The biggest question on a lot of people’s minds this week is whether or not we’re finally going to see some passing here at Michigan International Speedway. NASCAR has been tweaking things here in the Irish Hills for the last couple of races, but unless a driver has some kind of issue during the race, those who qualify near the front tend to finish up there as well. In this race last year, six of the top 7 finishers started inside the top 10, and when we ran here back in June, six of the top 8 started 11th or better. Also, four of the last six Michigan races have been won from the pole. We’re bringing all of this up, of course, because FOX Fantasy Auto is a game built on place differential. And honestly, the best strategy this weekend is probably going to be focusing on finish points.
Last week at Bristol 2, our official Fantasy Racing Online FOX team scored 170 points thanks to Kevin Harvick’s win and Greg Biffle’s +18 place differential. We have now cracked the top 500 overall (we’re in 490th) and remain 3rd in our private group.
FOX Fantasy Auto Picks for the Pure Michigan 400
Kevin Harvick ($13,500) – Like we said, we’re going for the finish points this weekend. Chances are, we’re going to have two-in-a-row of some sort once the checkered flag waves on Sunday: either Joey Logano is going to get his second Michigan win in a row, or Kevin Harvick is going to get his second Sprint Cup win in a row. As far as the FOX Fantasy Auto game goes, both of these drivers are pretty much locks as far as a good finish in the Pure Michigan 400, but Harvick has the potential for at least a couple of place differential points this weekend, so we’re going to go ahead and throw him on our roster. Not only is Harvick a driver that will contend every time he qualifies up front, but he’s also a contender pretty much every time we race here at Michigan. Over the last seven Sprint Cup races here, Harv has finished inside the top 5 in six of them, with the only exception being that rain-shortened event last season. He led the most laps that day, by the way. Relatively speaking, Logano is pretty cheap ($10,900) in the FOX Fantasy Auto game this weekend, but we’re still going with the #4 Freaky Fast team.
Brad Keselowski ($12,000) – We could go with Joey Logano in this roster spot but don’t forget that place differential points are the name of the game in this FOX Fantasy Auto contest. Brad Keselowski didn’t have that great of a qualifying effort here on Friday, and because of that he’s going to roll off the grid from 18th. However, he loves this race track and he always finds a good finish here in the Irish Hills, so the Blue Deuce should be one car that will be making moves through the field on Sunday. Currently, Keselowski is on a five-race streak of top 10 finishes here at Michigan and that’s probably going to extend to six once the Pure Michigan 400 is all said and done. The Blue Deuce was 5th-fastest in Happy Hour on Saturday and if Brad can replicate that type of speed during the race this weekend, we’re looking at a very nice points day from the #2 Ford.
Tony Stewart ($9,000) – With these next two roster spots, there’s two ways that we are thinking of going. First is the two drivers we have listed, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. But you can also afford Kyle Larson and Martin Truex, Jr. with the remaining salary, so there’s another option for you. Chances are, however, we are going with the two safer picks in the Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolets. Stewart notched his twenty-first career top 10 finish here at Michigan back in the June race and that’s really what got his hot streak started this season. He has ended up 11th or better in nine of the last thirteen races here at MIS and it wouldn’t surprise us one bit if he made if ten of the last fourteen here on Sunday. Smoke will roll off the grid from his 15th-place starting spot in this year’s Pure Michigan 400 but he should be able to improve throughout the race and collect some place differential points along the way. The #14 Chevrolet was fastest in Practice #2 on Saturday morning and ended up 12th on the Happy Hour speed chart later that afternoon.
Kurt Busch ($10,400) – The two best options for place differential points this weekend are Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch, so we might as well throw them both on our roster, right? Kurt is the one pick that we’re not 100% confident in this weekend, but the potential for 40+ points in this FOX Fantasy Auto game is definitely there. The #41 Chevrolet wound up 19th after qualifying was all said and done this weekend, but if you just looked at the practice speeds from Saturday that would have probably surprised you. Kurt posted the 4th-best lap in Practice #2 on Saturday morning, but quickly warned his team not to get too excited because of the track conditions. Still, he went out and ended up 6th-fastest in Happy Hour so it’s not like that speed was a fluke. Back here in June, Kurt started 17th and ended up finishing 10th, and we’re expecting a very similar race out of him here on Sunday.
Alex Bowman ($5,000) – Why not? Unlike some other leagues (like DraftKings), you don’t lose points for place differential in FOX Fantasy Auto, so taking a chance with Alex Bowman and his low salary this weekend isn’t a terrible idea. He’ll start from 6th in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400, so you can pretty much throw out the chance of him moving up, but a nice 12th-place finish or so out of Bowman wouldn’t be surprising one bit. This #88 Chevrolet has had nice speed all weekend long–as has the rest of the Hendrick organization–and as long as Bowman can keep it off of the wall for the entire 400 miles, we see no reason why he can’t come home with a respectable finish. The #88 Chevrolet was 8th-fastest in Practice #2 on Saturday morning and wound up 10th on the speed chart during Happy Hour. Bowman’s career best finish here at Michigan International Speedway is 26th, but he should easily best that in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400.
