Kansas Hollywood Casino 400 Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the top ranked fantasy NASCAR “Front Runner Rankings” driver for the Kansas Hollywood Casino 400. Earnhardt Jr. has been in three of the four races on the new Kansas surface. He missed the first race due to a concussion. In the last three races at Kansas he’s performed well. Over those events he has a 9.7 average finish, 8.0 average running position and the 4th best driver rating. This spring he had a good performance. He started mid-pack in 22nd but that wasn’t a problem for him. When the checkered flag waved he finished 5th, earned the 5th best driver rating and had an 8th place average running position. He wasn’t exactly the most pleased about his handling but from about lap 120 to the conclusion of the event he essentially ran in the top five minus low points in the pit cycle. Last fall if you’re a loop data believer you had to like his performance. In that race he earned the 2nd best driver rating, had a 5th place average running position, led 10 laps and finished 8th. In the race he had a versatile car that could run good wherever he put it. In spring 2013 he also had a good performance but his 16th place finish deserves an asterisk mark. What happened is that he was a driver who was out of sync with the field pit strategy wise and then late in the race he came in for a pit stop but got burned by a caution when Keselowski’s rear quarter panel fell off his car. Before that happened he was a driver who ran in the top 7 for the previous +100 laps. This season on 1.5 mile tracks minus Texas (early crash) he has an 8.8 average finish and a 9.2 average running position. In the last two races held at tracks of this length he’s finished 11th. I view Kansas as a Mini Michigan and at that venue this season he had results of 5th and 7th. (Yahoo A Driver)

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Denny Hamlin – Denny Hamlin was the last winner on the old Kansas surface. On the new Kansas surface he has an 18.0 average finish and a 14.0 average running position. This spring at Kansas Hamlin brought out the caution on lap 71 after a solo spin. He got no damage, stayed on the lead lap but he did fall back to 22nd as a result. When the checkered flag waved he finished 18th, had a 17th place average running position and earned the 19th best driver rating. It just wasn’t a great evening for him. Last fall Hamlin had a good race but he was burned by a late caution. The caution trapped him back in the field which doomed his day and led to a 23rd place finish. If he didn’t have problems in the race there’s a high likelihood he would’ve finished in the top ten. In the race he started in 10th, had a 12th place average running position and earned the 12th best driver rating. In spring 2013 Denny Hamlin missed the race due to injury. In his place Brian Vickers drove the #11 car and wrecked. In the first race on the new Kansas configuration Hamlin had an OK performance. He qualified 9th, had a 13th place average running position and finished 13th. Recently on intermediate tracks Hamlin has started to show muscle. On this track type he now has three consecutive top 7 finishes. I consider Kansas a mini-Michigan and at that venue he recently finished 7th. (Yahoo B Driver)

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Kasey Kahne – Kasey Kahne has been one of the stronger drivers at Kansas. In the four races since the repave he’s finished 4th or better three times. Also in the races since the track change he has a 6.0 average finish and a 10.3 average running position. This spring he had a very strong showing. Outside of Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick he had one of the best cars. In the race he finished 3rd, earned the 4th best driver rating and had an 8th place average running position. Also in the race he paced the field for 22 laps. In the event his car showed solid speed throughout a run. Last fall he didn’t have one of his better recent performances. In the race he started in 15th, finished 15th and had a 15th place average running position. In spring 2013 he was a contender for the win. In that race he started in 27th but he moved up through the field without any difficulty. In the race he earned the 4th best driver rating and had a 10th place average running position. When the checkered flag waved he came home with a second place result. In the first Kansas race on the repaved surface he started on the pole and led 1 lap. When the race started he fell through the field pretty quickly. What happened is that his car was slow on restarts because his splitter was hitting the track. When his tire pressures built up he was as fast as anyone. In that race Kahne had an 8th place average running position and earned the second best driver rating. Late in that race Kahne had a Marcos Ambrose “Infineon” moment. He was running in second during a caution with about 30 laps to go but he shut off his engine to save fuel and couldn’t get it restarted in a timely manner which dropped him back to 6th. In the last run of the race he rallied up to a 4th place finish. This season on 1.5 mile tracks Kahne has scored the 4th most points and has an 8.3 average finish. (Yahoo A Driver)

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