5 days agoAlthough Chase Elliott has never won at Darlington, he certainly had the speed to do so in both 2020 races when he led 142 laps despite crashing in both. However, those races both came with the Generation 6 chassis, and Elliott generally ran better with that chassis than the Next Gen chassis. Since the Next Gen was introduced in 2022, Elliott has been pretty consistent with two top fives and top tens in all three races he finished, but he had to recover from mediocre starting positions in all those races and led no laps. He will have to drive through the pack again in today's race after qualifying 31st. Elliott is running better than he did last year, but worse than the year before. He should get a top ten if he has no bad luck, but he probably won't significantly threaten for the win.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 days agoAlthough he's never led a lap at Darlington, it is one of Austin Dillon's most consistent tracks, as he has an average finish of 14.3 there, better than any other track the NASCAR Cup Series visits twice. His second-place finish in the 2020 Southern 500 was one of his best-ever drives. However, Dillon has struggled mightily with the Next Gen chassis. Since his best crew chief, Justin Alexander, left in 2023, he has run worse than ever before in his career. Dillon currently has the second-worst speed percentile in the Cup Series at 23.98. Although Alexander returned this season as a mid-season replacement for Keith Rodden, and Dillon promptly got a top-10 finish at Texas almost immediately, he has generally been running no better and qualified only 23rd for this weekend's Goodyear 400. Alexander has elevated Dillon before, so it's conceivable he may do so again, but recent performances suggest that is unlikely.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 days agoKyle Busch has had a wildly inconsistent 2024 season, as his runs on superspeedways and road courses have been consistently strong but he has been lackluster on tracks of one mile or less, much like his Richard Childress Racing predecessor Tyler Reddick. Busch only won at Darlington once in 2008 but he has consistently run well with 899 laps led. Although he had three straight DNFs in his last Darlington races for Joe Gibbs Racing, he bounced back with 7th and 11th place finishes last year despite leading neither race. His 11th-place qualifying run this weekend places him on Row 6 for the third straight Darlington race. Unlike Ford and Toyota, Chevrolet didn't introduce a new model this year, so it stands to reason that Busch will likely run similarly to last year and is likely poised for another finish in the back half of the top ten.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 days agoAlthough the Wood Brothers have won eight times at Darlington (more than any other track except for Daytona and Michigan), Harrison Burton looks quite unlikely to add to that record this weekend, as he qualified 35th for the Goodyear 400 and was the slowest qualifier in the first qualifying group. He did get one of his five top-10 finishes in last year's race when he ended up sixth, but he ran significantly worse when considering that both his average running position and his rank in driver rating in that race were 13th. All the Fords were generally slow in qualifying except the RFK Racing cars, but the Wood Brothers are currently a satellite for Team Penske, not RFK, so the odds of Burton having a good run here are quite remote.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 days agoJohn Hunter Nemechek will start 22nd in this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This is one of Nemechek's better start positions this year, as he only started higher in four other Cup events. In three previous races at Darlington, Nemechek's best finish was ninth, which he scored in 2020. In the Xfinity Series at the site, he was more successful with four top-10 finishes and three finishes with positive Place Differential. With 12 races completed this season, Nemechek has three top-20 finishes, including the last two Cup events. In practice, Nemechek displayed solid speeds compared to the field, as he ranked 15th or better in the 15, 20, 25, and 30-consecutive lap averages. Because of his practice speeds and Xfinity history, Nemechek is one of the best overall value options of the week and can place in the Top 15.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoLast week's Kansas winner, Kyle Larson, will start sixth in this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This is the eighth time in his Cup career at Darlington and the eighth time in 2024 that Larson will start inside the Top 10. In 12 races at the site, Larson has one win, eight top-10 finishes, and the fourth-most laps led by active drivers (770). The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet is also the most recent Darlington winner and led multiple laps in four of his last five appearances at the South Carolina track. Through 12 races so far this season, Larson is the points leader with two wins, the most top-5 finishes (six), and the most laps led (632). In practice, Larson was one of the fastest drivers overall, ranking first in 15-consecutive lap averages and the Top three in almost all other categories. With Darlington being one of Larson's best statistical tracks, great equipment, and top-tier practice speeds, expect Larson to compete for the win this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoIn Goodyear 400 qualifying at Darlington Raceway, Corey LaJoie obtained a starting position of 24th. It is the fourth time in his Cup career at Darlington and the seventh time this year that LaJoie nabbed a top-25 starting position. In 12 previous Darlington starts, LaJoie has five finishes in the Top 25 while capturing positive Place Differential eight times. The driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet only has one top-20 finish in his entire Cup career at DR. After 12 races completed this season, LaJoie has five finishes of 21st or better while obtaining positive Place Differential eight times. In practice, LaJoie's practice speeds ranked 20th or better in all categories, showcasing that his car can move ahead of his starting position. Considering his salaries for DFS, LaJoie is a favorable value driver to recommend who can place in the Top 20.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoSophomore driver Ty Gibbs will start fourth in this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. It is the seventh time this season that Gibbs will start a race from the Top 10, but also the first time ever at Darlington. In three previous starts at the site, Gibbs has a best finish of 15th, which he scored in September 2022 while driving for 23XI Racing. Through 12 races this year, Gibbs has six top-10 finishes and led in five different Cup events. In practice, Gibbs was one of the slower drivers in most categories, only ranking in the Top 10 in single-lap times (second). Despite the fast qualifying time, Gibbs is not the fastest in the longer run, making him a DFS risk based on his starting position. Based on history and practice speeds, Gibbs is difficult to recommend rostering at Darlington.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoChase Briscoe will start 13th after qualifying for this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This will be the third time Briscoe will start from the Top 15 at Darlington, and the fifth time this season he will start outside of the Top 10. In six starts at DR, Briscoe has five top-20 finishes, gained positive Place Differential three times, and recorded a best finish of 11th. Through 12 races completed this season, Briscoe has seven top-15 finishes, including three of the last five Cup events. In practice, Briscoe displayed plenty of speed in the long run, ranking among the Top 10 fastest in the 15, 20, 25, and 30-consecutive lap average categories. Despite not offering as much upside as some drivers around his salary, Briscoe is a driver who can quietly compete for a top-10 finish based on practice speeds. This makes the driver of the No. 14 Ford best suited as a tournament play that could pay off, especially with Darlington being a track where passing is difficult.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoStewart-Haas Racing driver Josh Berry qualified 33rd for this week's Goodyear 400. This is the second-lowest starting position of the season for Berry as well as his worst yet at Darlington in the Cup Series. In his only start at the site in 2023 while filling in for an injured Alex Bowman, Berry placed 30th after starting 23rd. In the Xfinity Series, however, Berry delivered better results with four top-10 finishes and five finishes with positive Place Differential in six Darlington races. After 12 races so far in his rookie season, Berry has five finishes of 16th or better, including each of the last three Cup events. In practice, Berry displayed greater long-run speeds than most by ranking sixth in 20 consecutive lap averages and fourth in 25 consecutive and overall lap averages. Considering his immense upside based on his starting position, equipment, and Xfinity history, Berry is one driver to highly recommend for all DFS contests.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoFor this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, Ryan Blaney will start 17th after qualifying. This is the worst starting position for Blaney at Darlington since 2018, the year he joined Team Penske. In 14 races at the site, Blaney has three top-10 finishes and four finishes with
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5 days agoDaniel Suarez starts 19th on Sunday afternoon from Darlington Raceway. The Trackhouse Racing driver did managed a tenth in May of 2022 including one stage point. However, Suarez has not led a single lap in the No. 99 Chevy. The Mexican ran a 30-lap interval that was well off from what some expected (nearly 30.75 seconds). It appears Suarez lost a bit much in the speed department. If he can avoid the accident bug (see Darlington twice in 2023), Suarez has a chance to at least improve from a position standpoint.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
5 days agoRicky Stenhouse Jr. may go for some stage points on Sunday. The JTG Daugherty Racing driver was able to snag points in three of the four stages in 2023 at Darlington. The driver in the No. 47 Chevy has never led a lap in his career on the intermediate track. Darlington is a unique track with some tendencies like Homestead or Dover. However, the oval has some intense banking and high tire wear. Typically that does not favor a driver like Stenhouse Jr. It might be another long afternoon and evening for the driver.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
5 days agoJoey Logano will begin the Goodyear 400 from the 14th position on Sunday afternoon. The Team Penske driver historically performs quite well on the Darlington track. His average finish of 9.3 the past three years includes a win and three Top 10 results. The No. 22 Ford attempts to break the Ford drought in 2024. Logano led 171 combined laps in 2022 but zero in 2023. Worse, Logano did not net any Top 10 results on stages. That being said, the driver can strike at any time on the 1.366-mile track.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
5 days agoDerek Kraus had his first runs in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing car on Saturday. Qualifying was a bit rougher as Kraus ended up 32nd at 0.546 seconds behind Tyler Reddick's pole time. Kraus was around that interval in practice too. His best lap was 0.539 seconds off from Michael McDowell. Kraus ran 28 laps in all. His hope is that this pays off as the race at the end. Darlington can become a matter of survival. This may aid Kraus as he tries to improve his position after 400 miles on Sunday afternoon.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
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