RADIO
Can Josh Berry Contend for the Win at New Hampshire?
Josh Berry has suddenly become an every-week name as of late, as the Wood Brothers Racing driver is on quite a hot streak, with three straight finishes of eighth or better (compared to his season average finish of 24.8). Can it continue this weekend, though? The signs point to yes. In addition to having one of the best cars in practice on Saturday morning--Berry ranked top five in 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-lap average--he also put the No. 21 Ford on the outside pole for Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 race. The best part, though? New Hampshire is a great track for Josh Berry. He finished second here last season after posting a third-place finish here in 2024. As far as DFS goes this weekend, Josh is affordable at $8.2K on DraftKings, but obviously risky because of the second-place starting spot. Still, Berry has the potential to dominate this race, so he's still a very viable daily fantasy option this weekend.
Source: Speedway Media
Source: Speedway Media
Bubba Wallace a Prime DFS Option at New Hampshire
It's setting up to be a good DFS scoring weekend for Bubba Wallace. The 23XI Racing driver had a great practice session on Saturday morning, ranking second-fastest in both 25- and 30-lap average, but he didn't have the best qualifying run later that day and will start from back in 23rd-place for Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 race. Pair that Place Differential upside with his affordable salary of $8.0K on DraftKings and we could definitely see Bubba in the optimal lineup this weekend. Wallace has had a couple of good runs here at New Hampshire in the past, specifically in 2022 and 2023, when he finished third and eighth (respectively). This season, at similar tracks, Bubba ended up sixth at Phoenix back in March (after starting 28th) and 12th at Iowa a couple of weeks ago (after starting 26th). He also finished sixth at North Wilkesboro after starting 26th.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Temper Your Expectations with Austin Cindric at New Hampshire
For the third time in four races, Austin Cindric has some work to do after qualifying this weekend. The No. 2 Ford ended up 26th-fastest on the qualifying speed chart on Saturday afternoon, which means Cindric will start from row 13 when the Dollar Tree 301 goes green. That was a disappointing run considering the No. 2 Ford was fifth-fastest in practice earlier in the day. Last weekend at Richmond, the Team Penske driver was in a similar scenario, as he charged from a 23rd-place starting spot to finish third. Cindric also started back in 35th at Indianapolis last month and ended up finishing 14th. Here at New Hampshire specifically, Cindric hasn't found a ton of succes, though, so Sunday may be a challenge. In four career starts here, Austin has never finished better than 13th, and his average result is 18.5. It's easy to be hyped on Cindric from a DFS perspective, but maybe temper your expectations as we visit a track that he hasn't found much success at ever in the Cup Series.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Is Erik Jones a Sleeper Option at New Hampshire?
Erik Jones needs a good run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. This No. 43 Legacy Motor Club was sitting well in the points standings after the Atlanta race and a month and a half ago, but things have unraveled badly for them since. Over the last four races, Jones hasn't posted a single top-20 finish, and over the last three, his best result has been 27th. Jones didn't shy away from the struggles recently, either, as he mentioned during an interview this weekend, "The Dollar Tree Camry has speed again. We just got to put these weekends together. We just haven't been putting together here recently." Could this be the weekend he turns it around? Erik qualified 11th for Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 and showed some respectable speed in practice on Saturday, ranking 10th-best in 15-, 20-, and 25-lap average. Jones struggled here at New Hampshire last season (finished 28th), but before that he posted results of 13th and 11th at "The Magic Mile." For DFS this weekend, Jones is a very interesting low-dollar tournament play, as he could be very valuable if he can post a top-10 finish.
Source: Pit By Numbers
Source: Pit By Numbers
Shane van Gisbergen Qualifies Fifth as Chase Looms
Shane van Gisbergen needs a good run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend to keep his Chase hopes alive, and he got off to a great start on Saturday afternoon with a fifth-place qualifying effort for the Dollar Tree 301. Van Gisbergen enters the race weekend with a 50-point cushion over Ryan Preece in the points standings, as there are two more races before the final Chase field is set. Last year at New Hampshire, SVG had a good race going until he didn't, as the Trackhouse Racing driver looked to have legitimate top-10 potential before getting damage on a restart and finishing 32nd. This weekend, van Gisbergen showed decent speed in practice, and qualifying fifth definitely helps, as good track position at a short track is definitely a positive for a driver. There were concerns that the No. 97 team would have to fix the starter in the car after practice, and subsequently start from the rear, but it doesn't appear that that is going to happen, and SVG will be able to maintain his scheduled fifth-place starting spot.
Source: Jordan Bianchi
Source: Jordan Bianchi
Joey Logano Earns Second Victory of 2026 at Richmond
Joey Logano of Team Penske won the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Logano started the race on Saturday Night from 10th, but quickly made up ground during the race's first stage. The No. 22 Ford driver raced up to third by the end of the first stage, finishing behind his teammate Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe. In the second stage, Logano ran inside the top five through the whole stage outside of pit stops. The second half of the stage saw Logano finally take the lead for the first time over Briscoe, and he pulled away until he won the stage. In the final stage, Logano competed for the win mainly with Briscoe, trading the lead back and forth several times. Lap 361 was the turning point for Logano, as he got by Briscoe as they both were in their final set of pit stops. From there, Logano held off Briscoe despite several attempts to pass for the win and gained his second victory of the 2026 season and the 39th total of his Cup career. After earning his third Cup victory at Richmond, Logano is now ninth in the Cup Series standings after 24 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Chase Briscoe Misses the Victory at Richmond after Leading the Most Laps
Chase Briscoe was one of the main contenders to compete for the win throughout the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Starting outside of the front row in second, Briscoe ran towards the front throughout the entire race outside of pit stops. In the first stage, he ran second the whole time behind Ryan Blaney, and although he tried to mount a charge to pass Blaney, Briscoe remained second and fell short of winning the stage. In the second stage, Briscoe took the lead from Blaney until midway through the stage, when Blaney outpaced Briscoe. After a caution on lap 125 handed Briscoe the lead again after pit stops, he led the field until late into the second stage, when Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin both passed him, leaving him to place third at the end of the stage. In the final stage, Briscoe continued to compete for the win alongside Logano, Tyler Reddick, and Hamlin. Briscoe led at several different points of the final stage until lap 361, when Logano passed him before their final pit stops. The No. 19 Toyota driver chased Logano throughout the rest of the stage, but ultimately could not get past him as he settled for second despite leading the most laps (171). With his first career top-5 finish at Richmond, Briscoe is now fifth in the regular season standings after 24 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Austin Cindric Scores his Best Finish of the 2026 Season so far at Richmond
Team Penske's Austin Cindric scored his best finish of the 2026 season in the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Cindric first had an uphill battle to a top finish as he started the race from 23rd, but the speed in his car was better than most. The No. 2 Ford driver moved up through the field on pure speed and a well-executed pit stop midway through the stage. Cindric placed fourth at the end of the first stage, earning seven stage points. The second stage featured some struggles for Cindric, as he nearly collided with Daniel Suarez at one point on pit road and lost some positions. However, Cindric's car pulled him back up through the field, and he placed fourth at the end of the second stage, gathering seven more stage points. In the final stage, Cindric ran inside the top five throughout the whole stage outside of pit stops, but was still slower than Chase Briscoe and his teammate Joey Logano to compete for the win. Cindric's second top-5 finish of the season moved him up to 15th in the Cup Series standings and 57 points ahead of the cutoff to make The Chase.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Denny Hamlin Places Fourth and Maintains the Championship Lead
Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin finished in fourth position during Saturday Night's Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Hamlin started the race from 14th and showcased plenty of speed early in the race. In the first stage of the race, Hamlin went from 14th and made it up to seventh by the end of the stage, collecting four stage points. The second stage saw Hamlin race up to the top five and compete for the lead with Joey Logano and Chase Briscoe. By the end of the second stage, Hamlin made it past Briscoe, but was behind Logano to place second and earn nine more stage points. In the final stage, Hamlin kept up with Logano and Briscoe in terms of speed throughout the stage, but had some struggles on pit road that caused him to finish fourth behind Logano, Briscoe, and Austin Cindric. After his fourth consecutive top-5 finish in four races, Hamlin remains the Cup Series standings leader with a 115-point advantage over Ryan Blaney.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ryan Blaney Ends Richmond with A Finish of 13th Despite Stage Win
Ryan Blaney of Team Penske started the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway with plenty of promise, but ended with a disappointing finish of 13th. Blaney started the race from the pole position and dominated the first stage, winning it by leading almost every one of the first 70 laps. In the second stage, Blaney continued to lead through the stage break, but lost it on the restart to Chase Briscoe. Midway through the second stage, Blaney took the lead back from Briscoe and held it until another caution with another set of pit stops caused him to lose the lead. He continued to run well as he went on to finish fifth at the end of the second stage and earn six more stage points. Although he continued to run inside the top five through the first half of the final stage, in the second half of the stage, changes in track conditions caused Blaney to lose speed and grip. The No. 12 Ford driver went from running inside the top five to finishing 13th, one lap down. With the 24th race of the season finished, Blaney is now second in the Cup Series standings with two races to go before The Chase begins.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Has Ryan Blaney Finally Figured Out Richmond?
Ryan Blaney will start on the pole for Saturday night's Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, his fourth pole in the last five races and his second career pole at this particular track. The last time Blaney started first at Richmond was back in 2022, where he led 128 laps en route to a seventh-place finish. Last year at this track, he rallied from a 20th-place starting spot to finish third at the end of the night. Those are really Blaney's only two noteworthy finishes at this track, though, as he has just two single-digit results in 18 career attempts at Richmond. Can he finally break through this weekend, though? As mentioned before, Blaney will start from the pole on Saturday night, and the No. 12 Ford was one of, if not the best car in practice on Friday as well. Short, flat tracks are where Blaney and Team Penske excel at the most, and if has finally figured out how to race Richmond, the competition could be in for a long 400 laps on Saturday night.
Source: Speedway Digest
Source: Speedway Digest
Joey Logano Should Have Another Good Points Day at Richmond
The Summer of Joey Logano continues this weekend at Richmond Raceway, as the Team Penske driver looks to have one of the best long-run cars in practice for the upcoming Cook Out 400. Logano is a two-time Richmond winner and a constant top five threat. He started back in 38th-place in last year's race and ended up finishing fourth, and this weekend his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, says that the No. 22 Ford is even better this time around. Could we see another Logano win coming? Don't be surprised if we do. When it comes to DFS this weekend, Joey Logano ($10.5K on DraftKings) looks like a great pick, as he has some place-differential upside (starting 10th) as well as dominator and race-winning potential. As he continues his charge to solidify his Chase berth, it looks to be another strong race for Logano coming up.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Denny Hamlin Looking to Tie Kyle Busch with Six Richmond Wins
Kyle Busch was always one of the best race car drivers at Richmond Raceway, and Denny Hamlin is right there with him. Busch got to victory lane six times in his career at this track, and Hamlin is close behind him, with five so far in 37 attempts. Can he tie the sure Hall of Famer this weekend? Denny will roll off the starting grid from 14th-place when the Cook Out 400 goes green this weekend, and the No. 11 Toyota was strong in practice, ranking seventh-fastest in 30-lap average. Hamlin finished 10th in this race one year ago and has finished first or second in six of his last nine starts at this track as well. He should, no doubt, be strong again on Saturday night. As far as DFS goes, Hamlin makes for an interesting tournament option, as he is the highest-priced driver on the slate ($11.5K) and may be under-owned due to daily fantasy players targeting some of the more obvious plays in that price range. Hamlin has Place Differential upside and some dominator potential, though, so don't fade him by any means.
Source: FOX Sports
Source: FOX Sports
Can Christopher Bell Finally Get a Win at Richmond?
It was another second-place finish for Christopher Bell last weekend at Iowa, as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has now finished runner-up seven times this season (and four times in the last five races). Can he finally get to victory lane here at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night? Bell qualified eighth for this weekend's Cook Out 400, and his track record here is solid. Although he's never went to victory lane at Richmond, Bell does have seven finishes of sixth or better over his last eight starts here, and he led a career-high 122 laps in this race in 2024. Looking at practice speeds this weekend, Bell wasn't one of the best like he typically is at a short, flat track, but that shouldn't make fantasy players shy away from picking him. In DFS, Bell ($11.2K on DraftKings) is a solid pivot option in tournaments from some of the other drivers expected to garner high ownerships. One thing worth noting, though: the No. 20 Toyota did fail pre-race inspection twice, so Bell will lose his car chief and pit selection.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Ty Gibbs Qualifies Fourth at Richmond
Last week's winner at Iowa, Ty Gibbs, will have a good starting spot for this weekend's race at Richmond, as the No. 54 Toyota was fourth-fastest during qualifying on Friday evening. That was a bit surprising, as Gibbs struggled to find any speed during the practice session earlier that day, ranking 20th-fastest overall. Additionally, Richmond Raceway hasn't been an amazing track for Ty, as he has just one top-10 finish here in six career starts, and that ninth-place result is also his only finish better than 15th. Still, as we have learned time and time again this season, we need to disregard previous efforts by Ty Gibbs and just focus on how that No. 54 team is running this season, which is one of the fastest on track. Don't be surprised if Gibbs challenges for another top-five finish here on Saturday night under the lights.
Source: Jayski
Source: Jayski
