Once again, Brilliant Pick Kevin Harvick was victorious at The Brickyard last Sunday. Harvick notched his third win at Indy when he easily blew past the competition. Although, if race leader Denny Hamlin didn’t blow a tire and crash near the end of the race, Harvick might have settled for a second- or third-place victory. Veteran driver Matt Kenseth had a fantastic day that ended with a second-place finish—his best since returning to the sport as a replacement for Kyle Larson in the No. 42 car.
Will Harvick’s luck hold out for three in a row with a win at Kentucky Speedway, or will someone new take a trip to victory lane on Sunday?
Here’s my NASCAR fantasy advice guiding you to the Brilliant, Bold, and Bonkers drivers for the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart
(Remember to check back here on Tuesday to get my NASCAR Fantasy Picks for the All-Star race coming up on Wednesday from Bristol.)
Brilliant – These NASCAR drivers have the best shot at winning in Kentucky
Martin Truex Jr.
Wins at Kentucky: 2
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 5
Prepare for the return on the No. 19 team this week. I told you to steer clear of the 19 at Indy, and I was right—Truex ended up with a 39th place finish when he exited the race early after getting tangled up in al pit-row skirmish. He’s had a tough season so far, but this week is a different track for Truex—one where he’s excelled in the past. As long as he has a good car and a clean race, I fully expect to see him take home the win on Sunday.
Kevin Harvick
Wins at Kentucky: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 6
You simply can’t mess with the streak. Even though Harvick has never won at this track, he and Denny Hamlin are red-hot right now. Therefore, both are smart picks for Kentucky—but I’m giving this week’s edge to the No. 4.
Brad Keselowski
Wins at Kentucky: 3
Top 5 finishes: 4
Top 10 finishes: 6
Brad does well at intermediate tracks. In fact, six of his wins in the past three seasons have come at tracks like this. He has some of the best numbers at this Kentucky track of all current drivers, making him a viable contender for the win on Sunday.
Bold – These are my NASCAR sleeper picks
Kyle Busch
Wins at Kentucky: 2
Top 5 finishes: 7
Top 10 finishes: 8
I still have to place Rowdy down with the other bold drivers, simply because he’s had such a difficult time adjusting to the no-practice, no-qualifying procedures. Despite his winless season so far, Kyle Bush is not a driver who stays down for long. He’s starting on the pole this week and he’s gonna take that clean air and run with it for as long as he can. Expect a great finish—if not a victory—for the 18 car this week.
Matt Kenseth
Wins at Kentucky: 1
Top 5 finishes: 3
Top 10 finishes: 6
I’ve said it before: don’t mess with the streak. And Kenseth had a great run at Indy last weekend. A second-place finish is nothing to discount. Could it be that things are finally coming together for the new driver of the 42?
Kurt Busch
Wins at Kentucky: 1
Top 5 finishes: 2
Top 10 finishes: 6
After last year’s exciting finish at Kentucky Speedway, how can you have Kyle Bush in your NASCAR fantasy lineup without including his big brother Kurt? The elder Busch brother won this race last year while holding off the younger Busch, who settled for a 2nd place finish. We might just see the same this year—or a reverse of it.
Bonkers – Stay away from these NASCAR drivers in your fantasy lineup this week
Clint Bowyer
Wins at Kentucky: 0
Top 5 finishes: 1
Top 10 finishes: 2
He’s been around the block many times at Kentucky, but his numbers show that he just can’t get things going here yet. Take a pass on Bowyer this week (but don’t count him out for the all-star race—more on that in the next article.)
Austin Dillon
Wins at Kentucky: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 0
Dillon has had a few good runs in the middle of races, but he’s finished poorly in the last few weeks. The No. 3 team likely has a win up their sleeve somewhere, but it’s not going to happen this week at Kentucky.
William Byron
Wins at Kentucky: 0
Top 5 finishes: 0
Top 10 finishes: 0
He’s only been here twice, but I think it’s going to take a little more practice and a lot more growth before Byron finds his footing at this racetrack. Probably not the best option to choose for a victorious finish on Sunday.
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