Auto Club 400 Fantasy NASCAR Mid Pack Predictions

Greg Biffle – Auto Club Speedway has historically been a good track for Greg Biffle but he’s had a tough time lately. Last year he didn’t run well but was better than his 32nd place result. The reason for his misleading result can be traced to the Green-White-Checker. At that time he didn’t pit which got him towards the front but since his car was slow it led to him getting turned and wrecking on the final lap. Performance wise he was low twenties good. In the race his average running position was 24th and before the Green-White-Checker came out he was running around that position. In 2014 Biffle had a fast car. He started in 24th and marched forward when the green flag waved. Performance wise based on how he ran it looked like Biffle would finish in the top 8. To give you a better idea about his level of performance here’s a link to his Yahoo Race Chart. When you look at his chart you’ll notice a couple big dips. The first was on lap 116. At that time he was running in 8th but had a flat tire. His next dip came with 63 laps to go when his car was overheating. That led to him coming down pit road and getting water pumped into his car in an attempt to cool it down. It’s hard to say that solved his problem because he pitted for heating issues again with 36 laps to go. When the checkered flag waved he finished 40th. Prior to that event he had back to back 6th place finishes. In 2005 Biffle earned his only win here. This year at high-speed intermediate tracks Biffle has results of 13th (Atlanta) and 20th (Las Vegas). (Yahoo B Driver) (DraftKings – $6,600)

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Jamie McMurray – In 5 of Jamie McMurray’s first 6 Auto Club races he finished in the top ten. In the fourteen races since then he only has 1 top ten finish and the rest of his results are 16th or worse. Last year McMurray didn’t run well and was far from being competitive. He started 26th, earned the 26th best driver rating, had a 24th place average running position and finished 21st. Also it should be noted that he ran zero percent of the laps inside the top fifteen. In 2014 he crossed the finish line in 6th. That marked his first top ten since 2006! Additionally in that race he had a 12th place average running position and earned the 8th best driver rating. Through the entire second half of the event he was a driver who typically ran within a few deviations of 10th. It should be noted however that he was aided by some attrition in the closing laps. In four of the five Auto Club races prior to that he finished between 17th and 23rd. This year at high-speed intermediate tracks McMurray has finished 16th and 21st. (Yahoo B Driver) (DraftKings – $7,400)

Further Recommended Reading – Top Tier Elite Picks, Front Runner Rankings, Scouting Report – Auto Club, DraftKings Auto Club 2015 Points

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has been a pleasant surprise at high-speed intermediate tracks this season. On this track type in 2016 he has results of 10th (Atlanta) and 12th (Las Vegas). The main question about him is if he can continue to perform well. Stenhouse Jr. has three starts under his belt at Auto Club Speedway and has a 23.0 average finish. Last season he walked away with his best Auto Club result. In the race he started 27th, had a 26th place average running position, earned the 25th best driver rating and finished 15th. It should be noted that he only ran in the top fifteen in 1% percent of the laps completed. In the race Stenhouse Jr. is a driver who benefited from the race being extended. It regrouped the field and he was on 4 fresh tires at the end which allowed him to drive up threw the pack. If the race went the advertised distance he would’ve finished 25th. In 2014 he started in 22nd, had a 24th place average running position and finished 34th. It should be noted he was better than his result. He’s a driver who had a late flat. With 15 laps to go while he was racing in 19th he slowed on the track and came to pit road. That caused him to drop two laps down which cemented him into a poor finish. In 2013 he finished 20th, had a 19th place average running position and earned the 23rd best driver rating. (Yahoo B Driver) (DraftKings – $6,500)

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