Auto Club Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings
Chris Buescher
Auto Club Bottom Line – If you’re looking for a dark horse at Auto Club, make sure you put Chris Buescher on your radar. Buescher’s Auto Club track record isn’t anything to brag about, but among mid-tier drivers there’s no question he’s one of the best performers at high-wear intermediates. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Buescher competes for a top ten at the end of the day. To play it safe though, I would view him as a low double-digit to mid-teens driver who has a good chance to sneak in a top ten.
Auto Club Track History – At Auto Club, Chris Buescher currently has back-to-back 16th’s. In spring 2020, in his lone race here in the #17, Buescher finished 16th, had a 17.4 average running position and had the 18th best Total Speed Ranking. In 2019 in the #37, Buescher finished 16th and had a 19th place average running position.
Recent Similar Track Success – Last year at high-wear intermediates, Chris Buescher was a standout mid-tier performer. For the season on this sub-track type, Buescher’s 12.0 average finish ranked as the 8th best. At Homestead, the first high-wear intermediate visited last year he looked like Superman early having won Stage # 1, finished 6th in Stage #2 and leading 57 laps. Then in the final Stage he fell off which led to him finishing 19th. In the other four races held on this sub-track type, Buescher had three results between 7th to 9th and finished in the top 16 every race. In terms of Track Type Total Speed Rankings at high-wear intermediates, Buescher ranked as the 12th Fastest.
Austin Dillon
Auto Club Bottom Line – At Auto Club, don’t look for Austin Dillon to do anything flashy, but I think you can safely project him as about a 10th to 15th place performer. That perfectly matches up with his track record, and with his prowess at high-wear intermediates in 2021.
Auto Club Track History – Austin Dillon is a solid performer at Auto Club and in 5 of his 7 starts he’s finished between 10th to 16th. In 3 of the last 4, Dillon has finished in either 10th or 11th. Back in 2020 when the series most recently raced here, Dillon was a high-teens performer, but he finished 24th. He consistently ran among the mid to high-teens and was in 17th with just 10 laps to go, but something happened to him in the closing laps. I’m going to speculate he made an unexpected pit stop. In the race, Dillon had a 17.9 average running position, the 17th best Total Speed Ranking and was the 15th Fastest Driver Late In A Run. In the three Auto Club races prior to that, Dillon had a 10.3 average finish and a 13.0 average running position. In 2019, Dillon had a solid showing. He started on the pole, finished 10th and had an 11th place average running position. Additionally, he ranked as the 10th best in terms of Green Flag Average Speed and being the Fastest Driver Late In A Run. In the two races prior to that, Dillon had results of 10th (2018) and 11th (2017).
Recent Similar Track Success – Austin Dillon has more than proven himself to be a solid performer at high-wear intermediates. In 2021 on this sub-track type, Dillon had an 11.2 average finish and a 13.6 average running position. Thanks to his consistency, that 11.2 average finish ranked as the 6th best in the series. His track type Total Speed Ranking was the 14th best.
Further recommended Reading: Auto Club 2020 Scouting Report, Auto Club 2020 Total Speed Rankings, Auto Club 2020 Speed Cheat Sheet, Total Speed Rankings At High-Tire Wear Tracks In 2021
Ross Chastain
Auto Club Bottom Line – At Auto Club, I think Ross Chastain will have some dark horse potential. This is a race of unknowns, but what we do know is that Chastain is a solid driver at high-wear intermediates, and he won’t be afraid to race hard. Also, running the high-line is a strength of Chastain’s, and at Auto Club that’s historically been the fast lane. On Sunday, I would view Chastain as a low to mid-teens performer but lean more towards the mid-teens.
Auto Club Track History – At Auto Club, Ross Chastain has three starts under his belt, but I would only view 2020 as relevant since his other races weren’t in competitive equipment. In 2020 when the series most recently raced at Auto Club, Chastain piloted the #6 in place of an injured Ryan Newman and that afternoon, Chastain was a high-teens performer. In the race, Chastain finished 17th, had a 19.4 average running position and had the 19th best Total Speed Ranking. In the two Auto Club races prior to that when he piloted the #15, Chastain had results of 28th (2019) and 29th (2018).
Recent Similar Track Success – Ross Chastain fared well at high-wear intermediates in 2021 and over the combined events, Chastain’s 14.0 average finish ranked as the 12th best. At Darlington #2, the last high-wear intermediate visited last year, Chastain had one of his best performances of the season and finished 3rd.
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