Bristol 2 Post Practice Fantasy NASCAR Predictions
Honestly, I think we’re setting up to have a great race here at Bristol on Saturday night. Not only will we have some good old fashioned short track racing to watch, but there are a bunch of other variables that will come into play. Will the bottom lane stay as the preferred spot on the track, or will the top groove find its way back into the mix? Which pit crews will be able to go mistake-free all night? And, speaking of that, which drivers will be able to go mistake-free? That’s what it’s going to take to win here on Saturday night. Will we see a new winner that locks him- or herself into the Chase? All of those questions will be answered soon enough.
As far as the weekend, there were two practice sessions on Friday, and those speeds can be found here: Practice #1 — Happy Hour. Also, be sure to check out our notes for each session as well: Practice #1 — Happy Hour. Carl Edwards won the pole for this year’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night race, and the full starting lineup can be found by clicking here.
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Final Top 15 Ranking For Bristol 2
1. Kyle Busch – Starts 3rd – DraftKings Price: $10,600 – Yahoo! A Group
**Risk Factor: Medium Risk**
Rowdy is a five-time winner here at Bristol Motor Speedway and that in and of itself makes him a very popular Fantasy NASCAR pick when the Sprint Cup Series stops here. Recently, however, he hasn’t found a whole lot of success; in three of the last four Bristol races, Kyle Busch has finished 29th or worse, and he has posted just three top 10s in the last nine races overall here in Thunder Valley. With that being said, it’s very difficult to go against Rowdy at Bristol not only because of his history, but because he always looks so good in the practices leading up to the race. He was the favorite here back in April but had many problems throughout the race and ended up finishing 38th with no laps led. This weekend, it’s much of the same, as the #18 Toyota was fastest in Practice #1 (with the 11th-best ten-lap average) and fastest in Happy Hour as well (2nd in ten-lap average). Momentum-wise, this #18 team is getting its mojo back right now and Kyle Busch hasn’t finished worse than 12th since he had that dead-last finish at Michigan back in June. Also, his average finish of 6.3 over the last six Cup races overall is best in the series. Kyle Busch is definitely one of the favorites heading into Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race.
2. Carl Edwards – Starts 1st – DraftKings Price: $9,700 – Yahoo! B Group
**Risk Factor: Low Risk**
Since joining Joe Gibbs Racing, Carl Edwards has been one of the best Fantasy NASCAR picks here at Bristol Motor Speedway, and that is the case once again this weekend. Carl has made three starts here at “The Bullring” in JGR equipment and has led 436 total laps in those races. In the race here back in April, the #19 Toyota started on the pole, led 276 of the 500 laps, and ended up in victory lane–Edwards’ fourth career win at this race track. This weekend, Carl is going to start the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race from the pole once again, which means he should be able to lead some laps this time around as well. In Practice #1 on Friday, Edwards was 10th-fastest on the speed chart with the 7th-best ten-lap average, and in Happy Hour he ranked 9th and 7th on those charts, respectively. My only concern, albeit minor, with taking the #19 this weekend is the fact that this team is in a bit of a rut, with just two top 10 finishes in the last six Sprint Cup races overall. This is an excellent track for Cousin Carl as of late, though–four finishes of 7th or better in the last five events–and a great opportunity for him to get back on track. For what it’s worth, Edwards has the best average driver rating (117.1) over the last five Bristol races.
3. Denny Hamlin – Starts 2nd – DraftKings Price: $9,500 – Yahoo! A Group
**Risk Factor: Medium Risk**
Denny Hamlin is a previous winner here at Bristol Motor Speedway (back in 2012) but his overall record at this race track is nowhere near consistent. Over twenty-one career starts at “The Bullring,” he has an average finish of 16.8 with five top 5s (23.8%) and nine top 10s (42.9%). In other words, Hamlin either does really well here at Bristol, or he disappoints big time. There are a few things that Denny has going for him this weekend that could translate into a good run on Saturday night, though. First, the #11 Toyota was fast off the truck, ending up with top 5 speed in both practice sessions on Friday and the best ten-lap average in both sessions. Second, Denny not only JGR power underneath the hood, but also JGR power on pit road. A fast pit crew could make a major difference here on Staurday night. Finally, Hamlin has been a qualifying machine this season, and that stayed true this weekend as he qualified 2nd for the 2016 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. Hamlin ended up 3rd in this race one year ago and could contend for a top 5 finish once again this time around.
