NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Atlanta

 

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series returns for a second visit this season to the series’ oldest surface (last repave was in 1997), Atlanta Motor Speedway. Back in March, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney earned the first Atlanta Motor Speedway win of his career. On Sunday he'll be joined by three drivers with Cup wins at Atlanta who are still looking for their first win of the 2021 season – Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin. Now that should make for some interesting racing.

This Week's Pick Strategy: Atlanta is a racer's track. Drivers who can read a track and search out different lines during a race tend to do well here. Included in this elite category are racers like Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, the Busch brothers, Kyle Larson, and Brad Keselowski. I'll be focusing on them plus adding in a Wood Brothers and JGR emphasis.
 

Drivers with Most Top 10s:

By Race (From 2015 to 2020)

All with 6: Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr.
Kurt Busch - 5
All with 4: Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch
Note: Includes 6 races; all but 2019 and 2018 were with the 750 horsepower package

Top 12 Driver Ratings at Atlanta
Kevin Harvick........................... 101.4
Kyle Larson................................ 98.0
Martin Truex Jr........................... 96.7
Denny Hamlin............................. 95.6
Kurt Busch................................. 95.4
Kyle Busch................................. 94.6
Brad Keselowski......................... 94.4
Ryan Blaney............................... 91.0
Chase Elliott............................... 89.9
Joey Logano.............................. 83.3
Ryan Newman............................ 78.0
Ricky Stenhouse Jr..................... 77.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2021 races (23 total) among active drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
SOURCE: NASCAR Media

Last Year's Race Winner: Kevin Harvick

My Final Four: Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Second-Look Driver: This week's second-look driver is Matt DiBenedetto. Wood Brothers Racing has a pretty good notebook and history here at Atlanta, trailing Hendrick Motorsports by only two wins with 12. In March, the No. 21 started in 20th and finished in 11th. Matty D and the No. 21 will be carrying the colors of the title sponsor Quaker State 400 on the car and will also be representing long-time backer Menards. “We have had good speed at Atlanta, so this is one we are definitely looking forward to. It’s a big weekend with Menards and Quaker State,” he said.

Last week's second-look driver Ryan Blaney started 17th and finished 20th. The disappointing race can be chalked up to handling issues and damage incurred in the middle of the race after making contact with another competitor while wheel-hopping. Despite catching a lucky break with a caution at Lap 42, the No. 12 car was unable to maintain pace. "We lacked some overall grip early in the race, but felt like we made some good adjustments, but then taking the damage really set up back for the rest of the day," Blaney said.

Points to Ponder:

• The most prolific starting position in the field at Atlanta Motor Speedway is fifth – it has produced more wins (16) than any other starting position.
•  The Hendrick Motorsports organization has the most wins at Atlanta in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14 victories, followed by The Wood Brothers with 12; and Joe Gibbs Racing with 11. 
• The longest consecutive wins streak by a manufacturer in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway is five victories by Ford (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021).
• Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with two runner-up finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway each. 
• Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Top 5s finishes at Atlanta with nine as well as in Top 10s with 16. He also leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Atlanta with 1,197 in 31 starts. 
• Kyle Larson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a 12.143 in 12 starts. 
• Six former Atlanta winners are active this weekend: Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch have three each, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch have two each, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney each have one win.
• Denny Hamlin competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway 12 times before winning in the spring of 2012, the longest span of any of the six active NASCAR Cup Series winners.
  

If you're playing Driver Group Game, remember to make your picks by 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 11th.

 

Enjoy the race!

Carol D'Agostino has been playing Fantasy NASCAR for 15 years. She launched NASCAR Fantasy Fusion for Skirts & Scuffs in October 2011. Each week, Carol pores through statistics and combs through her personal notebooks to arm fans with analysis and picking strategies that will leave their friends wondering how they got so smart. Carol also does race coverage for Skirts & Scuffs at Richmond Raceway and occasionally at her home track, Dover International Speedway. She is also part of the distinguished NASCAR Expert Picks panel at frcs.pro. formerly called Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet.

When she isn’t wielding her fantasy-racing superpowers, you’ll find Carol hammering out a news release or creating a marketing strategy at a small niche public relations firm she founded called Purple Cat, or executing downtown revitalization projects for a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.