The fight for the Astor Cup between Scott Dixon, Alexander Rossi, Will Power and Josef Newgarden isn’t the only championship that is up for grabs this weekend in California wine country.
With double points on offer for the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Sonoma, players have one more chance to move up in the standings of the #INDYCAR Fantasy Challenge driven by Firestone. Spend your $100 salary cap wisely on four drivers.
Even at the high cost of $35, championship leader Dixon “checks all the boxes” for my No. 1 driver this weekend. The Chip Ganassi Racing veteran has won three times at Sonoma Raceway to go along with one other podium finish. Dixon’s average finish at Sonoma is 6.8 in 13 starts.
The 2018 finale marks the 12th time that the Kiwi has been leading or within 100 points of the championship lead heading to the final race of the season. His record in those 11 races? One win, eight podiums and no finish lower than fifth.
A combination of factors makes Simon Pagenaud a must-have member of our squad. The 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series champion has: won the last two races on the 2.385-mile, 12-turn Sonoma Raceway road course, scored the fourth-most points in the previous five races, finished in the top 10 in every natural terrain road course this season and is priced at a reasonable $28.
Our mid-price pick for this week is Sebastien Bourdais, who will set you back $24. The Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan driver has earned 144 points in the first five natural terrain road course races this year, the fifth best in the 25-car field. The Frenchman has shown pace at Sonoma Raceway, making the second qualifying round in six of seven appearances.
My first three choices set me back $87, leaving $13 to spend on the final member of my team. I strongly considered Max Chilton, but instead went with a rookie for the first time this season. Pietro Fittipaldi, in only his fifth Verizon IndyCar Series race, ended up with a solid top-10 finish two weeks ago at the Grand Prix of Portland. The Dale Coyne Racing driver’s broken left leg has had two more weeks to heal, and he had the benefit of a Thursday test day to learn the circuit.
Even though it’s the final race of the 2018 season, don’t hesitate to join the fun today at http://fantasy.indycar.com. There are still fantastic weekly prizes to be won.
Thanks for playing this year. It’s been a blast!