Auto Club Fantasy NASCAR Mid Pack Predictions
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – I’m not going to set the bar high in terms of expectations for Stenhouse Jr. at Auto Club Speedway, but it should be noted he might have some fantasy playability. Since the track is so worn it’s essentially become a “skill track” and that gives drivers in less then competitive situations a chance to run better then they typically do. Last year at Auto Club Speedway he had a strong showing. He finished 5th, had a 12th place average running position and ran 83.9% percent of the laps inside the top fifteen. In 2015 he finished 15th but it should be noted if the race went the advertised distance he likely would’ve finished 25th. His average running position that afternoon was 26th. In the two Auto Club races prior to that he had results of 20th and 34th (when he finished 34th he had a flat tire with 15 laps to go while running in 19th). Atlanta is a similar intermediate track from a surface perspective and a few weeks ago he finished 13th there. (Yahoo B Driver)
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Trevor Bayne – Auto Club Speedway hasn’t proven to be a good track for Trevor Bayne. Over his three starts he has a 26.3 average finish. On Sunday from a realistic perspective I think it’s safe to assume he’ll finish somewhere between the high-teens to the low-twenties. Some good news regarding Trevor Bayne at Auto Club Speedway is that he’s always finished better the following year. Last year at Auto Club he finished 20th and had a 21st place average running position. It should be noted he did look better than his result. Around lap 108 while he was running around the mid-teens he got into the wall and brought out the caution. In 2015 he struggled throughout the race and didn’t run well. About the highest he got in the running order without help from pit cycles was 25th. When the race reached its conclusion he finished 29th, had a 31st place average running position and earned the 31st best driver rating. In 2011 in a pre-rookie start which shouldn’t carry much fantasy relevance he finished two laps down in 30th. This year at intermediate tracks Bayne has results of 12th and 13th. (Yahoo B Driver)
Further Recommended Reading – Auto Club Top Tier Elite Picks, Auto Club Front Runner Rankings, Auto Club Scouting Report, DraftKings Auto Club 2016 Driver Points
Paul Menard – Paul Menard has been good at Auto Club Speedway in recent years. Over the last four races he has a 9.0 average finish and a 15.3 average running position. Also over these four races it should be noted he has three top tens and has had a result in the top fifteen every race. Last year at Auto Club he had his one result outside the top ten and finished 15th. His average running position for the afternoon was 20th. In 2015 he ran well throughout the event. He finished 4th, had a 10th place average running position and earned the 9th best driver rating. If there wasn’t a GWC he would’ve finished 8th. In the two Auto Club races prior to that he had results of 8th and 9th. This year at intermediate tracks Menard has results of 19th and 25th. (Yahoo B Driver)
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Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runners Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions > The Low Tier
