1
week
agoJoey
Logano
won
Sunday's
NASCAR
Cup
Series
Championship
race
at
Phoenix
Raceway,
which
gave
him
the
2024
Cup
Series
title.
Starting
from
the
second
position,
Logano
displayed
one
of
the
best
cars
in
the
field
from
the
beginning,
making
it
to
the
lead
after
10
laps
and
he
read more...
1
week
agoTeam
Penske's
Ryan
Blaney
finished
second
during
Sunday's
NASCAR
Cup
Series
Championship
at
Phoenix
Raceway,
falling
short
of
the
race
win
and
the
Cup
Series
title.
Beginning
the
race
from
the
17th
position
in
the
first
stage,
Blaney
quickly
ascended
through
the
field
as
his
car
was
great
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1 week agoTyler Reddick finished fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after finishing sixth in the season finale at Phoenix. He spent most of the race in the back half of the top ten and never really had the speed of even William Byron, let alone Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, who were the two fastest drivers all race. However, the regular season champion frequently struggled for speed in the playoffs perhaps because 23XI Racing is being distracted by its lawsuit against NASCAR so it's not surprising he wasn't as fast as he was in the March race when he tied for the most laps led with his boss Denny Hamlin. Since Reddick barely made the Round of 8 and probably would have missed the Championship 4 if not for his epic pass on Blaney at Homestead, he's probably satisfied enough just to make it that far.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
1 week agoWilliam Byron was arguably lucky to make it to the final round of the NASCAR playoffs at Phoenix on Sunday after Christopher Bell was penalized last week at Martinsville, but he did his best and posed a stout challenge to Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, the Penske drivers who finished first and second in the race and the championship. Although Hendrick Motorsports has rarely been able to match Penske's speed at Phoenix lately, Byron took his shot by long-pitting on his final stop, then staying out of the pits while the other leaders pitted under caution a few laps later. Since his teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson didn't pit until the caution, he had a bit of a buffer on the ensuing restart, but the Hendrick trio could not match the Penske drivers' speed, and Byron was relegated to a third-place finish in the race and championship.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
2 weeks agoBubba Wallace will start 29th for this week's NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. In 13 starts at Phoenix, Wallace has seven top-20 finishes, including three consecutive finishes of 16th or better in his last three races at the site. Through 35 races in 2024, Wallace has 27 top-20 finishes, with 13 inside the Top 10. In practice, Wallace ranked 27th in overall lap averages while showcasing top-10 speeds in the five, 10, 20, and 25 consecutive lap average categories. Based on his Phoenix history, equipment, and incredible upside, Wallace is a top recommendation for any DFS lineup.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 weeks agoTyler Reddick of 23XI Racing captured a starting position of 10th after qualifying for this week's NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. This will be the third consecutive race at the site where Reddick nabbed a top-10 starting position. In nine previous starts at Phoenix, Reddick has three top-10 finishes, including the March race at the site earlier this year. Through 35 races this season, Reddick has three wins, 20 top-10 finishes, including five at short tracks, and an average finish of 13.4. In practice, Reddick ranked fifth in overall lap averages and 10th in 10 consecutive lap averages. Look for Reddick to place in the Top 10 based on his practice speeds, Phoenix history, and equipment.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 weeks agoChampionship 4 competitor Joey Logano will start second in this week's NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. In 31 Phoenix races, Logano has three wins, 16 top-10 finishes, 908 laps led, and an average finish of 13.5. The No. 22 Ford driver also finished 11th or better in nine of the last 11 Cup events at the site. In 35 races this year, Logano has three wins and 12 top-10 finishes, including four at races with the short track rules package. In practice, Logano ranked inside the Top 10 in all eligible categories and ninth in overall lap averages. Even if he has almost no upside from his starting position, Logano has historically been great at Phoenix, looked faster than most in practice, and will have top-notch equipment, making him one of the top favorites to win this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 weeks agoHendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson will start fourth for this week's NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. In 20 races at Phoenix, Larson has one win and eight top-10 finishes, including three of the last four Cup events at the site. After completing 34 races this season, Larson has six wins, 17 top-10 finishes, and leads all drivers with 1,686 laps led. Eight of Larson's top-10 finishes have come at short tracks this year, including a win at Bristol. In practice, Larson ranked fourth in overall lap averages and displayed top-5 speeds in the five and 10 consecutive lap average categories. With a strong Phoenix history, great equipment, and favorable practice speeds, look for Larson to compete for a top-5 finish and be worth rostering in DFS this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 weeks agoCorey LaJoie will start 20th for this week's NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway, setting a new career-best qualifying result in his Cup career to date. In 14 races in his Cup career at Phoenix, LaJoie has one top-20 finish and nabbed positive Place Differential six times. Through 35 races this year, while splitting time between Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing, LaJoie has 14 top-20 finishes and an average finish of 23.5. In practice, LaJoie ranked 16th in overall lap averages, 23rd in five consecutive lap averages, and 26th in 10 consecutive lap averages. LaJoie's Phoenix history is unfavorable, and with his practice speeds indicating a finish outside of the Top 20, he is not a driver to rely on for DFS this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 weeks agoBrad Keselowski of RFK Racing will start 27th in this week's NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. In 30 starts at Phoenix, Keselowski has 25 top-20 finishes, including each of his last three appearances, and an overall average finish of 13.6. After 35 races this season, Keselowski has 22 top-20 finishes and an average finish of 15.6. In practice, Keselowski ranked 18th in overall lap averages and as high as 20th in 15 consecutive lap averages. With high upside, solid equipment, and favorable Phoenix history, Keselowski is an easy recommendation for all DFS formats this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 weeks agoFor Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway, Erik Jones will begin the race from the 19th position, his lowest at the site to start from since 2022. In 16 races at Phoenix, Jones has nine top-20 finishes and nabbed positive Place Differential six times. Through 35 races in 2024, Jones has 15 top-20 finishes, including four at short tracks and an average finish of 22.9. In practice, Jones ranked 15th in overall lap averages, 25th in five consecutive lap averages, and 21st in overall lap averages. Although his practice speeds are underwhelming, Jones is worth consideration for all DFS formats, especially as his equipment and history indicate that he will compete for a top-20 finish.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 weeks agoSpire Motorsports rookie driver Carson Hocevar obtained a starting position of 15th for this week's NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. It will be the second time in his Cup career that Hocevar will start a race inside the Top 15 at Phoenix. In two starts at the site, Hocevar has two top-20 finishes, with his best finish of 15th being captured earlier in the season. In 35 races completed this season, Hocevar has 22 top-20 finishes, including five at shorter tracks. In practice, Hocevar ranked 14th in overall lap averages and five consecutive lap averages, 11th in 10 consecutive lap averages, and ninth in 15 consecutive lap averages. Expect another solid performance from the rookie due to his Phoenix history, overall performance this year, and equipment, which will compete for a top-10 finish.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2
weeks
agoTy
Gibbs
of
Joe
Gibbs
Racing
will
start
sixth
after
qualifying
for
this
week's
NASCAR
Cup
Series
Championship
at
Phoenix
Raceway,
gaining
a
top-10
start
position
for
the
second
time
in
his
Cup
career
at
the
site.
In
three
races
at
Phoenix,
Gibbs
has
one
top-5
finish
of
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2 weeks agoChase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports obtained a starting position of fifth for this year's NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. It will be the 14th time in his Cup career that Elliott will start a race inside the top 10 at Phoenix. In 16 previous races at Phoenix, Elliott has eight top-10 finishes, although none of them were scored since the introduction of the Next-Gen car in 2022. In 35 races completed this season, Elliott has one win, 18 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 11.8. At short tracks this year, Elliott has seven top-10 finishes. In practice, Elliott ranked 12th in overall lap averages and ranked as high as sixth in 10 and 15 consecutive lap averages. Although Elliott does have solid practice speeds and performed well at short tracks this season, he is still only at tournament play at best due to his inconsistent Phoenix history with the Next-Gen car and the low upside offered by his starting position.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2
weeks
agoAnalysts
and
sportsbooks
alike
have
all
pegged
Ryan
Blaney
as
the
driver
to
beat
when
it
comes
to
the
NASCAR
Cup
Series
Championship
this
weekend.
In
practice
on
Friday,
the
No.
12
Ford
was
a
standout
in
all
speed
categories,
ranking
fastest
in
five-,
10-,
and
15-lap
average
read more...
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