Atop The Pit Box

In this week's episode of Atop the Pit Box, Josh and Justin open with a heavy heart, reflecting on the tragic loss of Kyle Busch and detailing how the league rules will handle fantasy points and remaining swaps for the 21 teams still carrying him on their rosters.Transitioning to the track, the guys recap the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, discussing Daniel Suarez's huge win in the Spire Motorsports car and its massive impact on the fantasy standings. They highlight the fantasy winners and losers of the week, including Chase Elliott's painful first DNF of the season.The standings saw a massive shakeup this week, highlighted by a rookie team taking the #1 overall spot. Josh and Justin also break down the biggest risers and fallers, dive into the latest driver trends, and tackle a brutal Commissioner's Dilemma concerning a regretted William Byron-to-Chase Elliott swap.Finally, the hosts look ahead with a preview of Nashville, make their weekly head-to-head picks, and officially set the stakes for the season's loser punishment—having to wear the winner's favorite driver apparel to an upcoming race

Daytona Drama: Ryan Preece steals a Chase spot with his first career Cup win (-6 fantasy points) to eliminate SVG, while Daniel Suarez (P2) caps an elite regular season tied as the 7th-best fantasy driver.Playoff Cutline & Champion Crowned: Rit Racing officially locks up the regular-season championship, while Green Flag Pit Stop (P100) and Killer Bees (P101) narrowly snag the final playoff berths over a heartbroken EJ Racing (P102, out by 3 points).Market Reality Check: Josh Berry officially climbs out of the bottom five behind five consecutive top-10s, while Connor Zilich closes the regular season with an astonishing 714 fantasy points—more than Hamlin, Blaney, and Reddick combined.H2H & Darlington Picks: Josh wins the head-to-head battle (Bubba Wallace over Chris Buescher's 40-point crash) to stretch his lead to 19–12. Heading into the playoff opener at Darlington, Josh locks in Denny Hamlin while Justin counters with Kyle Larson.

New Hampshire Apology Tour: Justin formally retracts his New Hampshire slander after Ryan Blaney captures a wet-to-dry tire thriller (-9 fantasy points), while Josh Berry scores his 4th straight top-10 finish—the Wood Brothers' best streak since 1994.Driver Movers & Slumps: Christopher Bell surges to 6th in the overall driver rankings, while Ross Chastain (dead last) and William Byron (P30 after losing a wheel) severely damage playoff bubble rosters.Throne Reclaimed: Rit Racing retakes the #1 overall league spot by 5 points over Radical 5, setting up an all-out title clash at Daytona with the top three teams separated by only 25 points.H2H & Daytona Picks: Justin takes the weekly head-to-head matchup (Ryan Preece over Austin Cindric) to narrow Josh's lead to 18–12. Heading into the regular-season cutoff at Daytona, Justin locks in Chris Buescher while Josh counters with Bubba Wallace.

Logano's Hot Streak: Joey Logano captures the Richmond victory to post an elite -9 fantasy score, continuing an incredible late-season surge with a 1.6-point average over his last five starts. Driver Movers & Slumps: Denny Hamlin (P4) and Christopher Bell (P7) log steady top-10 days, while Carson Hocevar finishes dead last with 37 points and Kyle Larson slides further down to 14th in the overall driver rankings. New League Leader: Radical 5 claims the #1 overall spot, ending an 11-week reign by Rit Racing and tightening the championship gap to just four points. Blockbuster Swaps: Hobbitstoast pulls off the first Tyler Reddick drop of the season to pick up Joey Logano, while Rit Racing makes a rare swap from 1st place, trading William Byron for Christopher Bell. H2H & New Hampshire Picks: Josh snaps Justin’s 4-race winning streak with Logano's win over Ty Gibbs, extending the head-to-head lead to 18–11. For New Hampshire, Josh selects Austin Cindric while Justin pivots to Ryan Preece.

Iowa Recap & Richmond PreviewIowa Action: Ty Gibbs edges out Christopher Bell (who locks in his 7th runner-up finish), while Tyler Reddick finishes dead last and Kyle Larson posts a 33-point disaster.Standings & Swaps: Rit Racing holds the overall league lead for a 12th straight week, though Radical 5 has trimmed the gap to just four points. Meanwhile, Jeff Paulson earns Biggest Riser honors by setting the Iowa low-score record (10 points).H2H & Richmond Picks: Justin snags his 4th straight head-to-head win (Chase Briscoe over Brad Keselowski) to tighten Josh's overall lead to 16–11. Looking ahead to Richmond, Justin locks in Ty Gibbs while Josh counters with Joey Logano.