2
months
agoChase
Elliott
of
Hendrick
Motorsports
ended
Sunday's
Xfinity
500
at
Martinsville
Speedway
in
the
second
position
after
a
day
of
ups
and
downs.
Beginning
the
race
from
the
second
position,
Elliott
had
one
of
the
fastest
cars
of
the
day
and
went
on
to
dominate
the
first
stage
read more...
2 months agoSince Phoenix isn't really one of Martin Truex Jr.'s best tracks while Martinsville is, Sunday likely marked Truex's last chance to win in the NASCAR Cup Series. Although he won the pole and led the first 41 laps of the race, he sped on his first pit stop before later being involved in a crash and then being trapped a lap down when a caution came out after he had pitted. All these incidents resulted in a 24th-place finish for Truex in yet another example of the No. 19 team snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Truex has still had a solid season, but the combination of bad luck and a string of sloppy errors both from Truex and his team have led to results that did not really accurately reflect his performances.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 months agoAfter crashing in practice and not registering a qualifying time, Denny Hamlin's odds of advancing to the Championship 4 in the NASCAR playoffs were unbelievably remote entering the race, especially since he was below the playoff cut line and would likely have to win. Although his car was sufficiently repaired and he had speed, he never led, nor was he really in contention to win. Nonetheless, he drove up to 10th before staying out of the pits on the Lap 185 caution to move up to second. While Hamlin remained consistently in the top six after that and eventually finished fifth, he never really had the speed to match the other three drivers below the playoff cut line (Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson). Hamlin had a strong season and was arguably a top-four driver, but his failure to make the Championship 4 is nowhere near as unexpected as Larson's or Christopher Bell's.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 months agoShane van Gisbergen earned his best-ever oval finish in the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday's race at Martinsville. Although he still didn't run very well since his average running position was 25th and he only had the 21st-best driver rating in a race where his teammate Daniel Hemric honestly ran better, he stayed out of the pits on a long green-flag run and was able to make his pit stop under caution while many of the cars in front of him pitted under green. Although he rarely ran in the top 25 at any point before that, strong pit strategy resulted in a solid 12th-place finish. His tire-management skills from supercars have probably carried over nicely in NASCAR, but he still needs more experience on the cars and oval tracks before he's a consistent threat on ovals.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 months agoWilliam Byron didn't necessarily need to win at Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4, but if a driver below the cutline won, Byron needed to overcome a 22-point deficit to Christopher Bell, which seemed unlikely. Byron ran well and led 51 laps but got overtaken by Kyle Larson on the lap 406 restart and fell through the pack because he had older tires than the drivers chasing him. However, Bell got trapped a lap down after a botched pit stop and pit strategy and finished 18th on track to Byron's 6th, tying him in points. Although Bell held the tiebreaker, he was penalized four positions for an illegal wall ride. This tentatively handed Byron the playoff spot, but he could possibly lose it if NASCAR decides to penalize Chevrolet for forcing Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain to remain behind Byron to protect his position.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 months agoDaniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing will start 20th in this week's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. It will be the third consecutive race at the site where Suarez will start 20th or worse. In 15 starts at Martinsville, Suarez has six top-20 finishes and an average finish of 22.9. After 34 races this season, Suarez has an average finish of 17.9 and 19 top-20 finishes, including three at short tracks. In practice, Suarez ranked 14th in overall lap averages and ranked among the top 10 fastest in the five, 10, and 15 consecutive lap average categories. Although his stats at Martinsville are not the strongest, Suarez's equipment and overall performance at short tracks this year make him a decent DFS option who can place inside the Top 20.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 months agoZane Smith qualified 36th for this week's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, marking one of his worst starting positions of the season. In two starts at Martinsville in the Cup Series, Smith's best finish is 31st, which he obtained in the April race at the site. In the Truck Series at Martinsville, Smith was a top-notch performer at the site with four top-10 finishes, a win, two podium finishes, and a Driver Rating over 100 obtained in four races. After 34 races this year, Smith has 14 top-20 finishes, including five of the last seven Cup events. Smith also placed 23rd or better in the prior two short track Cup events. In practice, Smith ranked 27th in overall lap averages while ranking 25th or better in 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap averages. Overall, Smith is a fantastic value option for DFS lineups due to his practice speeds, Truck history, and 2024 performance to date in recent races.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 months agoTyler Reddick obtained a starting position of 31st after qualifying for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This is the lowest starting position of Reddick's Cup career for a race at the site in the Cup Series to date. In nine races at Martinsville, Reddick has five top-20 finishes, including earlier this year when he placed seventh. In 34 races completed this season, Reddick has three wins, 25 top-20 finishes, and an average finish of 12.8. At short tracks this year, Reddick has four top-20 finishes, including three inside the Top 10. In practice, the No. 45 Toyota driver ranked 29th in overall lap averages while ranking among the top 20 fastest in the 10, 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories, With high upside, solid practice speeds, and overall consistency throughout the 2024 season, Reddick is an easy recommendation for DFS lineups this week who could capitalize on massive Place Differential.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2
months
agoFor
Sunday's
Xfinity
500
at
Martinsville
Speedway,
Joey
Logano
obtained
a
starting
position
of
12th
after
qualifying,
marking
the
fifth
time
he
will
start
outside
of
the
top
10
at
the
site
since
2022.
In
31
starts
at
Martinsville,
Logano
has
one
win,
19
top-10
finishes,
and
1,207
read more...
2 months agoBrad Keselowski of RFK Racing qualified 18th for Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. It will be the second-worst starting position of his Cup career at the Virginia track since joining RFK in 2022. In 29 starts at Martinsville Speedway, Keselowski has two wins and 21 top-20 finishes, although only one of them has been collected since 2022. With 34 races completed this season, Keselowski has one win and 21 top-20 finishes, including four at short tracks. In practice, Keselowski ranked ninth in overall lap averages and 33rd in 10 consecutive lap averages. Due to his underwhelming recent history at Martinsville and slower practice speeds in the longer run, Keselowski is not a driver to rely on for DFS lineups this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 months agoSpire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar will start Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway from the 27th position, marking the second-lowest starting position for the Cup rookie at the site. In two prior starts at Martinsville, Hocevar's best finish was 17th, which he gained earlier in the season at the site. The No. 77 Chevrolet driver also captured positive Place Differential in both of his two races at Martinsville. In 34 races completed so far this year, Hocevar has 22 top-20 finishes, including seven of the last 10 Cup events. At short tracks this year, Hocevar has four top-20 finishes, all scored in his previous four races at the track type. In practice, Hocevar ranked 32nd in overall lap averages while ranking 11th or better in 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap averages. Based on his great upside, equipment, and highly favorable practice speeds, Hocevar is a top driver recommendation to consider rostering in all DFS formats this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 months agoTy Gibbs will start fifth in Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway after qualifying, marking the second time in his Cup career that he will start inside the top five at the site. In four previous races at Martinsville, Gibbs never finished better than 18th and only scored positive place differential once. Through 34 races this season, Gibbs has 12 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.3. At short tracks this season, Gibbs has only one top-10 finish and nabbed positive place differential twice. In practice, Gibbs ranked 12th in overall lap averages while ranking among the top 10 fastest in 10 and 20 consecutive lap averages. As a former Xfinity Series winner at Martinsville with great equipment and top-10 practice speeds, Gibbs is likely to compete for a top-10 finish. The No. 54 Toyota driver's low upside due to his starting position, however, makes him best utilized in tournament lineups as a contrarian pick for DFS.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 months agoTeam Penske's Austin Cindric collected a starting position of 24th for this week's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This will mark the fourth different race in his Cup career, where Cindric will start a race at the Virginia track outside of the Top 20. In five previous races in his Cup career at Martinsville, Cindric has two finishes of 11th or better while scoring positive Place Differential three times. With 34 races completed this season, Cindric has one win, 17 top-20 finishes, and an average finish of 20.6. At short tracks this year, Cindric has just one top-20 finish, being the second Bristol race. In practice, Cindric ranked 16th in overall lap averages and 25 consecutive lap averages while ranking 13th in 30 consecutive lap averages. With decent upside, equipment, and practice speeds, Cindric is a driver who will compete for a top-20 finish.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 months agoWilliam Byron of Hendrick Motorsports obtained a starting position of third for Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, tying the best starting position of his Cup career at the site. In 13 starts at Martinsville, Byron has two wins, including earlier this year, and seven top-10 finishes. Through 34 races so far this year, Byron has three wins, 19 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.4. At short tracks this season, Byron has three top-10 finishes and one victory. In practice, Byron ranked second in overall lap averages but only ranked among the top 10 fastest in five consecutive lap averages (seventh) in all other categories, showcasing how he likely has a better car on shorter runs. Byron's history at Martinsville and recent playoff momentum points to a strong run. Still, he is only recommended as a tournament play since he carries extremely low upside from his starting position and concerning practice speeds during longer runs.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 months agoFor Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Chris Buescher will start 26th, marking the second consecutive race at the site where he will start outside of the top 20. In 18 races at Martinsville, Buescher has 10 top-20 finishes, including six top-15 finishes in the last seven Cup events at the track. In 34 races this year, Buescher has one win and 28 top-20 finishes, including each of the previous seven Cup events. At short tracks this season, Buescher placed 18th or better in all events at the track type, including four top-15 finishes. In practice, Buescher ranked 23rd in overall lap averages and ranked as high as 18th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Watch for Buescher to obtain positive place differential and finish in the top 20 based on his equipment, history, 2024 short-track performance, and practice speeds.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
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