Draft Kings Fantasy Picks for the Daytona 500

I am going to play the “NAS $750K America’s Race” contest on DraftKings.com under the name IndyJones. The game pays $100,000 to the winner and pays through the top-17,651 places. It comes with a $10 entry fee. Each driver is given a dollar value with each player being allotted a budget of $50,000 to purchase six drivers. Here are the six drivers I chose and why: Ryan Blaney($9,000) – Blaney seems like a good value here when it is considered that he led more than half of this race in 2018 on his way to a 7th place finish. He…

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Change to NASCAR’s post-race penalties long overdue

With the season-opening Daytona 500 set to roll this Sunday, there will be a very different feel to this upcoming racing campaign in regard to the way penalties are handed down at stock car racing’s highest level. NASCAR officials recently announced sweeping changes regarding the punishments to be levied for infractions found during post-race tech inspections. These changes will be implemented throughout the 2019 schedule. Most noteworthy was the revelation that wins by teams and drivers whose car is found to be outside regulations will be taken away. Those cars will be disqualified with the offending driver and team receiving…

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Will “The Big One” Become Even More Commonplace in 2019?

For years the term “The Big One” has been associated with the two high speed tracks on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Super Speedway frequently see at least one and sometimes multiple crashes in which numerous cars are involved during the running of their events. Because of the use of restrictor plates at those two venues, cars tend to run in large, tightly grouped packs in which one small mistake can lead to catastrophe for as many as 15-20 drivers at a time. Indeed, the recently run Advance Auto Parts Clash special event race…

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Turn 2 Blog: Examining the ARCA Racing Series with Charles Krall

*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideCircleTrack.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the NASCAR and pavement short track racing topics of the day. In this edition of the Turn 2 Blog we will be discussing five topics regarding the ARCA Racing Series as that tour looks to kick off its 2019 season at the Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.  We are happy to be joined by Charles Krall who serves as the Communications Manager for the ARCA Racing Series(@ChasKrall on Twitter). 1. ARCA has an interesting mix in that…

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Turn 2 Blog: Short Track Racing Discussion With Kenny Wallace

*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideCircleTrack.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the NASCAR and pavement short track racing topics of the day. In this edition of the Turn 2 Blog we will be discussing five topics regarding short-track racing, whether it be on pavement or dirt.  We are happy to be joined by former NASCAR driver and Fox Sports analyst Kenny Wallace(@Kenny_Wallace on Twitter). Kenny, who races a Dirt Modified car on a regular basis, weighs in on our five questions. 1. If a NASCAR fan who has…

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Kyle Larson must find consistency to contend for NASCAR title

Kyle Larson did not win a single Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in 2018. And considering the way the playoff system is structured in this form of racing, winning is essential for drivers and teams to assure themselves of a spot in the “post-season” and to advance from round to round once the playoffs have commenced. Because the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 team failed to win a race during the season another key statistic might have been overlooked when poring over Larson’s final stat sheet at the end of 2018. That important stat would have been a significant…

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Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus looking to find success separately

The most successful coach and quarterback tandem in NFL history is without a doubt that of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. To back up that declaration, the New England Patriots are about to participate in their ninth Super Bowl during the 18 years those two men have been paired together within that organization. In their previous eight appearances in professional football’s championship game their record is 5-3. While not quite as cut-and-dried as is the case in the NFL, the combination of Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan may very well be the greatest coach and player combination in NBA history….

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Knoxville’s Chad Finchum set to race for MBM Motorsports in 2019

Chad Finchum will be back in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019 with MBM Motorsports. The 24-year-old driver recently confirmed the news with an announcement on Twitter. It will be the Knoxville, Tenn. racer’s second season with the Carl Long-owned operation. Finchum made 32 starts in NASCAR’s second series in 2018 completing just over 4,000 laps. The team’s efforts resulted in a 30th place finish in the final Xfinity Series standings. They recorded eight finishes in the top-25 with a season-high 14th place coming in the July race at Daytona International Speedway. “Hey everyone, 2019 is here,” Finchum declared in…

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Snowball Derby move away from live pit stops is a positive step

The Snowball Derby held each December at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida is one of if not the most prestigious pavement Super Late Model races in the country. And live action pit stops have long been as much of a factor in this 300-lap affair as the on-track action as far as determining the eventual winner is concerned. But as the need for spending as little time in the pit area has become more and more of the equation, teams have begun hiring professional pit crews to service their cars in hopes of winning this highly coveted race. Needless…

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5 Reasons Why You Should Appreciate Kyle Busch

The fashionable thing to do among many NASCAR fans is to show displeasure whenever Kyle Busch does anything that could be construed as controversial or inciteful. Few if any drivers arouse more boos during pre-race introductions or during post-race victory celebrations. He, quite simply, is the racer many fans love to hate. But there is a great deal of irony in all the dislike directed toward the younger of the Busch brothers. Many fans claim they want drivers to show more personality, to not be so robotic in their interviews and actions, and to allow their emotions to show through…

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