RADIO
Denny Hamlin Willing to Take Risks for First Brickyard 400 Victory
Denny Hamlin has been close to winning the prestigious Brickyard 400 several times in the past, but he has yet to seal the deal at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 17 career attempts at this race, Hamlin has posted seven finishes of sixth or better, including a third-place run in last year's event. With this finally be the year for Hamlin to break through? There's no doubt that the No. 11 Toyota has been one of the fastest cars all season long, especially at intermediate tracks, and after posting the fifth-fastest 10-lap average in practice on Friday afternoon, it looks as though Hamlin has yet another fast race car to work with. He also qualified fifth for this weekend's race. When interviewed about the elusive Brickyard 400 win earlier this week, Hamlin stated, "I've got a couple shots at this left. I'm certainly willing to take a few more risks here." In a race that often comes down to strategy, taking a risk could be exactly how Denny gets his first Brickyard victory.
Source: Speedway Digest
Source: Speedway Digest
Kyle Larson Looking at Another Great Brickyard 400
Kyle Larson has been one of, if not the best at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Next Gen car. He won the 2024 Brickyard 400, and was in position to get another victory last season, but had to settle for a second-place result behind winner, Bubba Wallace. This weekend, the No. 5 Chevrolet looks fast yet again, as Larson posted the best 10-lap average in practice on Friday and qualified in 10th-place on Saturday. If the No. 5 Chevrolet has that type of speed on race day, there's no doubt that Larson will be a contender for the win. In DFS, Kyle Larson ($10.5K) makes for an excellent pick, as he has a little bit of Place Differential upside (because he starts 10th) along with dominator and race-winning potential.
Source: Jayski
Source: Jayski
Bubba Wallace Hits Wall in Practice, Qualifies 29th for Brickyard 400
After winning the Brickyard 400 last season, many eyes were on Bubba Wallace heading into the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend to see if the 23XI Racing driver can go back-to-back. And while that certainly isn't out of the question for Bubba on Sunday, it's not going to be easy. Wallace got into the wall during practice on Friday afternoon, and although that didn't cause any significant damage to the No. 23 Toyota, Bubba has struggled to find speed since. He ended up with the 20th-fastest lap in that practice session (out of 39 cars) and then went a little slower in qualifying, ending up 29th-best. That will be the worst starting position that Bubba has ever had at this race track. With that being said, don't be surprised if he rebounds for a solid finish, as Indianapolis is one of Bubba's best tracks. He's currently on a four-race streak of top 10s here, including the win last season. In DFS, Bubba Wallace ($9.0K on DraftKings) is a solid Place Differential option, although if you pick him, you have to have confidence that he will be able to find some more speed on race day.
Source: Motorsport
Source: Motorsport
Ty Gibbs Should Be Fast at Indianapolis
The No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota piloted by Ty Gibbs has been fast all season long, and it looks like the young driver will have yet another hot rod to race with this weekend in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When it came to lap averages in practice, Gibbs had the fourth-best five-lap average, the second-best 10-lap average, and the fastest 15-lap average. He then went out in qualifying and ended up fourth-fastest, giving him good track position to start the race on Sunday. Now, with that being said, starting position has never been an issue for Gibbs at this race track, as he has started fifth and sixth over his two career starts here. However, finishing the race has been a problem, as Gibbs has yet to crack the top 20 in his two Brickyard 400 attempts. That could easily change this weekend, though, as the No. 54 Toyota has performed better than normal all season long. In DFS, Gibbs ($8.8K on DraftKings) is a fascinating alternate dominator to consider on the slate. He can definitely be used in tournament lineups.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Carson Hocevar Wins Pole for Brickyard 400
Carson Hocevar posted the fastest time in Brickyard 400 qualifying on Saturday afternoon, turning a lap of 48.232 seconds to beat his teammate, Daniel Suarez, for the pole position. Hocevar will now lead the Cup Series field to the green flag in one of the most prestigious races of the season on Sunday afternoon. But now the question is, can he win? One thing that Hocevar definitely has going for him is that it is extremely difficult to pass at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so the good track position should help him quite a bit. Additionally, Indy has been a good track for Carson, as he finished 10th in his race last season after posting a 12th-place result in his first-ever start here. In DFS, Hocevar ($8.3K on DraftKings) makes for an interesting tournment play, as he is an affordable option, but if he falls back from his first-place starting spot, that could negate some of the dominator FPTS he captures.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Joey Logano Dominates at North Wilkesboro for First 2026 Victory
Joey Logano dominated the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday, leading 323 of 450 laps. The No. 22 Ford driver from Team Penske began the race from 11th position, but quickly showed that he had plenty of speed from the beginning as he moved up to third by the end of the first stage, scoring eight stage points. In the second stage, Logano gained the lead by passing Shane Van Gisbergen on lap 113. Logano went on to dominate the rest of the second stage without much competition. In the final stage, Logano was untouchable, with Denny Hamlin being his only real competitor who kept up with him in speed. Outside of pit stops, Logano never gave up the lead and went on to earn his first victory of the 2026 season. With the 38th win of his Cup career, Logano is now 15th in the regular-season standings and 49 points ahead of the cutoff for The Chase.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Denny Hamlin Places Second and Extends his Championship Lead at North Wilkesboro
Denny Hamlin was one of the most consistent contenders for the win during Sunday's Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Hamlin started seventh in the race after qualifying was canceled due to weather. In the first stage, Hamlin advanced to the lead halfway through the stage after a lap 39 caution by staying out of pit road while everyone else went to pit. As a result, Hamlin led for nine laps before being passed by Shane Van Gisbergen. The No. 11 Toyota driver fell to fourth by the end of the stage, but scored six stage points. In the second stage, Hamlin's team improved his car to the point where he could run in second behind who would eventually be the dominant driver of the race, Joey Logano. After scoring nine stage points from finishing second at the end of stage two, Hamlin spent the entire final stage chasing Logano for the win, but never had the speed to overtake him. Hamlin settled for second at the end of the race, but extended his regular-season points lead to 68 points over Tyler Reddick after 21 races this season.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Chase Briscoe Finishes Third After Starting 30th at North Wilkesboro
Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe finished in the third position in the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Briscoe had an uphill battle through Sunday's race as he started from the 30th position after qualifying was canceled, but had a fast car that easily made up positions. In the first stage, Briscoe went from 30th to eighth, gaining three stage points in the process. In the second stage, Briscoe moved closer to the front by passing a few more drivers, as he ended the stage in third and collected eight more stage points. From there, Briscoe stayed consistent without any issues and ran behind Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin throughout the entire stage. As a result, Briscoe settled into the third position for his third top-3 finish in four races this season. With 21 races now completed for the 2026 season, Briscoe is eighth in the regular-season standings with five races left before The Chase begins.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ty Gibbs Recovers From Speeding Penalty to Finish Fourth at North Wilkesboro
Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing finished fourth in the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Gibbs began the race strongly from the second position and led the first 39 laps before the race's first caution. On the restart after the first caution, Gibbs lost the lead to Denny Hamlin after he stayed out of pit road during the caution, and spent the rest of the stage taking it back. After Shane Van Gisbergen took the lead from Denny Hamlin, Gibbs passed Hamlin and then barely beat out Van Gisbergen to win the first stage on the final lap. During pit stops during the stage break, Gibbs acquired a speeding penalty and was sent to the back of the field at the beginning of the second stage. The No. 54 Toyota driver spent the rest of the race recovering from the penalty, recovering to 12th by the end of the second stage. Gibbs continued to pass cars through the final stage and eventually made it up to his eventual finishing position of fourth after passing Van Gisbergen and Bubba Wallace late in the race. With his ninth top-5 finish of the season, Gibbs remains fourth in regular-season points after 21 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Shane Van Gisbergen Matches his Best Oval Result at North Wilkesboro
Shane Van Gisbergen, known as a road course specialist, had one of his best performances on an oval track in the Cup Series in the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Van Gisbergen began the race from the eighth position after qualifying was canceled and ran well throughout the entire race. In the first stage, he ran inside the top five and even took the lead from Denny Hamlin midway through the stage on a restart. He went on to lead through the rest of the stage until its last lap, where Ty Gibbs barely beat him out for the stage win. SVG acquired the lead again in the second stage after pit stops and led until lap 113, when Joey Logano passed him for the lead. From there, SVG was one of only a few drivers to remain on the lead lap through the rest of the race and run around the top five. SVG finished fifth at the end of the second stage and remained in that position throughout the final stage to eventually match his best oval finish. After 21 races, Van Gisbergen ranks 14th in the regular-season standings and is 54 points ahead of the cutoff for The Chase.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Bubba Wallace a Great DFS Option for All Formats at North Wilkesboro
Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing will start in the 26th position for this week's Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Wallace will start in that position thanks to NASCAR's qualifying metric after qualifying was canceled due to weather. In two All-Star race appearances at North Wilkesboro, Wallace has two finishes of sixth or better. After 20 races this year, Wallace has nine top-10 finishes with an average finish of 17.1. In practice for this week's race, Wallace ranked 14th in 20 consecutive lap averages, 13th in 25 consecutive lap averages, and eighth in 30 consecutive lap averages. The No. 23 Toyota driver has plenty of upside for Sunday's race and should be rostered in all DFS formats.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Austin Cindric be A Sneaky DFS Option for North Wilkesboro?
Austin Cindric of Team Penske will start in the 14th position for the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Cindric was given the starting position after qualifying was canceled due to rain, and starting positions were set by the qualifying metric from the NASCAR rulebook. In two All-Star race appearances at North Wilkesboro, Cindric has a best finish of 18th. Through 20 races so far this season, Cindric has four top-10 finishes, including an eighth-place finish at Martinsville, another short track. In practice for this week's race, Cindric ranked 10th in 15- and 20-consecutive-lap averages and seventh in 25- and 30-consecutive-lap averages. Although he does not have the track history to indicate a favorable finish, Cindric's practice speeds do indicate that he will be a top-10 contender. As a result, he can be a sneaky pick for all formats.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ryan Blaney Awarded Pole at North Wilkesboro After Washout
Heavy rain cancelled qualifying at North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend, which means Ryan Blaney will lead the field to the green for the Window World 450 on Sunday evening. Blaney got the top starting spot thanks to the order being set by the metric. And with North Wilkesboro being a short, flat track, it can be expected that the No. 12 Ford will be strong all evening. Blaney won at Phoenix earlier this season (another flat track) and his Penske teammate, Joey Logano, has arguably had the best car here at North Wilkesboro over the last two years in the All-Star Races. This weekend, Blaney looked strong in practice, ranking sixth-best in 15-lap average. The In-Season Challenge is also continuing this weekend, and Blaney is matched against Christopher Bell, who is the favorite to win this race. That should be a good battle to watch on Sunday night as well, as both cars should contend for the race win.
Source: Jayski
Source: Jayski
Christopher Bell the Favorite to Win at North Wilkesboro
When it comes to short, flat tracks, Christopher Bell is always one of the favorites. And after a very impressive practice session at North Wilkesboro this weekend, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is the unanimous favorite to win Sunday evening's Window World 450 race. In practice, Bell led the way in 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-lap average. He's also the defending winner here at North Wilkesboro (last year's All-Star Race) and had the dominant car at Phoenix earlier this season (another flat track) before finishing runner-up to Ryan Blaney in that race. Bell starts third for this weekend's event at North Wilkesboro and should be the driver to beat. In DFS, he's a slam-dunk pick, and he comes in at an affordable price on DraftKings ($10.2K) as well--compared to his upside anyway.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Joey Logano Needs a Strong Run at North Wilkesboro
Heading into the 21st race of the season (North Wilkesboro on Sunday night), Joey Logano is 17th in the points standings and eight points behind the cutline for the final spot in the Chase. In other words, Logano needs a good run this weekend if he wants to keep his postseason hopes alive--and this is the perfect track for him to do so. Short, flat tracks are where Team Penske really thrives, and with North Wilkesboro being a 0.625-mile flat oval, it definitely fits that category. Over the last two All-Star Races here at North Wilkesboro, Logano has arguably had the best car, and the No. 22 Ford was strong in practice for the Window World 450 this weekend, ranking fifth-best in 30-lap average during the session. Logano will start from 10th-place for this weekend's race and should be able to run inside that mark all night. He's a solid DFS play on DraftKings at an affordable $9.5K salary.
Source: Catchfence
Source: Catchfence
