The Cup Series will travel to the Heartland this weekend to race at Kansas Speedway. This will be the second true race on a 1.5-mile track since Atlanta uses a different aero package and races like a Superspeedway. We can still use the data from the races at Las Vegas and Auto Club, the other races using the 670 HP aero package and the practice speeds to figure out which drivers will be the best for our Fantasy Live lineups Sunday. The Gen-7 car has produced some excellent racing on the intermediate tracks this year. I expect the same will happen in the Advent Health 400.
KANSAS STRATEGY
My strategy this week is not too tough… I need to go see a voodoo doctor and ask for some better luck. This shit is getting ridiculous. Last week I had my drivers running No.1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 and then Martin Truex Jr. got loose on a restart and took out two of my drivers. If anyone has any good mojo… please send it my way.
I looked at the drivers who ran well using the 670 HP aero package this year (Auto Club, Las Vegas, Richmond, Dover and Darlington). There is a big gap between the haves and have-nots in those races. I am using the drivers who ran well in those races and looked good in practice Saturday.
Here are my picks for the Advent Health 400…
FANTASY LIVE LINEUP
KYLE LARSON (6): The No. 5 car has had a lot of speed in the races using the 670 HP aero package with the 4” spoiler. He also completely dominated the last two races at Kansas Speedway. Larson led 132 laps and scored 19 Stage Points in this race last year. He came back in the playoffs and led 130 laps and scored 18 Stage Points on his way to Victory Lane. Larson looked fast in practice so I will use another allocation with the No. 5 car Sunday.
KYLE BUSCH (7): It is not often we get a Happy Busch at the track but he should have an extra bounce in his step after he became a father again this week and he is the defending race winner. Busch has been the best driver for Joe Gibbs Racing this year. Kansas Speedway used to be the worst track for Busch but then Carl Edwards taught him how to navigate the bumps in this track and now Busch is one of the best in the Heartland.
CHRISTOPHER BELL (7): Bell has a lot of momentum right now. He finished 4th at Dover and 6th at Darlington. He should be good again this week. Bell finished 8th in the last race at Kansas. He also led 32 laps and finished 10th at Las Vegas earlier this season. Bell had the fastest car in practice and he won the pole. The No. 20 car should score a lot of Stage Points and finish in the top-10 Sunday.
TYLER REDDICK (5): I texted a friend who is a crew chief for one of the top teams in the Xfinity Series. He told me, “Kansas is starting to lose a lot of grip. It races a lot like Homestead now. The drivers who are ripping the top lane next to the wall will be tough to beat at Kansas.” When I read his message I immediate thought, “So, you are saying Tyler Reddick is the pick this week?” I liked the way Reddick looked in practice so I will use another allocation with the No. 8 car Sunday.
WILLIAM BYRON (7): Byron has been one of…if not the best driver in the Cup Series this year. He leads the series with 544 laps led and 114 Stage Points scored. Byron finished 5th at Las Vegas and he should have won his third race of the season last week at Darlington. Byron led 57 laps and finished 6th in the last race at Kansas. The No. 24 car should spend a lot of the race running in the top-10, scoring Stage Points with a good chance to win Sunday.
GARAGE DRIVER: MARTIN TRUEX JR. (7): How good has Truex been at Kansas? He has only finished outside the top-10 once in his last 10 races at the track and that was because he had a flat tire at the end of the race in 2019. Since joining Joe Gibbs Racing, Truex has a 6th-place average finishing position at Kansas. Truex should be a safe pick to have in the Garage Sunday.
Bonus Picks
Fantasy Live has a new Bonus Picks section this year. Instead of selecting the winning team or manufacturer, we will earn 10 bonus points for selecting the driver who finishes the best in a Head-to-Head matchup. Here are my picks for the matchups…
WILLIAM BYRON vs. JOEY LOGANO (My Pick: WILLIAM BYRON)
KYLE LARSON vs. DENNY HAMLIN (My pick is KYLE LARSON)
ARIC ALMIROLA vs. ERIK JONES (My pick is ARIC ALMIROLA)
KEVIN HARVICK vs. TYLER REDDICK (My pick is TYLER REDDICK)
Good Luck this week!
*Stats from Fantasy Racing CheatSheet Pro
* Team Information from Jaysky.com
If you need any further advice with your team, look for me on Twitter @MrFantasyNASCAR
If you like Fantasy NASCAR, LIKE my Fantasy NASCAR Tips Page on Facebook