NASCAR is taking their talents to South Carolina as they take on Darlington Raceway this weekend! Following possibly the best race of the season in Kansas last week, Darlington shouldn’t be short on the entertainment. This 1.36-mile-long track is a fan favorite and has seen the best of the best have success.
Last year the track saw #43 Erik Jones in the fall and #22 Joey Logano in the spring take victories. This track is tough to tame and doesn’t have a wide variety of leaders. But we’ll try our best in this preview. Per usual, I’m going to give you five drivers (or in this case, six) that I think could be contenders to take it all. So, let’s dive right into who I’m looking at for the Goodyear 400!
#8 Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch has had a fantastic season. Two wins at Pocono and Talladega, an average finish just above 15th, and he’s delivered some fantastic entertainment. Busch wrecked last week at the end of stage two, but he’s put the #1 of Ross Chastain on notice. Giving him a nice bump before #42 Noah Gragson would draw some fists at the end of the race. I think Busch is a guy to watch not just for that, but he’s itching for a huge win at a track that he hasn’t won before in the Cup Series. In seven races the veteran driver has two top-five finishes and three top-10s. We’ll see if he can catch the checkered flag for the third time this season.
#11 Denny Hamlin & #19 Martin Truex Jr
You got to have both of these guys on the list, and they’re teammates so why not push them together? Hamlin’s a three time Southern 500 champion and is first in average running position and second in driver rating at Darlington. Truex himself has a win and four top-10 finishes in seven races. The two of them, or at least one, should be in your fantasy lineups or will more than likely be the first two drivers taken off the board in your NASCAR pools. Expect another great day for Joe Gibbs Racing, who have a bit of a winning streak going on with two in a row at Dover with Truex and a Kansas win from Hamlin.
#9 Chase Elliott
Chase Elliott has had a slow return from his broken leg. He’s got some top 10 finishes and some good racing, but the #9 hasn’t been able to put together an entire race yet. Elliott is in a win or bust for the playoffs situation and it’s going to come sooner or later. He’s one of the top drivers in the Cup Series. At Darlington he’s got two top five finishes and has put together some solid races here. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s the best Chevy on the board. Elliott is hungry, due, and driving in a paint scheme honoring his dad. I’m sure he’s ready to pick up this win and Darlington Raceway could be the spot for it.
#22 Joey Logano
As we mentioned earlier, winners are hard to come by at this track, and Logano is a driver that’s had a fair share of ups and downs this year but he is a Darlington winner. Last season’s spring race. In seven races he’s got a win and five top-10 finishes. Three in the top five as well. Logano has proven that he can hold his own at this spot, and proved he could win last year. Picking a ford driver has been a risk all season long. They’ve been inconsistent and only account for one win at Atlanta… Which belongs to one Joey Logano. Maybe he can carry the manufacturer on his back and pick up his second win of the season and repeat at Darlington.
#43 Erik Jones
Does this constitute as a sleeper pick? Jones has had an abysmal 2023. He’s got an average finish of 20th and has led just 17 laps on the year with two DNFs. He finished 21st in Kansas last weekend and things just aren’t looking up. But I do believe that there’s some confidence in returning to a track you won just a short year ago. Jones is another driver who’s had kind finishes here. In seven races he’s got a win, and three top-five finishes. The #43 needs a turnaround desperately and if he races as good as he did last spring, Darlington Raceway is a perfect spot for him to run it back.
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