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NASCAR DFS Pit Stop: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 from Texas Motor Speedway

By Matt Vecchio

FORT WORTH, TX - MARCH 29: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Mobil 1/O'Reilly Auto Parts Ford, drives through the garage during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 29, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX - MARCH 29: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Mobil 1/O'Reilly Auto Parts Ford, drives through the garage during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 29, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 30: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, stands in the garage during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 30: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, stands in the garage during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Welcome to NASCAR DFS Pit Stop for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 from Texas Motor Speedway from  Fort Worth, Texas! 

If the truck race has shown us anything it’s that the traction compound seems to be causing a lot of drivers fits. We have seen a bunch of cars get loose and sideways in the corners where the compound is being put down. The top of the practice leaderboard looks like a who’s who of NASCAR with names like Harvick, Johnson, Busch (X2), Blaney, and Hamlin inside the top 10, but there are some “lesser” names in there as well and I will decipher the times, speeds, and data to pick my favorite plays to hopefully help you win some cash on Sunday

Last year at this race Kyle Busch was the winner with Harvick coming in second and McMurray, Jones, and Blaney rounding out the top 5. I don’t find it a coincidence that the 4 active drivers from last years top 5 (McMurray is retired) also ran great practice times on Saturday (all 4 ran times inside the top 11).

FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 30: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 30: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

NASCAR DFS: Leaders of the Pack

Kyle Busch ($12,200)

Qualifying Position: 16th

Well since he won the previous two races this weekend I guess I am kind of mandated to write-up Kyle for this race too. He obviously has a good feel for the track and he ran 2nd in final practice on Saturday, just behind Denny Hamlin ($9,800). Kyle is a great place differential play to starting from P16 it’s very likely Busch will pick up between 10-12 place differential points when he finishes inside the top 5 on Sunday

Joey Logano ($11,600)

Qualifying Position: 8th

I wrote about Logano for the first time all season last week and he went out and made me look like a fool. He had one of his worst races of the season, but I am going back to the well again this week because, well, I noticed a pattern in Logano’s finishes this season. After his 4th place finish at Daytona he followed it up with a terrible 23rd place finish and he has alternated top 5’s with poor performances and with a poor performance last week hopefully this week we can count on Logano to follow it up with a top 5 today.

Ryan Blaney ($10,200)

Qualifying Position: 13th

Blaney is the only Penske car yet to win a race this season, but that could change this week. After starting out with 3 finishes outside the top 20, Blaney has turned it around with 3 straight top 5’s. Blaney ran an outstanding 3rd best practice lap plus he was 5th in 10 lap average on Saturday as well. In the previous 3 years (6 races) Blaney has run the 4th best driver rating at Texas as well as leading 188 laps .

Other Options: Kurt Busch ($9,500), Marting Truex ($11,300)

FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 30: Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Prime Fresh Ford, leads Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 30: Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Prime Fresh Ford, leads Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

NASCAR DFS: Middle of the Pack

Aric Almirola ($8,400)

Qualifying Position: 21st

Almirola might be the best driver you don’t know. Since his horrible 32nd place at Daytona to open the season, Almirola has finished no worse than 9th. After qualifying 21st this week Almirola has an opportunity to pick up some huge points. Almirola has picked up points in each of the last three stages he has finished in the last two races at Texas, and that is a good indication that Almirola will run up front most of the  day.

Erik Jones ($8,200)

Qualifying Position:  11th

Jones has looked good on the intermediate tracks early on this season. He finished in 4th place in both races here last year and has scored stage points in every stage in his last three races as well as leading 64 laps in this race last year. Jones has a fast car again this year at Texas running the 11th fastest single lap and 11th best 10 lap average and could definitely find himself in Victory Lane on Sunday

Other Options: Kyle Larson ($9,200), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($7,600)

FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 29: Ryan Preece, driver of the #47 Kroger Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 29, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 29: Ryan Preece, driver of the #47 Kroger Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 29, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images) /

NASCAR DFS: Back of the Pack

Chris Buescher ($6,400)

Qualifying Position: 19th

Buescher has an average finish of 16th since Daytona (not including Daytona) that is good for a plus 5 place differential, and on the season is an overall plus 25, good for 4th best among drivers this season. If there are enough wrecks and Buescher can stay out of them he has a car and the ability to finish inside the top 10.

Ryan Preece ($6,100)

Qualifying Position:  27th

It is extremely hard to not roster Ryan Preece today. He has had some pretty good success this season and is also at his lowest price on the season as well. There are some really great options at the top of the field today so I want to find some low price guys who will run laps and generally stay’s out of trouble. Preece ran 13th in final practice on Saturday and could easily finish inside the top 15 today.

Matt Tift ($5,400)

Qualifying Position: 29th

Tift has finished better than his starting position in every race except Daytona this season. Tift averages 4.4 positive place differential on the season and also has a plus 22 on the season for place differential. Tift is another driver like Preece as such he won’t get into trouble and has a car that will just laps and could end up in the low 20’s, or high teens.

Other Options: Ty Dillon ($5,800), Bubba Wallace ($5,500)

FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 29: Kurt Busch, driver of the #1 GEARWRENCH Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 29, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – MARCH 29: Kurt Busch, driver of the #1 GEARWRENCH Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on March 29, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images) /

NASCAR DFS: Place Differential Driver(s)

Kurt Busch ($9,500)

Qualifying Position:  30th

Kurth Busch ran the 4th fastest single lap and 2nd best 10 lap average in Happy Hour on Saturday and looks primed for a big day. Since he is starting 30th and has an average finish of 10.3 over the last 3 seasons here at Texas. If we can get Busch to run where his average finish is he will have a huge day

Kevin Harvick ($10,700)

Qualifying Position: 23rd

Here’s a special double edition of Place Differential drivers! Nobody has had more success at this track than Harvick. Over the last 3 seasons (6 races), Harvick has led 380 laps, and has an average finish of 4th place here at Texas. Harvick ran inside the top 10 for both single lap practice and 10 lap average.

NASCAR DFS: Core Drivers

I personally don’t think Kyle gets the sweep this weekend, so I am not using him after locking him in for Truck series and Xfinity, but instead I am using Kevin Harvick as my top driver to use. After Harvick, I am then locking in Ryan Blaney  to finish my top tier driver combo. To help get some other higher priced drivers I am going with Matt Tift  at his extremely low price. Aric Almirola is the last driver of my core for this afternoon. After lock those 4 in we are left with $7,650 per driver

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