After seeing Kurt Busch pull off the surprise victory to put himself in the playoffs two races ago, Aric Almirola would go and trump that feat in New Hampshire, winning his first-ever Cup race at a track other than a Superspeedway. His win would require getting past three fellow Ford drivers late in the race, including SHR teammate Kevin Harvick and Penske’s Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney.
In the final laps, Christopher Bell was pushing hard. However, the race was reduced by eight laps because of impending darkness. Upon the conclusion of the race, Bell was only .657 seconds behind Almirola. The runner-up to Almirola Bell would be the lone racer not running a Ford among the top five finishers.
Almirola came into the New Hampshire race sitting 27th in points and desperate for any type of spark to save his season. Now a completely new playoff picture has emerged following this latest surprise win. Suddenly Childress teammates Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon find themselves precariously positioned. The last playoff position currently belongs to Reddick, but Dillon is just five points behind him. Four races remain until the end of the regular season, so still, a lot to be decided before the playoff board becomes clear.
NASCAR Returns After a Two Week Break
Over the two-week shutdown, we witnessed numerous driver changes between the Ford teams for next season. Among the teams involved were Penske, Roush-Fenway, and Wood Brothers. Having now given its drivers a chance to recharge, NASCAR will travel to upstate New York to race the legendary Watkins Glen in its annual visit. Specs-wise, Watkins Glen International features a 2.4-mile asphalt track.
In terms of selecting drivers for this upcoming race at the Glen, it is an event that will not allow for a whole lot of dominating value, with 90 laps to run at a total of 22.5 DraftKings points. With this in mind, we go from a strategy of securing numerous dominators and focus more on drivers that will need to move up in the field. Of course, you can include a single dominator to fill out the roster. However, the majority of your points are going to need to come mainly from place differential and high finishing position.
This week, the Money Train delves into the DFS options for Sunday’s Cup Series event in Watkins Glen, NY. I’ve broken down the selections between high salary, mid-range, and value play. Included are player salaries from both FanDuel and DraftKings. Best of luck to everyone with their lineups this weekend.
High Salary
Kurt Busch (10,500 FD | 10,000 DK)
It might seem surprising to take a shot on Busch. However, if you’re looking for an underrated darkhorse, he remains a good bet. Busch is a fine road course racer, and now, after learning he is not joining Trackhouse Racing in 2022, he brings some added tenacity to his performance. In the four road courses leading up to Watkins Glen, Busch has finished in the top six or better three of those races. Coming off the line 17th, it offers Busch some nice wiggle room. While other owners decide to stack their rosters with the more favored drivers, consider Busch. If he holds up his end of the bargain and finishes strong, you’re going to be well ahead of the game. At worst, he’s worth an add-on to a handful of your lineups.
Kyle Busch (12,500 FD | 10,900 DK)
Perhaps it was a blessing to have a couple of weeks to digest what happened in New Hampshire. He had been rolling through the weeks, finishing podium in each of the four previous races, including a victory. In addition to his two wins at the Glen, Busch has an average finish of 9.47 in his 15 Cup appearances. Arguably the biggest chalk play on the slate for this Sunday given the 20th place qualifying position. You might recall the most recent performance at Road America, in which Busch started 40th and finished third. Regardless of whether he crosses the finish line first, he should have no problem pocketing a sizable amount of points.
Mid-Range
Daniel Suarez (7,500 FD | 7,500 DK)
Suarez looked like a top-10 contender before his transmission failed at Road America. This week should be a good opportunity for him to come back strong. While Suarez has only competed in three Watkins Glen events so far in his cup career, he has already accomplished a lot. Take into account Suarez’s back-to-back top-four finishes at the Glen in his first two visits. As a cheap value play, I’d say that most weeks Suarez has earned his keep. Place him towards the middle of your roster this weekend, and you should be fine.
Value Play
Michael McDowell (7,300 FD | 7,200 DK)
Following back-to-back top eight runs at the Daytona Road Course and COTA, McDowell looked poised for another top 10 finish at Sonoma. But a tap from the front bumper of Daniel Suarez on the final corner snuffed out any chance of McDowell finishing strong. With McDowell’s rich Open Wheel background, it’s not surprising to see him succeed on a road course rather than certain other tracks. Slated to come off the line in 25th position, he shouldn’t have much trouble making inroads as we go further into the event. Although it is unlikely that McDowell will perform another Almirola-like miracle, finishing in the top 11 is doable.
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