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AustYn

The entire NASCAR fan base must be stunned with how the 2022 season has played out. There have been 19 unique winners out of the 29 possible races. I did predict that there would be more than 16 before the Playoffs…it turns out that was incorrect…but I was close, just a little early. Chris Buescher went on to win at Bristol Motor Speedway last week and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing showed out, with Brad Keselowski leading well over 100 laps along with Buescher. Brad also got the pole for today’s race, so the momentum is very high at RFK. This week the NASCAR Cup Series turns to Texas Motor Speedway for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500, which presents a totally different driving style than Bristol. The 1.5-mile oval has gained a bad reputation within the last few years, due to attendance and racing entertainment. Nonetheless, the Playoffs are continuing with 12 drivers remaining. Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were eliminated last week. One driver can lock their way into the Round of 8 and I do believe we will see a Playoff driver win today. I cannot think of many big news breaks this week other than the fact that Noah Gragson won last evening in the Xfinity Series, which was his 4th straight victory…I saw a Twiiter post calling him Mr. September like Harry Gant, because Gant did the same thing in 1991, albeit Cup races, but it is still very impressive what Noah and the #9 JRM Team have accomplished, not to mention, he could extend it to 5 next week. Maybe I am a little biased due to Gant being from so close to where I am from, but it’s a pretty cool accolade.

On to the show…like I stated earlier, Texas Motor Speedway is a high-banked and wide 1.5-mile oval, and the drivers will be tested with 334 laps of 90-plus degree temperatures today. One fact that scares me here is the tire…they are using the same tire as Kansas…which brings me to the point that I am afraid that the leaders of the race will be blowing tires just like they did there. Texas has a more abrasive surface than Kansas too. Maybe it is linked to tire pressure and camber etc.…but it does perturb me to say the least. Teams will have 9 sets of tires and I do think there will be long runs today. I also think that there will be quite a few big wrecks too. The track is insanely wide in the corners, and you will notice the cars drift upwards when exiting the corner, it is pretty insane to see. I also stated earlier that the reputation of this track has taken a nosedive lately…attendance has waned in the preceding years and there are talks of re-surfacing the track. Personally, I don’t really mind the racing here, it is an attrition style race and I think that takes way more skill than a track where you are full throttle everywhere. I am an old-school fan though, so take that with a grain of salt. I also think social media contributes to the negative connotation of the track as well, people like to jump on an easy target, especially behind a computer. That’s my weekly rant, now to my strategy. History is a semi-important factor here, but with the car being new, it is hard to definitively go off that. Practice speeds and average lap times are always key and starting position will help…passing will be a premium here and you have to have an amazingly fast car to pass here. The car will probably get tight on long runs, so you must have a driver who can keep their car intact the entire 500 miles. Only 3 drivers have won starting outside 15th position, so keep that in mind.

Top Pick: Joey Logano ($8,900) Starting 2nd

Joey Logano was the fastest car on 5 and 10 lap runs and looks really fast this weekend. I don’t see Brad Keselowski leading a lot, if any today and I believe Joey Logano gets out front early and stays there. Logano has only won here once, but the main thing here is price point. Why would you pass on a former champion who is still in a premium ride, that is priced under $9k? It allows you to spend up on more drivers and with 334 laps scheduled today, that will help you allocate drivers who may lead a lot of laps. I like the #22 Penske Ford to dominate today and win to advance to the Round of 8.

Supporting Cast: Alex Bowman ($8,400) Starting 17th & Harrison Burton ($5,600) Starting 20th

By going with Joey Logano, I could afford to spend more on mid-tier drivers like Alex Bowman. The thing is…Bowman is another playoff driver under $9k and Texas has been pretty kind to the #48 team this weekend. Bowman was 2nd fastest in 10 lap runs and I think he is a sneaky option, especially with drivers like Erik Jones (Starting 27th) and Kevin Harvick (Starting 23rd) near his price point. If Bowman can get a top-10, he will be well-worth choosing in Texas. Harrison Burton is another Ford driver who looked pretty quick…Burton has won a Xfinity race here and with a 20th starting spot, if he can run a clean race, he has the speed to stay in that area. The #21 team only ran 5 consecutive laps and Burton was 8th in 5 lap runs. Look for Burton to creep around 15th today and return a significant value at $5,600.

FanDuel Preview

Yacs

We’re heading to Texas for our opening race of the 2nd round and those who advance will be racing for a spot in the Top 8. Last week, Chris Buescher picked up the win. It was his first of the season and it appears that we could see a record-breaking season with the amount drivers that have won this year. That in itself tells you that the new car build has balanced the competition more and anything can happen now. You don’t see too many dominant performances by drivers like you did in the last car and when playing DFS, you don’t have to be too scared of not picking the “right driver”.

With that being said, strategy this week will be to pick cars that will pass cars. Climbers will win you money at a track like Texas. In the past, that wouldn't be the case, but it is true now. Also, don’t worry about spending that whole salary allotment either. You probably won’t need it. Get the drivers that you think will do well today and pass cars. Don’t get too caught up in picking the lap leader. You want passed cars. Let’s dive into Texas and see what happens today.

The Chevrolets: Alex Bowman ($8,000) Starting 17th; Erik Jones ($7,500) Starting 27th

With Alex Bowman at Texas, it appears that you’re getting a boom-or-bust candidate, however, I think he’ll be a great pick today. He was 3rd fastest in practice this week and I that definitely isn't a bad sign. His history here has been spotty, but the Chevys are fast and i know that he is capable of get a Top 10 and even a Top 5. Also, he won early in the season at Las Vegas, so that is a great sign that he could be one to look out for. He is also is fighting to stay above the cut line so keep that in mind with the drivers you select this week.

The key for Erik Jones will be for him to stay on the lead lap. Regardless of the race around him, he needs to stay on the lead lap. He has been fast at a lot of tracks and he even picked up that win at Darlington, so you know he is capable of winning. Erik Jones has one of the better track records at Texas too. Among drivers with at least 5 starts here, he only trails Kevin Harvick. If Jones can stay off of the wall and stay on the lead lap, look for him to be competitive.

The Fords: Ryan Blaney ($11,500) Starting 14th; Kevin Harvick ($8,500) Starting 23rd

The Fords weren’t very impressive in practice, but I’m not too concerned about that. Practice doesn’t tell you everything. I expect Ryan Blaney to be fast when the green flag waves. Blaney was fast in Texas when they went there back in May for the All-Star Race where he dominated. He led 84 of the 140 laps and was far and away the best driver that night. I expect him to have some of that same magic today and hopefully he can get that win he’s been looking for all season long.

Kevin Harvick is seemingly my go-to pick this season. I can't help but to pick him though. He is reasonably priced and in a lot of instances, he is starting around 20-25th. We’re in the same boat this week with Harvick and I can't pass him up. He’s the best driver her with 5 or more starts. In the last 5, he has the 2nd best average finish. Harvick is money in your lineup each week and he should be today also.

The Toyota: Christopher Bell ($12,500) Starting 22nd

Surprisingly, Bell is our most expensive pick today and he happens to be the 4th most expensive in the field. With my lineup I will have $2,000 left to spend and I’m perfectly content with that. Bell allows you to get those sweet passing points and despite not practice too well, he should be fast. He has only had 3 starts here at Texas and he’s averaged 9th place in those 3 starts. He finished 3rd in his last 2 starts here. I expect Bell to be fast and he is another driver that is trying to keep it above the cut line.

NASCAR Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 DFS Preview