Fantasy Fastlane: Ryan Blaney’s intermediate speed will shine at Charlotte

Motorsports’ version of Christmas is upon us, and all eyes will be turned to Kyle Larson. His second attempt at the Memorial Day Double is in full swing, as the 2021 Coca-Cola 600 winner looks to become the second driver ever to complete all 1,100 miles between NASCAR’s longest race and the Indianapolis 500 (Tony Stewart in 2001). Charlotte Motor Speedway has put on some thrillers in the Next Gen era, with the two full-distance races (2022 and 2023) having 31 lead changes apiece. The last eight 600s have all been won by different drivers. A bonus this weekend is it’s the most points paid out for a single race (maximum of 71) this season with four stages, with the garage pick getting locked after Stage 3. Swing for the fences with your picks.

New to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick, where you can play along. It’s a season-long points battle introduced last year in which strategy is the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars and 36 races on the 2025 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season.

RELATED: How to watch NASCAR on Prime Video

MUST START:

Kyle Larson | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet

Odds: 6-1

Larson will be the talk of the town this weekend, as he looks to do the improbable of winning two historic races in one day. On the NASCAR side, there’s a strong likelihood that winning goes through the No. 5 team. Larson has dominated at 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen era, leading laps in 17 of the last 18 races (not including last year’s 600). He’s also been victorious in five of the last 12 races at 1.5-mile venues, including a stomping two weeks ago at Kansas Speedway.

MUST START:

Ryan Blaney | View stats

Team Penske, No. 12 Ford

Odds: 13-2

Blaney is among a long list of drivers trying to join Martin Truex Jr. as the only repeat winner of the 600 in the last 14 seasons. He cruised to victory in 2023, earning his first crown jewel triumph. Despite not yet winning at a 1.5-mile track in 2025, Blaney has displayed a wealth of speed in these races. He’s my favorite to win entering the weekend.

MUST START:

William Byron | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet

Odds: 8-1

Along with Larson, Byron has been the model of consistency throughout the first three-plus months of the 2025 season. He has three finishes of fourth or better in the last four Coca-Cola 600s, including a runner-up result in 2023. The No. 24 team has consecutive finishes outside the top 10 at 1.5-mile venues, but don’t let that sway you from using him this weekend.

MUST START:

Tyler Reddick | View stats

23XI Racing, No. 45 Toyota

Odds: 10-1

Charlotte is another track that should be in Reddick’s wheelhouse. What is slightly concerning is the No. 45 team has little momentum with seven finishes of 14th or worse in the last nine races, including at a trio of 1.5-mile tracks. Reddick has stepped up in big moments throughout his career, which includes a stellar track record in the Coca-Cola 600. He has top 10s in all five attempts, and according to Racing Insights, has an average running position inside the top 10 in four of those starts.

SLEEPER PICK:

Josh Berry | View stats

Wood Brothers Racing, No. 21 Ford

Odds: 18-1

The results are a false indicator with Berry this year, but the No. 21 team regularly shows up to intermediates with some of the best speed, including his victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In the series’ most recent points race at Kansas, he was hunting the top five at the end, winding up with a sixth-place finish. He rounded out the top 10 in the 600 last year as a rookie.

SLEEPER PICK:

Ty Gibbs | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 54 Toyota

Odds: 28-1

After a disastrous start to the season, the No. 54 team turned up the wick for three races between Martinsville Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Gibbs has dropped six spots in the regular season championship standings in the last three races, now 34 points below the elimination line. Gibbs led 74 laps in the 600 last year before finishing sixth. The primary concern is JGR has combined to lead 21 laps at 1.5-mile tracks this year, the team’s fewest through four 1.5-mile events since 1994.

SLEEPER PICK:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | View stats

Hyak Motorsports, No. 47 Chevrolet

Odds: 90-1

What Stenhouse has achieved in the first half of the regular season for the rebranded No. 47 team should not be overlooked. He’s on the plus side of the playoffs with a pair of top 10s. He has five finishes of 12th or better in the last seven 600-mile events, tallying a best result of fifth in 2019.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Joey Logano | View stats

Team Penske, No. 22 Ford

Odds: 16-1

Of the four cars prepared by Penske, including Berry’s No. 21, one could argue that the No. 22 team has been the slowest at intermediate tracks this season, despite scoring a victory in a wild Texas race. His Charlotte numbers have been dreadful in recent years, with finishes of 13th or worse in nine of the last 11 races on the oval.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Brad Keselowski | View stats

RFK Racing, No. 6 Ford

Odds: 18-1

Over the last few weeks, there has certainly been an increase in Keselowski’s speed. However, anything that could go wrong has gone wrong for the No. 6 team in 2025, as Keselowski ranks 33rd in the championship standings with nine finishes outside the top 25. He was runner-up last year in the 600, but so much has changed in the last calendar year.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Daniel Suárez | View stats

Trackhouse Racing, No. 99 Chevrolet

Odds: 90-1

Suarez is aiming to become the ninth driver to win in their 300th Cup Series start. The unfortunate part for the Mexico native is his 300th start lands at Charlotte, a place where he has a single top 10 in 10 attempts. Dating back to 2018, his last eight starts here have ended with finishes of 15th or worse.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Tyler Reddick vs. Ryan Blaney

What a brutal matchup to start off the week. Reddick’s numbers are great in the Coca-Cola 600, never finishing worse than ninth, including top fives in both starts with 23XI Racing. But Blaney has race-winning speed at just about every intermediate track this season and is still searching for that coveted first checkered flag of 2025. Anticipating a big weekend for the No. 12 team.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Christopher Bell vs. William Byron

Here’s another tough matchup, with two of the sport’s youngest stars pinned against each other. Bell enters the weekend as the defending winner, leading a race-high 90 laps. Crew chief Adam Stevens admitted after winning the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway that the No. 20 team’s biggest hindrance thus far in 2025 is at intermediates. Byron is always a contender in the 600, earning three top fives in the last four here, giving him the nod.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Denny Hamlin vs. Kyle Larson

Similarly to Bell, Hamlin hasn’t been lights out at an intermediate track this season, though he is tied with Kyle Busch for the most top 10s in the Coca-Cola 600 among active drivers (12). Larson is known to be at his best at intermediate tracks, so no matter how Indianapolis goes, he’s going to be a challenger come Sunday evening.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Kyle Busch vs. Alex Bowman

Over the last month, the No. 8 team has found contending speed. It hasn’t translated to results, with just one top 10 in the last eight races. Very Bowman-like, he’s flown under the radar at Charlotte, but has scored five top-10 finishes in the last seven 600s. Hendrick will be a force to be reckoned with this weekend.

MY LINEUP: Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Josh Berry

GARAGE: Alex Bowman

36 for 36: While it does seem as though Hendrick will be a tough out at Charlotte, the pick for this weekend is Blaney. You can only hold down a good team for so long, and the No. 12 group has shown potential to win at every intermediate track this season. The primary issue has been putting full races together. If Blaney can do it, there’s no reason why he can’t score north of 60 points this weekend, like he did in 2023.