It was great to see and hear the fans at the All-Star race on Wednesday. Now, everyone will be watching for the next 10 days to make sure all those fans stay healthy. I think that the sporting world will use this as a benchmark to determine how to incorporate fans (or not) at sporting events over the next several months. Let’s cross our fingers and see.
This week, fans will once again be in attendance at Texas Motor Speedway. After that, we go back to silent victories at least until New Hampshire. But, for now—
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway:
(Don’t forget to check back here on Wednesday for my NASCAR fantasy picks for the Thursday night race at Kansas.)
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot at winning in in Texas
Kevin Harvick
Wins at Texas: 3
Top 5 finishes: 11
Top 10 finishes: 22
Didn’t it look like Harvick might win that All-Star race early on? That’s all part of the hot streak. With three wins at this track, don’t expect to see the Hapster at the back of the line for long. It’s a record season for the No. 4 team, and it’s far from over.
Kyle Busch
Wins at Texas: 3
Top 5 finishes: 12
Top 10 finishes: 15
I think if the All-Star race had gone a few more laps, Rowdy would have caught up with Chase and scored a big win on Wednesday night. The No. 18 looked almost back to his old self, and that gives me the confidence to choose him as a brilliant pick at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin
Wins at Texas: 3
Top 5 finishes: 7
Top 10 finishes: 13
With three wins at this track and more than a double-handful of top-10 finishes, there’s no reason to think that Hamlin can’t win again on Sunday. He’s battled Harvick for top positioning since NASCAR returned, and at a track like this, he has a great chance to step back into the limelight.
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
Joey Logano
Wins at Texas: 1
Top 5 finishes: 10
Top 10 finishes: 12
Logano has been up and down this season, but I’ve seen a glimpse of the pro we all know in recent weeks. There are plenty of top-ten finishes here in Texas for the 22 (and even a win), so I think he’ll do well—and maybe even come out on top when push comes to shove on Sunday.
Ryan Blaney
Wins at Texas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 4
Blaney was oh-so-close to winning the All-Star race. Had the pit strategy gone a little bit differently, he would have walked away with a cool million. But—it just didn’t work out that way. Having said that, Blaney is one of the hottest drivers out there right now and as long as his crew keeps him in a good position, he has a great shot at seasonal win number two on Sunday.
Erik Jones
Wins at Texas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 5
If there’s one winless driver this season who has good numbers at this track, it’s Erik Jones. Though he hasn’t won here, he consistently arrives near the top. It’s a bold pick, to be sure, but it sure would be cool to see someone new take that victory lap.
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Alex Bowman
Wins at Texas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 1
Like all NASCAR drivers, Bowman has good tracks and bad tracks. Yes, he has a top-five finish here, but this isn’t one of his best. For now, I’d leave Bowman out of your NASCAR fantasy lineup at Texas.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Wins at Texas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 0
Stenhouse has had one bummer of a season. Could it be that he relies a lot on those practice runs and qualifying laps that the drivers just aren’t getting right now? Possibly. Whatever the reason he’s lagging behind, it’s safe to say his chances for a win this week are slim to none.
Brad Keselowski
Wins at Texas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 5
Top 10 finishes: 8
Brad has a bunch of good finishes here, but most of them were long ago and far away. It seems like the No. 2 has been in a bit of a funk in recent weeks, so if you prefer team Penske at Texas Motor Speedway, pick one of his teammates instead.
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