Fantasy NASCAR GoBowling.com 400 at Kansas Driver Picks – FOXSports.com
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels to Kansas City, Kansas this week for the GoBowling 400. The race can be seen Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1. Be sure to test your knowledge of NASCAR by competing in Fox Sports Fantasy Auto Racing.
Kansas is one of the fastest of the 1.5-mile race tracks. The track was repaved and progressive banking was added in 2012. Kansas is starting to get worn in, but it still lacks multiple groves for drivers to race. This is an aero-dependent track and the cream usually rises to the top. The drivers at the top of the NASCAR point standings should run well this week.
There are seven drivers who have an average finishing position in the top 10 on the intermediate tracks this season. These drivers will be the best choices for fantasy teams Saturday night.
| Intermediate Track Average Finish Position | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Atlanta | Las Vegas | Auto Club | Texas | Average |
| Jimmie Johnson | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2.25 |
| Joey Logano | 12 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5.25 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 5.75 |
| Kevin Harvick | 6 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 6.25 |
| Kyle Busch | 3 | 4 | 25 | 1 | 8.25 |
| Carl Edwards | 5 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 9.25 |
| Brad Keselowski | 9 | 1 | 9 | 18 | 9.25 |
Sometimes the driver’s finishing position does not tell an accurate story of how each driver performed in the race. If a driver runs up front but crashes at the end, the average finishing position will make it look like the driver struggled in the race. The average running position shows a more accurate picture of how the each driver performed on intermediate tracks this season.
| Intermediate Track Average Running Position | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Atlanta | Las Vegas | Auto Club | Texas | Average |
| Kevin Harvick | 3.04 | 4.72 | 3.47 | 6.05 | 4.32 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 4.42 | 3.19 | 5.97 | 7.37 | 5.24 |
| Joey Logano | 11.26 | 2.46 | 4.92 | 8.13 | 6.69 |
| Kyle Busch | 10.23 | 5.93 | 9.12 | 5.77 | 7.76 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 3.67 | 11.61 | 10.42 | 7.69 | 8.35 |
| Carl Edwards | 5.6 | 13.82 | 7.15 | 11.52 | 9.52 |
| Brad Keselowski | 9.57 | 5.51 | 11.76 | 11.86 | 9.68 |
Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano were the drivers to beat in the two races at Kansas in 2015. They finished both races in the top five. The No. 48 car came to life after the rain in the spring race and Johnson was able to go to Victory Lane for the third time at the track. Logano led 42 laps in the fall race and won for the second time at Kansas. Both of these drivers will be excellent picks for fantasy teams Saturday night.
Here are the results from the two races at Kansas Speedway in 2015:
2015 Spongebob Squarepants 400 Results
- Jimmie Johnson
- Kevin Harvick
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Jeff Gordon (Not racing)
- Joey Logano
2015 Hollywood Casino 400 Results
- Joey Logano
- Denny Hamlin
- Jimmie Johnson
- Kasey Kahne
- Kyle Busch
Qualifying will not be as important this week as it is at other intermediate tracks. Three of the last four race winners at Kansas started outside the top 10. Drivers will be able to make passes at Kansas if the crew chief has the car dialed in right.
Selecting drivers who start deeper in the field will be important this week. The scoring system for Fox Sports Fantasy Auto Racing rewards drivers who improve their position in the race more than the drivers who lead the most laps. Fantasy teams should select the top drivers who qualify outside the top 10 in the GoBowling.com.
Pick to Win
Jimmie Johnson ($13,500) has been on fire this season on the intermediate tracks. He won two of the four races (Atlanta and Auto Club) and finished in the top five in the other two races. Johnson has the best stats in the series at Kansas. He finished 14 of the last 16 races at the track in the top 10. Johnson is best choice for your Fox Sports Fantasy Auto Racing lineup this week.
Contenders
Kevin Harvick ($14,200) has been a beast this year on the intermediate tracks. He has a series-best 4.32 average running position and has finished all four races in the top 10. Harvick has the second-best driver rating and fourth-best average finishing position at Kansas since the track was repaved. He also has led laps in each of the races since 2012. Harvick should be leading many more laps Saturday night.
Carl Edwards ($12,400) considers Kansas his home track and the Missouri native has made it known that winning a race at this track is high on his to do list. Edwards has finished three of the four races on the intermediate tracks in the top 10 and he has also run well at Kansas. Edwards has the sixth-best average finishing position at the track since it was repaved. The No. 19 car should be one of the favorites to go to Victory Lane this week.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. ($12,300) has been one of the best drivers in the Fox Sports Fantasy Auto Racing game this season because he consistently qualifies poorly and finishes in the front. The same results should occur Saturday night. Earnhardt has an average running position of outside the top 10 and an average finishing position of inside the top five this season on the intermediate tracks. The No. 88 car is a great choice for your fantasy team at Kansas.
Joey Logano ($11,700) has performed very well on the intermediate tracks this season and his stats at Kansas are very good. Logano has finished three of the four races on the intermediate tracks in the top four. He has a series-best driver rating and a series-best average finishing position since the track was repaved. Logano will have a great chance to get to Victory Lane for the first time this season Saturday night.
Value Picks
Matt Kenseth ($8,700) just cannot catch a break this year but sooner or later his luck has to change. The No. 20 team is too good to struggle the entire season. I would not be surprised to see Kenseth run up front Saturday night. He has the fifth-best driver rating and the seventh-best average finish at Kansas since the track was repaved. Kenseth is almost too cheap to avoid this week.
Chase Elliott ($7,200) is quickly starting to increase in price. It was only a couple of weeks ago when he was only $5,500 in the Fox Sports Fantasy Auto Racing game. Elliott is still a great selection at his current price. He has finished three of the four races on the intermediate tracks in the top 10. Elliott should get to Victory Lane some time this season and it would not surprise me if it happened this week.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($7,200) has run pretty well on the intermediate tracks this season. He has finished all of the races in the top 16 and he has an average running position inside the top 15. Stenhouse started 18th and finished 13th in the last race at Kansas. I expect the same type of results from the No. 17 team Saturday night.
Tony Stewart ($6,300) has not run very well the last year but his current price makes him too affordable to pass up. Stewart has run well at Kansas in the past. The question that needs to be answered is whether or not Stewart can get anywhere near the driver he used to be. My advice is to check out the practice speeds Friday and if the No. 14 car is in the top 20, use Stewart for your team.
Here are my picks for the GoBowling.com 400 for Fox Sports Fantasy Auto Racing:
Driver 1: Kevin Harvick $14,200
Driver 2: Jimmie Johnson $13,500
Driver 3: Matt Kenseth $8,700
Driver 4: Chase Elliott $7,200
Driver 5: Tony Stewart $6,300
FOX Fantasy Auto Resources
And don’t forget – prizes are on the line each race of the fantasy season! First, second and third place each win a prize. Plus, each race builds your point total for larger segment and season prizes.
*Stats from Driveraverages.com and career stats from Racing-Reference.Info…
If you need any further advice with your team or want to see my updated picks after Happy Hour practice, look for me on Twitter (@MrFantasyNASCAR) or LIKE my Fantasy NASCAR Tips Page on Facebook.
