After a disappointing Coca-Cola 600 cut short, NASCAR fans hope the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway brings the punch we all are looking for. Last week, both of Kaleb’s picks sucked and his fade won, and Chris turned out alright. Par for the course around here. But that’s enough of that. Let’s talk about what’s happening in St. Louis (Madison, Illinois) on Sunday. Last year saw Kyle Busch take home his third victory of the season. Something he’s hoping to do once again this week, as he’s winless this season.
Let’s not delay this any further. We know you all have bets you’re looking to make, and fantasy lineups or pool picks to stand behind. We hope to do our best to put you in victory lane here at the Enjoy Illinois 300!
Chris’s Picks: #5 Kyle Larson (+600) & #17 Chris Buescher (+1800)
Embed from Getty ImagesSo while the stats for both of these guys aren’t horrific, Kyle has averaged around an 8th-place finish in two trips to Gateway. He even led five total laps last year, while Kyle having good stats at a track is always a good sign. I’m rolling with him solely because he did not finish the Coke 600. I think a motivated Larson is a very scary thing, and hearing what his relief driver Justin Allgaier was saying about the performance of the car before the rains. Seriously makes me believe he could’ve at least contended for the win, Sunday night. So with a week to prepare for Gateway I am throwing some easy money on Kyle Larson. A very motivated Kyle Larson I expect.
As for Chris, well he didn’t get to participate in the 2022 trip to Gateway due to injury. 2024 Rookie Zane Smith filled in for that one race for the RFK driver and finished in the top twenty if I recall correctly. Now Buescher brought home a 12th-place finish last year so he and his team know how to get around the track at least semi-quickly. I’m rolling with Chris though because of the same reason I am Kyle. I think Chris has something to prove for sure now. With two races slipping away from him due to no fault of his own and one of those being won by his boss Brad Keselowski. Plus, those RFK cars in general have looked quick, so if you want to throw some money on a middle-of-the-pack kind of guy, it could pay off for you this weekend.
Kaleb’s Picks: #4 Josh Berry (+6000) & #19 Martin Truex Jr (+850)
Embed from Getty ImagesJosh Berry is certainly a sleeper pick. He’s put together three top tens in a row counting the all-star race at North Wilkesboro. Two P3s and a P10 last weekend at Charlotte. Consider the rest of 2024 an audition for Berry, Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece, and Chase Briscoe. Stewart-Haas Racing is set to close its doors following the 2024 season. All of these guys have something to prove, and I like Berry as a dark horse option with one of the best crew chiefs in the game.
As for Martin Truex Jr, he’s finished P5 and P6 in the two races run here at Gateway. He’s also really due for a win. It’s been some weird sledding the last few weeks, with a high finish of P12 since Kansas. But the Enjoy Illinois 300 could be just the spot for him to get his act together. Combine his great outings here the last few years, and his general experience as a Cup Series Champion, I think a Truex win might not be all that outrageous.
Chris’s Fade: #45 Tyler Reddick (+1200)
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is a choice where I somehow feel like I’m going to eat my words. Oh well though that’s the fun in all of this right? Anyways in Tyler’s two trips to Gateway, only one of those was with his current 23XI Racing team last year. He finished 35th after involvement with an accident. The year before with what some would say was “under-performing” equipment for Tyler he grabbed a sixteenth-place finish for RCR. An accident will derail a good finish but I still would like to see better results for Tyler to feel good enough to lay money on him. Especially considering before the Coke 600 he hadn’t touched the top ten finish-wise since his Talladega win.
Kaleb’s Fade: #8 Kyle Busch (+1500)
Embed from Getty ImagesI’m done picking Kyle Busch until he shows me something. He’s battling the washed-up allegations tooth and nail at this point. Just one top ten in a month of action isn’t good enough, and just two top fives all year is unacceptable for a driver of Rowdy’s caliber. Richard Childress Racing has a lot of work to do if they want to make the most of this window with Kyle Busch. Lucky for the two-time Cup Series Champion, the driver I fade usually tends to do pretty well. Over the season they’ve put together two race wins, two runner-ups, two additional top-fives including Busch at Dover, and a P6. So maybe I’ve just gifted Busch the return he needs. Thank me later, #8 team.
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