Fantasy NASCAR: All-Star Race

This week is All-Star so riding a different format, ranking top 10 drivers going into the 80 lap race.

KC Masterpiece 400 recap. I would like to facetiously thank William Byron for taking out Clint Bowyer and almost taking out Kevin Harvick during a wreck. When you pick all of the favorites, the last thing you need is your dark horse knocking out a favorite and high risk driver and creating 3 finishes at 30^th place or worse.

Race Information

Race: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race: Starting back in 1984, 12 racers competed in ‘The Winston’ at Charlotte Motor Speedway right before the Coca-Cola 600 for a $10,000 bonus across 70 laps with just one pit stop. Per a 1970 federal law tobacco advertisers could not have television advertisers so the races like this and the ‘Marlboro 500’ were given generic names like the “Michigan 500’

Laps: 80

Date: May 19th

Venue: Charlotte Motor Speedway

2017 Winner: Kyle Busch (1:12:47)

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway. Opened in 1960 by Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner, this 1.5 mile quad oval asphalt track is home to two races each year. The turns are at 24 degrees and the straights bank at 5 degrees. This track was the first modern superspeedway to host night racing.

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

All-Star Power Rankings

1. Kevin Harvick. If you look over this years, the winner is generally the racer who has excelled the most and well, that’s obviously Kevin.

2. Kyle Busch. This seems like an easy 1-2, plus Kyle won the All-Star race last year. Technically he has to pass the qualifying race but I think he can do that.

3. Martin Truex Jr. 4^th and 2^nd in his last two races leading up to the All-Star race (Dover and Kansas). Finished 2^nd and 1^st at the two Charlotte races last year.

4. Denny Hamlin. All-Star winner here in 2015, top ten finishes in three of his last four including a fifth place finish last week at Kansas. Finished 3^rd and 11^th in the two other Charlotte races last year.

5. Joey Logano. All-Star winner here in 2016 and top ten finisher in seven of his last eight races including a third place finish at Kansas last week. Not a great track record at Charlotte otherwise with a 21^st and 26^thfinish last year at the Coca-Cola and Bank of America races.

6. Brad Keslowski. Some struggles late with a 33^rd place finish at Talladega, 6^th at Dover and 14^th at Kansas. Not the best record at Charlotte.

7. Jimmie Johnson. Three time All-Star winner and notable finisher at Charlotte, it would be fun to see him come in with a surprise All-Star win to bolster his up and down season.

8. Kyle Larson. A rough 33^rd at the first race rebounding to 10^th, seems to be wrecking quite a bit lately.

9. Ryan Newman. Back to back 30+ place finishes are not good but prior to that he had a 9^th place finish at Talladega and he typically steps it up a bit at Charlotte.

10. Jamie McMurray. The X-factor, never count him out.