Buckle Up South Carolina 200
Location: Darlington, S.C.
Course: Darlington Raceway
Format: 1.37-mile oval
Laps: 147
Buckle Up South Carolina 200 Preview
Layne Riggs etched his name into the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history books with a confident win at the inaugural St. Petersburg street course. Defying the odds, he climbed from a 28th-place starting position to lead 41 laps and take the checkered flag, joining Chandler Smith as full-time 2026 drivers already to have visited Victory Lane. Now, with three races complete and a short break behind them, the series races back to action at the legendary Darlington Raceway - a track notorious for its demanding layout and ruthless reputation. Drivers will need to be on top of their game as quickly as possible, as even the smallest mistake at Darlington can derail early championship momentum. The competition is tight, with only 10 points separating eighth through 13th in the standings. Dialing in the setup early and translating that into a strong finish this Friday could be the key to staying in contention for the Chase as the early season momentum builds.
Key Stats at Darlington Raceway
- Number of races: 13
- Winners from pole: 2
- Winners from top-5 starters: 9
- Winners from top-10 starters: 11
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest Race: 133.645 mph
Previous 10 Darlington Winners
2025 - Corey Heim
2024 – Ross Chastain
2023 - Christian Eckes
2022 - John Hunter Nemechek
2021 fall - Sheldon Creed
2021 spring - Sheldon Creed
2020 - Ben Rhodes
2011 - Kasey Kahne
2010 - Todd Bodine
2004 - Kasey Kahne
Darlington Raceway is a tough, unique track that has been part of NASCAR since 1950; however, the Truck Series didn't get its first taste of the challenge until 2001. This week's race will mark the 14th series event at the circuit, and notably, the winner has never started outside the top 15. Track position matters here due to how difficult passing can be on Darlington's uniquely shaped oval with its tiered banking, but that position alone isn't enough to guarantee success.
Tire wear often proves even more important. Darlington's abrasive surface puts a premium on drivers who can manage tire life over a run, as those who do are often able to climb through the field. The high line is typically the fastest way around the track, but it leaves little margin for error, and even small mistakes can quickly ruin a night. Getting on top of the setup early in the weekend allows teams to maximize their advantage, qualify up front, and set the tone for the race. Ultimately, patience, tire management, and strategy are the most critical factors for success at Darlington.
RotoWire NASCAR Truck Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Buckle Up South Carolina 200
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Corey Heim - $11,700
Christopher Bell - $11,200
Layne Riggs - $10,500
Christian Eckes - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ross Chastain - $9,500
Ty Majeski - $9,000
Chandler Smith - $8,800
Kaden Honeycutt - $8,600
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Ben Rhodes - $8,200
Justin Haley - $8,000
Tyler Ankrum - $7,800
Grant Enfinger - $7,600
DraftKings Tier 4 Values
Stewart Friesen - $7,200
Tanner Gray - $7,100
Jake Garcia - $6,900
Andres Perez de Lara - $6,400
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Buckle Up South Carolina 200
Corey Heim - $11,700
Ty Majeski - $9,000
Ben Rhodes - $8,200
Tyler Ankrum - $7,800
Jake Garcia - $6,900
Andres Perez de Lara - $6,400
Corey Heim's dominance in this series a year ago makes him a top consideration, even though he isn't racing full-time in the series in 2026. His price isn't as high as it was this time last year, leaving plenty of room for value picks to complete the lineup. Heim is the defending winner of this race, having led 65 laps from the third starting spot last year. This will be his second series start of the year. In February, he started 20th at Atlanta and powered his way to a fifth-place finish.
Ty Majeski leads the full-time series driver selections with an attractive price tag for someone who finished fourth in this race last season. He has two top-10 finishes from three races so far this season, and that soft price point makes even more sense, especially considering he was in contention for a top finish in Atlanta before a flat tire took him out. At Darlington, Majeski boasts three top-fives from five series starts, enhancing his credibility as a top pick this week.
Despite starting outside the top 20 in this race last season, Ben Rhodes nearly earned a top-10 finish. Even more impressive, he is a former Darlington winner who finished in the top two in his first two series starts at the track. From seven career attempts, Rhodes has three top-five finishes here, with an average finish of 13.4.
Tyler Ankrum was a top-10 contender throughout this race in 2025. He qualified 10th and scored stage points in both segments before finishing seventh. That was his second Darlington top-10 from seven starts, with an average finish of 14.3. Ankrum is just outside the Chase positions after a rough outing at St. Petersburg, and this Darlington visit could help him bounce back to form quickly.
Another top finisher here last season was Jake Garcia. The Thorsport Racing driver started that race 13th and walked away with a top-10. That was his best finish from three tries at the track. This year, his best finish was a seventh-place run at Atlanta. Garcia is only nine points out of the Chase in the standings and looking to make up ground with another top-10 finish this week.
A seventh-place finish last time out at St. Petersburg helped Andres Perez de Lara move to seventh in the championship standings. That was his best result of the season so far, but all of his finishes have been top-15s. That's a solid string of momentum to bring to Darlington, where he started 20th and finished 16th last season in his first series start at the track. Another top-15 would be a good return from a driver this far down the price list.
Best Bets for the Buckle Up South Carolina 200
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Layne Riggs +450
Top-Three Finish - Ty Majeski +400
Top-Five Finish - Daniel Hemric +330
Corey Heim's Darlington win last season came at the expense of Layne Riggs. The Front Row Motorsports driver qualified on the pole, finished second in the first stage, won the second, and led 71 of 147 laps that day. However, Riggs lost the lead with 20 laps to go after making contact with the wall while navigating lapped traffic. That was a race that slipped away from the No. 34, but with an average starting position of 4.5 from his two series attempts, the potential to reclaim victory is real. Riggs should be expected to challenge at the front of the field this week after having secured his first victory of the season last time out at St. Petersburg.
Thorsport's Ty Majeski is looking to keep his fine start to the season rolling this week. He has two top-five finishes from the first three races and was the fourth-place finisher at Darlington last season. Three of his five series starts at Darlington have produced top-five finishes, and that type of track record is why he could be a good option to choose for a top-three finish this week.
Daniel Hemric landed his first top-10 of the season so far at St. Petersburg despite starting that race from the 34th position. That success will serve as a good confidence booster before heading to Darlington, where he was the runner-up finisher last season. He started that race in seventh position and finished both stages in fourth. With the momentum he grew in St. Petersburg, Hemric may be ready to use this week's trip to Darlington as a springboard up the championship standings.
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