Pocono Fantasy NASCAR Front Runner Rankings

Bubba Wallace
Pocono Fantasy Outlook – At Pocono, look for Bubba Wallace to be fast and be a top ten contender. In the Next Gen between the two races, Wallace has a 9.5 average finish and his Next Gen Speed Ranking ranks 9th. Going back a little bit further over the last four races, Wallace’s average finish is also 9.5. With the current competitive state of the #23, I would view Wallace as a teens driver who might be able to sneak in a top ten.
Pocono Track History – Bubba Wallace has been extremely solid at Pocono in recent races and over the last four, Wallace has a 9.5 average finish and he’s had a result in the top 14 every race. Last year, Wallace ran well. In the race, Wallace finished 7th in Stage #1, finished 9th in Stage #2, had a 13.8 average running position and then finished 11th when the checkered flag waved. In terms of speed stats, Wallace ranked 8th for Total Speed Rankings and 11th for Speed Late In A Run. In 2022, Wallace finished 8th, had a 12.3 average running position and had the 12th best Total Speed Ranking. In 2021 during the doubles, Wallace had finishes of 5th and 14th.

Kyle Busch
Pocono Fantasy Outlook – Kyle Busch is one of the premiere performers at Pocono. Busch is a 4-time winner and in 3 of the last 4 races, he’s crossed the finish line in the top 2. Over the last 11 Pocono races minus 2020 Race #1 where he crashed and credit him with where he crossed the finish line in 2022, then Busch has a 4.6 average finish. With the #8’s weekly level of performance right now, it’s hard to say what we’ll get out of him, but he could come up big. That said, I think it’s best to just view him as a top ten contender who’ll come with extreme risk.
Pocono Track History – Kyle Busch has been stellar at Pocono and after Denny Hamlin, he belongs in the conversation of “Next Best.” Last year, Busch was a bust and finished 21st. In the race, Busch had a 21.2 average running position and ranked 17th in terms of Total Speed Rankings. Busch showed speed at some points in the race (in 2 of the 4 segments he ranked in the top 13 in speed), but it was ultimately just not a good afternoon for him. In 2022, Busch was a standout performer but in the results column, you’ll see an ugly 36th courtesy of a post-race DQ. In the race, Busch finished 4th in Stage #1 (stripped of it), won Stage #2 (stripped of it), had a 3.5 average running position, led 63 laps, earned the best driver rating and crossed the finish line in 2nd. In terms of speed stats, Busch ranked #1 for Total Speed Rankings, Green Flag Speed and Speed Late In A Run. In 2021, nobody was better than Busch between the races. In 2021 #2, Busch had transmission issues and finished 1st and then in race #1 he finished 2nd.

Todd Gilliland
Pocono Fantasy Outlook – At Pocono, Todd Gilliland could sneak in a good finish so make sure he’s on your radar. Gilliland has often outperformed weekly expectations in 2024 and he might very well have another in him for those looking to roll the dice. Over the last nine races heading into the weekend, Gilliland has a 13.3 average finish. On Sunday, I would view him as a teen’s driver.
Pocono Track History – Todd Gilliland has two starts on his resume at Pocono with his average finish being 20th. Last year, Gilliland started 36th, had a 23.6 average running position and then finished 15th. In terms of speed stats, Gilliland ranked 33rd for both Green Flag Speed and Total Speed Rankings. To close out the race, Gilliland was at his best. In 2022 in his Pocono debut, Gilliland finished 25th and had a 23.9 average running position.

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