NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan

Active Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last 5 Years):
By Race
Joey Logano -5
Brad Keselowski- 4
All with 3 - Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch. Kyle Larson, Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer

By Track
Joey Logano - 9
Brad Keselowski - 8
Kevin Harvick - 7
Chase Elliott - 6
Both with 5-  Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin

Recent Pole Winners:
2018 Kurt Busch
2017 Kyle Larson

Last Year's Race Winner: Clint Bowyer

The Likely Suspects: My Michigan go-tos are: Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer.  

My 2 Cents: If the weather is the least bit warm on Sunday, look toward the dirt-track drivers to get you some premium points on race day. My no-brainer pick this week is Kyle Larson. My next picks are Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Clint Bowyer, William Byron and Paul Menard. I will complete my team with Ty Dillon and Daniel Hemric.

Second-Look Driver: This week's second-look driver is Ryan Blaney. Fords have the most victories
here at Michigan plus Ryan has two top fives and three top 10s with the eighth-best finishing average among active drivers. It would be great to see Ryan put together a great race from beginning to end. For Chris Buescher, last week's second-look driver, race weekend started out a bit rocky as the No. 37 car failed pre-qualifying inspection twice, resulting in the ejection of the car chief. However, come race day the team rallied. After starting in the 24th position, Buescher finished in a respectable 14th place.

My Final Four: Kyle Larson, Erik Jones, Clint Bowyer and Ty Dillon.

Points to Ponder:
  • The first starting position is the most prolific starting position in the field, producing more winners (21) than any other starting position at Michigan International Speedway – 20 from the Busch Pole and one from the first starting position due to qualifying being cancelled.
  • Kurt Busch (2010, 2011 and 2018) and Joey Logano (2013, 2016 sweep) lead all active drivers in poles at Michigan with three each.
  • Kyle Larson (2016, 2017 sweep) and Kurt Busch (2003, 2007, 2015) lead all active series drivers in wins at Michigan with three each.  
  • Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Michigan with 13.
  • The Wood Brothers Racing organization has the second-most series wins at Michigan with 11.
  • Eight different manufacturers have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan, led by Ford with 37 victories, followed by Chevrolet with 26, Mercury (12), Dodge (nine), Toyota (five), Buick (four) Pontiac (four) and Oldsmobile (two).
  • Kevin Harvick, tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip for second-most all-time, leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes at Michigan with seven. Harvick also leads all active drivers in top five finishes at Michigan with 14.
Remember, if you're playing Driver Group Game, make your picks by 8 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 8th, and pick your starters by 2 p.m. ET on race day, Sunday, June 9th.

Enjoy the race!
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Carol D’Agostino wields fantasy-racing superpowers. Each week, Carol researches statistics and combs through her personal racing notes to provide fans with fantasy racing advice at NASCAR Fantasy Fusion, a column she has written for Skirts & Scuffs since October 2011. Carol also does race coverage for Skirts & Scuffs at Richmond Raceway, and occasionally at her home track, Dover International Speedway. This year she joins the NASCAR Expert Picks panel at
Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet When she isn’t crunching numbers, you’ll find Carol in business meetings or hammering out a news release or creating a marketing strategy at a small niche public relations firm she founded called Purple Cat. 


NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan Reviewed by Carol D'Agostino on Thursday, June 06, 2019 Rating: 5