NASCAR Fantasy Picks: Texas Motor Speedway

NASCAR is headed to Texas Motor Speedway for the AAA Texas 500. This is the second race of the Round of 8 of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. With a few drivers behind the curve with only two races left before the Championship Round, this is the last chance for drivers to earn a win on 1.5-mile D-Shaped Oval.

Jimmie Johnson, Jimmie Johnson, Jimmie Johnson

The driver of the #48 has won three of the last four races at Texas Motor Speedway and has an average of 1.8 during that timeframe.

He has led 325 laps in his last four races and coming off a win at Martinsville, Johnson won’t be taking it easy at Texas. If Johnson can win, he takes away another automatic berth in the Championship Round and would force seven drivers to battle it out in Phoenix for the one automatic spot, and two other positions on points.

Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski

Busch, Harvick and Keselowski are the only drivers not named Jimmie Johnson who have three top-five finishes in their last four races at Texas. Each driver brings something different to the table.

Busch has only raced in three of the last four races held at Texas but has an average finish of 3.0 and has led 34 laps during that timeframe. Not to mention he is the driver who ended Johnson’s streak of three consecutive race wins at Texas by sweeping the weekend in April.

Harvick is one of three active drivers to have finished inside the top-ten in all four of the past Texas races, joining Johnson and Carl Edwards. Harvick has an average finish of 4.2 at Texas Motor Speedway in his last four races and has led 110 laps and needs to find victory lane in the next two races.

Keselowski has actually led the most laps at Texas Motor Speedway in the last four races, totaling 361 laps. Unlike the two drivers mentioned above, Keselowski is no longer in the Chase but will be a force to reckon with given his 4.2 average finish in his last four races at Texas.

Apr 9, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (24) races down the front stretch during the Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Take a chance on Jamie McMurray or Chase Elliott

Both drivers are no longer in the Chase, but that doesn’t mean that shouldn’t earn a spot on your team.

McMurray has three finishes inside the top-ten and one top-five finish in his last four races at Texas Motor Speedway. McMurray is a mid-range pick with a chance at providing solid results given his 19.0 average starting position.

Elliott has a small sample size to work with, one race, but in that race he finished an impressive fifth place after starting from the fourth position. Elliott is still searching for that first career win and has performed well on the 1.5-mile D-Shaped Ovals this season. At the right price for your lineup, Elliott could pay off huge.

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