Qualifiers, They Said it and They Said it
By Roy J. Akers- www.skyviewsports.net
McDowell is on the Gateway pole for the Enjoy Illinois 300
Michael McDowell has not been able to take advantage of his summer success of 2023 when he won twice and made the NASCAR playoffs. McDowell would NOT make the playoffs (23rd place) if the points cutoff was going into this weekend. He knows what winning the pole will do for his chances to win Sunday. “It is huge here. They widened pit road here a few feet but we have seen it where it is just really critical to get off pit road here. It is tight, especially when these guys do two tires or four tires. Having that first stall and being able to launch from your box and have a clean shot at it will be a big deal tomorrow.”
Two More Fords Join the Front Row
In addition, Ford has not performed well in 2024. They have a single victory this season after Race 13 when Brad Keselowski won the Goodyear 400 at Darlington. Joey Logano won the non points All-Star Race and that leads us to the second and third qualifiers for Sunday’s race at Gateway.
Austin Cindric sits 20th in Cup points this season. He has one top five and two DNF’s, which leave him outside the playoffs going into this weekend. Cindric would like to continue the Ford trend and clinch the playoffs with a win.
Ryan Blaney is a surprising 12th in NASCAR points in 2024. With no wins, five top-fives and three DNF’s, Blaney’s start at third is a key component for his turnaround to the season. Blaney’s third place in qualifying gives Ford a clean sweep of the top three. Joey Logano finished 12th in qualifying.
They Said It
RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse
“It is a good day for Ford taking the top three spots. We had a lot of speed in those Mustangs today. I was happy with the speed in our car throughout the day and in qualifying. It is a pretty good day. I wish we would have been closer to the pole, but overall a very solid day and I feel good about being able to put together a good day tomorrow as well.”
They Said It – No. 2
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse
“I got really good exits which made watching that really frustrating because you know they are all going to pass you on entry. It was just whether or not you got enough. The 34 guys did a great job. Michael (McDowell) had two really great laps. I felt like I got it all on our end after leaving a little bit on the table the first round. The Freightliner Ford Mustang is fast. It is great to be on the front row for tomorrow.”
Fantasy Best Bets
For fantasy tips this weekend and stocking your various Fantasy teams, my theory is to look at the Horse for the Course and Recent hot drivers. My picks below are drivers that are one of the two categories described.
Kyle Busch has one win and a second top five since NASCAR returned to this track. Busch has had a mostly down 2024 but he is showing signs of life. He will come off the bench for me on Sunday.
Ryan Blaney is described above and in addition, he has two top tens in two starts in Illinois and one of those was a top five.
William Byron does not have a distinctive record at the Enjoy Illinois 300. He still has seven regular season starts left for me. Its only a hunch. If he had less starts, he would not start for me on Sunday.
Ty Gibbs is racing very well. He qualified 9th for Sunday’s race and its a matter of time before he wins a race and is in the top ten nearly every week.
Christopher Bell qualified fourth for Sunday’s race. He has two top 20’s including a top ten at the Enjoy Illinois 300. Bell has two race wins this season and won the rain shortened Coca-Cola 600 last weekend.
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