Nashville Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Rankings/ Predictions
On Sunday, NASCAR will be racing at Nashville! This concrete 1.33 mile oval is new for the 2021 schedule, but its certainly not a new track. Between 2001 and 2011 NASCAR’s lower divisions held many races here.
Below are EARLY Confidence Rankings for Nashville. Following qualifying which will conclude around noon, FINAL RANKINGS will come out in a simple numerical post, so consider this post the “Fact Sheet.” Rankings will likely generally be about the same. Also, all starting position dependent posts will get released/updated tomorrow following qualifying.
In terms of variables I want in a fantasy pick at Nashville I want (updated from earlier this week)….
- Recent form. I want to pick a driver who’s running well, week in and week out and clicking off good results.
- Practice! I want a driver who practiced well. Here’s Nashville Practice Notes and Nashville Practice 5,10 and 15 Lap Average Speed Cheat Sheet.
- I want a driver who’s run well at 750 HP intermediates, and in particular Dover.
- Starting position. Of course we won’t know this until crunch time.
- Some say Nashville races like a shorter-flat track, so I would like the driver to have shown potential at Phoenix and Richmond.
- I want a driver who’s run well at 1.5 mile tracks (De-stressing that a little from earlier in the week).
This year at ifantasyrace.com we’re committed to writing about the full field every week. Find out what Super Low Tier drivers are the best of the best in ….. “The Super Low Tier – Nashville.”
Nashville Fantasy NASCAR Rankings
1) Kyle Larson / DraftKings $11,800 / FanDuel $14,000
Kyle Larson has clobbered the competition week in and week out, and at Nashville I see no reason why that will change. The #5 team is clicking on all cylinders and almost every week in recent races they’ve fielded the fastest car on the track (Total Speed Ranking Over The Last Six Races). Heading into the weekend, Larson has three straight wins counting the All-Star Race, and over the last five points paying races he’s finished in the top 2. In practice, Kyle Larson was the class of the field and he posted the best 5,10 and 15 lap averages. With him being that fast in practice, the competition is in real trouble this week. This year in 750 HP intermediate track races, Larson has been impressive and is 2 for 2 at finishing 2nd. At Dover, Larson led 263 laps, had the best Total Speed Ranking, won the first two Stages but was beat off pit road in the final Stage never to retake the lead. At Darlington, Larson overcame a speeding penalty to give Truex a run for his money late. At Nashville, look for Larson to be the driver to beat.
Further Recommended Reading – Nashville Pre-Qualifying Projected Finish Ranges
2) Chase Elliott / DraftKings $10,700 / FanDuel $13,500
Chase Elliott and the #9 team are in the zone, and at Nashville there’s no question he’ll be a contender. The #9 team has six straight top tens and over the last four races heading into the weekend he’s finished in the top 3. In practice, Elliott was fast. In the session he had the 5th best 5 lap average, the 4th best 10 lap average, the 3rd best 15 lap average and his 20 lap average was the best (Only him and Almirola did 20 lap runs). Late in the session, Elliott reported that his handling improved. This year at 750 HP intermediates, Elliott has been fast and his Total Speed Ranking is the 7th best. At those venues he finished 3rd at Dover and 7th at Darlington. At Nashville, look for Elliott to finish in the top five and compete for the win.
3) Kyle Busch / DraftKings $9,900 / FanDuel $12,000
Kyle Busch is primed to have a strong performance at Nashville. The #18 team is starting to come on strong and since Kansas minus Dover where he had engine issues, Busch’s average finish is 4.4. In practice, Kyle Busch showed potential and had the 9th best ten lap average. This year at 750 HP intermediates, Busch doesn’t have a single incident free race. At Dover he had early engine problems which relegated him to a poor result, and at Darlington he overcame an early flat tire but battled back to finish 3rd. One attribute I like about Busch is that he’s doing double-duty this week and racing in the Xfinity series. On Saturday, Busch raced his way to victory lane in the lower series. Extra track time along with practice is always a plus for him. At Nashville, Kyle Busch has quite a bit of track history and as you likely recall he famously smashed the guitar trophy in victory lane. Overall at Nashville, Kyle Busch has four wins and over his last seven races he’s finished in the top 3. As you can see, there’s a lot to like about Busch this weekend. On Sunday, I think he’s a top five contender who’ll be a factor to win.
