Joey Logano held off Kevin Harvick and blasted his way into the round of four at Kansas Speedway last weekend. And now, there are only two races left for everyone else to secure their own spot. Kevin Harvick is likely to get in on points, as is Denny Hamlin (barring any on-track or pit-road mistakes that he’s so prone to) but five other drivers are desperate to win their way in. Forget about streaks and past history at Texas Motor Speedway—this week is all about pushing, drafting, and letting go of inhibitions to fight your way to victory lane.
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway:
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot to win in Texas
Denny Hamlin
The three drivers on my brilliant list this week all have three wins at Texas, and Denny Hamlin is one of them. Hamlin was running very well last week—until he hit the wall. There’s no doubt that Hamlin is a great driver, but foolish mistakes have put his championship run in jeopardy in the past (who doesn’t remember the tape on the grill?). In order to secure a spot in the final four, which is well-deserved after such a phenomenal season, every single little thing must be top-notch in Texas on Sunday. And I’m betting that it will be.
Wins at Texas: 3
Top 5 finishes: 7
Top 10 finishes: 13
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick raced Joey Logano as if it were the final lap of the season and the championship trophy was on the line. Having said that, he fell short of his goal and ended up with a second-place finish. Count on one thing: This is how No. 4 will race everyone else for the rest of this season. It’s a winner-take-all-mentality every single week for this team and he wants to seal this deal ASAP. Granted, he’ll likely have the points to grab a top-four spot naturally, but a victory is sweeter for Happy Harvick.
Wins at Texas: 3
Top 5 finishes: 12
Top 10 finishes: 23
Kyle Busch
For some odd reason, I feel like it’s unlikely that the 18 will complete this season without a win. I’m throwing my hat into the ring, or maybe I’m just drinking the M&M kool-aid, but this is a hot track for Busch and he nabbed a fourth-place finish here last time around. If there’s any non-playoff driver that has a shot a victory in Texas, it’s this guy.
Wins at Texas: 3
Top 5 finishes: 13
Top 10 finishes: 16
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
Chase Elliott
At this moment, Chase Elliott is right outside of the cutoff line by eight points. This makes him a serious threat on Sunday. Whether he wins the race or not, expect to see him battling with the No. 2 (who’s currently on the flip-side of Chase, sitting eight points above the cutoff) for an exciting play all day.
Wins at Texas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 5
Alex Bowman
Alex Bowman has been impressive this season. Of all the drivers in his age/experience bracket, he’s been the most exciting one to watch. His graduation to the iconic No. 48 next season is well-deserved in my book. It would be a hoot to see him run with the big dogs and compete for the title at Phoenix, and you can bet he’s going to push himself in new ways at Texas to make it so. Hey—he was fifth here at the last visit, so it’s not impossible.
Wins at Texas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 1
Kurt Busch
Kurt’s engine failure at Kansas was a heartbreaker for the entire No. 1 team. Right now Kurt is at the bottom of the pile for a playoff run, so he has to get a win or he won’t get in. Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? I’ve seen crazier things happen. But he needs to race hard and clean, which he’s done so many times before, in order to take a lap to victory lane on Sunday.
Wins at Texas: 1
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 22
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Austin Dillon
Yes, I know he won here the last time he hit the track. This time, though, there’s way more at stake for the drivers around him who have more experience and much better luck at Texas.
Wins at Texas: 1
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 2
Clint Bowyer
This is a bad track for Bowyer, and he’s not going to get in the way of any driver who still has a chance to advance. I expect he’ll just hold his own and enjoy the ride as he finishes his last season behind the wheel before heading to the FOX broadcast booth in 2021.
Wins at Texas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 4
Top 10 finishes: 12
Ryan Blaney
Blaney still races hard despite his lack of a spot in the round of eight. But Texas isn’t a good place for him, and seven drivers around him have way more to lose, so I don’t expect much. Keep Blaney on the sidelines on Sunday.
Wins at Texas: 0
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 5
