Texas Motor Speedway

AAA Texas 500

Dan Beaver Similarly-configured 1.5-mile tracks, Texas Motor Speedway Leave a comment

The AAA Texas 500 is the last of 10 races held on similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks this season.

DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 30: The new Checkered Past beer is unveiled during the Texas Motor Speedway Media Day at Gilley's Dallas on March 30, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

Homestead-Miami Speedway is also a 1.5-miler, but its unique shape often keeps it from getting lumped in with the other, so-called “cookie-cutter” courses. For purposes of handicapping, we normally look at Texas Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, and Kentucky Speedway as the doglegged or double-doglegged 1.5 milers/. We occasionally toss in the two-mile Michigan International Speedway and Auto Club Speedway for good measure.

Yes, yeah, yeah… Every track is unique, but that is a concern only for the drivers. These 1.5-milers are similar enough in terms of what they require from teams that the same cast of characters tends to dominate the front of the pack.

No one has swept the top 10 on this course type in 2016, but there are still some standouts. Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch have top-fives in more than half the first nine races, while a few others have top-10s in all but two events. These drivers are Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Kurt Busch. Martin Truex Jr. has perfect record of top-15s on similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks—as does the elder Busch brother.

On this track type, it pays dividends to top load with talent. Lightly-funded teams do not have the resources for hours of wind tunnel testing or complicated simulations. They have good, but not always the best, engineers and a little loss here and there combine for a big deficit.

Subscribe!

Or head to the Previews Page to download if you have already subscribed.

Draft Kings: Duck Commander 500

Dan Beaver Texas Motor Speedway Leave a comment

I have created a contest at Draft Kings and would like for you to join me. We are keeping it short and simple this first week: nine players with the top three winning, so you have a 33 percent chance of getting your $5 back. If it fills up quickly, I may add another contest, so let me know via the comments section or on Twitter @FantasyRace if you are interested. If there is a lot of interest, we will make the contest bigger next week and the prize money will go up.

Look for the contest named NAS $5 9-Player (Top 3 Win) by FantasyRace.

Remember to Subscribe to the Dan Beaver Fantasy Newsletter and read my comments about the Draft Kings game at Rotoworld.com.

And, of course, remember to read this week’s edition for the Duck Commander 500.

Duck Commander 500

Dan Beaver Texas Motor Speedway Leave a comment

Texas Motor Speedway has a distinct personality and they do everything in their power to make certain that fans have a unique experience. The fact remains, however, that the configuration of the track makes it similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway—and also a little like Auto Club Speedway.

On the 1.5-mile versions, six drivers swept the top 10 at Atlanta and Vegas. Two others finished 12th or better in the pair of races, and that is where this week’s favorites will come from. Jimmie Johnson won the Folds of Honor QuickTrip 500 and finished third at Vegas. Brad Keselowski was ninth in Atlanta and won the Kobalt 400. Both drivers supported their strong 1.5-mile runs with top-10s at Auto Club. Johnson won that race.

Subscribe or Buy a Single Copy