brother has performed this year I think the best case scenario is a high-teens to mid-twenties finish.
Recommended Reading – Atlanta Top Tier Elite Picks, Atlanta Front Runner Rankings, Atlanta Mid Pack Predictions, Who will win the Atlanta Oral B USA 500?
Danica Patrick – Danica Patrick has two starts at Atlanta under her belt and this has proven to be a difficult track for her. Last season she showed improvement over the previous year. In 2013 she started 21st, finished 21st, had a 23rd place average running position and earned the 24th best driver rating. It should be noted that she finished two laps down. In 2012 she finished in 29th, had a 33rd place average running position and earned the 31st best driver rating. This season on high-speed intermediate tracks she’s shown improvement. On 1.5 mile tracks minus Charlotte (engine failure) she has a 16.3 average starting position, 19.0 average finish and has a 20.0 average running position. In half of these races she’s had a result in the top twenty. At the two tracks that are the most similar from a tire wear perspective she has results of 14th (Auto Club Speedway) and 27th (Texas).
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