WWT Raceway / Gateway Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Denny Hamlin
Gateway Fantasy Spin – Denny Hamlin is one of the premiere shorter-flat track performers in NASCAR and at Gateway, look for him to be a factor. Hamlin was one of the best last year, he’s the most recent winner on this sub-track type (Richmond) and for the season at shorter-flat tracks, Hamlin has a 6.0 average finish and the 3rd best Track Type Total Speed Ranking.
Gateway Track History – Denny Hamlin has performed at a high-level at Gateway and he was especially strong last summer en route to a runner-up. Last year, Hamlin started 3rd, finished 3rd in Stage #1, finished 3rd in Stage #2, had a 3.0 average running position, earned the 3rd best Driver Rating and then finished 2nd when the checkered flag waved. In terms of speed stats, Hamlin ranked 2nd for Speed Late In A run and then 3rd for Total Speed Rankings. In 2022, Hamlin had a hot rod and was a top five contender, but he was “Chastain’ed” which led to his 34th. In the race, Hamlin finished 4th in Stage #1 but then early in Stage #2 on lap 65 while he was battling Chastain for 5th, they had contact and that led to Hamlin getting into the wall hard which dropped him three laps down, dooming his afternoon. Over the first quarter of the race prior to his problem, the #11 was the 4th fastest car on the track.

Martin Truex Jr.
Gateway Fantasy Spin – Martin Truex Jr. is one of the premiere performers at shorter-flat tracks and at Gateway, he should be high on your radar. Truex has performed at a high-level in both races having a 5.5 average finish, and I don’t think there’s any reason to expect him to be a fantasy letdown. This year at shorter-flat tracks, Truex has the best Track Type Total Speed Ranking, the best Driver Rating, the best average running position (5.4) and a 5.5 average finish which underrates him since he would’ve won Richmond if there wasn’t a late caution (finished 4th). On Sunday, look for Truex to be a top five contender.
Gateway Track History – Martin Truex Jr. has been elite at Gateway and over the combined races, Truex has a 5.5 average finish and the 4th best Next Gen Speed Ranking. Last summer, Truex didn’t have an incident free race but he battled back to finish 5th. In the race, Truex started 5th, finished 4th in Stage #1 but then during the Stage #1 caution he was penalized for removing his gas can which dropped him to the back. That penalty skewed some stats, but he did rank 8th in terms of Total Speed Rankings. In 2022, Truex had one of the best cars and I’m viewing his 6th as an asterisk mark result. In the race, Truex started 13th, finished 2nd in Stage #2, led 42 laps, was the leader on lap 181 but then during that time his team had a slow pit stop that dropped him from 1st back to 7th. I think that was a demoralizing blow and he simply didn’t bounce back. I’ll note, on lap 156 while leading, Truex mentioned that he really liked his car, which was a little surprising because he didn’t like it in practice. Additionally in the race, Truex had an 8.7 average running position, the 5th best driver rating, the 5th best Green Flag Speed and then ranked 6th for Speed Late In A Run and Total Speed Rankings.

Joey Logano
Gateway Fantasy Spin – Look for 2022 Gateway winner, Joey Logano to be a factor. Logano’s thrived at this shorter-flat track, racing his way to victory lane in the inaugural race (2022), being one of just 2 drivers who are 2 for 2 at finishing in the top 5 and his overall average finish is an impressive 2nd. At Richmond the most recent points paying shorter-flat track visited this year, Logano had his best race of the year, finishing 2nd and having the 2nd best Total Speed Ranking. North Wilkesboro also has some correlation, and Logano smoked the field there in the All-Star Race en route to victory lane. On Sunday, look for Logano to finish in the top ten and potentially be a top five contender.
Gateway Track History – Joey Logano has been a standout performer at Gateway and over the combined races, Logano has a 2.0 average finish, the 3rd best Next Gen Speed Ranking, the 3rd best Driver Rating and the 3rd best average running position (4.7). Last year, the #22 was stout and Logano ran well throughout. In the race, Logano finished 5th in Stage #1, finished 7th in Stage #2, had a 6.0 average running position and then finished 3rd when the checkered flag waved. In terms of speed stats, Logano had the 5th best Total Speed Ranking and ranked 7th for Speed Late In A Run. In 2022, Logano didn’t have the best car but that didn’t stop him from reaching victory lane. In the race, Logano started 7th, finished 7th in Stage #1, had a 7.6 average running position but then to close out the race, the #22 really came to life. On lap 207 he passed Kyle Busch for the lead, and then later in the closing laps, he re-passed Busch again to take home the trophy. Additionally, Logano led 22 laps, had the 3rd best Driver Rating, the 3rd best Green Flag Speed and the 4th best Total Speed Ranking. I’ll note over the last quarter of the race, the #22 was the fastest car on the track.

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Top Tier Elite Picks > Front Runners Rankings > Mid Pack Predictions & The Low Tier