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Fantasy Fastlane: Blaney, Busch lead charge into St. Louis
By Dustin Albino for NASCAR.com | Published: June 2, 2023 16
James Gilbert | Getty Images
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
In the Cup Series’ inaugural visit to World Wide Technology Raceway, it put on a sneaky good race with plenty of storylines to follow. One of those was Joey Logano winning at another first-time visit to a venue, while Ford controlled the weekend. The blue oval is coming off a banner week in which Ryan Blaney dominated the Coca-Cola 600, leading nearly 250 miles. That momentum could also bode well for Blaney this weekend, as he was strong last year at Gateway. Fantasy players will earn 10 Fan Rewards points each time they set their lineup in NASCAR Fantasy Live. Fan Rewards is a way for registered users on NASCAR.com to earn points toward things like NASCAR tickets, NASCAR merchandise and more. Learn more about Fan Rewards.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Team Penske, No. 12 Ford
Odds: 10-1
Let’s rewind a week in this very column when I mentioned maybe it was a good idea to stay away from the No. 12 team, putting them in the ‘stay away from’ category. That turned out to be accurate. *Sigh for my advice on not using Blaney last weekend. But I do advise using him at Gateway. Blaney led, ironically, 12 laps last year and was second in practice on single-lap speed and 10-lap averages. Given he’s now second in the championship standings, just one point out of the lead, it seems as though the No. 12 team will be in contention.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
MUST START: Kyle Busch | View stats
Richard Childress Racing, No. 8 Chevrolet
Odds: 10-1
Busch’s first season with RCR has been filled with ups and downs, but his runner-up finish at Gateway last June was one of his final bright spots with Joe Gibbs Racing. He led a race-high 66 laps en route to a runner-up finish to Logano. Busch is due for a strong run and has more experience than most drivers in the Cup Series at Gateway with three Xfinity Series starts, which includes a win in 2009.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
MUST START: Martin Truex Jr. | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota
Odds: 11-1
A lot of the same tendencies of getting around Gateway are similar to those that it takes to be successful at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: long straightaways with sweeping corners. Truex has been among the best at that 1-mile track over the last seven seasons, despite not having a win. Last year at Gateway, he was in position to contend for the victory – and led 42 laps – before dropping to sixth at the checkered flag.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
MUST START: Christopher Bell | View stats
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota
Odds: 11-1
Speaking of New Hampshire, Bell is one of the best in the series there, winning at NHMS last year after Truex dominated the first half of the race. Admittedly, Bell has been disappointed with his season thus far, though he has a victory and sits sixth in the championship standings. A strong performance at Gateway could get the No. 20 team back on track, and he’s a former winner at the venue in the Craftsman Truck Series.
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK: Corey LaJoie | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet
Odds: 25-1
With Chase Elliott being suspended at Gateway for intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin during the Coca-Cola 600, it gives Corey LaJoie an opportunity of a lifetime. LaJoie, who handwrote a letter to Rick Hendrick in 2020 vouching for why he should take over the No. 48 car for Jimmie Johnson, now gets a one-time ride at HMS. For years, fans, industry members and media have wanted to see what LaJoie could do in an elite ride. And though it’s a small sample size, everyone will get a glimpse this weekend.
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK: Chase Briscoe | View stats
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 14 Ford
Odds: 30-1
To say May was a tough month for Briscoe would be an understatement. His average finish was just north of 25th, and earlier this week the No. 14 team was hit with a monumental penalty for counterfeiting a NACA duct at Charlotte last weekend. The good news for Briscoe is he was also strong at Gateway in 2022, winning the pole and led 27 laps. A flat tire derailed his finishing position, dropping to 24th.
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
SLEEPER PICK: Aric Almirola | View stats
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 10 Ford
Odds: 50-1
It’s been an underwhelming season thus far for Almirola, but he did finish fifth at Gateway last season. The Florida native has a knack for getting around tracks with a layout similar to Gateway, as his lone win on a non-superspeedway came at New Hampshire in 2021. Sitting 25th in points, Almirola desperately needs a good run, with just one top-10 finish in the opening 14 races.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
STAY AWAY FROM: Ross Chastain | View stats
Trackhouse Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet
Odds: 12-1
This race last year is when the Chastain and Denny Hamlin saga began. One year later and Chastain is still having run-ins with some of the sport’s biggest names. And while Chastain is great at putting conflict behind him and focusing on the task at hand, the No. 1 car has been amiss for consecutive weeks, including the All-Star Race. Let’s see how this weekend goes before we determine if there’s a real concern.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
STAY AWAY FROM: Kyle Larson | View stats
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet
Odds: 5-1
Look, more weeks than not, the No. 5 team is among the quickest cars at the track. That was not the case in last year’s race at Gateway, as he started 15th and finished 12th, only scoring stage points in the second stage. There are going to be ample opportunities to use Larson coming up, and if you’re like me, you might be running low on how much usage you have left with him for the remainder of the regular season.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
STAY AWAY FROM: Joey Logano | View stats
Team Penske, No. 22 Ford
Odds: 10-1
We’re staying away from all the big guns this weekend, huh? Quite frankly, the No. 22 team is a mystery currently. Logano only has six top 10s this season and has four finishes of 18th or worse over the last five races. So, while Logano is due for a strong run and it seems as though you can pencil him in for a win whenever NASCAR goes somewhere new, it’s the second year at Gateway and I’m staying away entering the weekend.
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Adam Glanzman | Getty Images
FEATURED MATCHUP: Ryan Blaney vs. Tyler Reddick
Though I’m high on Blaney entering the weekend, this is a tougher call than anticipated because the No. 45 team finished third at Gateway last year with Kurt Busch. Reddick is a versatile racecar driver and is having a solid first season with 23XI Racing. Still on the Blaney bandwagon entering the weekend, believing he’s among the pre-race favorites for the win.
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Mike Ehrmann | Getty Images
FEATURED MATCHUP: Aric Almirola vs. Bubba Wallace
Wallace is on a heater, as he has three straight top-five finishes for the first time in his career (add in the All-Star Race and it’s four). Almirola is having a lackluster year, though noted earlier, he’s strong at places similar to Gateway. Even though Almirola could be a sleeper, it’s hard to imagine Wallace not outrunning the No. 10 car on Sunday. If not, maybe he’ll shove his way past Almirola.
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Logan Riely | Getty Images
FEATURED MATCHUP: Aric Almirola vs. Bubba Wallace
Wallace is on a heater, as he has three straight top-five finishes for the first time in his career (add in the All-Star Race and it’s four). Almirola is having a lackluster year, though noted earlier, he’s strong at places similar to Gateway. Even though Almirola could be a sleeper, it’s hard to imagine Wallace not outrunning the No. 10 car on Sunday. If not, maybe he’ll shove his way past Almirola.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
FEATURED MATCHUP: Brad Keselowski vs. Chris Buescher
RFK Racing has been one of the best surprises of 2023. Currently, both drivers sit comfortably above the playoff line, though that could change if there are a few winners below it. One of Keselowski’s best tracks is New Hampshire, so I’ll give him a leg up this weekend for how similar the two tracks are. Sunday will also be Buescher’s first Cup race at Gateway, having missed last year’s race due to COVID-19.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
MY LINEUP: Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski
GARAGE: Kevin Harvick