The NASCAR Cup Series will join the Truck Series at Michigan International Speedway this week. It will be another double header weekend for the Cup Series car at Michigan. The race is usually more predictable then the races where the top-20 is inverted. I plan to use my top drivers Saturday and take a few chances on Sunday.
I thought the race at New Hampshire was over before it started when Kyle Busch crashed out before the competition caution last week. I put the No. 18 car in the Garage and the rest of the drivers ran pretty well. The picks are beating 99.2% of the competition with six races left. I plan to keep the gas pedal smashed to the floor and making a run to the top of the overall standings.
Here are my picks for the FireKeepers Casino 400 ….
STARTING DRIVERS
Kevin Harvick: I have one allocation left with Kevin Harvick and I am using it Saturday. He has been a beast in races where the 550 HP aero package has been used. Harvick finished 1st, 2nd, 1st, 4th, 5th and 4th in his last six races in this aero package. Harvick also finished 1st, 7th, 1st and 2nd in his last four races at Michigan. The No. 4 car should be a lock for a top-five finish Saturday.
Kyle Busch: Damn it was tough to click on Kyle Busch’s name this week. How many times do I need to get burned by Rowdy before I learn my lesson? I guess one more time. Busch “should” be a good pick this week and I have three allocations left with him. Busch has finished 6th, 5th, 3rd and 4th in his last four races at Michigan. Busch finished 2nd at Auto Club in March. I am hoping he can have a similar run Saturday.
Brad Keselowski: Michigan is the home track for Brad Keselowski and it is no secret that adding a win at this track is very high on his bucket list. Keselowski has been close to going to Victory Lane with a 2nd place finish in 2018. The No. 2 car is running really well right now. Keselowski won last week in New Hampshire and finished 2nd the prior week at Kansas. I will ride the hot streak with Keselowski at his home track.
Ryan Blaney: Ryan Blaney has been a beast in the races with the 550 HP aero package. Blaney has a series-best 117.9 Driver Rating and a series-high 5.4 average running position in these races. He had the car to beat at Auto Club in March. Blaney finished 2nd in Stage 1, won Stage 2 and led 54 laps. His car ran out of gas on the last lap and he finished 19th. I expect Blaney to score a lot of Stage points and finish up front Saturday.
Aric Almirola: I plan to just keeping running Aric Almirola until I am out of allocations with him. The No. 10 team is scolding hot right now. Almirola has finished nine races in a row in the top 10. He has finished 12 of the 20 races in the top 10, including an 8th place finish at Auto Club. This is a breakout season for Almirola, similar to what Martin Truex Jr. had in 2015. One day we may look back at Almirola the way we do Truex now and think, “Remember when he could not win a race?”
GARAGE DRIVER
Kurt Busch: Michigan ranks as the fourth-best track for Kurt Busch so this will be a good race to get the No. 1 car into our lineups. Busch finished 2nd at Michigan last year. He also finished 3rd in March at Auto Club. Busch has finished seven of the eight races on the intermediate tracks this season in the top 10. He should add another top-10 finish to his 2020 stats Saturday. I will have Busch in the Garage as an insurance policy Saturday.
Good luck this week!
*Stats from Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet Pro and NASCAR Media.
** Photos from NASCAR Media
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