NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG

 

Denny Hamlin gave a master class on tire management and plain old great racing last weekend at Dover as he defended his 2024 victory at the Monster Mile. Teammate Chase Briscoe battled hard on fresher tires during the final two-lap sprint, but couldn't make the pass. The win was Hamlin's fourth of the season, currently the most of all Cup drivers this season, and his third win at Dover. Dover Motor Speedway became the 12th track where Hamlin is a three-time winner. 

Interestingly enough this weekend's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is considered one of the NASCAR Cup Series’ Crown Jewel events, and more importantly to Hamlin, it's one that he hasn't checked off his list yet. Who will be kissing the bricks this weekend? Stay tuned.

This Week's Pick Strategy: The Brickyard seems to reward drivers who know how to manage their tires and are masterful at strategically planning a pass two turns before they make it. But I wouldn't count out those "sure I can make the pass" fearless drivers who are always ready to make a last minute move whether or not it will take out the field. Drivers with a dirt track background also do well here. This week my roster will start with two or three dirt track masters and fill in with veteran drivers who has consistently run in the Top 5 on the Oval. 

Top 10 Active Cup Driver Standings In Indianapolis *

* Based on last 17 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2005 – 2020, 2024).
SOURCE: NASCAR Media

 

Active Drivers with the Most Top 5s at the Last 5 Races on the Oval *

Brad Keselowski - 3
Both with 2 - Joey Logano and Bubba Wallace   
All with 1 - Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Cole Custer, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Erik Jones

 *Based on 2024, 2020, 2019, 2018 & 2017 

SOURCE: frcs.pro

 

Last Year's Pole Winner: Tyler Reddick

 

Last Year's Race Winner: Kyle Larson

 

The Likely Suspects: I expect these drivers to run well this weekend: Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, and Chase Briscoe.

My 2 Cents: My no-brainer pick this week is Kyle Larson. My next picks are Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Elliott. I will complete my roster with Bubba Wallace and Ty Dillon.

My Fabulous 5 (Drivers most likely to finish in the Top 5):
Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, and Bubba Wallace.

NASCAR Fantasy Live Line Up: 

Kyle Larson, Carson Hocevar, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, and Denny Hamlin. In the garage: Chase Elliott.

        Featured Match Ups: Reddick over Bell, Wallace over Blaney, Ty Dillon over Ty Gibbs, and Larson over Hamlin.

 

Second-Look Driver: This week's sleeper pick is Cole Custer. Sunday will be Cole's second Cup Series start on the Indy oval. In his first Cup Series outing here in 2020, Cole started 30th on the grid and finished fifth. In 2024, while driving full-time in the Xfinity Series, Cole earned the pole position, finished second, and led 47 laps. His other Indy Oval Xfinity finishes were seventh in 2019, 29th in 2018, and fifth in 2027. It would be great to see Cole earn a respectable finish in Indy on Sunday.

Points to Ponder: 

• Kyle Busch leads all active Cup Series drivers in wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with two victories (2015, 2016).
• The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (five) than any other starting position at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series – a 17.8% winning percentage. 
• Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with 11 wins among four drivers.
• Joey Logano and Kyle Busch lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in runner-up finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with two each.
• Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Top 5s at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with five.
• Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Top 10 finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with 12. Kyle also leads all active Cup Series drivers in laps led at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with 329 laps in 17 starts.
• Tyler Reddick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in average finishing position at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a 5.000 in two starts.
  

Remember, if you're playing Driver Group Game, make your final picks by 2:15 p.m. EST on Sunday, July 27th. Don't forget to select your bonus match-ups.

 

Enjoy the race!

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Carol D'Agostino has been playing Fantasy NASCAR for 18 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.