NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Phoenix Finale

 
Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last 5 Years):
By Race
Kevin Harvick - 5 
Kyle Busch - 4
All with 3- Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., and Ryan Blaney
 
By Track
Kevin Harvick - 10
Kyle Busch - 9
Denny Hamlin - 7
Both with 6 - Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson
All with 5 - Aric Almirola, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Ryan Blaney

Last Year's Race Winner: Chase Elliott

10 of the 26 NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway winners are active this weekend.

Active Race Winners

Wins

Seasons

Kevin Harvick

9

2018, 2016, 2015, 2014 sweep, 2013, 2012, 2007 sweep

Kyle Busch

3

2019, 2018, 2005

Joey Logano

2

2020, 2016

Denny Hamlin

2

2019, 2012

Ryan Newman

2

2017, 2010

Martin Truex Jr

1

2021

Chase Elliott

1

2020

Kurt Busch

1

2005

SOURCE: NASCAR.com

The Likely Suspects: Despite having a less-than- stellar year, Kevin Harvick's performance at this track is noteworthy, and could very well set up a situation that we haven't seen in recent years - a non-championship driver winning the race. Other Phoenix elite drivers include Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Matt DiBenedetto, and Kyle Larson.

My 2 Cents: My no-brainer pick is Kevin Harvick. My next picks are Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, and Matt DiBenedetto. I will round out my team with Daniel Suarez and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

My Final Four: Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, and Daniel Suarez.

Points to Ponder:
  • Ryan Newman (2002, 2003, 2004, 2008) and Kyle Busch (2006, 2012, 2016, 2019) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Phoenix Raceway with four each.
  • Five different manufacturers have won a pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway, led by Chevrolet with 18 and followed by Ford (15), Toyota (7), Dodge (4) and Pontiac (4). 
  • The third starting position is the most prolific starting position in the field producing more winners (seven) than any other starting position – the most recent was Denny Hamlin’s win in this race in 2019.
  • In total, 13 different organizations have won at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series, led by Hendrick Motorsports with 11 victories. 
  • Kevin Harvick leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Phoenix Raceway with nine victories (2006 sweep, 2012 Playoff race, 2013 Playoff race, 2014 sweep, 2015 Spring race, 2016 Spring race, 2018 Spring race). He also leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Phoenix with 1,662 laps led in 33 starts, in Top 5s with 18 top fives, Top 10s with 26, and he leads all active drivers in average finishing position at Phoenix Raceway with a 8.838. 
  • Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in runner-up finishes at Phoenix with four second-place finishes.
Remember, this weekend we have practice and qualifying. if you're playing Driver Group Game, make your initial picks by 8 a.m. ET on Saturday, November 6th, and your final picks by 3 p.m. ET on race day, Sunday, November 7th.

Enjoy the race, and thank you for joining me in this season's Fantasy racing journey!

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.
NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Phoenix Finale NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Phoenix Finale Reviewed by Carol D'Agostino on Friday, November 05, 2021 Rating: 5