This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard
Location: Speedway, Ind.
Course: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
Format: 2.4-mile road course
Laps: 62
Race Preview
Ty Gibbs continued his incredible introduction to the Xfinity Series last week at Watkins Glen, winning his third race from 10 starts this season. He led 43 of the 82 laps. He will make his next start on another road course this week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This weekend's race on the famed speedway's infield road course will be the second in series history and features a double-header race day with the IndyCar Series and NASCAR's Cup Series taking center stage on Sunday. Chase Briscoe won last year's inaugural race from the 12th starting position. This weekend's race will feature on-track practice and qualifying with the Xfinity drivers hitting the track for the first time Friday afternoon.
Key Stats at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
- Number of races: 1
- Winners from pole: 0
- Winners from top-5 starters: 0
- Winners from top-10 starters: 0
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 73.885 mph
Previous Indianapolis Winners
2020 - Chase Briscoe
The Brickyard's 2.4-mile infield road course is a flat layout with a number of hard-braking zones where passes can happen. Last year, Briscoe led 30 of the 62 laps, battling AJ Allmendinger in the final miles before staying out front the final two circuits to take the checkered flag. Austin Cindric led the second most laps that afternoon at 21 after starting 10th. Like most road course races, track position is key. Only three drivers who started outside of the top 15 in 2020 finished inside the top 10, and one of them was Allmendinger. Teams will work backward from the last lap and stage finishes to determine their pit windows, but cautions and traffic could alter those targets. While making up ground through pit stops is arguably the easiest, the circuit does present passing opportunities at the end of both front and back straights.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Austin Cindric - $10,500
AJ Allmendinger - $10,400
Ty Gibbs - $10,300
Kevin Harvick - $10,100
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Justin Allgaier - $9,900
Noah Gragson - $9,700
Daniel Hemric - $9,500
Justin Haley - $9,400
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Brandon Jones - $8,800
Austin Dillon - $8,700
Andy Lally - $8,300
Michael Annett - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Preston Pardus - $7,900
Riley Herbst - $7,500
Sage Karam - $6,800
Jeremy Clements - $6,300
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Austin Cindric - $10,500
AJ Allmendinger - $10,400
Michael Annett - $8,100
Preston Pardus - $7,900
Sage Karam - $6,800
Jeremy Clements - $6,300
Cindric and Allmendinger are arguably the two best road-course racers in the Xfinity Series. Both drivers led laps at Indianapolis last season and finished in the top five. The two are consistently top fantasy selections on these types of courses and make sense to strongly consider this week, too. Michael Annett has been on a fine run of form recently as well. He has not finished lower than 12th in any race since Charlotte, barring the Atlanta visit he missed due to injury. He was 11th last week at Watkins Glen and could be poised for another top 12 this week. Preston Pardus worked his way to the 10th-place finishing spot in this race last year after starting 19th. This week will be his sixth start of the season. His best finish so far in 2021 was a 14th-place run at Circuit of the Americas. Series debutant Sage Karam also makes an intriguing selection this week. The former Indy Lights champion will make his Xfinity debut on the track at which he has raced three times prior in IndyCar. Last week's 16th-place finish at Watkins Glen makes Jeremy Clements a reasonable selection this week, too. He finished 13th at this race last season and continues to hold a playoff position as the regular season draws to a close.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Ty Gibbs - $10,300
Justin Allgaier - $9,900
Harrison Burton - $9,200
Brandon Jones - $8,800
Jade Buford - $6,400
Brandon Brown - $5,200
Ty Gibbs has made himself a driver fantasy managers cannot ignore. This week will mark his 11th series appearance, and he already has three wins and eight top-10s on his growing resume. Veteran Justin Allgaier started fifth and finished seventh at Indianapolis last season. He has two victories so far this season and finished fourth last week at Watkins Glen. Harrison Burton qualified sixth for this race last season. The race didn't go as planned for him, but he scored back-to-back top-five finishes in the last two road-course races this season at Road America and Watkins Glen. Brandon Jones actually led two laps last year before retiring due to an oil line issue. He holds the 10th place in the playoff standings entering this weekend and finished sixth last week at Watkins Glen. Jade Buford landed a 14th-place finish at Indianapolis last year and has multiple top-15s on road courses this season. He qualified 17th here last season. Finally, Brandon Brown makes an appealing option lower down the pay scale. He started 24th and finished 11th at the track last season and is in the midst of a battle with Riley Herbst for the final playoff position in the standings.
