The NASCAR Cup Series will travel across the country this week to compete at Phoenix Raceway. This track is a one-mile, D-shaped oval. I am so happy to see the Cup Series compete on a traditional oval track again because the One & Done picks have been complete garbage this year. I put us in a hole, but remember the Cup Series season is a marathon and not a sprint. We still have 33 races to climb to the top. It is not going to be easy, but I will do my best to get use back on track with the One & Done picks.
Here are the picks for the Shriners Children’s 500….
ONE & DONE CONTESTS
This pick is for games where you can only use a driver once throughout the season.
RYAN BLANEY will be my pick in games where you can use a driver once throughout the season. I am desperate for a win in this format so I am going to use the best driver at Phoenix. Kevin Harvick used to be the “King of Phoenix”, but now this track is Blaney’s playground. He has never won in the Gen-7 car at Phoenix, but Blaney finished 2nd, 5th, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd and 4th in the six races in the Gen-7 car at Phoenix. That is an average finishing position of 2.8 if you are scoring from home. Blaney should be a lock for a top-five finish Sunday and I sure need it in this One & Done format.
ONE & DONE (REGULAR SEASON/PLAYOFF GAMES)
The picks for the Regular Season / Playoff Games are rest this week. There are some One & Done Contests that reset when the playoffs start. That means you only need to use 26 Drivers for the regular season and then 10 drivers for the playoffs. We can be more aggressive in these types of One & Done Contests.
WILLIAM BYRON will be my pick in games that reset at the end of the regular season. Byron always starts off the season on a hot streak and the 2025 season is no different. He won the Daytona 500 and Willy-B finished second last week at COTA. He won in the Gen-7 car in the spring race at Phoenix in 2023. His 8.3 average finishing position in the Gen-7 car at Phoenix is second-best in the Cup Series (behind Ryan Blaney). Byron posted the fastest speed in practice and Byron won the pole for the race. The No. 24 car has a great chance to win Sunday.
ONE & DONE (USE A DRIVER MORE THAN ONCE)
There are some One & Done games that are not really “One & Done.” I play in a league where you can use a driver twice and another league where you can use a driver three times during the season. The picks posted below are for these types of contests (I am going to base these picks on being able to use a driver twice during the 2025 season).
RYAN BLANEY will be my pick in games where you can use a driver more than once during the 2025 season. I hate to go all in with a driver but the stats are too good with Blaney and the No. 12 car was too fast Saturday to pass up. Phoenix is the best track on the schedule for Blaney. I may use him in both races in the desert if he makes it to the championship race in November.
NASCAR.COM 36 FOR 36 PICK
Good luck Sunday!
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