The 2020 NASCAR season is going to be here before we know it. I am working with the owner of the Driver Group Game to setup the 2020 game and make it even better. One of the aspects of the game we are discussing is the driver Group designation. The groups each driver is placed into effects the game more than any other decision we make. Here are my groups for the 2020 season…
GROUP A
|
Driver |
Team |
Manufacturer |
| Kyle Busch |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
Toyota |
| Martin Truex Jr. |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
Toyota |
| Denny Hamlin |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
Toyota |
| Kevin Harvick |
Stewart-Haas Racing |
Ford |
| Joey Logano |
Team Penske Racing |
Ford |
| Brad Keselowski |
Team Penske Racing |
Ford |
| Ryan Blaney |
Team Penske Racing |
Ford |
The drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske Racing dominated the 2019 season. They won 25 of the 36 races. The only driver to have a lot of success against these two teams was Kevin Harvick. When you add in the four wins for the No. 4 car, the seven drivers listed above won 28 of 36 races. They have to be the Group A drivers for the 2020 season.
GROUP B
|
Driver |
Team |
Manufacturer |
| Kurt Busch |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Chevy |
| Kyle Larson |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
Chevy |
| Chase Elliott |
Hendrick Motorsports |
Chevy |
| Jimmie Johnson |
Hendrick Motorsports |
Chevy |
| Alex Bowman |
Hendrick Motorsports |
Chevy |
| William Byron |
Hendrick Motorsports |
Chevy |
| Clint Bowyer |
Stewart-Haas Racing |
Ford |
| Aric Almirola |
Stewart-Haas Racing |
Ford |
| Cole Custer |
Stewart-Haas Racing |
Ford |
| Matt DiBenedetto |
Wood Brothers Racing |
Ford |
| Erik Jones |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
Toyota |
| Christopher Bell |
Leavine Family Racing |
Toyota |
| Chris Buescher |
Roush Fenway Racing |
Ford |
| Ryan Newman |
Roush Fenway Racing |
Ford |
The Chevy’s had their second poor season in a row. Maybe they will get the Camaro aero dynamics figured out but until I see it on the track, I believe the Chip Ganassi and Hendrick Motorsports drivers need to be in Group B. The typical rule for rookies is to start in Group C. Christopher Bell and Cole Custer are not typical rookies. They have a lot of talent and good cars. They belong in Group B. Chris Buescher and Matt DiBenedetto performed well last season and now they both get and upgrade in equipment. Both drivers deserve to be moved up to Group B in 2020.
GROUP C
|
Driver |
Team |
Manufacturer |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
JTG Daugherty Racing |
Chevy |
| Austin Dillon |
Richard Childress Racing |
Chevy |
| Tyler Reddick |
Richard Childress Racing |
Chevy |
| Ty Dillon |
Germain Racing |
Chevy |
| John H. Nemecheck |
Front Row Motorsports |
Ford |
| Michael McDowell |
Front Row Motorsports |
Ford |
| Bubba Wallace |
Richard Petty Motorsports |
Chevy |
| Ryan Preece |
JTG Daugherty Racing |
Chevy |
| Corey LaJoie |
Go FAS Racing |
Ford |
| Landon Cassill |
Starcom Racing |
Chevy |
There should be four decent choices in Group C this season. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. takes a step down from Roush Fenway Racing to JTG Daugherty Racing so he should take a step down from Group B to Group C in 2020. Austin Dillon was too inconsistent to be used as a Group B driver last season. Both Richard Childress Racing drivers deserve to be in Group C until the team finds some speed. John Hunter Nemechek has not signed with Front Row Racing yet but most people think it is a done deal. He could be joining Ross Chastain with the team and give us two more options in Group C. Corey LaJoie will likely be back in the No. 32 car for Go FAS Racing. This team will have a full alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2020. It will be interesting to see how much this improves that car.
Changes for the 2020 Season
The rules for the 2019 season reduced the allocations from 9 to 8. It was good to give the reduction in driver usage a try but I do not feel it worked out well. My argument is to move it back to 9 starts for each driver. That way we can use each driver in every 4 races. Please go to my Fantasy NASCAR FB Page to let me know your thoughts on this.
There will be more stats and info added to the dashboard to help you make your picks. Also be sure to check out the FantasyRacingTips.com website if you want to win your league.
I will keep you posted on any changes to the game in 2020 and the launch date. Have a good holiday season and remember to be safe!
Follow me on Twitter @MrFantasyNASCAR