Photo by Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Quaker State 400
7/12/2020 2:30pm est
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We head to the Kentucky Speedway on Sunday afternoon for the Quaker State 400. Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5 mile traditional tri-oval, and has some unique characteristics. I will be referencing the last 2 Kentucky races, the 2020 Vegas race, and the 2 races from Charlotte in 2020. We had another winning week at Indy last week, and now we are up 11.6 units in matchups on the 2020 season. Let’s continue this trend at Kentucky Speedway.
Here are a few matchups to consider for the Quaker State 400.
Kyle Busch -115 vs. Denny Hamlin -115
Kyle has won 4 of last 5 matchups listed above. Overall, Denny has run better than Kyle over the last few races in the 2020 Cup season. Over the last 3 races at Kentucky, Kyle has the best average driver rating of 125.4. Denny has a driver rating of 90.8 over the last 3 races at Kentucky. Kyle’s recent performance has been overshadowed by a couple of the wins that Denny has put together. Denny has been mediocre at Kentucky, and Kyle has been better.
Jeff’s Pick: Kyle Busch -115
Erik Jones -115 vs. Aric Almirola -115
Erik has won 3 of the races mentioned above against Almirola who has 2 wins. Jones has an average finish of 5.33 over the last 3 Kentucky races and Aric has an average finish of 11th. Jones came up through the ranks of the Truck Series and Xfinity Series, and I feel that experience gives him an edge over Almirola. Almirola has mixed results in the Cup Series at Kentucky, and I see Jones having a better race.
Jeff’s Pick: Erik Jones -115
Austin Dillon -115 vs. Ryan Newman -115
Austin has won 3 out of the last 5 matchups against Newman in the races mentioned in the intro. Austin finished ahead of Newman in both Charlotte races this year, and Dillon also finished ahead of Newman at Atlanta. The matchup on paper between Dillon and Newman is very close. I feel that Austin has a better chance to top 10 than that of Ryan Newman, so I will go with Austin at Kentucky on Sunday afternoon.
Jeff’s Pick: Austin Dillon -115
Chase Elliott -115 vs. Martin Truex Jr. -115
Chase has gone 3-2 against Truex in the 5 races listed above. Recent history shows Truex way better at the Kentucky Speedway compared with Chase. Truex won the 2017 and the 2018 races at Kentucky Speedway, but fell off in 2019 by finishing 19th. Chase has been more consistent on the 1.5 mile intermediate tracks in the 2020 season than Truex has been. Truex could go and dominate this race and there again could run 15-20th place. Truex has been challenging to figure out in 2020, and I feel Chase has the better car.
Jeff’s Pick: Chase Elliott -115
Jeff’s Pick .
AUTHOR: Jeff Jeter
Mitch's Take...
