Kansas AdventHealth 400 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Kyle Larson
Kansas Fantasy Outlook – Kyle Larson, the defending spring Kansas winner will be tough to beat and the road to victory lane likely goes thru him in the AdventHealth 400. Larson’s the premiere performer at high-speed 1.5-mile tracks and often the only driver who can beat him at these venues, is himself. At Kansas in the Next Gen minus last fall, Larson has 1-win, a 3.4 average finish and a 5.2 average speed ranking.
Kansas Track History – Kyle Larson has performed at a super-elite level at Kansas and in the Next Gen, Larson has the 2nd best Average Finish (7.2) and the 3rd best Driver Rating. Last fall, Larson finished 26th but you can quickly disregard that result. On lap 19 while running in 10th, Larson had a tire go down and got into the wall hard, ending his competitive afternoon. Last spring, Larson came up clutch, racing his way to victory lane with a last lap pass. In the race, Larson finished 3rd in Stage #1, finished 2nd in Stage #2, had a 2.8 average running position, led 63 laps and earned the best driver rating. Before the late caution came out, Larson looked poised to finish around 3rd. In fall 2023, Larson had a hot rod and finished 4th but I would make a case he was better than his finish. Around the midpoint while he was in 2nd and on old tires, Larson had a super bad restart which dropped him back to about 20th. In the race, Larson won Stage #1, led the most laps (99) and had the 3rd best Total Speed Ranking. In spring 2023, Larson had the race all but won until Denny Hamlin dumped him on the last lap while leading. In the race, Larson led 85 laps, ranked 2nd for Speed Late In A Run and had the 3rd best Total Speed Ranking.

Ryan Blaney
Kansas Fantasy Outlook – At Kansas, look for Ryan Blaney to race hard and be a factor. The #12 looked elite last fall and if his race would’ve been incident free, he probably could’ve won. Historically at Kansas, Blaney has been about a 10th place performer and in 4 of the 5 races prior to last fall he finished between 9th to 12th. If Blaney can avoid trouble, look for him to be a top five contender who’ll be a factor to win.
Kansas Track History – In the Next Gen at Kansas, Ryan Blaney has the 5th best Next Gen Speed Ranking, he’s tied for the 5th best Average Finish (10.8) and his Driver Rating ranks as the 6th best. Last fall, Blaney had a rocket and finished 4th. In the race, Blaney finished 3rd in Stage #1, finished 3rd in Stage #2 and then in the last Stage he even made an unexpected pit stop for a loose wheel but that wasn’t a death sentence. In terms of speed analytics, Blaney had the Fastest Car Late In A Run and had the 2nd best Total Speed Ranking. Last spring, Blaney finished 12th, had a 16.5 average running position and had the 18th best Total Speed Ranking. Blaney looked like a mid to high-teens performer for much of the race, but he was at his best late and his 4th segment speed ranked 11th. In fall 2023, Blaney finished 12th. Before the final caution came out, Blaney looked poised to finish in 8th. In terms of Total Speed Rankings, Blaney ranked 8th. Over the three races prior to that, Blaney had results of 16th, 9th and 12th.

William Byron
Kansas Fantasy Outlook – Look for the #24 to be fast and for Byron to potentially be a factor at Kansas. Byron’s had some great runs here and he ranks as one of the premiere performers at high-speed 1.5-mile tracks. Byron was also one of the best last fall en route to a 2nd, so there’s no reason to think he’ll be a letdown. Going back to 2024 at high-speed 1.5’s, Byron had the best Track Type Total Speed Ranking and the best average finish (7.8). On Sunday, look for Byron to be a top five contender who’ll be a factor to win.
Kansas Track History – William Byron has been strong at Kansas and over the last 11 races, he’s 8 for 11 at finishing in the top ten. In the Next Gen, Byron has the 5th best Average Finish and the 9th best Total Speed Ranking. Last fall, Byron was stout. In the race, Byron finished 2nd, had a race best 4.7 average running position, earned the best Driver Rating and led 24 laps. In terms of speed stats, Byron had the best Total Speed Ranking and the best Green Flag Speed. Last spring, Byron was a dud and finished 23rd. That said, Byron had the 16th best Total Speed Ranking, a 16.3 average running position and I’m speculating he also got into a wall along the way. In fall 2023, Byron finished 15th but I wouldn’t read too much into that result. On lap 63 while running in 4th, Byron spun which brought out a caution and from that point on, he just wasn’t good. Over the two races prior to that, Byron had results of 3rd and 6th.

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