NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Auto Club 400 at Fontana


Track Classification: Superspeedway
Similar Tracks: Daytona International Speedway • Indianapolis Motor Speedway 
Michigan International Speedway • Pocono Raceway • Talladega Superspeedway
Distance: 2 Miles

Drivers with Most Top 10s :
By Race
All with 4 - Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch
All with 3 - Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman

By Track
Both with 4 - Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards
All with 3 -  Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman

Recent Pole Winners: 
2014 Matt Kenseth
2013 Denny Hamlin

2013 Flashback
The new rules package setup -- aka my "squirrelly car" theory --  is holding up except of course for the case of Kevin Harvick. Apparently Happy Harvick's statistics are the exception to every rule this year. However, my theory is that the drivability of this year's car better suits those whose driving was subpar last year, therefore, you need to factor in performances from 2013 as opposed to 2014 for your fantasy picks.

Top 15 Finishers at Auto Cub Speedway on Sunday, March 24, 2013  
  1. Kyle Busch           
  2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.           
  3.  Joey Logano           
  4. Carl Edwards           
  5. Kurt Busch           
  6. Greg Biffle           
  7. Matt Kenseth           
  8. Paul Menard           
  9. Kasey Kahne           
  10. Ryan Newman           
  11.  Jeff Gordon           
  12. Jimmie Johnson           
  13.  Kevin Harvick           
  14. Aric Almirola           
  15. Casey Mears
The Likely Suspects: Superspeedway racing is all about the speed. So far Kevin Harvick seems to be the driver who definitely has it while others like Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart are struggling. I'm not as concerned about Tony Stewart yet, but if Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards find themselves finishing mid-pack this week, then there may be some issues in their garages.

These drivers love running at Fontana and should be competitive: Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson.

My 2 Cents:  My no-brainer pick this week is Matt Kenneth My next choices are Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and "Mr. Hugging the High Line" Kyle Larson.  I will complete my team with David Ragan, who will be driving the exact car that Kyle Busch won in last year, and Danica Patrick. 

My final four is shaping up to be: Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson and David Ragan.

Bits of knowledge to help you finalize your picks:
  • Nine of the 25 (36%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Auto Club Speedway have been won from a top-five starting position.
  • Thirteen of the 25 (52%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Auto Club Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.
  • Think Michigan. If you are struggling with making your final picks take a look at past performance at Michigan International Speedway. MIS is the most similar superspeedway to this track.
Enjoy the race! Post your comments here or email me at ssfantasyracing@skirtsandscuffs.com 
NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Auto Club 400 at Fontana NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Auto Club 400 at Fontana Reviewed by Carol D'Agostino on Thursday, March 19, 2015 Rating: 5