RADIO
Christopher Bell Starts The Chase With First 2026 Victory at Darlington
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.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ty Gibbs Finishes as the Runner-Up at Darlington After Early Struggles
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.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Tyler Reddick Places Third at Darlington With A Strong Points Day
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.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Kyle Larson Falls to Fifth at Darlington After Competing for the Win
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.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Denny Hamlin Maintains the Championship Lead After Darlington Struggles
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.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Should DFS Players Roster Chase Elliott at Darlington?
Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports is starting 18th for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway after practice and qualifying were canceled due to weather. In 19 Cup races at Darlington, Elliott has eight top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.8. Elliott placed in the top 15 in six of the last seven races at Darlington, including a finish of 15th earlier in the season. After 26 races so far this year, Elliott has two wins, nine top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.8. Considering his equipment and track history, Elliott is a playable DFS option for all formats worth rostering this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ty Gibbs May have A Big DFS Performance at Darlington
Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the 28th position for this week's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. The driver of the No. 54 Toyota will start in the same exact position as the spring race from Darlington earlier this year, where he went on to finish sixth. Through eight Cup races at the South Carolina track, Gibbs has six top-20 finishes with three inside the top 10. Through 26 races so far this season, Gibbs has two wins, 16 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.3. With high upside and some of the best equipment in the field, Gibbs is worth rostering in all DFS formats as a driver who can have a big performance this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Is Chris Buescher a Must-Start DFS Option for Darlington Lineups?
Chris Buescher of RFK Racing will start 35th for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Buescher obtained the lowest starting position of his Cup career for a Darlington race after qualifying was canceled and starting positions were set by a metric from the NASCAR rulebook. In 18 Cup races at the site, Buescher has eight top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.2. After 26 Cup races this season, Buescher has 21 top-20 finishes with 10 inside the top 10. Buescher's average finish for the year so far is 14.9, which even includes a ninth-place result at Darlington from earlier in the season. Considering his equipment from RFK and overall track history, Buescher is a must-start option for all DFS formats with enormously high upside that is too great to ignore.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Brad Keselowski be A Sneaky Play for Darlington Lineups?
Brad Keselowski of RFK Racing is starting 12th for this week's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Keselowski was given the starting position inside the top 15 after qualifying for the event was canceled due to weather. In 25 Cup starts at Darlington, Keselowski has two wins, 13 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 11.7. Notably, the driver of the No. 6 Ford placed in the top 15 in seven of the last eight Cup events at the site. With 26 races completed so far this year, Keselowski has six top-10 finishes and an average finish of 18.6. Although his starting position does not offer as much upside as others in his salary range, Keselowski is one of the more consistent drivers to perform well at Darlington. Fantasy players can start him with confidence in all formats, but especially in tournaments where he may get overlooked despite his solid track history.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ross Chastain Presents Favorable Upside for Darlington DFS Lineups
Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain will start in the 23rd position after qualifying for the Cook Out Southern 500, which was canceled due to weather at Darlington Raceway. In 14 Cup starts at Darlington, Chastain has nine top-20 finishes with four inside the top 10, and an average finish of 16.9. Through 26 Cup races so far this season, Chastain has 15 top-20 finishes and an average finish of 19.8. With Chastain placing 16th or better in each of the last six Darlington races, this track is a solid one statistically for the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet in recent seasons. As a result, he is a driver who is a favorable option for all DFS formats.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Tyler Reddick on Pole for Southern 500, the Favorite to Win
Tyler Reddick is on the pole at Darlington Raceway once again, as the 23XI Racing driver was awarded the top starting spot via the metric when qualifying was cancelled due to weather on Saturday afternoon. Reddick is the defending winner here at Darlington, as he won from the pole in the spring race this season, leading 77 laps along the way. As expected, he is also the favorite to win this race according to sportsbooks. While practice and qualifying was in a weather delay, Reddick was interviewed by the TV crew and asked about getting the pole despite no track time, and he responded, "For the 45, I mean, this is about best case scenario. You know, we know exactly what we have," referring to the speed his Toyota had in the spring race. Look for Reddick to be a race-winning contender on Sunday night in this year's Cook Out Southern 500.
Source: PitByNumbers
Source: PitByNumbers
Can Chase Briscoe Make It Three in a Row at Darlington?
Keep an eye on Chase Briscoe this weekend in the Cook Out Southern 500. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is the defending winner of this race, doing so in dominating fashion last season, leading 309 laps and sweeping the Stages along the way. Briscoe also won the 2024 Southern 500 in a memorable late battle with the late Kyle Busch. So what should we expect this weekend? Well, it's a little hard to tell. The NASCAR Cup Series didn't have practice or qualifying at Darlington on Saturday, so the metric set the starting lineup, and the cars haven't seen the track. In the spring race here earlier this year, Briscoe finished a disappointing 12th, but this No. 19 team is running much better now than they were then, and the Southern 500 is a different beast than the spring race. In all, with his history in this race, Briscoe looks to be a great tournament play in DFS this weekend, especially at his affordable salary ($9.8K on DraftKings).
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Christopher Bell Hasn't Been Great at Darlington
One driver who has a very confusing record at Darlington Raceway is Christopher Bell. One would think that a Joe Gibbs Racing driver would be elite at a track like Darlington, but that simply hasn't been the case for CBell. In the 11 starts with JGR at this race track, Bell has led a combined 59 laps over that time span, and while he does have four finishes of sixth or better, all seven of his other results at this race track are outside of the top 10 entirely. He finished a mediocre 19th after starting 22nd here in the spring race this season, and in last year's Southern 500, Bell started seventh but finished 29th after getting splitter damage on pit road. At $9.6K on DraftKings this weekend, Christopher Bell makes for an interesting tournament play, as he should be low-owned, but his shaky track record here is a bit concerning.
Source: PitByNumbers
Source: PitByNumbers
Bubba Wallace Is Boom-or-Bust at Darlington
Bubba Wallace, like many other drivers, has a very up-and-down history at Darlington Raceway. The 23XI Racing driver has made 16 career starts at the track, with 11 of those happening with his current team. In those 11 races, Bubba has posted five finishes between fifth- and ninth-place. The other six races? All 21st-place or worse except for a 16th-place finish in 2024. Quite the difference there. This weekend, Bubba will start from 17th for this year's running of the Southern 500. He had a really fast Toyota here in the spring race but got caught up in a wreck and ended up finishing 34th--another down moment. Bubba finished sixth in this race one year ago, though, and if he has the same type of speed from the spring race, don't be surprised if he contends for a top-five result on Sunday night. At $8.5K on DraftKings, Bubba is a solid mid-range tournament play.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Carson Hocevar Has Massive Place-Differential Upside at Darlington
Thanks to practice and qualifying being cancelled on Saturday, Carson Hocevar will start from back in 34th place for Sunday evening's Cook Out Southern 500. And while this is a bit of a disadvantage for the Spire Motorsports driver, it is good for his DFS ownership, as Hocevar now has massive Place Differential upside for the summer race. Carson has six career starts at "The Lady in Black," and while it took him a bit to find his groove, he has finished fourth and ninth over the last two races here. That fourth-place finish was earlier this season in the spring race. At $7.9K on DraftKings this weekend, Carson Hocevar is a very chalky place-differential play that has huge upside. Of course, this is still Hocevar we're talking about, so the potential for him to wreck out or sustain damage is also relatively high; keep that in mind.
Source: The Racing Experts
Source: The Racing Experts
