Can Carson Hocevar Contend at Bristol? 0mLink copied!

Sep 14, 2026, 2:52 PM ET

Kyle Larson won the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway for his first race victory of the 2026 season. Larson began the race from second and ran well throughout most of the race. He went on to lead 80 laps, the second-most of all drivers in the race. Larson also scored stage points at the end of both stages by placing third at the end of stage one and winning the second stage. The No. 5 Chevrolet driver was able to win the race due to a tire advantage he had over Joey Logano in the closing laps. Logano took two tires on a late pit stop while Larson took four on the same pit stop. This difference in tires, as well as a late-race push by his teammate, Alex Bowman, allowed Larson to get his first career Cup Series win at WWTR. With the 28th race of the season completed, Larson moves to second in The Chase standings, only nine points behind leader Denny Hamlin.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 14, 2026, 2:51 PM ET

Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman quietly had a strong run in the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Bowman began the race from 11th and did not have much of a presence in the first two stages of the race. The No. 48 Chevrolet driver did climb up to eighth by the first stage and scored three stage points. In the second stage, however, he placed outside of the top 10 as he failed to earn further stage points. Bowman did receive minor damage from a multi-car accident on lap 141 started by Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe, but was able to continue on. He spent the rest of the race recovering positions and made it up to the top five by lap 222. Bowman soon made it up to third and played a role in helping his teammate Kyle Larson win the race. On the final restart, Bowman gave a push to Larson to have him pull ahead of Joey Logano, who Bowman passed on the final lap to finish in second. Bowman's best finish of the 2026 season so far moves him up to 27th in the Cup Series standings after 28 races.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 14, 2026, 2:49 PM ET

Team Penske's Joey Logano was the driver to beat during the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Logano started the race from the pole position and went on to dominate and win the first stage, leading the opening 45 laps. The No. 22 Ford driver lost the lead during the stage break leading into the second stage by heading to pit road while others stayed out on track. Logano ran inside the top 10 through most of the stage, but moved to the front as the stage progressed. He fell short of winning the second stage as he finished second to Kyle Larson for the stage win. In the final stage, Logano led the early part of the stage until pitting on lap 155, when Brad Keselowski took over. Logano then spent the rest of the race battling with Keselowski and eventually Larson when he challenged them both late in the race. Larson had a tire advantage due to pitting for four tires while Logano pitted for two tires on lap 202. This tire advantage was the difference, as Logano lost track position to Larson and Alex Bowman in the closing laps, leaving him to finish in third after leading the most laps. Logano's fifth top-5 finish at WWTR moved him to seventh in The Chase standings, 51 points behind first after 28 races.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 14, 2026, 2:47 PM ET

William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports finished fourth in the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Byron began the race from 24th and made up a couple of positions in the first stage. He ended the stage in 16th and failed to score stage points. During the stage break, Byron stayed out of pit road while others went to pit for tires and fuel. As a result, Byron spent the earlier parts of the second stage in the top five, making it as high as third until pitting for tires and fuel on lap 66. From there, Byron ran in the middle of the pack, but ended outside of the top 10 at the end of the second stage, making him unable to score stage points for the whole race. Early on in the final stage, on lap 141, Byron was involved in a multi-car accident started by Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe. Despite some damage, Byron continued on and spent the rest of the race keeping the car clean for several other incidents and recovering positions. Byron worked back up to the top five and eventually finished fourth for his first top-5 finish since Chicagoland in July. Despite the top-5 result, Byron is 15th in the Chase standings and 114 points behind first after 28 races.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 14, 2026, 2:47 PM ET

Brad Keselowski was one of the main drivers in contention for the win during most of the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Keselowski started from deeper in the pack in the 23rd position, but climbed up through the pack over the course of the race. By the end of the first stage, Keselowski made it up to 10th and scored one stage point. During the stage break, Keselowski stayed off of pit road and gained the lead as others went to pit for tires and fuel. Keselowski led the race until he went to pit road during a lap 66 caution, but continued to run inside the top five through the rest of the stage. He finished the second stage in third, gaining eight more stage points. Keselowski continued to run well through the final stage and even obtained the lead midway through the stage after a caution on lap 155. After more cautions and restarts, Keselowski led the field on older tires on a lap 206 restart. Despite holding strong, the older tires caused Keselowski to lose the lead for good on lap 221 and kept losing positions through the rest of the race, finishing 12th. Keselowski is 18th in the Cup Series standings after 28 races this season despite his third top-15 finish in now four races.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 13, 2026, 2:09 PM ET

Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports will start eighth for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Sunday's race will mark the first time that Elliott will start a race at the St. Louis track inside the top 10 in his Cup career. In three starts at WWTR in the Cup Series, Elliott has two finishes of 13th or better, including a finish of third in last year's race at the site. After 27 races so far this season, Elliott has two wins, nine top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.7. In practice, Elliott displayed top-10 speeds in the 20-30 consecutive lap average categories, ranking as high as fourth in 30 consecutive lap averages. Elliott's starting position does not feature much upside, but his long-run practice speeds are favorable. Fantasy players should mainly consider Elliott as a tournament option with some risk for DFS.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 13, 2026, 1:57 PM ET

Team Penske's Austin Cindric is starting 13th after qualifying for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. This will be Cindric's first Cup race at the site with a starting position outside of the top 10. In four previous races at WWTR, Cindric has one win and three top-15 finishes. Cindric's average finish of 11.0 at the site is the highest of all active tracks on the Cup Series schedule. In 27 races completed this season, Cindric has six top-10 finishes with an average finish of 17.0. Through practice for this week's race, Cindric has displayed top-5 speeds in the 10, 15, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Due to his practice speeds and overall history at WWTR, Cindric is a great option to consider for all DFS formats. Expect Cindric to compete for a top-5 finish on Sunday.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 13, 2026, 1:46 PM ET

Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing will start in the seventh position for this week's race at World Wide Technology Raceway, the Enjoy Illinois 300. It will be a new career-best starting position for Wallace at the St. Louis track, also known as Gateway. In four prior races at Gateway, Wallace has one top-10 finish, an eighth-place result from last season. With 27 races completed so far this season, Wallace has 12 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.2. In practice for this week's race, Wallace ranked as high as 20th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Wallace's practice speeds and his mixed track history at St. Louis make him difficult to recommend for DFS this week. Fantasy players should mainly consider Wallace as a tournament-only play, since his starting position also provides little upside for this week's race.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 13, 2026, 1:36 PM ET

RFK Racing's Chris Buescher will start in the 21st position for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. This will be Buescher's first start outside of the top 10 since 2024 at the St. Louis track, also known as Gateway. In three previous races at the site, Buescher has three top-15 finishes and never placed lower than 14th. After 27 races this year, Buescher has 10 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.1. In practice, the No. 17 Ford driver ranked 16th in 20 consecutive lap averages and 15th in 25 consecutive lap averages. Based on his track history and long-run practice speeds, Buescher is a solid DFS option for all formats likely to place inside the top 15.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 13, 2026, 1:26 PM ET

Carson Hocevar will start sixth for this week's Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. This marks the first top-10 start of Hocevar's Cup career at the St. Louis track. In three previous races at WWTR, Hocevar has two top-15 finishes, with a best finish of eighth. Through 27 races this season, Hocevar has nine top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.5. In practice for this week's race, Hocevar ranked third in 10, 15, and 20 consecutive lap averages. With his fast practice speeds and overall favorable track history at WWTR, Hocevar is a driver likely to pull out a top-10 finish. Hocevar is best utilized in tournaments, as his lack of upside from his starting position makes him hard to recommend for cash games.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 13, 2026, 10:40 AM ET

Joey Logano will lead the Cup Series field to the green flag at Gateway on Sunday for the Enjoy Illinois 300, as the Team Penske driver put down an absolutely blistering lap during qualifying on Saturday. Logano's lap of 32.817 seconds was nearly three-tenths better than anyone else in the session, and it has to give the No. 22 team plenty of confidence heading into the race itself--especially considering how fast the Ford was in practice, too. Logano ranked second-best in 30-lap average during that session, so it appears the No. 22 Ford not only has great short-run speed (qualifying) but also great long-run speed (practice). At $10.2K on DraftKings this weekend, Logano is an excellent DFS pick and a prime dominator to build around. --Jordan McAbee
Source: Jayski

Sep 13, 2026, 10:37 AM ET

All eyes were on the No. 12 Ford on Saturday at Gateway, as Ryan Blaney laid down the fastest lap in the practice session and also had the best 10-lap average. He ranked second-fastest in both 15- and 20-lap averages, while ranking first in 25-lap average. In other words, Blaney has a really good car for the Enjoy Illinois 300, and he qualified third for the race. In four career starts at this track, the Team Penske driver has yet to find victory lane, but he does have a pair of fourth-place finishes to his credit (including last season), and he ran sixth here in 2023. This weekend, Blaney ($10.7K on DraftKings) should be a popular DFS pick, as he has race-winning upside and dominator potential as well. After practice on Saturday, Blaney stated, "I think we're in the ballgame," during an interview with the TV crew.--Jordan McAbee
Source: PitByNumbers

Sep 13, 2026, 10:35 AM ET

One driver that probably should have better results at Gateway than he does is Tyler Reddick. The 23XI Racing driver has qualified ninth or better in all four of his starts at this track, but he has just one finish better than 15th here in those four starts. Additionally, Reddick's best driver rating during a race here is just 94.4, with his average being 80.9. This weekend, the No. 45 Toyota has been decent. Reddick ranked seventh-fastest in 10-lap average during practice but dipped down to 18th-best in 15-lap average and never made a long run during the session. He qualified back in 18th-place for Sunday's Enjoy Illinois 300, which gives him decent Place Differential upside in DFS, but you have to wonder whether the decently high salary ($9.5K) is worth the limited upside. There are likely other value plays to target in daily fantasy lineups this weekend.--Jordan McAbee
Source: ifantasyrace

Sep 13, 2026, 10:30 AM ET

William Byron isn't having a great summer. Over the last eight Cup Series races, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has managed just two top-10 finishes, and they were both mediocre ninth-place runs at Iowa and Richmond. His Chase started out with a dud at Darlington last weekend, too, as Byron blew an engine and finished 37th. That makes it three straight finishes of 22nd or worse for the Hendrick driver. Can the No. 24 team turn things around at Gateway this weekend, though? Byron qualified back in 24th-place for Sunday's Enjoy Illinois 300 race, so he's already starting at a disadvantage. Although that makes him a decent Place Differential option in DFS, his salary ($9.0K on DraftKings) is a bit high for a driver that has limited high-finish upside. You shouldn't avoid Byron entirely in DFS this weekend, but there are other ways to go with your lineup building.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Frontstretch

Sep 13, 2026, 10:27 AM ET

Josh Berry is on one heck of a run. Over the last six NASCAR Cup Series races, the Wood Brothers Racing driver hasn't finished worse than ninth, which is pretty incredible when you consider he has just two other top-10 finishes this season. Over those last six races, only one other driver in the garage has a better average finish than Berry (6.3), and that is last week's winner, Christopher Bell (5.5). This weekend, the Cup Series heads to Gateway, and Berry could be poised for yet another solid result. The No. 21 Ford ranked inside the top 10 in all major lap averages during practice on Saturday and Josh qualified a respectable 16th for the race on Sunday. Don't be surprised if Josh Berry extends his top-10 finish streak to seven this weekend. In DFS, Berry ($7.9K on DraftKings) is a solid mid-range choice. --Jordan McAbee
Source: Catchfence

Sep 7, 2026, 1:36 PM ET

After seven second-place finishes in the 2026 season, Christopher Bell earned his first career victory of the year at the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Bell started from 11th, but showcased that he had one of the fastest cars of the field early on as he climbed up to fourth by the end of the first stage. In the second stage, Bell took advantage of tire strategy by running more laps under green-flag conditions, then passing other drivers on fresher tires after stopping on pit road. This strategy paid off as he eventually passed the whole field to win the second stage over Kyle Larson. In the final stage, Bell had to work his way back to the front after his pit crew lost positions due to a slow stop during the stage break. Midway through the stage, he was chasing after Larson again and then eventually dueled with his teammate, Chase Briscoe, before rain stopped the race on lap 338. After the rain stopped and the race resumed, Bell pitted for tires for the final run, but lost a few positions as drivers stayed out on older tires. However, Bell went through all of them in a short amount of time before spending the rest of the race chasing after and eventually passing Larson on lap 356. From there, Bell held off Ty Gibbs and went on to get his first Cup Series win at Darlington. Bell is now second in The Chase standings after 27 races and is only 12 points behind Denny Hamlin for the championship lead.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 7, 2026, 1:35 PM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs finished as the runner-up in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Gibbs started the race from deep in the field in 28th, after qualifying was canceled on Saturday due to weather. Gibbs did not carry much of a presence towards the front throughout most of the race until the final stage. He spent most of the first stage recovering from his deep starting spot, but made it all the way to 10th by the end of the stage to score one stage point. In the second stage, he continued to run between the top 15 and top 10 throughout the entire stage, but fell short of earning more stage points as he placed 11th at the end of the stage. The final stage saw Gibbs make moves through the field and take advantage of tire strategies to move up through the field. By the end of the race, he moved up into the top five, passing Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, and others on the way. On the final run to the finish, Gibbs moved past Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson and spent the final few laps chasing Christopher Bell. Ultimately, Gibbs could not make up the gap to Bell in the closing laps and settled for second, a new career-best finish at Darlington. With his second-place run, Gibbs is now sixth in The Chase standings and sits 39 points behind first.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 7, 2026, 1:34 PM ET

Tyler Reddick did not win the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, but still had a strong performance with a great finish. Reddick began the race from the pole position after practice, and qualifying was canceled due to weather on Saturday. In the first stage, Reddick lost the lead to Daniel Suarez and then Denny Hamlin, but regained it on lap 29 by passing Hamlin. He lost it again to Hamlin through the first stage, but eventually nabbed it again and went on to win the first stage. In the second stage, Reddick continued to lead the race until midway through the stage during a pit stop sequence, when he lost the lead to his teammate, Bubba Wallace. Reddick's final pit stop of the second stage was slow as his pit crew struggled to complete it, causing him to lose positions on track and eventually end the stage in ninth. In the final stage, Reddick returned to the top five, but was unable to get back to the lead. The first half of the final stage saw him run behind Kyle Larson, while in the second half, he fell behind Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs. Reddick made it up to third and passed Larson, but was unable to pass Bell and Gibbs, leaving him with another third-place finish after placing third at Daytona last week. The No. 45 Toyota driver is now fourth in The Chase standings and sits 29 points behind first after 27 races this season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 7, 2026, 1:33 PM ET

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson had an uphill battle at Darlington Raceway, but finished fifth and had a shot at winning the Cook Out Southern 500. Larson's uphill battle started from the beginning when he was given a starting position of 25th after qualifying was canceled due to weather. The No. 5 Chevrolet driver spent the entire first stage making up positions, but only reached 13th and failed to score stage points. In the second stage, Larson took a contrarian strategy of running out longer before pitting during green-flag pit sequences. This paid off as the tire advantage Larson gained over other drivers moved him up to second at the end of the stage behind Christopher Bell. In the final stage, Larson led on the restart after coming out first after pit stops during the stage break. Larson led through most of the stage until a lap 317 caution caused him to lose the lead on pit road to Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe. The Hendrick driver lingered behind these two until the race was stopped for rain on lap 338. Once the rain went away, Larson decided to stay out on older tires for track position on the race's final run. Larson held the lead until lap 356, when Bell passed him and then fell back to fifth as he was unable to hold off other drivers on older tires until the race ended. After the 27th race of the season, Larson remains seventh in The Chase standings, but cut the gap to first down to 49 points with nine races left before the championship.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 7, 2026, 1:32 PM ET

Denny Hamlin entered the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway as the No. 1 Seed for The Chase, but ended the race with the championship lead despite a big setback. Hamlin began the race from the fourth position after qualifying was canceled due to weather. The No. 11 Toyota driver started strong, as he went ahead and took the lead from Daniel Suarez and Tyler Reddick early in the first stage before Reddick took it back on lap 29. Hamlin took the lead back from Reddick later on in the stage on lap 45 and kept leading until later in the stage, when Reddick regained the lead again. From there, Hamlin went on to finish the first stage in third, behind Reddick and his teammate Bubba Wallace, who passed Hamlin before the stage ended under caution. In the second stage, Hamlin failed to reacquire the lead, but ran in the top five through most of the stage outside of pit stops. He went on to finish the stage in third and gained eight more stage points. During the stage break before the final stage, Hamlin's pit crew had a slow pit stop with trouble on the right-rear tire, causing him to lose positions. Then, on lap 241, Hamlin made contact with the wall and with Michael McDowell, causing him to lose plenty of speed due to damage. Hamlin fell two laps down after losing the pace, while his team took time to repair the damage. Hamlin spent the rest of the race trying to recover positions, but he finished 18th. Despite his underwhelming finish, Hamlin maintains the championship lead by 12 points ahead of Christopher Bell after the 27th race of the season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com