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NASCAR's Monster Energy Series is Back On Road (as Drake would say) this weekend and for all the jokesters out there who say the sport is nothing but cars making left turns, it's a perfect weekend to roast them. Sonoma Raceway is by far one of the toughest races on the schedule every year and this time it's going to be even more challenging for drivers.
For the 50th Anniversary of Sonoma Raceway, the drivers will be running the original 12 turn configuration. This will create 2.52 miles of track to run and features "The Carousel", which hasn't been used since 1998. Sean Engel states in this week's edition of "Revvin' Up" that you should not use driver history too heavily this week when making your DFS lineups due to the track layout being altered.
Another thing to note that's changing this weekend is the retirement of NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip. He had an amazing career as a driver and announcer for Fox Sports. It's bittersweet to see him walk away from the sport and racing definitely won't be the same without "Boogity Boogity Boogity" being shouted before the drivers take off on the first lap.
DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel
Alex Bowman #88 (DraftKings $7,500 | FanDuel $10,000)
Alex "Bowflex" Bowman is a guy I'm really excited to see flex on the haters this weekend. He's not getting much credit from other analysts out there but when I look back to how he's been running this season, it's easy for me to tell he'll be one hell of a value play on DraftKings this week.
Even with Chase Elliott being the "road warrior" for Hendrick Motorsports in recent years, Bowman shows promise to shake things up at Sonoma. Since 2017, Bowman has ran well at two out of three road courses (Sonoma and The Roval) and had a Top 10 finish in both practices on Friday. Don't be afraid to snag you some "Eighty-Eight" this Sunday.
Kevin Harvick #4 (DraftKings $11,200 | FanDuel $14,500 )
It's been a hot minute since I wrote good words about Kevin Harvick but I'm ready to throw all the good vibes on him this weekend. The main reason for this change of heart is because he knows something has to give, and it has to give soon. If there's a week Harvick is going to pull a fast one it will be this one at Sonoma Raceway.
Since 2015 Harvick has finished inside the Top 10 at this track and he just really poses a threat to other drivers that don't have the road gene. He didn't do so hot in practice on Friday but his stats show that where he starts has no effect on where he's going to end up when racing at this track.
Kurt Busch #1 (DraftKings $9,700 | FanDuel $11,000)
The Ganassi Racing team has been all the rage going into Sonoma Raceway weekend and there's no doubt one of the drivers from this team will have a great day on the track come Sunday. My money is on Kurt Busch to be the lead dog for Ganassi on this road course.
Kurt has averaged around 44 FPTS when racing at Sonoma and I see him easily being on the top end of that number on Sunday. Busch has had multiple Top 10s at road courses in the past two years and ran second behind teammate Kyle Larson at practice on Friday. Kurt Busch is a must play in DFS this week.
Martin Truex Jr. #19 (DraftKings $10,800 | FanDuel $14,000)
The last time I wrote about Martin Truex Jr. he wrecked his car and left me crying on a cold tile floor in my friend's living room (not really but I was shook pretty bad). I'm knocking on all the wood in sight this week because I'm calling an easy Top 5 for Truex Jr. in wine country.
Truex Jr. is by far your best option out of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas (go watch Kyle Busch try to make the turn at "The Carousel" and try not to laugh) this weekend and also has the skills to be the winner at Sonoma. Since 2017, Truex Jr. has won at both Sonoma and Watkins Glen. To add even more confidence behind the pick, Truex Jr. posted a first-place run in Friday's first practice.
More NASCAR DFS Analysis
Be sure to also check out this week's Revvin' Up, a weekly video series by Sean Engel focused on previewing every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from DFS perspectives. Sean Engel is a six-time DraftKings NASCAR DFS tournament winner and a 15-year NASCAR veteran.
For any and all fantasy NASCAR questions, find me on Twitter @GarageGuyChase. Good luck RotoBallers!
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