This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Henry 180
Location: Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Course: Road America
Format: 4.05-mile road course
Laps: 45
Race Preview
The NASCAR Xfinity teams are back in action at the Road America road course after a week off. Brandon Jones won two weeks ago in an overtime restart at Kansas to win his second race of the season and prevent Austin Cindric from winning a fourth consecutive race. Cindric finished second. Road America has produced 10 different winners from its 10 appearances on the Xfinity schedule. Christopher Bell won last season's race with Cindric as the runner up. Six drivers are locked into the championship playoffs, and Brandon Brown holds the 12th and final spot with a 32-point gap to Jeremy Clements in 13th. As is the case with most road course races, specialists in this type of racing will be joining the fray. Most notable is arguably AJ Allmendinger, who won previously this season in Atlanta and here at Road America in 2013.
Key Stats at Road America
- Number of races: 10
- Winners from pole: 3
- Winners from top-5 starters: 5
- Winners from top-10 starters: 6
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 85.171 mph
Previous 10 Road America Winners
2019 - Christopher Bell
2018 - Justin Allgaier
2017 - Jeremy Clements
2016 - Michael McDowell
2015 - Paul Menard
2014 - Brendan Gaughan
2013 - AJ Allmendinger
2012 - Nelson Piquet, Jr.
2011 - Reed Sorenson
2010 - Carl Edwards
Road course racing is an entirely different animal than the typical NASCAR oval races. The heavy Xfinity cars will have to be made as nimble as possible to maneuver through the tight left and right turns, and drivers will have to work hard to slow the cars down quickly enough into corner entry to ensure they make it out the other side. Passes will come from out-braking cars ahead, nudging others off of the racing line, or taking advantage of others' mistakes. Road America is one of the longest road courses in the country at just over four miles, and its long sweeping corners coupled with tight turns that follow long straights makes for a very exciting afternoon of racing. Pit strategy at the road courses is always a factor and the long lap distance means cars can easily pit without losing a lap. Teams may opt to pit and run fast laps without traffic to gain ground, but as with all road courses - track position is king.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
AJ Allmendinger - $12,000
Austin Cindric - $11,000
Justin Allgaier - $10,600
Chase Briscoe - $10,300
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Daniel Hemric - $9,700
Ross Chastain - $9,500
Justin Haley - $9,300
Andy Lally - $9,100
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Alex Labbe - $8,800
Jeremy Clements - $8,600
Brandon Jones - $8,400
Myatt Snider - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Michael Annett - $7,700
Preston Pardus - $7,500
Josh Williams - $7,300
Ryan Sieg - $6,900
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Austin Cindric - $11,000
Ross Chastain - $9,500
Brandon Jones - $8,400
Myatt Snider - $8,000
R.C. Enerson - $7,900
Matt Mills - $5,200
Austin Cindric is no slouch on the road courses. He finished second at Road America last season and finished in the top five in his last six road course starts with wins at Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen. Ross Chastain finished seventh in this race last season. His 11th-place start this week will be his best at the track, too. Brandon Jones started and finished ninth at Road America in 2018. He starts eighth this week, which could give him the early track position he needs to capitalize on and score a second top-10 finish at the track in his fifth start. Battling for a spot in the playoffs is rookie Myatt Snider. He finished 16th on the Indianapolis road course earlier this season from the 26th starting position and will start 29th Saturday. IndyCar driver R.C. Enerson will make his first laps in an Xfinity car when he takes the pace laps ahead of Saturday's race. It will be a tall order for him to make his debut under these circumstances, but he does have plenty of road course experience in his career. Matt Mills will be hopeful of a finish in the top 25. He finished 30th on the Indianapolis road course and will be making his first series start at Road America with the 34th-place starting position.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
AJ Allmendinger - $12,000
Andy Lally - $9,100
Alex Labbe - $8,800
Michael Annett - $7,700
Ryan Sieg - $6,900
Jesse Iwuji - $5,500
With a 2020 win in his pocket along with a prior Road America victory, AJ Allmendinger presents a convincing case for fantasy players this week. He has a lot of work to do starting from the 33rd position, but the upside of his march through the field could be big for fantasy managers willing to take the risk. Andy Lally is another road course veteran who took rookie of the year honors in 2011. He has five top-10s in 11 starts and finished fifth at Mid-Ohio in 2017. Alex Labbe has one Road America start with a 16th-place finish after starting 27th. He will start 21st on Saturday. Michael Annett finished 12th or better in his last three Road America series starts and was the runner up in 2017. He starts from pole on Saturday, which could allow him to spend some time out front leading laps. Ryan Sieg's best Road America finish came last season when he finished 11th. That was from the 17th starting position, and he will start 16th this weekend. Making his series debut is Jesse Iwuji. His debut in the truck series was also on a road course in 2018 where he finished 25th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
