It was a sweet victory on Thursday night for Brilliant Pick Chase Elliott. After missing out on two wins earlier in the month, he finally drove his way to victory lane. But who will take the checkered flag in Bristol?
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for the cup series race this week at Bristol: The Food City 500.
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot at winning in Bristol
Kurt Busch
Wins at Bristol: 6
Top 5 finishes: 12
Top 10 finishes: 20
Every year it’s the brothers Bush who top the brilliant list at Bristol. That’s because they’re so darn good at this track. If anyone knows how to tame the tiger at Bristol, it’s the boys from Vegas. Expect older brother Kurt to have the upper hand at the Last Great Colosseum on Sunday afternoon.
Kyle Busch
Wins at Bristol: 8
Top 5 finishes: 12
Top 10 finishes: 17
Anybody else worried about ole Rowdy? I mean, his finishes have been dismal since NASCAR came back to entertain us in a most stellar way. On the short track, though, he’s liable to burn it up and not look back. He’s one of three brilliant picks who have an equal shot at victory in Bristol this weekend.
Denny Hamlin
Wins at Bristol: 2
Top 5 finishes: 9
Top 10 finishes: 14
Hamlin has quietly crept up and become one of the best short track drivers out there right now. We know he has a great car—he came from 29th to finish 2nd in Charlotte on Thursday night. If he can hang on and let it rip at Bristol, don’t be surprised to see the No. 11 rock the paper clip and grab another win on Sunday.
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
Kevin Harvick
Wins at Charlotte: 2
Top 5 finishes: 12
Top 10 finishes: 19
Harvik has won here a couple of times, and he’s had plenty of strong finishes. But, he’s also had a few lousy finishes, too. His car is more than capable of getting another win, but it remains to be seen if he can hold on to the right track position long enough to make it count. That said, if the stars align just right, the No. 4 team is sure to take advantage of their good fortune.
Matt Kenseth
Wins at Charlotte: 4
Top 5 finishes: 15
Top 10 finishes: 22
It was another tough night for Kenseth on Thursday with a cut tire and a pit row penalty that he could never quite recover from. But he’s fantastic on the short track and his numbers at Bristol are steller. If all goes right for the No. 42, you might just see some magic at the Food City 500.
Joey Logano
Wins at Charlotte: 2
Top 5 finishes: 6
Top 10 finishes: 10
Like Harvick, Logano has been up and down at Bristol. Overall, his last few outings here have been good, and with a couple of wins under his belt, we know that he has the ability to grab another one. Of all the drivers in the mix, Logano has a great shot at taking the victory lap after all is said and done.
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Aric Almirola
Wins at Charlotte: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 3
Yeah, he’s starting in the second position at Bristol on Sunday, but it doesn’t matter where you start—it matters where you finish. And I don’t see Almirola having a great finish at Bristol with the numbers you see above from his past runs here. Best to bench him for another week.
Austin Dillon
Wins at Charlotte: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 2
Austin Dillon has put up a good showing since NASCAR’s return, but I don’t think that’s going to keep going this weekend. Short tracks are a whole different animal and Dillon has yet to tame it. Give him a pass until we get to a track where he does well.
Martin Truex Jr.
Wins at Charlotte: 0
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 3
Truex shows up to the party each week like the guy who had to work late but hopes that there’s a six-pack left somewhere in the back of the fridge. He’s had some lousy runs, but he somehow makes it into the top ten by the time we’re down to a handful of laps. This doesn’t give me confidence in his car right now, and he’s not a great short track racer anyway. Leave Truex off your NASCAR fantasy list for this week.
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