NASCAR has kept the pedal to the metal and not lifted. New rivalries and exciting racing have helped reenergize the fanbase and bring a lot of fans back into the fold as well as introduce new ones. 

With NASCAR making its second race at Charlotte and many drivers who suffered heartbreak on Sunday will make an attempt at redemption.

I’ll give three drivers names, and each will be classified differently. A Favorite, who is a big name driver who is my favorite to win. A Dark Horse, a driver who would be considered an underdog but has just as much chance as anyone to win. Lastly, a Longshot, a driver who nobody would ever guess would even be contending. Guys who are generally running in the twenties each week.

Favorite: Chase Elliott

The momentum that has been building for Elliott is about to come to its masthead as I think he will look to take the win tonight and officially start his championship bid. After finishing second on Sunday and claiming the Busch Bounty last night, I think he has the best chance of anyone to bring home the checkers.

Dark Horse: Jimmie Johnson

Johnson has been on fire, even before coming back to his favorite track, something just seems different from the 48-car. While he was disqualified from a second-place finish, he’s been running too well to pin it all on cheating. I would be very happy to see a reunion between Johnson and victory lane.

Dark Horse: Tyler Reddick

He has given me no reason to believe he couldn’t pull off an improbable win, so I’m going to make this call again. Reddick is quickly cementing himself as the best rookie driver in a very impressive class and I think will find himself in victory lane before any of his fellow rookies.

Fantasy:

I break my favorites down into three tiers. Upper-tier drivers worth $12,300-$9,000. Mid-tier worth $8,999-$7,000. Lower-tiers $6,999 and under. All based on DraftKings price ranges.

Upper:

1. Chase Elliott – $9,700
2. Martin Truex Jr. – $9,400
3. Kevin Harvick – $9,200
4. Jimmie Johnson – $12,300
5. Brad Keselowski – $10,000

Mid: 

1. Alex Bowman – $8,700
2. Joey Logano – $8,900
3. Tyler Reddick – $7,600
4. Ryan Blaney – $7,900
5. Erik Jones – $7,800

Lower:

1. Cole Custer – $5,800
2. Matt DiBenedetto – $6,500
3. Chris Buescher – $6,700
4. Christopher Bell – $6,800
5. John Hunter Nemechek – $5,700

Best Line-up:

1. Chase Elliott – $9,700
2. Martin Truex Jr. – $9,400
3. Kevin Harvick – $9,200
4. Ryan Blaney – $7,900
5. Erik Jones – $7,800
6. Cole Custer – $5,800