With fantasy sports as popular as ever, Red Bull Global Rallycross is giving fans multiple ways to play in 2017.
In addition to a Fantasy Championship, in which fans’ picks earn them points throughout the season, GRC also is running a separate Fantasy Challenge for each of the season’s 12 rounds. These two unique formats each require players to consider different things before locking in their selections, and that can make setting your lineup tricky.
For the Fantasy Challenge, Supercar drivers are divided into three tiers based on their performance heading into a given round, with a fourth tier comprised of the whole Lites field. Players have to pick the driver from each tier they think will help earn them the most points for that event, with their Lites picks being used as tiebreakers.
To help you know what to look for when making your selections, here are the four racers we’ve put in our lineups for the Red Bull GRC Los Angeles Challenge:
Tier 1: Scott Speed, Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross
Although we have no doubt that Scott Speed’s teammate Tanner Foust will make him work for his second consecutive GRC title, but Speed ultimately looks to be the safer fantasy pick. Whenever Speed’s Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle has been running this season, it’s been quick. Barring any mechanical issues in LA, we expect him to be fighting at the front of the field.
Tier 2: Steve Arpin, Loenbro Motorsports
Steve Arpin might not have picked up as many points as he would’ve liked in Seattle, but the Loenbro Motorsports driver still sits P3 in the standings due to his consistency throughout most of the season. It’s unlikely that Arpin will claim P2 in the championship, though not impossible. As a result, he will be aiming to maximize his points in the hopes that Foust has a difficult weekend.
Tier 3: Patrik Sandell, Subaru Rally Team USA
A case could be made for picking either Patrik Sandell or his fellow Subaru Rally Team USA driver, Chris Atkinson, as both picked up podiums in Seattle, but we’re opting for Sandell. The Swedish driver podiumed on five occasions in 2016, with one of them coming in Los Angeles. If that statistic still doesn’t help you decide between the SRTUSA drivers, however, we recommend flipping a coin.
Tiebreaker: Christian Brooks, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Christian Brooks showed good speed in Seattle, likely giving him confidence heading into the season finale. Although the championship no longer is within reach for Brooks, he’ll be pushing like hell to retain his second place in the standings.
All photos via Red Bull Global Rallycross
