Welcome to the Monster Energy Cup Series Preview. This week we will be looking ahead to the Cup race at Auto Club Speedway. I’m RyanLarkin88 and you can follow me on twitter @Larkin8. If you are just finding the DFSArmy and are not a VIP member sign up and use code Xfinity to save 20%!! Our DFSArmy VIP members get access to the Domination Station and Research Station post qualifying. Also, VIP members get access to our VIP Slack and direct contact to the NASCAR coaches. Come join the best team in NASCAR DFS!
This week the Cup Series makes it way to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. ACS is a 2 mile ultra wide track with multiple grooves. The track has one of the older surfaces that NASCAR races on. This does result in tire fall off which could be important on long runs this week. This will be the first off the bigger tracks to experience the new 2019 rules package. How the cars will race together is still an unknown at this point. We will have to pay extra close attention to practice to try and understand how cars will race around each other. Early expectation would be larger groups for the first few laps and then once tires wear out the field would then separate.
Quick Facts
Race: Auto Club 400
Practice 1: Friday 1:00 pm ET.
Qualifying: Friday 5:40 pm ET.
Practice 2: Saturday 12:05 pm ET.
Final Practice: Saturday 3:30 pm ET.
Race: Sunday 3:30 pm ET.
Laps: 200 Stages: 7560/150/200
Drivers: 38
Defending Champion: Martin Truex Jr.
AVG. # of Cautions: 6.5 excluding stage breaks
AVG DNF’s: 3 per race
Lineup Building
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Dominator / Top Tier
Based on recently race history we would normally play 1 to 2 dominators. However, if the new rules package creates pack style racing we could see the lead swapped multiple times between a handful of drivers. This will certainly be something to look at in practice. Over the course of a long run, I would expect the best car to pull away, though, and collect a solid amount of laps led. Fast Laps I believe will be spread out over the entire field much like at Vegas. We will need to be willing to fluctuate our ideas for dominators based on what we see in practice this week.
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Mid/Low Tier
We do see several drivers gaining 10+ positions here on a regular basis. As always, look for the drivers starting 20th and farther back who have potential to move forward. There has been a lot of value, lately, between $6500 and $8500 this season. Take advantage of these drivers who are still under priced but offer top 10 to 15 upside. Also, if we do get a form of pack racing with the lead swapping between multiple drivers it may benefit you to pay down from isthe top and take more drivers in the range.
Punts
We do not see many DNFs so punts might not be of much use this week. The down force to power ratio of the new package has made it so the cars are very easy to drive so I don’t expect many mistakes from the drivers. Again, however, if we do get some form of pack racing we could see big multi-car accidents much like at Daytona. I just don’t anticipate that happening this week.
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