NASCAR Fantasy Picks: Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway 

This week’s NASCAR fantasy picks for the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. 

Daytona was a debacle, am I right? First the race was postponed, changing the dynamic completely by going from a night race on Saturday to a day race on Sunday. Then, in stage three, Austin Dillon pulled a block on Clint Bowyer that triggered a wreck so big that it took out half of the field, including the favorites for the win.

And finally, with 33 laps to go, lightning and rain red-flagged the race, eventually forcing NASCAR to call it. And this, my friends, is how Justin Haley won his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race in Daytona on July 7th.

But who is Justin Haley? Sit right back and I’ll tell you the tale of a kid who has the potential to be great in this cup series when it’s his time to head on up.

Haley is a full time driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the number 11 for Kaulig Racing. He is currently a contender for Rookie of the Year in that series. His last two seasons were spent driving in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series where he won three races and advanced to the Championship 4 playoff round in 2018. In 2016, Haley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship.

And now, in just his third Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start, he can add this to his list of accomplishments.

It may be his first win at this level, but mark my words, it will be far from his last. Did I mention that he just turned 20 years old? Yeah, that makes him the second-youngest Cup winner in the history of Daytona International Speedway. Keep an on Haley in the future. I expect him to make it to the brilliant list within the next few years.

Last Week’s NASCAR Fantasy Picks: Recap From the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway   

Brilliant NASCAR fantasy picks:

• Joey Logano – finished 25th
• Brad Keselowski – finished 39th
• Eric Jones – finished 23rd

Bold NASCAR fantasy picks:

• Aric Almirola – finished 7th
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – finished 24th
• Alex Bowman – finished 21st

Bonkers NASCAR fantasy picks:

• Martin Truex Jr. – finished 22nd
• Chase Elliott – finished 35th
• Kyle Larson – finished 20th

And now, here are this week’s Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers NASCAR Fantasy picks for the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway

Brilliant NASCAR fantasy picks

Brad Keselowski

• Wins: 3
• Top 5 finishes: 4
• Top 10 finishes: 6

So is it me, or has Brad been especially aggressive in the last few races? With three wins under his belt already, he’s itching to make it four. As long as he can keep a level head and cool-out, he’s likely to scratch that itch this weekend. Though his last two races here were sour, his overall numbers here are as sweet as a Mid-July night.

Kyle Busch

• Wins: 2
• Top 5 finishes: 6
• Top 10 finishes: 7

It’s been four races since Kyle last finished in first place, and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll let that turn to five. He likes this track, and it seems to like him. Expect him to drive like there’s no tomorrow and leave everyone else in the Kentucky dust.

Marin Truex Jr.

• Wins: 2
• Top 5 finishes: 2
• Top 10 finishes: 5

Truex is in his element at this mile-and-a-half track, and I predict nothing less than stellar results as the night goes on. It’s easy to pick him each week in mid-summer because the schedule lines up to his liking. Count on the 19 to produce for at least a few more weeks.

Bold NASCAR fantasy picks

Erik Jones

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 0
• Top 10 finishes: 2

Jones is like an old soul trapped in a young driver’s body. It’s tough to believe that he’s only been at Kentucky twice, but he ended up in the top 10 each time. It seems as though the 20 has been really close to getting a win, but just hasn’t been able to pull off the victory. He’s the only JGR driver without a win, but I think he has a good chance to change that this week.

Kyle Larson

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 1
• Top 10 finishes: 2

Larson’s numbers here might not be that great, but his last two races at Kentucky were hot. The 42 has a way of knowing exactly what lines he needs to run in order to creep up and overtake everyone else, and I think that this track is the place where he can do it well. Expect the Victory for this team on Saturday night.

Kurt Busch

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 1
• Top 10 finishes: 5

I heavily debated this pick just because the numbers aren’t the best, and he’s got great stats at New Hampshire where the gang will be next week, but I decided that going bold means going with someone who might pull off something special. I toyed with the idea of Byron, but after Kurt’s unfortunate two-seconds-too-early pit last week that cost him the win, I think he’s ready to make some Saturday night magic.

Bonkers NASCAR fantasy picks

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 0
• Top 10 finishes: 0

This guy might have been the one in victory lane last Sunday if a wreck didn’t take him out near the end. He’s been up and down this season, still searching for his first win. I don’t see Kentucky as the place where it’s going to happen.

Daniel Suarez

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 0
• Top 10 finishes: 0

I expected better things from the 41 team this season, but like the rest of his peers at SHR, he’s lacking a good finish. He’s only been inside the top 10 four times this season, and I doubt he’ll get very close at Kentucky.

Ryan Newman

• Wins: 0
• Top 5 finishes: 3
• Top 10 finishes: 3

Newman hung on in last week’s spectacle at Daytona to eeek out a 5th place finish. It’s the luck of the draw at Daytona, though, and Kentucky is a different track. His numbers here are poor and unless there’s another rain out, I don’t see him with a win here Saturday night.