Fantasy Picks 2019 ~ Phoenix 2
Recap
and Results
AAA Texas 500
Texas
Race
34 saw the Fantasy Racers all over it at the Fort Worth mile-and-a-half’er. It says
something to have your pick finish fourth in the race and have five Fantasy
Racers finish ahead of you.
The
top three in the standings, Kelly Meiste, PattyKay Lilley and Vicq Ruiz, along
with Vivian Simons and J. L. Steele all picked race winner Kevin Harvick. Only Vivian was able to advance a position
with the 40-point win as all the other winners held position.
David
Nance and Frank Buhrman also finished in the top 10, while Will Dossett just
barely missed it. Hal Ashburn and Berra
Nordin went sliding through the tri-oval with Denny Hamlin which hurt their
chances for a top 10 finish.
It
was another impressive performance by our Fantasy Racers. Check out the Race Summary and Points
Standings below.
Bluegreen Vacations 500
ISM
It’s
almost over.
Race
35 can only mean one thing-ISM (no matter how much reconfiguring and fan
enhancements occur, it’ll always be Phoenix to me).
This
race will reduce the Field of Eight to the Final Four as four of the Playoff
contenders will be eliminated. Martin
Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick are secure, their Round of Eight wins licking them
into the Homestead Final. Kyle Busch and
Joey Logano are locked in a tight points’ race with Logano setting the cutoff
line. Ryan Blaney trails Logano by 20
points followed by Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. Chase Elliott trails and needs a win to avert
Elimination.
Contenders…
Kyle Busch has won the last two races here bringing his ISM win total to
three. Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin have
also visited Victory Lane. Kevin Harvick
has nine wins, putting him as the winningest 2020 Contender.
Kyle
Larson and Martin Truex, Jr. have 3 top 5s in the last 10 races here. Chase has two top 5’s in the last 7 races
while Ryan has 1. So the Contenders are
all strong.
Non-contenders
Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch also have wins here.
Jimmie Johnson is no stranger to the Winner’s Circle winning four
times. Brad Keselowski and Aric Almirola
are knocking on the door for their first win here.
The
media is presenting this as a Kyle Busch-Joey Logano battle. Who will our Fantasy Racers go with in their
next to last pick of the season?
PattyKay
Lilley
Looking
ahead, I see 12 points! Kelly has already sort of telegraphed that he'll
play Harvick to the end, and he'd be a fool not to at this point. I also want
to play Harvick, especially at Phoenix, but that's not the way Fantasy works.
Favorites have no place in Fantasy... so... much as I hate to, I must forsake
my guy and ride around ISM with the dreaded #18 and Kyle Busch. (I hate being
forced to react defensively!)
Frank
Buhrman
He's
not perfect, but he's my hometown boy, and I'm hoping he bounces back from
Texas. We'll go with Denny Hamlin in #11.
Vivian
Simons
Normally,
I would automatically say Kevin Harvick will win at Phoenix, aka ISM. However,
and that is a big however, Homestead is looming large and many drivers will do
anything, including taking others out, to win so they can be in the final 4.
That being the case, I thought of the ones most likely to play/drive that way
and three came to mind. But I have a hard time picking, so I will just go with
someone else this time. Ah, the heck with it, I will draw names from my special
Tony Cap and the winner is...Chase Elliott. What? Chase? Wow, that could stir
things up, huh? Okay, #9, do your thing and give me the win!
Berra
Nordin
Phoenix
this week. Somehow it feels a bit sad when the season is coming to an end next
week! For me this fantasy racing league has been the highlight of the year even
if I've not been that lucky with my picks! But this time I think I've got the
winner figured out and .... "drumroll"....... #18 Kyle Busch it
is for the third time in a row here at ISM Raceway!!!
Vicq
Ruiz
Kevin
- the smart pick
But
I need to gamble here
So
I'll take Rowdy
Kelly
Meiste
There's
a handful of drivers I think have a good shot at this week’s race but there
is one that stands out to me.
He's
been on a long dry spell and I think it's time for him to rear his ugly head
again.
So
yes, put me down for the 18 of Kyle Butthead, sorry Busch to come out on top
this week.
Hal
Ashburn
Still
riding the 11 to the end.
Will
Dossett
Well,
let’s see. I think I’ll go with the 42
this week. :-)
J.
L. Steele
Harvick...again!
David
Nance
MTJ,
No. Happy Harvick, No. Kyle Busch, NO, NO, NO. Going with the #22 for the win and a place in
next week’s finale... Yes.
So
there you have it! Agree? Disagree?
Pick your winner and post it in the comments below.
Good luck and hoping for a safe, good race!