NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Darlington Playoff Opener

Hello again. This reconfigured schedule certainly put a cramp in fantasy statistics, but we are back to where we should be, so NASCAR Fantasy Fusion is back as well. So, let's get this postseason started!

Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last five races):
Kevin Harvick - 5
Both with 4 - Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch
All with 3 - Erik Jones,  Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. 

Driver Rating - Top 10

Since 2005 - Factors in Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps and Lead-Lap Finish. A driver can score a maximum driver rating of 150 points per race. Updated Prior to the 2020 September race.

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Darlington

Denny Hamlin........................... 106.7

Erik Jones................................. 106.6

Kevin Harvick............................ 103.5

Kyle Busch............................... 102.9

Brad Keselowski......................... 99.9

Martin Truex Jr........................... 99.6

Jimmie Johnson.......................... 95.3

Joey Logano............................... 89.5

Matt Kenseth.............................. 89.1

Ryan Newman............................ 88.4

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (17 total) among active drivers at Darlington Raceway.

SOURCE: NASCAR.com

Last Year's Race Winner:  Erik Jones
May 17, 2020 Tops 3 Finishers: Kevin Harvick; Alex Bowman; and Kurt Busch
May 20, 2020 Top 3 Finishers: Denny Hamlin; Kyle Busch; and Kevin Harvick

The Likely Suspects: "Too Tough to Tame" maybe the nickname for Darlington Raceway, but I think it can also be applied to our top two championship contenders: Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin, who just happen to be pretty stellar at Darlington. Other drivers who more than know their way around this track include: Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Erik Jones, Joey Logano, and  Martin Truex Jr.

My 2 Cents: I won't say that we absolutely can't get a surprise winner on Sunday, but old school/veteran racers usually rule at Darlington. The Lady in Black is a pretty treacherous track. If your car doesn't end the race beaten up a bit, then you probably weren't racing hard enough. My no-brainer pick this week is a tie between Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. My next picks are Kurt Busch, Erik Jones, Chris Buescher and Matt DiBenedetto. I'll round out my team with Tyler Reddick and Matt Kenseth.

My Final Four: Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Matt DiBenedetto and Tyler Reddick.

Second-Look Driver: This week's second-look driver is Erik Jones. Erik and the No. 20 Sport Clips team return to Darlington Raceway as the defending Southern 500 winners after capturing the coveted victory in 2019. In 2019 Erik started in 15th. In Sunday's race the No. 20 car will be 30th on the grid. But this is a good track for Erik and he has extra incentive as he is looking for a ride in 2021. Jones has one win, three top-five finishes and all five finishes in the top eight. He has led 106 laps and has an average finish of 5.4.

Points to Ponder:

• 20 of the 118 (16.9%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway have been won from the pole or first starting position; the most recent was Kevin Harvick in 2014.
• The first starting position is the most prolific starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Darlington. The outside front row (second-place) has produced the second-most wins (17). 
• Jimmie Johnson (2004 sweep, 2012), and Denny Hamlin    (2010, 2017, 2020) lead all active drivers with three wins each.
• Jimmie Johnson (three), Denny Hamlin (three) and Kevin Harvick (two) are the only active multiple race winners at Darlington Raceway.
• A total of 11 different manufacturers have won in the series at Darlington led by Chevrolet with 41 victories, followed by Ford (30).
• Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins by an organization at Darlington in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14 victories. 
• Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in second-place finishes at Darlington with three.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top fives at Darlington with 10.
• Erik Jones leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Darlington with a 5.400 in five starts.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with 750 laps led in 25 starts.

Remember, if you're playing Driver Group Game, make your picks by 6 p.m. EST on race day Sunday, September 6th.

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 in 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 FRCS). 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.