NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Auto Club Speedway, the Second Stop on the West Coast Swing

Drivers with Most Top 10s in the Last 5 Years:
Both with 5: Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano
Martin Truex Jr. - 4
All with 3 - Denny Hamlin,  Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney

Top-10 Driver Averages in the last 10 Cup Races
SOURCE: MRN.com
Driver Best Fin. Avg. Fin.
Kyle Busch 1 8.8
Chase Elliott 6 10.8
Jimmie Johnson 1 10.8
Kevin Harvick 1 11.7
Ryan Newman 5 12.4
Joey Logano 2 12.5
Erik Jones 7 12.7
Kurt Busch 3 13.2
Kyle Larson 1 13.7
Austin Dillon 10 13.7

Top-10 Driver Rating at Auto Club
Active Drivers 2005-2019 races; 21 total)
SOURCE: NASCAR Media 
Jimmie Johnson........................ 114.0
Kyle Busch................................. 111.5
Kevin Harvick............................. 96.1
Erik Jones................................... 93.6
Denny Hamlin.............................93.4
Chase Elliott............................... 92.4
Ryan Blaney............................... 90.9
Joey Logano............................... 90.4
Kyle Larson................................ 89.9
Kurt Busch................................. 88.6

Recent Pole Winners: 
2019 Austin Dillon
2018 Martin Truex Jr.

Last Year's Race Winner: Kyle Busch

The Likely Suspects: The best of the best tend to run well here at Auto Club Speedway. This is my pool of elite drivers this week: Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon.

My 2 Cents: This week, load up your roster with notable wheelmen. One of our stellar rookie class drivers may surprise us though. My no-brainer pick this week is Kyle Busch. My next choices are Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch and Erik Jones. I will complete my team with Ty Dillon and Cole Custer.

Second-Look Driver: For the second straight week I'm going with Aric Almirola as my second-look driver. Last year, Almirola earned his first top 10 in 12 starts at Fontana, led seven laps and ran in and around the top 10 for most of the race. Last week at Las Vegas was a disappointment. He started 14th on the grid, and it looked as though he was going to score a top 10. Unfortunately his left-rear fender was damaged when another car made contact with his under caution. Almirola was able to finish the race 21st and on the lead lap.

My Final Four: Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch and Ty Dillon

Points to Ponder:
  • Kurt Busch leads the NASCAR Cup Series in Busch Pole Awards at Auto Club Speedway with four (2015, 2007 and 2006 sweep).
  • Two active drivers have won multiple poles at Auto Club Speedway – Kurt Busch (four) and Denny Hamlin (three).
  • Seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Auto Club Speedway with six victories (2016, Spring 2010, Fall 2009, Fall 2008, Fall 2007 and 2002).
  • Two active drivers have posted multiple NASCAR Cup Series wins at Auto Club Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (six) and Kyle Busch (four).
  • Jimmie Johnson (2009-2010) and Kyle Busch (2013-2014) are the only two drivers to win consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway.
  • Three drivers have won from the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Auto Club Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2008), Kyle Larson (2017) and Martin Truex Jr. (2018).
  • Four of the 30 (13.3%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway have been won from the front row: Jimmie Johnson, Fall 2008 (pole); and Fall 2007 (outside pole); Kyle Larson, 2017 (pole); Martin Truex Jr. 2018 (pole).
  • The most proficient starting position at Auto Club Speedway is pretty random. Five starting positions (first, third, fourth, ninth and 24th) have all produced three winners each.
  • A total of 10 different organizations have won at Auto Club Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, led by Hendrick Motorsports with 10 victories.
  • Jimmie Johnson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Auto Club Speedway with five second-place finishes. He also leads in top fives with 13, top 10s with 17, and in average finishing position with a 7.600.
Remember, if you're playing Driver Group Game, make your picks by 8 a.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 28, and pick your starters by 3:30 p.m. ET on race day, Sunday, March 1.

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: Auto Club Speedway, the Second Stop on the West Coast Swing NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Auto Club Speedway, the Second Stop on the West Coast Swing Reviewed by Carol D'Agostino on Thursday, February 27, 2020 Rating: 5