Pure Michigan 400 Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Ranking Picks

1) Joey Logano (Starting – 1st)
Michigan Fantasy Spin – Joey Logano will be tough to beat at Michigan. Look for him to run very well on Sunday and compete for the win. On Sunday he’s starting on the pole. The last two times he started in that position at Michigan he’s won. Starting up front has proven very important at MIS recently. The last two races have been won from that position. Logano won in dominant fashion this spring and currently has 7 straight Michigan top tens. Since Logano joined Penske Racing a strong case could be made that he’s been the best driver in the series at 2 mile ovals.
Michigan Track History – In Penske equipment at Michigan Logano is a perfect 7 for 7 in terms of finishing in the top ten. Over these races he has a 5.0 average finish, 6.1 average running position and has led a series high 332 laps. This spring Logano had a great car and raced his way to victory lane in dominant fashion. He started 1st, finished 1st, earned a near perfect driver rating and led 138 laps. Last August he had a quiet race and finished 7th. In spring 2015 he ran well also finishing 5th. In August 2014 he was a consistent front runner. He led the most laps (86), earned the 2nd best driver rating and had a 3rd place average running position. In the three MIS races prior to that he had results of 9th, 1st, and 9th.
Yahoo A Driver / DraftKings $10,400

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2) Kevin Harvick (Starting – 4th)
Michigan Fantasy Spin – Kevin Harvick will be a favorite to win at Michigan. He’s an elite performer and has shown good speed on the track this weekend. One of the main aspects I like about Kevin Harvick is how well he’s run at high-speed intermediate tracks. This year on this track type he’s scored the most points, has the best average finish (5.4), best average running position (6.5), has finished in the top ten every race, has led the second most laps (403) and has run the second most fastest laps (237). On Sunday Harvick is starting in 4th. That’s a lot closer than 29th where he started this spring and parlayed it into a 5th place finish. Look for him to challenge for the win.
Michigan Track History – Michigan is a great track for Kevin Harvick and recently nobody has been better than him. In 6 of the last 7 races he’s finished in the top five. In five of those races he finished runner-up. In the one race he finished outside the top five he arguably had the best car. This spring Harvick started deep in the field but finished 5th when the checkered flag waved. Last August when the high downforce package was used Harvick finished runner-up. In spring 2015 Harvick had the best car but finished 29th after having a flat tire. Prior to the pit cycle when he had his flat tire he had a 4.6 second lead and led 63 laps. In the four MIS races prior to that he finished 2nd. In August 2010 Harvick won his only race at Michigan.
Yahoo A Driver / DraftKings $10,700

Further Recommended Reading – Practice Notes / Practice Speeds Center, Starting Lineup, Asterisk Mark Report, PROS Rankings, Scouting Report

3) Chase Elliott (Starting – 5th)
Michigan Fantasy Spin – Chase Elliott needs to win on Sunday in order to make the Chase. That will be a tough task but he has a “Punchers chance.” This weekend I expect his team to pull out all the stops and go for the “Hail Mary.” Realistically this is their last chance to get to victory lane. This year in races with the “Lowest Down Force Package” Chase Elliott has run well in both races which bodes well for him (trouble at Kentucky but looked top seven good). What I don’t like about Chase Elliott is his momentum. His last top ten this season was at Michigan in June. In Happy Hour it should be noted that Kasey Kahne’s crew chief thought Elliott had the best car. In that session he had the second quickest lap and the second best ten lap average.
Michigan Track History – Chase Elliot has one start at Michigan, and it was a good one. This spring he had a stellar car. He finished 2nd, earned the 2nd best driver rating, earned the 2nd best PROS Ranking, led the 2nd most laps (35) and had a 5th place average running position. Throughout the race he was a consistent front runner. His strength in the race was being good over long runs. In the race he had the 2nd best green flag average speed and had the 2nd best average speed late in a run.
Yahoo C Driver / DraftKings $8,700