WWT Raceway / Gateway Confidence Rankings / Post Practice Predictions
On Sunday, NASCAR will be returning to WWT Raceway/ Gateway for year #3 at this 1.25-mile egg shaped oval. At Gateway, I would approach it as you would a “Shorter-Flat Track” (Phoenix, New Hampshire and Richmond). Of those three listed, Phoenix has the most correlation. I’ll note, the new low downforce package isn’t being used this weekend.
On Saturday, practice was held for Gateway. Teams had 30 minutes, and keep in mind teams have different agenda’s (some want to focus on long runs, some just want to feel out their car, some might focus on qualifying so they can start near the front etc.). Make sure you check out our Gateway Practice Notes and Gateway 5,10,15,20 and 25 Lap Average Speed Cheat Sheet Heat Chart.
Here’s the WWT Raceway/ Gateway Qualifying Results/ Starting Lineup.
NEW for 2024, check out our WWT Raceway/ Gateway Quick Rankings!
Gateway Full Field Fantasy Rankings
1) Denny Hamlin
Start 6th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Gateway Outlook – Denny Hamlin is a super-elite shorter-flat track performer and at Gateway, he’ll be fielding a fast #11 and be tough to beat. Whenever the series visits shorter-flat tracks, Hamlin’s always a factor. Hamlin won the most recent race on this sub-track type (Richmond) and since 2023 over the combined shorter-flat track races, Hamlin has the best Track Type Total Speed Ranking, the best average running position (6.6), the 2nd best Driver Rating and the 3rd best average finish. In practice, Hamlin was fast and had the best 20-lap average.
Gateway Track Record Breakdown – Denny Hamlin has been elite at Gateway. Hamlin finished runner-up last summer and in 2022, Hamlin looked top five good until he got “Chastain’ed.” Last year, Hamlin 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 overall. In terms of speed stats, Hamlin ranked 2nd for Speed Late In A run and 3rd for Total Speed Rankings. In 2022, Hamlin looked to be a top five contender, but he finished an asterisk mark 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, dropping him 3-laps down. Over the first quarter of the race prior to his problem, Hamlin had the 4th fastest car on the track.
DraftKings $11,200/ FanDuel $14,000
Further Recommended Reading = Gateway Projected Finish Ranges, DraftKings Gateway Scoring Projections, FanDuel Gateway Scoring Projections
2) Ryan Blaney
Start 3rd / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential –Medium-High
Gateway Outlook – At Gateway, look for Ryan Blaney to perform at a high-level and be a factor. Blaney’s been a standout performer over the combined races and he’s also one of the best at shorter-flat tracks. In the Next Gen era at shorter-flat tracks going back to 2022 over all the combined races, Blaney has the best Track Type Total Speed Ranking. Since 2023, Blaney ranks 2nd overall in terms of Shorter-Flat Track Total Speed Rankings. Phoenix is often viewed to be the most similar track and Blaney finished 5th this spring and finished runner-up last fall. In practice, Blaney had the best 15-lap average and the 3rd best 10-lap average.
Gateway Track Record Breakdown – Ryan Blaney has been elite at Gateway and ranks among the best. Over the combined races, Blaney has the 3rd best average finish (5.0), the 2nd best average running position (4.7), the 2nd best Driver Rating and the 2nd best Next Gen Speed Ranking. Last year, the #12 was a rocket. In the race, Blaney finished 2nd in Stage #1, won Stage #2, had a 2.6 average running position, earned the 2nd best Driver Rating, led 83 laps and then finished 6th overall. In terms of speed stats, Blaney ranked 2nd for Total Speed Rankings and then 3rd for Speed Late In A Run. In 2022, Blaney was impressive and finished 4th despite his race not being incident free. In the race, Blaney started 5th, led 12 laps, finished 2nd in Stage #1 but then on lap 95 while running in 3rd, Blaney had a flat tire and spun which brought out the caution. When Stage #2 ended, Blaney finished 10th. Then over the final Stage, Blaney drove hard to notch his 4th place finish. Additionally, Blaney had a 6.8 average running position and ranked 2nd for Total Speed Rankings, Green Flag Speed and Speed Late In A Run.
DraftKings $10,800/ FanDuel $10,500
3) Christopher Bell
Start 4th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Gateway Outlook – Fresh off a Charlotte win, don’t be surprised if Christopher Bell goes back-to-back and wins at Gateway. Bell’s an elite shorter-flat track performer and in 2024, he’s arguably been the best at these venues. Phoenix is said to be the track with the most correlation and this spring, Bell raced his way to victory lane there. For the season over the combined races held at shorter-flat tracks, Bell has the best average finish (3.5), the 2nd best Track Type Total Speed Ranking and the 3rd best Driver Rating. In practice, Bell had the 5th best 10-lap average.
Gateway Track Record Breakdown – Christopher Bell has been a solid performer at Gateway and over the combined races, Bell has a 10.0 average finish and the 7th best Next Gen Speed Ranking. Last year, Bell finished 11th even though his race wasn’t incident free. On lap 204 while running in 11th, Bell was spun, which increased his level of difficulty, but Bell battled back. In terms of speed stats, Bell ranked 11th for Speed Late In A Run and 16th in terms of Total Speed Rankings. In 2022, Bell finished 10th in Stage #1, finished 6th in Stage #2, had an 8.9 average running position and then finished 9th overall. In terms of speed stats, Bell had the 7th best Total Speed Ranking and then ranked 3rd for speed late in a run.
DraftKings $10,000/ FanDuel $12,000
