This weekend we are returning to Michigan, for the first trip back to the two mile oval track. We are closing in on twelve races until the playoffs, so every week is really going to start mattering more than the last for drivers and the fantasy players at home. If your needing some last second pointers here are the drivers you can put in your lineup to get some solid points.
Starting Lineup
- Joey Logano
- Brad Keselowski
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Clint Bowyer
- Kurt Busch
- Chase Elliott (Garage)
Lineup Reasoning
I have a pretty strong team Penske presence in the lineup this weekend. Joey Logano at Michigan has been the example of consistent since June 2013. He has one finish outside of the top ten, and two career wins. Not to mention since Atlanta he hasn’t finished outside of the top twenty. The 2018 champion is still looking to catch up with Penske teammate Brad Keselowski in the wins category, and this Sunday he could start his attempt to catch up.
Brad Keselowski is going punch for punch with the black sheep of NASCAR Kyle Busch with season wins. Brad has been able to win three races this year, but this race may be a little bit harder. The reasoning behind that is Brad has never won in the “Motor City” of Michigan. However, in the last four races he has led 107 laps, and averaged a finishing position of tenth. Also to even better that his career average finish here is 11.89 so keep an eye on Brad this Sunday.
Martin Truex Jr. could use a good weekend this week after the horrible outing at Pocono. Michigan is a track he’s never won on, but in the last four has been pretty consistent. In the previous four races he has been able to lead 144 laps and average a tenth place finishing position. While he has never been able to get into victory lane he has been able finish second twice in his career. This weekend could be the weekend he breaks into victory lane
The winner of this race last year, Clint Bowyer should be one to watch this weekend. While yes I know his win last year was due to a rain shortened race, but he still is pretty consistent. In his previous four races he has averaged a finishing position of 15.5 while that isn’t great it is top fifteen.
Kurt Busch hasn’t been able to crack into the win column yet this year, but he has definitely improved the performance of the one car. This week his performance shouldn’t be any different in the past four races he has led forty six laps and averaged an eighth place finish. Kurt can point his way into the playoff’s I’m sure, but a win would make things a lot easier for him.
My garage pick Chase Elliott has the second highest average finish in the previous four races second to only Kyle Busch. In his career at Michigan he has never finished outside of the top ten, to go with that he has three consecutive second place finishes. He has the ability to be sneaky good here, and finally grab that elusive victory in the “Motor City.”
Honorable Lineup Choices
These are a few drivers that honestly could grab a starting position in the lineup. One of which is a previous winner at Michigan. Kyle Larson has won two out of the last four races here, and if he gets his luck turned around this year for good it could be here. Something about this track suites the driving ability of Kyle, so keep an eye on him. Denny Hamlin is much like his teammate Martin Truex Jr. he had a horrible showing last weekend and could use a bounce back weekend. Also, not to mention he has led twenty nine laps and averaged a tenth place finish in the past four races. Erik Jones has been on the up rise since the wreck early in the Coca Cola 600. He hasn’t finished outside of the top fifteen since the six hundred.
Conclusion
Michigan is a track that has not been really dominated by any manufacturer. If anything though in the previous ten years more often than not a Chevrolet driver has won, with Ford second and Toyota third. While none of that really matters, it really doesn’t with this 2019 rules package. If your a fan you are hoping it will make this race a little more interesting than last week’s race at Pocono. Normally these two tracks put out similar products being follow the leader fuel mileage type of races. Also, with that being said though drivers are saying that the rules package this year is better suited for a track like Michigan and the racing should be more competitive. I guess we all have to wait and see Sunday.
