This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5 Mile Oval Quad
Turns: 134
NASCAR Trucks North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Race Preview
Kyle Larson stopped NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regulars from Victory Lane last week at North Wilkesboro in a dominating performance and prelude to his third victory in the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race. This week, CRAFTSMAN trucks head to the 1.5-mile high-speed oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway as the regular season draws to a close. Following Larson’s win last week, there are five playoff spots left to claim with six races remaining for drivers to get the job done. Stewart Friesen sits in the final playoff spot heading into the weekend with a four-point advantage over Matt DiBenedetto, who finished third a week ago in his best result of the season. Unlike last week’s outing in North Wilkesboro, this week’s track feels very familiar to teams. Charlotte has held 20 races in previous series dating back to 2003. Those 20 races have produced 11 different winners, and only four of those races have been won by someone starting outside the top 10.
Key stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 20
- Pole winners: 4
- Winners among the top 5 starters: 11
- Winners among the top 10 starters: 16
- Winners from the 21st or less: 1
- Fastest run: 128.947 mph
Charlotte’s 10 Previous Winners
2022 – Ross Chestnut
2021 – John Hunter Nemechek
2020 – Chase Elliott
2019 – Kyle Busch
2018 – Johnny Jump
2017 – Kyle Busch
2016 – Matt Crafton
2015 – Kasey Kahne
2014 – Kyle Busch
2013 – Kyle Busch
In the 20 Truck Series races contested at the Charlotte Oval, more than half of the winners have started in the top five. The main reason for this trend is that Charlotte favors fast machines. The 1.5 mile oval is one of the fastest on the calendar with its high embankments and multiple grooves. The fastest riders qualify up front, and that positive track position is easier to maintain than to catch up during the fast run. These trucks with fast early-race speed are usually able to pull away from the pack, making it difficult to find the right adjustments to gain ground. Although the track offers several grooves for drivers, the clean air is still one of the biggest advantages given the high speeds. With this factor in play, drivers who lose positive track position may find it difficult to regroup and move through traffic to reclaim this advantage. As a result, teams will use caution periods and restarts to gain ground if they find themselves behind. A fast truck will want to see the race stay green for long stretches, while those falling behind hope to see precautions to both make changes and gain positions with the bunched peloton on ensuing restarts.
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DraftKings Value Picks for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (based on a standard salary cap of $50,000)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Zane Smith- $10,800
Ty Majeski- $10,600
Corey Heim- $10,400
Finallyger Grant – $10,000
DraftKings Level 2 Values
Christian Eckes- $9,800
Stewart Friesen- $9,600
Ben Rhodes – $9,400
Matt Di Benedetto – $9,200
DraftKings Level 3 Values
David Gilliland – $8,900
Gray Tanner – $8,700
Nick Sanchez- $8,300
Bayley Currey- $8,200
Long Term Values of DraftKings
Ryan Vargas – $7,600
Caruth Figure – $7,200
Hailie Deegan- $6,600
Tyler Hill – $6,400
NASCAR DFS Picks for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Finallyger Grant – $10,000
Matt Di Benedetto – $9,200
Gray Tanner – $8,700
Nick Sanchez- $8,300
Caruth Figure – $7,200
Tyler Hill – $6,400
Topping the list for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 is Grant Finallyger. He won on the last 1.5 mile oval in Kansas and is therefore confident in the playoffs. With Charlotte finishing 10th or better in three of his last six starts, coupled with his second-place finish in last year’s race, he looks like a reliable option for most lineups this week. Matt DiBenedetto is also expected to rise to the top of the list considerations. He’s hungry to finish at the top to work his way into the playoff positions in the standings. He is only four points from the threshold and he has finished in the top 10 in three of the last five races. DiBenedetto finished 17th in Charlotte last season as he was still looking to orient himself in the series. He has improved a lot at this point and should be tough for a first win. Tanner Gray will attempt his 12th series start this week in Charlotte. He already has three top fives and five top 10s from his 10 starts this season and is looking to add to those totals. He finished sixth in that race last season and brings top-10 potential to fantasy rosters at a great price.
Another good deal could be Nick Sanchez. Like DiBenedetto, Sanchez sits just outside the top 10 in the rankings. He is 16 points behind Stewart Friesen in 10th and has finished 11th or better in three of the last five races. It will be his first series start in Charlotte, but he qualified on pole at Texas and finished sixth at Kansas. Both of these ovals are 1.5 miles long and indicate that Sanchez could be in store for another top 10 finish this week. Rajah Caruth will also start his first Charlotte series. Caruth’s best result in the last five races was sixth at Darlington. He also finished third in the ARCA Series General Tire 150 race at the track last season. Finally, Tyler Hill takes the last spot on the list. This will be his first race at the main Charlotte oval after driving legendary cars at the venue. It will be his second series start of the season after starting 30th and finishing 22nd at Kansas.
The author(s) of this article may enter daily fantasy contests, including but not limited to games for which they have provided recommendations or advice in this article. By playing these games using their personal accounts, it is possible that they are using players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. CJ Radune enters daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: cjradune, RaceDayScore: cjradune.
