Goodyear 400
Location: Darlington, S.C.
Course: Darlington Raceway
Format: 1.37-mile oval
Laps: 293
Cook Out Goodyear 400 Preview
The NASCAR Cup Series heads back east this week for another stop at an intermediate oval at Darlington Raceway. This historic track is one of NASCAR's most notorious venues thanks to its unique shape and challenging characteristics. Denny Hamlin, last week's winner at Las Vegas, is also the defending champion of the Darlington spring race, though this year's event takes place earlier in the schedule. No matter when the series visits, tire wear is always a central talking point. Darlington is famous for being tough on tires and difficult to pass on. Track position is crucial for race success, making a strong qualifying effort essential. At the same time, teams that focus on car setups to conserve tires can see big rewards on Sunday. Both races at Darlington last season were won by Toyotas, while Ford and Chevrolet swept the season races in the two years before that. The Cup weekend kicks off Saturday with practice and qualifying, setting the stage for 400 miles of racing on Sunday.
Key Stats at Darlington Raceway
- Number of races: 128
- Winners from pole: 21
- Winners from top-5 starters: 78
- Winners from top-10 starters: 108
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 6
- Fastest race: 141.383 mph
Previous 10 Darlington Winners
2025 fall - Chase Briscoe
2025 spring – Denny Hamlin
2024 fall - Chase Briscoe
2024 spring - Brad Keselowski
2023 fall - Kyle Larson
2023 spring - William Byron
2022 fall - Erik Jones
2022 spring - Joey Logano
2021 fall - Denny Hamlin
2021 spring - Martin Truex Jr.
Darlington Raceway is one of NASCAR's most iconic venues. It has hosted the NASCAR Cup Series since 1950, and this weekend's race will mark the 130th time the series has competed here. When discussing Darlington, two topics always seem to come up - tires and the high line. The track's abrasive surface makes tire management critical throughout each stint; drivers who can preserve grip for later often gain positions as others fade. Additionally, the track's unique corners create a preferred line that hugs the wall, especially in turns 3 and 4. That high line, with the track's stepped banking, leaves very little margin for error, and most drivers end up brushing the outside barriers at some point during the race, collecting their "Darlington stripe." Because there's really only one fast groove, track position is crucial. Most winners since 2022 have started on the first two rows, but Erik Jones and Kyle Larson managed to win from 15th and 18th, respectively. Practice speeds don't always predict race results, so fantasy players are better off prioritizing starting position over Friday's practice times when setting their lineups.
RotoWire NASCAR Cup Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Goodyear 400
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,000
Chase Briscoe - $10,700
Kyle Larson - $10,500
William Byron - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Christopher Bell - $9,700
Tyler Reddick - $9,500
Chase Elliott - $9,300
Ross Chastain - $8,800
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Bubba Wallace - $8,500
Chris Buescher - $8,300
Ty Gibbs - $8,000
Carson Hocevar - $7,700
DraftKings Tier 4 Values
Erik Jones - $7,500
Ryan Preece - $7,300
Austin Cindric - $6,900
John Hunter Nemechek - $6,200
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Goodyear 400
William Byron - $10,000
Chase Elliott - $9,300
Bubba Wallace - $8,5000
Ty Gibbs - $8,000
Ryan Preece - $7,300
Austin Cindric - $6,900
After dominating but ultimately losing this race last season, William Byron (DK $10,000, FD $12,000) is back seeking redemption. The Hendrick Motorsports driver led 243 of 297 laps and won both stages before losing out to Denny Hamlin during the final pit stops, settling for second place. Byron is a former winner at this track, with five top-10 finishes in his last seven starts here and has earned back-to-back top-10 results in the two most recent races heading into this weekend. Now could be the perfect time to select him.
Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott (DK $9,300, FD $10,500) epitomizes consistency at this venue. The former champion has never won at Darlington, but he has finished 12th or better in 11 of his 18 career appearances. Last season, he finished eighth in the spring race and led eight laps in the fall despite starting 21st. After a runner-up finish just a week ago at Las Vegas, Elliott could be on an upswing, which should put him in contention for another top-10 finish, or better, this weekend.
Toyota drivers Bubba Wallace (DK $8,500, FD $10,000) and Ty Gibbs (DK $8,000, FD $9,000) are two of the hottest drivers in the series right now. Wallace sits second in the points and is tied for the most top-10 finishes so far this season, while Gibbs is 10th and tied for the most top-fives. Both drivers are off to a great start and are working hard to convert that momentum into victories. Either could conceivably win at Darlington, too. Wallace has five top-10s and a pole in his last seven Darlington starts, while Gibbs finished second and ninth in two of his last four. These are two drivers fantasy players should feel comfortable relying on as long as their hot starts continue.
Ryan Preece (DK $7,300, FD $7,200) is also enjoying a strong start to the 2026 season, which could translate into some upside potential this weekend. The RFK Racing driver has finished 13th or better in three of the last four weeks and has placed in or around the top 15 at Darlington in five of the last seven races. The RFK Racing Fords have shown progress early in 2026, and that improvement is helping them climb the finishing order each week, which is something fantasy players will want to take advantage of.
Lastly, Austin Cindric (DK $6,900, FD $6,500) could be a good bargain this week. Like the RFK drivers, Cindric has shown consistent speed in races early in 2026, and he just needs to convert that pace into a complete race. The potential for victories is there despite his current 30th position in the standings, and I'm happy to keep choosing him as long as the price is right. This is one of those weeks. With an average Darlington finish of 17.5 from eight starts, Cindric is a solid play. His last three finishes at the track were all 13th or better, too.
NASCAR Cup Series Betting Picks for the Goodyear 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - William Byron +800
Top-five finish - Chase Briscoe +115
Top-10 finish - Chris Buescher +135
There are several top contenders to win this week's Goodyear 400, but with such favorable odds, William Byron stands above the rest. The Hendrick driver dominated this race last season but came up short in the final miles. He is also a former winner and two-time pole sitter at Darlington, with five top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 15 starts. Byron understands this track well and will learn from last year's setback to be even stronger this time, which makes his odds a bargain to scoop up while they are still available.
Another favorite alongside Byron is Chase Briscoe. He already won two of the last three Darlington races, and last fall's victory was even more dominant than Byron's spring race. However, winning three of the last four is a tough challenge. For that reason, taking Briscoe for a top-five finish with positive odds makes sense. I wouldn't fault anyone for picking Briscoe to win, either, but to get positive odds and a wider range of finish possibilities, this could be the better Briscoe play this week.
Those looking in the top-10 range should consider Chris Buescher. The RFK Racing driver has seven Darlington top-10 finishes in 17 attempts, with five of those coming in the last six races. He is turning into a top-10 machine this season already, and that should give him a boost to do even better than usual this week at Darlington. He doesn't often get out front to lead a lot of laps, but his pace this season has been showing a step forward from last season's competitiveness, which should play perfectly into his hands at a place like Darlington.
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