Fantasy NASCAR: Five to go – Sharpie 500

Can Kyle Busch win the Sharpie 500?

The NASCAR Sprint Cup series rolls onto the racing amphitheater known as Bristol Motor Speedway this week for the Sharpie 500. The concrete track was repaved in 2007 to add more grooves but the high level of physical racing we had been accustomed to seeing has been less common ever since. Regardless, the night race at Bristol is still marked on the calendar of many NASCAR fans.

Kyle Busch | No. 18 M&M’s Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing

In desperate need of a win to help his fading odds of making the Chase, Bristol comes at just the right time for Busch. He simply dominated the last two races at Bristol, leading 378 laps and winning the March race. Plus, Busch led another 415 laps in last year’s race under the lights, finishing second. With an average finish of 5.7 at Bristol over the last four years (seven races), Busch is a fine staple to any fantasy lineup this week.

Jeff Burton | No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing

At Bristol, Burton has proven to be a boom or bust play. He won last year’s March race and came all the way from the 40th position to finish eighth in this year’s March event. Over the 10 starts at Bristol, Burton has a win, two runner-up finishes and three other finishes of 12th or better. However, the four other finishes were 34th or worse.

Kevin Harvick | No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing

In the March contest at Bristol, Harvick started and finished 30th, his worst result since 2005. But the nightmare season for Harvick appears to be over, with three finishes of 12th or better in his last four races. Last year, Havrick was the runner-up in March and finished fourth at the night race. Over his career Harvick has been consistent at Bristol with 11 top-10 finishes in 17 starts.

Regan Smith | No. 78 Furniture Row Companies Chevrolet | Furniture Row Racing

In last year’s night race, Smith started fourth and finished 14th. While running a part-time schedule this season, Smith has made 11 starts and finished 22nd or better six times. As a low-rent fantasy option, Smith could challenge for a top 20 yet again – a solid fantasy result for a third-tier driver.

Aric Almirola | No. 09 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming Dodge | Phoenix Racing

A deeper pick? OK, here’s an even deeper pick. However, Almirola finished 35th in March and is riding in lesser equipment this week so he’s clearly very risky. But Almirola has been able to get around Bristol in his short career, last year he finished eighth and 13th. He also owns a 10th-place Nationwide finish in 2007. If you are looking to free up space in salary cap leagues, they don’t come much cheaper than Almirola.

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