2 weeks agoKyle Larson had the dominant race car at Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend, but you wouldn't really know by looking at the finishing order. By the end of the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, Larson was credited with a 21st-place finish and earned just 26 points. This is because Larson's right rear tire fell off during an early caution period, and he was subsequently held by NASCAR for two laps as a penalty. Larson was able to rally, but he was never able to make it back to the front after all of that. "Some days are just not meant to be," Larson told Bob Pockrass after the race. He added, "Had we not had the wheel issue, we would've, you know, been up in the top two all race long."
--Jordan McAbeeSource: FOX Sports
2 weeks agoDaniel Suárez had a strong fifth-place finish at Texas this weekend, which is one of his most consistent tracks. However, he ran much worse than his finishing result and was probably the luckiest driver in the race. Suarez, the winner of the previous high-banked intermediate race at Atlanta, was nowhere to be seen for most of the event until John Hunter Nemechek crashed in the middle of a cycle of green flag pit stops, leaving many of the faster cars trapped a lap down while Suárez was not. This propelled him into the top ten where he would stay for the remainder of the race, but he only had an average running position of 20th and ranked just 21st-best in driver rating and 24th-fastest in speed. Suárez is proof positive that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 weeks agoDenny Hamlin had a methodical run at Texas. He ranked second in average speed behind only his driver, Tyler Reddick, who tied him for third in laps led with 37. However, Hamlin's strong run was cut short when he spun out on the penultimate lap of the race shortly after Chase Elliott cleared him for a lead he would not relinquish. Hamlin likely wouldn't have won anyway, as Reddick and Elliott were better duelists throughout the race. The spin ended up relegating Hamlin to a 30th-place finish, but in a playoff format where consistency no longer matters as long as you win, that means little. Hamlin continues to lead the NASCAR Cup Series in races with an on-track pass for the lead (6), races with the most laps led (2), and speed percentile (90.87).
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 weeks agoTy Gibbs qualified on the outside front row alongside polesitter Kyle Larson at Texas, but he fell to 13th in what was an extremely topsy-turvy afternoon. Gibbs fell to 8th after the first round of green flag pit stops because he pitted several laps later than the other leaders, then fell to the back after a loose lug nut on his next pit stop. He periodically cycled back into the top ten on pit strategy but never completely made it back to the front and eventually finished 13th. Because all three of his teammates also had issues, Gibbs ended up having the best finish for his grandfather's team, but Denny Hamlin certainly outran him. Gibbs continues to have solid speed, though, as he ranked sixth-best in speed at Texas and ranks seventh-fastest for the season, but his racecraft and his passing ability do not yet match his speed.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 weeks agoRyan Blaney started 7th and consistently ran in the top ten in this weekend's race at Texas until he was wrecked by Ryan Preece on lap 181, resulting in a disappointing 33rd-place finish, which did not reflect how well the No. 12 Ford ran. After staying out on the first Stage break, Blaney had his best stint early in Stage 2 when he swapped the lead with Austin Hill on the restart and then swapped it again with Kyle Larson shortly before the subsequent caution period. Counting only the laps before the crash, Blaney would have ranked fifth in average speed but he ran so slowly in the final third of the race that he dropped to 31st overall by the end. He clearly remains the best Ford driver on the circuit, but he remains winless at Texas despite it being one of his best tracks. Additionally, Ford's shutout continues in the 2024 Cup Series season, as Chevrolet went to victory lane again.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 weeks agoTyler Reddick finished right in his starting position of fourth in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. Reddick had one of the fastest cars of the day as he remained around the Top 10 for most of the race. The driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota also scored stage points during the first stage but fell short of stage points in the second after pit strategy shuffled him back to 11th. Reddick would eventually find the speed and track position to find his way to the front during the third stage, eventually taking the lead from Denny Hamlin while leading 37 laps. Issues on pit road would eventually force Reddick out of the lead. Still, despite a strong recovery to the Top 5 late, Reddick would get moved up the track by others and fall back to as low as eighth before recovering again to his eventual finishing position of fourth. This finish marked the third top-5 finish at Texas in Reddick's career and the fourth top-10 finish in a row in 2024.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 weeks agoRichard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon captured a finish of eighth at Texas during the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Starting from the 15th position, Dillon did not have one of the fastest cars from the jump and fell behind in the first stage. The driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet would fall further behind during the second stage and fail to score any stage points during the day. In the third stage, however, Dillon and his team finally turned their luck around after improving the car and taking advantage of staying out of the pits until lap 229. Dillon would gain track position as a result and return to the Top 20, where he would slowly climb through the field, avoiding wrecks and passing cars to obtain his first top-10 finish of 2024 and best finish of the year so far. Although it was a top-10 finish gained through attrition, it should provide Dillon and the No. 3 team confidence as they head to Talladega, a track where he has 13 top-20 finishes in 21 Cup starts.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 weeks agoCarson Hocevar began Sunday afternoon from the 16th position. After 276 laps, the Spire Motorsports driver moved up six spots to tenth. Hocevar steadily gained track position. After Stage 1, the Chevy driver was 29th. Stage 2 saw Hocevar in 16th. The No. 77 car benefitted from a few more wrecks including the one that caused a second overtime. With so many spins, the young driver ended up tenth. Hocevar improved at Martinsville and now at Texas. With three Top 15 results on the season, the 21-year old keeps showing late-race speed while avoiding incidents.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 weeks agoChase Briscoe took the worst that Texas can dish out on Sunday. Briscoe and his Stewart-Haas Racing car found a way to finish sixth after starting fifth. Though he did not lead a single lap, Briscoe was there at the end when it counted. He survived the double overtime and a spin on Lap 172. Avoiding contact with Bubba Wallace would prove beneficial to both drivers. Briscoe has been in the Top 15 for five of its previous six races. While that is not closer to a win, at least Briscoe has been more than competitive in 2024.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 weeks agoFor Sunday's Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, Christopher Bell will start third. This will be Bell's best starting position in his Cup career to a race at Texas and of 2024 so far. Bell has three top-5 finishes in five previous Texas races, including last Fall's race at the site, where he placed fourth. Through eight races so far in the 2024 season, Bell has five top-10 finishes and led in five different Cup events. In practice, Bell's car looked best on longer runs as he ranked fifth of all drivers in 20 consecutive lap averages. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is a DFS risk this week due to his starting position, leaving little place differential upside. However, with Texas being one of his better 1.5-mile intermediate tracks, Bell is worth considering for tournament-based lineups. Regardless of track type, Bell is also worth considering as he ran well at all races where he was unaffected by car issues or accidents so far this season.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
3 weeks agoKyle Busch will start the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway from the 35th position this week. Busch was credited with this deep starting position toward the rear after crashing during practice and not running a lap in qualifying. In 33 starts at Texas, Busch has four wins, 27 top-20 finishes, and 1,069 laps led, which is second-most of all drivers in the field. After eight races in 2024 so far, Busch has five top-20 finishes with only two inside the Top 10. Despite only running 10 total laps in practice, Busch's five-consecutive lap average ranked 25th among all drivers. Considering his enormous place differential upside, equipment, and history, Busch is a must-play for DFS lineups, especially in cash games, despite going to a backup car.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
3 weeks agoIn qualifying for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, Chase Elliott gained a starting position of 24th. This is Elliott's second time this season that he will start worse than 11th and his second consecutive time at Texas that he will start outside of the Top 20. In 13 Texas starts, Elliott has six top-10 finishes but also led in his last two appearances at the site. During practice for Sunday's race, Elliott showcased a car best suited for longer green flag runs by having the fourth-best 20-consecutive lap average and the second-best 25-consecutive lap average. Although Elliott has yet to score a top-10 finish at Texas in the next-gen car, he still has a great place differential upside and is in Hendrick Motorsports equipment. Elliott also has yet to finish outside of the Top 20 in any race this season. With these factors in mind, Elliott is a fantastic recommendation for all DFS formats this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
3 weeks agoTy Gibbs will start second in this week's Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. This will be the highest starting position of his Cup career yet at Texas and is the third time this season that the driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
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3 weeks agoFront Row Motorsports driver Todd Gilliland nabbed a starting position of 28th for this week's Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. Gilliland matches the best starting position of his career at Texas and will start 24th or worse for the sixth time this year. In two previous Texas starts, Gilliland's best finish is 28th, which he scored in 2022, while he has three top-10 finishes in seven Truck Series races at the site. Through eight races so far this season, Gilliland has two top-20 finishes, but he did obtain a positive place differential four times, including in Las Vegas, where he placed 24th. In practice, Gilliland ranked 21st in five-consecutive lap averages and 17th in 10-consecutive lap averages of all drivers. With favorable PD upside and equipment capable of competing for a top-20 finish, fantasy players should consider Gilliland as a solid DFS value play.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
3 weeks agoDuring qualifying for the ninth race of the season, the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin qualified 11th. This marks Hamlin's fourth race this season where he will start outside of the Top 10 and his first starting position outside of the Top 10 at Texas since 2017. In 33 starts at Texas, Hamlin has three wins and 16 top-10 finishes, including the past two races at the site in the next-gen car. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota is one of the most successful drivers of the season so far with two wins, five finishes of 11th or better, including an average finish of 11.0, and he led in every event after eight races. In practice, Hamlin ranked 11th in overall lap averages of all drivers. With his equipment and overall performance so far this season, expect Hamlin to finish in the Top 10 and continue his strong 2024 season.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
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