NASCAR By The Numbers: Cam-Am Duels
I thought I was done writing until the Daytona 500, but DraftKings released some games for the Cam-Am Duels. The Cam-Am Duels are the qualifying race for the Daytona 500, and the field is split into half. There are 22 racers in each duel, and DraftKings has a slate up for each slate. I’m going to focus on three drivers for each race, and help you build your lineups.
The first Cam-Am Duel starts at 7pm on Thursday night, and the second one starts right after. You can watch both races on Fox Sports 1, and this will also determine the starting spots for the Daytona 500.
Kevin Harvick – $10,400 – Starting 22nd – Harvick is the closest thing to a must start in the first Duel. His qualifying time was disallowed, and he will officially start in last place. Harvick doesn’t want to start the 500 in the back of the field, and I expect him to be aggressive enough to finish in the top ten. The place differential should be great for him, and I think it’s smart to pair him with Dale Earnhardt Jr in cash games.
Clint Bowyer – $8,100 – Starting 18th – With Trevor Bayne and Greg Biffle going to the back because of a rear gear change, Bowyer will already have moved up two spots going into the race. Bowyer is a guy that has a lot of upside, and he’s a guy that has been good at Daytona in the past. He qualified pretty poor, and was unhappy with the car in practice, but during Duel practice 1, he was much happier with the car. Bowyer is a guy that I like for place differential, and I think he’s a safe cash game option for this race.
Cole Whitt – $6,100 – Starting 19th – Really debated on Whitt, Ragan, and Wise here, but I finally ended up on Whitt. Whitt is trying to race himself into the Daytona 500, and this is his big race. This team won’t be holding anything back, and could possibly be the best cheap option on the slate. Ragan is locked into the race, and Wise just doesn’t have any speed. I don’t expect Whitt to finish in the top ten, but I see him doing enough to pay off his price tag.
Matt Kenseth – $9,800 – Starting 1st – It’s not very often I will recommend a driver starting first, but this is a very interesting spot for the JGR team. They are starting three drivers in the top four, and should absolutely dominate this race. Kenseth is fast enough to get out front, and should end up with a teammate behind him. I think he’s honestly in a spot to lead a lot of laps, and he’s a guy that I’m going to target a lot in this second Duel race.
Martin Truex Jr. – $9,200 – Starting 21st – For cash games, I feel like there are two must starts for this second Duel race. Truex had an issue with his roof flap, and wasn’t able to run in qualifying. This team, like Harvick in the first Duel, will be moving up in this race. Truex is a top ten car for this Duel, and the place differential points are huge here. He has the upside to finish in the top five, and he’s one guy that I can’t fade in all formats for this race.
Brian Vickers – $6,100 – Starting 22nd – Like Harvick, Vickers had his qualifying time disallowed, and he will officially start last in his Duel race. With his price, he’s a must play for me in all formats at this price tag. He had a tire go down in the Unlimited, and I hope this has people off him for this race. He has the equipment to move up, and I would be shocked if he finishes outside of the top 15 in this race.
Practice Notes
Trevor Bayne and Greg Biffle – Will start at the back of the first Duel, because they replaced a Rear Gear. They will officially start in 17th and 11th according to DraftKings.
Ryan Newman, Michael Waltrip, Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, and Ty Dillon were involved in a wreck during second practice. Pay attention to this news, and see if this affects any starting spots. I will comment below and tweet out any news I see.