NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Cook Out 400 at Richmond

 

Finally, racing is back! I don't know about you, but I was getting a bit grumpy. It seems like ions ago when Kyle Larson got to kiss the bricks at Indy for his 27th Cup Series win and his third crown jewel win. I can't wait to see who has a little something extra for the field this weekend. We have a 45 minute practice, so that just might be a good omen for Kyle Busch, but there are other drivers looking for their first sticker of the season like Chris Buescher, who will be trying to defend last year's win here. Stay tuned. I'm reporting live from Richmond Raceway so check back for weekend coverage.

 

This Week's Pick Strategy: For the first time in a points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race teams will have two Goodyear tire options available : a baseline “Prime” tire that has a harder rubber compound with potentially less grip but more longevity, and a new “Option” tire that has a softer rubber compound with more short-term grip and speed, but less longevity. With Richmond being a rough track that's hard on tires, I'm strategically including drivers who are masters at tire management, and it wouldn't hurt to load up on JJR drivers!

 

Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last 5 Years):

By Race

Both with 5 - Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch
Both with 4 - Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano

Both with 3 - Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott 

By Track*
Both with 8 - Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch

Both with 7 - Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano

All with 5 - Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, and Austin Dillon 

Both with 4 - Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson 

* Includes nine races from 2019 to 2023. Spring 2020 was not held.

Last Year's Pole Winner: Tyler Reddick

 

Last Year's Race Winner: Chris Buescher

 

The Likely Suspects: My Richmond Raceway go-tos include Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell, and Chase Elliott.

 

My 2 Cents:  My no-brainer pick this week is Denny Hamlin. My next picks are Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Josh Berry, Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano. I'll complete my team with Chase Briscoe and Todd Gilliland.

My Final Four: Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Chase Briscoe.

Points to Ponder:

• Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in wins at Richmond with six victories (spring 2009, spring 2010, spring 2011, spring 2012, 2018 sweep), leads in runner-up finishes with seven, is tied with Denny Hamlin in Top 5s with 19, and leads in Top 10s at Richmond with 28.
• Josh Berry (two series starts) leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Richmond Raceway with a 6.500.
  
• Joe Gibbs Racing leads the NASCAR Cup Series in victories at Richmond Raceway with 19, followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 12.
  
• Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led at Richmond Raceway with 2,243 laps led in 35 starts.

 

Remember, if you're playing Driver Group Game, make your initial picks by 4:35 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 10th, and your final picks by 6 p.m. ET on race day Sunday, August 11th.  

 

Enjoy the race!

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Carol D'Agostino has been playing Fantasy NASCAR for 17 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.