Fantasy NASCAR Scouting Report – Atlanta

[themify_box]NOTE: This post is a recap of what happened in spring 2016 at Atlanta[/themify_box]

Atlanta Top Ten Starters

1. Kurt Busch
2. Jamie McMurray
3. Trevor Bayne
4. Ryan Newman
5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Carl Edwards
8. Austin Dillon
9. Martin Truex Jr.
10. Brian Scott

Atlanta Full Starting Lineup

Pre-Race Notes

Kyle Busch won the pole but started in the rear of the field because of a “mechanical infraction.”

Ty Dillon drove the #14.

Race Notes

Kurt Busch who won the pole selected the low-line. He led the opening 39 laps.

Denny Hamlin’s car was great over short runs early in the race. Over long runs he faded. He started in 12th and was up to 4th on lap 4. He was driving at the top of the track. His car was “wicked tight.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a great car. He started in 16th and was up to 7th on lap 9. He drove at the top of the track.

Running order on lap 16: 41,31,78,20,4,19,11,2,1 … 17,48,6,3,16,24,5,14,22,27 … 47,21,13,43,10,44,15,18,83,38 … 42,7,95,34,23,46,98,30,32

Kyle Larson really didn’t like how his car handled. He said his hands were full on lap #1. On lap 20 he was running around 30th.

Martin Truex Jr. really liked his car. On lap 24 he was up to 2nd. His car was good all over the track.

Running order on lap 35: 41,20,78,4,31,19,48,88,17,22 … 2,3,24,1,11,21,6,16,47,18 … 14,27,13,43,10,83,42,5,44,15 … 98,5,44,15,98,46,7,95,38,34,23,30,32

While running in 4th on lap 39 Kevin Harvick had a flat tire and pitted early. It was right before the pit cycle so it didn’t really hurt him. His car got better over the course of a run.

Running order on lap 50: 41,20,19,4,48,31,78,22,2 … 88,17,24,3,21,47,1,16,18,11,10 … 14,5,13,42,6,43,44,27,83,46 … 34,15,98,38,95,23,7,32,30

On lap 64 during a green flag run Matt Kenseth passed Kurt Busch for the lead. He then led the next 14 laps. He had a really strong car.

Before the second green flag pit cycle started around lap 80 Johnson short pitted because he thought he had a tire going down. That got him on fresh tires and resulted in him leading 4 laps.

On lap 84 Matt Kenseth passed Jimmie Johnson for the lead. He then led the next 32 laps.

On lap 85 only 19 cars were on the lead lap.

Running order on lap 87: 20,48,41,22,19,4,78,88,17,31 … 2,24,21,18,3,1,16,13,11 (last car on the lead lap),27 … 6,14,10,43,42,44,5,83,46,34 … 7,47,15,98,95,23,38,32,30

Running order on lap 103: 20,41,48,22,4,19,78,88,17,31 … 24,2,18,21,3,1,16,11,13,27 … 6,14,43,42,10,5,83,46,44,34,47,98,95,15,23,38,7,30,32

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had a good car. He started in 5th and was in 9th on lap 110.

Big Moment: Around lap 118 Matt Kenseth was penalized for improper fueling. He later got black flagged and didn’t serve his penalty right away. That led to him not getting scored for a lap. While he served his penalty he lost a lap. He never recovered from this. He had the dominant car up until he was penalized.

Running order on lap 132: 78,4,48,41,22,19,88,17,31,24 … 18,2,21,3,11,16,6,1,13,43 … 14,27,10,42,5,47,46,44,83,34 … 20,23,98,95,15,38,7,32,30

On lap 135 Kevin Harvick passed Martin Truex Jr. for the lead. Harvick focused on running the low-line around Atlanta.

Notable Moment: Around lap 150 during a green flag pit cycle Joey Logano got a pit cone violation. It dropped him a lap down. Prior to his penalty under green he was running in 7th.

Notable Moment: During the lap 150 pit cycle Kyle Larson also got a pit cone violation penalty.