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Genesys 300/ XPEL 375: INDYCAR Fantasy Picks

Scott Dixon celebrates victory in Round Two at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. © [Jamie Sheldrick/ Spacesuit Media]

Is Scott Dixon the pick this weekend to return to victory lane at Texas? © [Jamie Sheldrick/ Spacesuit Media]

It is a double-header weekend for the NTT IndyCar Series at Texas Motor Speedway. The races are kicked off with the Genesys 300 on Saturday night, 7pm ET. Then the weekend is wrapped up with the XPEL 375 starting at 5pm ET Sunday afternoon. Both races can be seen on NBCSN. There is only one practice session on Saturday at 12:45 pm ET and it will be broadcast on Peacock Premium. One Qualifying session which will set the starting grid for both races is at 4 pm ET Saturday and can be seen on Peacock and NBCSN.

Join in the fun with the INDYCAR Fantasy Challenge (https://fantasy.indycar.com/).

Recapping the Last Race

Colton Herta, a $28 pick, dominated at the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg. He was followed to the checkers by Josef Newgarden giving both drivers a redemption after their results at Barber. Simon Pagenaud, Jack Harvey and Scott Dixon filled up the top five positions at the finish.

My picks in the INDYCAR Fantasy Challenge were Newgarden (2nd), Pato O’Ward (19th), Rinus VeeKay (9th) and Romain Grosjean (13th) providing me a forgettable Fantasy Challenge weekend. I’m sure Pato was more upset than I was, but that pick didn’t work out well. The overall leader had 211.75 points and I was way down the list with 92.25. I am planning a bounce back double race weekend.

Genesys 300 and XPEL 375

Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5 mile oval track with speed, excitement and drama sure to be at their limits. Picks in the Fantasy Challenge can be different for both races but the drivers salary will remain the same for both.

High Salary Drivers $32-$26

This group includes Dixon ($32), Newgarden ($31), Will Power ($30), Herta ($28), Palou ($28 down from $31 last week), Alexander Rossi ($27), Pagenaud ($27), Tony Kanaan ($26), O’Ward ($26), Graham Rahal ($26) and Takuma Sato ($26).

The largest group so far this season gives way too many options. Dison has won this race four times including last season. Joining him on the winners list from this group are Kanaan, Power, Rahal and Newgarden. Pagenaud always seems to be in the list and has become a driver to think about in any oval race. With Herta on the verge of starting a hot streak, he needs to be considered as well. Looking for a flyer… look no further than Kanaan in a Ganassi ride.

Medium Salary Drivers $25-$23

This group includes Marcus Ericsson ($25), James Hinchcliffe ($24), Ryan Hunter-Reay ($24), Felix Rosenqvist ($24), Sebastien Bourdais ($23), Ed Carpenter ($23) and Rinus VeeKay ($23, up from $22 last week)

Start with oval racer Ed Carpenter who is always a threat and is a former winner (2014) and finished 5th last year at Texas. Hunter-Reay had a top 10 finish last season and does well on ovals. Ericsson and Bourdais each had top ten finishes in 2019.

Possible Bargain Drivers? $22-$18

This group includes Conor Daly ($22), Jack Harvey ($22), Scott McLaughlin ($21), Ed Jones ($20), Pietro Fittipaldi ($19) and Dalton Kellett ($18).

With a concentration of drivers in the high dollar range, picking from this group will be key. Daly is a great pick on ovals and most players should have him in their list. Harvey is probably another good choice, but both of those drivers are at the high point in this group. Kellett is still learning IndyCar but last year the AJ Foyt drivers finished 10th and 11th. Fittipaldi is jumping into a pressure cooker at Texas but he has the name and could be a great story by the end of this weekend.

There you go, the two races this weekend could be the most difficult picks this season. Add in the fact that a wreck on Saturday could affect the cars the drivers end up with on Sunday. The stars this weekend will be the crews. In two weeks I’ll share my results and preview the field for the GMR Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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