This weekend the Cup series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway, but this isn’t the Charlotte Motor Speedway from earlier this season. The fall race is now the Roval where they turn the oval into part road course, part oval. This will be the second time they have done this. Last season, we saw a lot of action and a big wreck in turn 1. The track has been changed a little bit with the backstrech chicane being the biggest difference. Looking at this weekend from a strategy standpoint, I probably won’t have a dominator in my cash lineup this week on draftkings and focus more on place differential and high floor options. I will also not be playing as much as I normally do on a typical weekend because of the unknowns at the Roval and save my bankroll for next weekend at Dover.
Kyle Busch (DK $10,700 FD $13,500)
Kyle Busch is not the highest price option on either site for the first time in awhile. He starts 17th and is one of those high floor options I mentioned in the beginning. Last year in the Roval, Kyle was running near the front last year at the Roval but got caught up in that turn 1 wreck near the end of the race. If you look at his road course history, taking out last years Roval he hasn’t finished outside of the top 11 since 2015. JGR cars have not been set up to qualify this season, but they have been set up to race and you can never count out Kyle Busch.
Denny Hamlin (DK $10,400 FD $11,500)
Denny Hamlin is another high floor driver to focus on when making cash games this week. He starts 28th and will have to start from the rear because he is in a back up car. However in the two practices Saturday, Denny showed that his car had top 10 speed and will be a contender. Looking at road course history including a 12th here last season, Hamlin six top 5 finishes in the last 9 road course races. Denny is a safe play this week who shouldn’t be ignored.
Kurt Busch (DK $9,000 FD $11,200)
Going along with the theme, Kurt starts 23rd Sunday at the Roval and is yet again another safe floor play. Practice speeds show that Kurt has a top 10 speed car and that the Friday qualifying speed is not indicative to the speed the car will have for the race. Looking at Kurt’s finishes in recent road courses, he hasn’t finished worse then 13th since 2013 and he finished 5th here last season. Being a playoff driver will also help too as he is 14 points off the cut line and may just need to win to get through.
Chase Elliott (DK $9,600 FD $13,000)
Chase probably isn’t going to fit in your cash game build but presents great upside and a good gpp pivot starting 19th. Chase’s first career Cup win came at Watkins Glen, a road course, and won there again this season. Taking out Sonoma this year where he had an issue, Chase has finished in the top 13 seven times in nine career Cup road course starts. He showed top 5 speed in Saturday practices and will be able to move through the field racking up place differential points in the process.
Ryan Newman (DK $8,300 FD $8,500)
I feel like I write up Ryan Newman weekly and every week he seems to come through. Ryan starts 24th Sunday which tends to be a little farther back then he has been recently. Ryan had a finish of 11th here last season and has an average finish of around 16th over the last 10 road course races. This is a track where track positon will be key, passing will be difficult and pit strategy will come into play. Those three factors are what has gotten Newman into the playoffs and if he runs his race could easily get into the next round.
Matt DiBenedetto (DK $7,600 FD $8,000)
Looking back through this season, any time MDB has been on a track where driver skill means more then the equipment your driving, he succeeds. This season at the two other road courses, Matt has finishes of 4th and 6th. He also finished 13th in this race last season. I think MDB is more a of gpp play this weekend with so many other place differential options available. However he showed in practice he has speed around the top 15 and we have seen how he can take that and turn it into a top 10 or better this season.
Any questions, feel free to message me on twitter @davidjr831 and i will have final thoughts out later tonight to help fill out those cash lineups and find the right gpp pivots.
