Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Marks tops leaderboard in final practice

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Rain, rain,

go away
, come again on Sat-ur-day.

That’s the song Justin Marks will be singing the rest of the time he’s at Road America, site of Saturday’s Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The National Weather Service’s Saturday forecast calls for showers and thunderstorms in the track’s vicinity, with an 80 percent chance in the morning giving way to a 50-50 shot in the afternoon. NASCAR drivers typically view rain the same way cats do, so why would the most recent XFINITY Series road course winner be hoping for the wet stuff?

Because it gives him an advantage.

“I’ve had a lot of people ask, you know, ‘Are you praying for rain when you get (to Road America)?’ ” said Marks, who prevailed at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course two weeks ago on a rain-soaked Saturday. “I try to keep myself and the team … we try to manage our expectations around not banking too much around the things that we can’t control. We can’t control the weather. We know that we’re really good in the rain. We know that if it rains, certainly we’re going to be a threat to win again.

“At Mid-Ohio a couple weeks ago, we were a little bit off on speed in the dry. We needed to improve on that and that was a big part of what we were working on today. I think we satisfied that initiative.”

Marks and his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet crew appear to have found the dry speed Friday, improving on his fourth-place showing in opening practice (108.279 mph) to lead final practice at a blistering 108.946 mph.

He backed it up in qualifying later on in the evening, making a quick lap of 109.196 mph to line up third.

“Our goal — we know we’re fast in the rain — our goal is to be fast on dry. That way, no matter what happens, we know we’re a threat to win and we don’t have to sit and cross our fingers and hope for something that’s outside of our control,” Marks said.

“That being said, I would be OK if I woke up and it was wet in the morning.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: OneMain extends pact with JRM, Sadler

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — In the span of less than two months, NASCAR XFINITY Series points leader Elliott Sadler had a secure ride and sponsor, lost a secure ride and sponsor then gained a secure ride and sponsor, all with the same team … and sponsor.

Dizzy? Don’t blame you.

OneMain Financial had sponsored the NASCAR veteran for several years, following him from team to team, but informed Sadler and JR Motorsports earlier this summer that after an executive shakeup following a merger with Springleaf Holdings that they would be exiting the sport at the conclusion of the 2016 season.

The news was shocking, given their status as the longest-running XFINITY Series primary sponsor and Sadler being on pace for his most successful campaign since he started racing in the series full-time in 2011.

It was equally as stunning when JRM General Manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller announced a multiyear extension with OneMain and Sadler on Wednesday, a complete 180 from where things were headed.

“We were ecstatic when we found out that they had come back and had started talking to Kelley and Dale (Earnhardt Jr., JRM owner) to maybe further this relationship,” Sadler told NASCAR.com Friday at Road America, site of Saturday’s Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App). ” … This all came together really quick and really late, like just here in the past couple days. It’s neat how it’s all come together pretty fast.

” … I was proud when I found out that they were deciding to come back and they really wanted me to be their spokesperson and their head guy for racing. Man, I’m humbled by that. OneMain’s a great sponsor. I’ve been with them over a decade. All that put together, I’m humbled that they still want me to be a part of their brand and still be a part of their company. I think definitely it’s a no-brainer to be a part of JR Motorsports in this particular division.”

While Wednesday’s announcement was a welcome sight for the industry — nobody likes to see a sponsor leave the sport, let alone one with such a long-standing, visible relationship with a single driver — it was certainly an unprecedented head-scratcher.

What, exactly, had happened in the past month-plus to have OneMain change their minds?

“One thing I’ve learned, and the most important thing I’ve learned, is in a merger, there’s a lot going on, man,” Sadler said. “There’s only so many hours in a day and there’s only so many things that you can look at; charts and stats and information. I think once they got all the merger stuff straight and they could really take a good, deep look into the racing program, into NASCAR, into the demographics between their customers and NASCAR, I think they really started to kind of see that ‘Hey, this is maybe … this looks pretty good.’

“NASCAR is a pretty wide sport. I think they learned they had customers in California that were race fans, they had customers in Michigan and Pennsylvania and Texas and Florida and everywhere in between and it’s going to be, ‘Wow, maybe this is a direct correlation between the two. We might need to look at this.’ “

Being the points leader, a favorite in the first-ever XFINITY Series Chase and an employee of NASCAR’s most popular driver definitely wasn’t a hindrance, either.


RELATED: Series Chase Grid

“I think it doesn’t hurt the way we’re running. I think that’s a big part of it. It 100 percent doesn’t hurt to be associated with JR Motorsports and Junior Nation. Kelley and Dale and (JRM Brand Director & Communications) Mike Davis and their staff; what they do in digital consumption and stuff off the track … there’s no other team even close in the garage. I think once you throw all that together and seeing the response and the people you’re reaching is why the reconsideration was done and why they decided to stay here for a couple more years.”

Had this all not come together, however, Sadler indicated that in terms of a backup plan, he “never really messed with (looking at) other options.”

In fact, retirement was starting to creep into the 41-year-old’s thoughts, ever so slightly.

“I just kind of was looking at … ‘This might be it.’ I didn’t know, but I didn’t want to take away from what we were doing here. It’s the best chance I’ve had in a long time to make a great run to Homestead. We’re leading in the points and we’re running good and we’ve got a good string of finishes going and we’ve been fast every week. I didn’t want to … you can only control what you can control. I’ve been a part of the sport long enough that I didn’t want to go off and start fishing and doing other things and taking away from what my job is, and that’s showing up prepared every week. I’m not going to tell you that it hasn’t been hard. The last month and a half, I haven’t slept much, I’ll be honest with you. It’s been tough and priorities have been shifted some and wondering what’s going to happen.”

Sleep should come a bit easier now for the veteran, at least until the Chase starts at Kentucky later this year.

Gratitude does, as well.

” … For all of that to come together and be able to be the lucky one to stand here and talk to you about it … ” said Sadler, ” … it’s pretty humbling and I’m pretty thankful to have that opportunity.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Here are the hot topics, trending news and key story lines to get you ready for this weekend’s races at Michigan International Speedway and Road America.

WEATHER

In Brooklyn, Michigan, the forecast shows partly cloudy skies with a 50 percent chance of rain, scattered thunderstorms during the day and a high of 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin – the site of the XFINITY Road America race — calls for a mix of sunshine and clouds with scattered thunderstorms, a 60 percent chance of rain and a high of 73 degrees Fahrenheit.

KEY TIMES

Sprint Cup Series: The Sprint Cup Series holds its first practice and Coors Light Pole qualifying session on Friday, beginning at noon and 5:15 p.m. ET, respectively. The race begins at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday on NBCSN/NBC Sports App.


XFINITY Series: The XFINITY Series practices twice at Road America on Friday (10 a.m. and noon ET) before qualifying at 6:35 p.m. ET. The race takes place Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App.


Camping World Truck Series: The Camping World Truck Series has its pair of practices on Friday, beginning at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET. The race gets underway Saturday at 1 p.m. on FS1. 

CATCH DRIVERS LIVE

We stream every driver press conference in the media center at NASCAR.com/presspass. The Michigan press conferences begin Friday with Camping World Truck Series drivers Tyler Reddick (11:30 a.m.) and Cameron Hayley (11:45 a.m.), followed by Sprint Cup Series’ Austin Dillon (2 p.m.), Greg Biffle (2:15 p.m.) and Alex Bowman (3:45 p.m.), who is filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Chevorlet.


LAST TIME

Joey Logano dominated the event, leading 138 of the 200 laps and earning Team Penske‘s 50th Sprint Cup career victory and 100th premier series win for Roush Yates Engines. Rookie Chase Elliott contended for the win, passing Logano for the lead briefly at Lap 117, but Logano ultimately took back the top spot for the win, while Elliott finished second.

YOU SHOULD KNOW …

• Kyle Busch called Brad Keselowski a “dirty racer” following the pair’s collision in Friday night’s XFINITY race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The two stayed away from one another in Sunday’s Sprint Cup event, but will there be leftover tension in the Irish Hills?

• The No. 3 team is eyeing Victory Lane this weekend: After Sunday’s rain-delayed race at Bristol, No. 3 crew chief Slugger Labbe said that they’ve had Michigan — one of driver Austin Dillon‘s favorite tracks — circled on their team calendar and Dillon is looking to earn his first Sprint Cup win in the Irish Hills.

• Pocono winner Chris Buescher launched himself into the top 30 with a top-five finish last weekend at Bristol. To make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the rookie needs to maintain or improve upon his 30th-place position in the driver standings in the three races before the playoffs begin.

• Michigan has produced a different Sprint Cup winner in each of the last five races at the two-mile track. Four of the last six winners have started from the pole position.

THE FAVORITE



Joey Logano. The Team Penske driver has finished the past seven races at Michigan inside the top 10 and nabbed two wins in that span. He’s also the reigning winner at the track and knows how to get around the Irish Hills.



Others to consider: Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick.

THE SLEEPER



Chase Elliott. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate has only made one start at the two-mile track, but also made quite the first impression: Elliott led 35 laps and was race winner Joey Logano’s biggest competitor in the last leg of the race before eventually finishing second.

Others to consider: Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard.

STAFF PICKS

Joey Logano: 3
Chase Elliott: 3

Brad Keselowski: 2
Matt Kenseth: 1

Carl Edwards: 1

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Complete weekend schedule for Michigan and Road America

 

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan, while the XFINITY Series heads to Road America this weekend and TV coverage for the events can be found on NBCSN, CNBC, FS1 and FS2. Use the channel finders below to find what channel corresponds with your network.

 

NBCSN coverage:

Fans can find NBC coverage on the NBC Sports App as well as on television. Click here for a listing of live streamed events.


FS1/FS2 coverage:

 

FS2 coverage for Camping World Truck Series race

• DirecTV: 618

• AT&T U-Verse: 652 / 1652 (HD)

• Dish: 397

• Verizon FiOS: 84

 

CNBC coverage:

CHARLOTTE
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
Time Warner Cable: 205
AT&T Uverse: 1216


DAYTONA BEACH
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
Brighthouse: 1219
AT&T Uverse: 1216


NEW YORK
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
Fios: 602
Time Warner Cable: 205

LOS ANGELES
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
Time Warner Cable: 205
AT&T Uverse: 1216


CHICAGO
XFINITY: 266
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
AT&T Uverse: 1216


PHILADELPHIA
XFINITY: 819
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
Fios: 602
AT&T Uverse: 1216


DALLAS/FORT WORTH
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
Time Warner Cable: 205
AT&T Uverse: 1216


SAN FRANCISCO
XFINITY: 762
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
AT&T Uverse: 1216


BOSTON
XFINITY: 795
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
Fios: 602


WASHINGTON, D.C.
XFINITY: 819
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
Fios: 602


ATLANTA
XFINITY: 836
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
AT&T Uverse: 1216


HOUSTON
XFINITY: 645
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
AT&T Uverse: 1216


INDIANAPOLIS
XFINITY: 1115
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
AT&T Uverse: 1216
Brighthouse: 1305


MIAMI
XFINITY: 470
DirecTv: 355
Dish: 208
AT&T Uverse: 1216

Posted on by Staff Report

The prospective 2017 aerodynamic rules package for NASCAR’s premier series will receive what likely will be its final dress rehearsal this weekend at Michigan International Speedway.

NASCAR officials announced the move July 28, one month ahead of Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM). The 400-mile race is expected to be the last step before NASCAR’s competition department delivers final, formal aero rules to teams as preparations for next season begin.

The rules at the 2-mile track this weekend will be a repeat of what the series competed with earlier this year in a 400-mile event won by Joey Logano. The rules are designed to reduce the over-stabilizing effects of downforce and sideforce with smaller spoilers, fewer cooling fans, and a neutral body alignment that eliminates rear axle offset, or “skew.”

The Sprint Cup Series began the season with a five-stage process for testing and validating the potential 2017 rules setup. With last month’s announcement, there’s an unexpected sixth stage, intended to help competition officials accumulate more data and feedback before finalizing the package.

Similar incarnations of the package went through testing at Michigan (May 17) and Kentucky Speedway (June 13-14) before being used in race conditions at the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 21), Michigan (June 12) and Kentucky (July 9). Competition officials have indicated they do not intend to adjust aero rules for any of the 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs, which begin Sept. 18 at Chicagoland Speedway.

The reduction of downforce and other aerodynamic stability has been an evolving philosophy during the last two seasons. The guiding principles behind the trends involve placing more control and input into the drivers’ hands, and promoting side-by-side racing by minimizing the advantages of undisturbed, “clean” air for leading cars.

Last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, several drivers mentioned their desire for further testing of the package at more varied tracks before the 2017 rules are decided. Carl Edwards, winner of the series’ two most recent Coors Light Pole Awards, still said he was encouraged by the push toward lower downforce, saying, “I think that the less we have, the better.”

“Michigan is a tough place because even though we’re reducing downforce, there is still a lot of it, but it’s a very high-speed track so any aero changes, they are magnified there,” Edwards added. “Hopefully the track has aged some there. It’s a little hotter the second time back and there’s a little more rubber down, and hopefully it provides a really good race.

“I hope it’s a good test of that package. You test it at a new repave like Kentucky and you test it at a really, really fast single-groove track right now like Michigan and it’s really hard to gauge where it’s at, but I really applaud NASCAR trying and going that direction. I think what you’ve seen this year with all the great racing and the passing and all that is due in large part to the reduced downforce. If we can keep going that way, it’s going to be good.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Kasey Kahne doesn’t see Hendrick Motorsports‘ hiring of William Byron to drive in the XFINITY Series as a threat to his current Sprint Cup ride in the No. 5 Chevrolet. 

But Kahne hasn’t won since August 2014 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and he does recognize that if he doesn’t perform by 2018 — the final year of his current contract — a change is needed.

“I didn’t really think about the rest,” Kahne told FOXSports.com. “If I haven’t performed by 2018, I need to leave. It’s pretty simple. That has nothing to do with William Byron or anyone else.

“If I haven’t performed by then, it’s time to go do something different. That’s just the way racing and life is.”

The 36-year-old driver also told FOXSports.com that he received a call from team owner Rick Hendrick prior to the Byron announcement giving him a heads-up on the hiring.

Kahne joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, winning twice in his first year with the organization. He’s won five Sprint Cup events all together under the Hendrick umbrella, but two winless seasons have caused him to miss the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for two straight years. He currently is ranked 17th in the driver standings heading into Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR radio).

Posted on by H.A. Branham

In 2011, Andy Hoffman’s young son Jack was diagnosed with a brain tumor. And so, in America’s Heartland, the battle began for the life of one child. Soon, the situation led Hoffman’s family to take on another battle of national scope, for the lives of many children.

One year after the devastating diagnosis, Hoffman had T-shirts made to sell as a fundraiser for children’s brain cancer research. Approximately 20,000 shirts were sold, more than $300,000 was raised. Inspiration morphed into dedication and a year later Hoffman and his wife, Brianna, formed “Team Jack Foundation” based in Atkinson, Nebraska. In the process, they confronted the fact that procedures to treat pediatric brain cancer – both in surgery and chemotherapy – were more than 30 years old.  A further catalyst was the obvious need for funding, for further childhood cancer research.

Team Jack Foundation raises money to fund impactful pediatric brain cancer research while working to create national awareness for the disease. The long-term goal of the non-profit organization is to fund research at the top research centers in the United States and internationally with a special emphasis on the state of Nebraska and the surrounding region, where research centers are limited.

“Our goal is to raise as much money as we can, as fast as we can and get that money into the hands of the best researchers in the world to help find a cure for pediatric brain cancer,” Hoffman said.

It’s happening. In 2013, Hoffman appealed to the Nebraska State Legislature for funding at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, resulting in the state matching Team Jack Foundation’s commitment of $1.5 million. The foundation has raised nearly $3 million, with the funding going to five research programs across the country. In addition, Hoffman has run three marathons through which he personally raised more than $10,000.

Hoffman, 37 – and a longtime Jeff Gordon fan – is one of four finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s 2016 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide. The award will be presented by France, The NASCAR Foundation’s Chairwoman Emeritus and founder, on Sept. 27 during the inaugural Honors Gala at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The foundation will donate $100,000 to the charity represented by the award winner and $25,000 to each of the other three finalists’ charities. The award winner will be determined via an online vote now underway and running through Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. ET at NASCAR.com/Award


Andy Hoffman and his son, Jack, at a chemotherapy session.


Each year, approximately 4,300 children are diagnosed with life-threatening brain cancer. Young Jack Hoffman’s battle continues, but for many other children, the battle is lost.

“As a parent, when your child receives that first cancer diagnosis, it’s a process,” Hoffman said. “It’s devastating. It’s paralyzing. Then you go from being paralyzed to almost having a pity party, and you’re praying, asking God, ‘Why?’ But then, the next step is, ‘How are we going to beat this thing?’

“I can’t ask for a better group to advocate for, than these kids going through something like this. … There’s so much more work that needs to be done. We’ve only scratched the surface.

“For whatever reason, God chose us [to face this challenge] so we felt like it was our job, our obligation to other families … to use all of the blessings in our life, to do the most amount of good as possible.”


To learn more about this year’s finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide, and to cast your vote today, go to www.NASCAR.com/Award. Voting is open now until Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. ET. 

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 25, 2016) – Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced today that Canada native and NASCAR Next driver Gary Klutt will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut Sept. 4 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park behind the wheel of the No. 51 JEGS/UDMC/Bothwell-Accurate Tundra.  

The 24-year-old driver will be filling in for Cody Coughlin, who originally was scheduled to make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series road-course debut in the No. 51 Tundra but with KBM’s blessing will instead be headed to the high-banks of Winchester (Ind.) Speedway to continue his quest at Late Model history. Coughlin has five total wins so far this year between the ARCA/CRA Super Series and JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, and leads the points in both divisions. No driver has ever won both Champion Racing Association championships in the same season.

Klutt currently is in his second season driving full-time in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series (NPS). He won the 2015 Pinty’s Series season opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) and overall has four top-10 finishes in six starts at the 1.37-mile road course. The NASCAR Next product captured the NPS Series Rookie of the Year honors and finished fifth in series points in 2015 after recording one win, two poles, one top-five and seven-top 10 finishes across 11 starts.

In addition to JEGS, Klutt is welcoming a new partner for this race, UDMC/Weld-Tek Ltd., as well as his NPS team partners Bothwell-Accurate, Trailcon Leasing, Poolsuppliescanada.ca, CTL, Thermal Technologies Services Limited for his Truck Series debut.

“Ever since 2013 when I first saw the trucks run in Canada, I knew that I had to get in one and this year everything just came together,” said Klutt. “This is an incredible opportunity and first off I have to thank Cody Coughlin and everyone at JEGS. I also need to thank Kyle Busch, Bono (Kevin Manion, crew chief) and everyone else at KBM who are working hard getting my Tundra ready for next week.

“I am proud to make my NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with one of the top teams in the sport. It means a lot to have the support from Kyle Busch Motorsports, the No. 51 team and JEGS for this next step in my racing career. It’s going to be a special moment to return to the place where I earned my first win last year in the Pinty’s Series, and I hope to make another trip to Victory Lane next weekend.”

Erik Jones won last year’s Truck Series event at CTMP driving for KBM and overall the team has produced four top-five finishers in the three years that the Truck Series has raced north of the border.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

In the coming days and over the course of the next two weeks, fantasy football fever will sweep the nation as coworkers, family, friends and foes alike will gather online or in person to hold drafts for the 2016 season. Even Yahoo! Sports has created a National Draft Day set for Aug. 28.

NASCAR XFINITY Series driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and fantasy fanatic Ty Dillon will be among those involved. Dillon plays and participates in season-long or daily fantasy games for fantasy baseball, basketball and football.

“I was in the SiriusXM fantasy league last year (made it to the finals) and I do about four to five fantasy football leagues every year but I’ve also in the past year-and-a-half gotten into daily fantasy stuff,” Dillon told NASCAR.com earlier this month during a break in the action at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. “I love sports so much so it’s something that I watch so many games on my own just being a fan that I could have some fun with it doing the daily stuff and I really have.”

 

Dillon says he prefers season-long when it comes to football as it’s how he first discovered fantasy sports. He went on to describe daily fantasy for basketball as “really tough” but enjoys baseball “because the analytics of the sport and the stats that you can find. I can do two hours of research a day on just daily baseball stuff. It’s kind of a fun hobby for me.”

The North Carolina native is big supporter of the Atlanta Braves, Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets — the NBA team for which Dillon’s wife Haley dances — but his fantasy rooting interest never trumps that of the teams he roots for. 


RELATED: Back to the hive: Haley Dillon makes Honey Bees

 

Fantasy Tyland — Dillon’s team name of choice over the past two years — will be ready to go to battle. The Dillons’ friends and family league is where the big bragging rights are. The league has been running for several years and has grown into a high-stakes, competitive outlet. The chief trash talking in the league does not come from Ty’s older brother Austin (who fields the No. 3 Chevrolet for RCR in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series), but from a surprising source.

“The one that talks the most trash is our mom (Tina),” Ty said. “She’s really good. She’s really competitive at fantasy, especially our season long. We have a lot of fun with it. It’s something that we look forward to every year.”

TY’S TOP FIVE FOR FANTASY FOOTBALL IN 2016

PLAYER TEAM POSITION
Antonio Brown Pittsburgh Steelers Wide receiver
Julio Jones Atlanta Falcons Wide receiver
Todd Gurley Los Angeles Rams Running back
Allen Robinson Jacksonville Jaguars Wide receiver
Ezekiel Elliott Dallas Cowboys Running back

And as Ty prepares to draft in that league, using the standard scoring format, he is honing in on what he think others around him will do when it’s their turn to pick.

“The biggest thing is to know what league you’re drafting in and what strategies other people like to use consistently every year,” he said. “So if you can kind of be contrarian to their picks because there is going to be a big group of people — in our league for some reason, a lot of people like to go quarterback in the first round. I think this year there’s a lot of talk about people wanting wide receivers in the first round. (Ty also noted that the teams that drafted wide receivers early fared well in last year’s league.)

“I think people like Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams running back) might be able to fall to me where I’m drafting. I might be able to go ahead and get that top-tier running back. … I think the first round is kind of who falls to you.”

The fact that Ty and his family are big Panthers fans is also something he knows has to be considered in the family league. And that could cause competitors to reach a bit for home-team players.

“Kelvin Benjamin will probably go in the first round,” Dillon said. “I hope he does, even though I love him and I’d like to have him on my team but it’s not a good draft strategy. I think he’s a late second rounder, maybe third rounder with high upside but can also kill your league. Anybody that plays for Carolina — Cam Newton (quarterback) is going to go higher than he should in our draft — is going to go higher than they should just because everybody’s big Carolina fans.”

For Dillon, leaving emotion at the door when it comes to selecting players is a key his success. Take a look below at who Ty has his eye on for 2016.

DILLON’S DELIGHTS: PLAYERS TY HAS HIS EYE ON

Player Team Position
Kirk Cousins Washington Redskins Quarterback
Allen Robinson Jacksonville Jaguars Wide receiver
Tyler Lockett Seattle Seahawks Wide receiver
Brandon Marshall New York Jets Wide receiver