NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Richmond Playoff Race No. 2


by Carol D'Agostino

Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last 5 Years):
By Race
Both with 4 - Kurt Busch and Joey Logano
All with 3 - Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch

By Track
Joey Logano - 9
Kurt Busch - 8
Kevin Harvick - 6  
All with 5 - Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Newman 

Recent Pole Winners:
2017 Matt Kenseth
2016 Denny Hamlin
2015 Joey Logano

Last Year's Race Winner: Kyle Larson

The Likely Suspects: After a wild race in Las Vegas and the great unknown coming up next week -- the Roval in Charlotte -- I don't expect this race weekend to be less than chaotic. I'm sticking with Richmond elites and hoping for the best. Look for these drivers to be running well this weekend: Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, and Ryan Newman.

My 2 Cents: My no-brainer pick this week is Kevin Harvick. He not only runs well here, but he is pretty steamed over last week's race. My next choices are Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Chase Elliott, and Aric Almirola. I'll complete my team with Michael McDowell and William Byron.

My Final Four: Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch, and Michael McDowell.

Second-look driver: This week's second-look driver is Matt Kenseth. We've seen a little more speed and performance out of the No. 6 car as of late and Matt has a pretty good record at Richmond with one win, three poles and an average finish of 17.3. Last week's second-look driver Aric Almirola had a very good night at Las Vegas, finishing in sixth place after starting in 16th.

Points to Ponder:
  • Denny Hamlin (2006, 2008 and 2016) and Matt Kenseth (2013 and 2017 sweep) lead all active drivers in Busch poles at Richmond with three each, followed by Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson with two each.
  • Eight drivers have won consecutive poles at Richmond – Joey Logano (2015 sweep) and Matt Kenseth (2017 sweep) are the two active drivers to accomplish the feat.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in wins at Richmond with five victories (spring 2009, spring 2010, spring 2011, spring 2012 and spring 2018).  
  • Jimmie Johnson is the only active driver with consecutive wins at Richmond (2007 sweep).  
  • The pole starting position is the most prolific starting position in the field, producing more winners than any other starting position at Richmond Raceway with 24. 
  • Petty Enterprises has the most wins at Richmond in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with 15 victories, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing with 12, Hendrick Motorsports with 10, and Richard Childress Racing with nine.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in series runner-up finishes at Richmond with six, followed by Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman with two each. 
  • Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in top-five finishes at Richmond with 16, followed by Kevin Harvick (13) and Denny Hamlin (11).
  • Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in top 10s at Richmond with 22, followed by Kyle Busch (19) and Ryan Newman (18).
Remember, if you're playing Driver Group Game, make your picks by 8 a.m. EDT on Friday, September 21st and your final picks by 7:30 p.m. EDT on race day Saturday, September 22nd.

I'll be covering the race weekend at Richmond for Skirts and Scuffs. Check back for my articles and visit our Facebook page to see my photos.

Enjoy the race! Post your comments here or follow me on Twitter at @purplecatpr.
NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Richmond Playoff Race No. 2 NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Richmond Playoff Race No. 2 Reviewed by Carol D'Agostino on Thursday, September 20, 2018 Rating: 5