RADIO
The NASCAR Cup Series is in Darlington this weekend for the Cook Out Southern 500. This is one of the most historic races on the Cup Series schedule as it dates back to 1950. The Southern 500 is a Labor Day tradition, right up there with the whole idea that Monday means you have to change your way of dressing.
Last year, Kyle Larson won this race while Tyler Reddick finished second. The two dominated the race, leading 145 of the 367 laps. The other driver to lead a big chunk of the race was Denny Hamlin, who led 177 laps and finished 25th.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Cook Out Southern 500 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 9/1/2024 at 6:03 p.m. EDT. If you have any questions or want to talk about NASCAR, you can find me on X at @juscarts.
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Tyler Reddick
Starts Sixth - DK: $10.5K, FD: $13.5K
This is a tough race to project, but if you asked me right now who my pick to win is, I'd tell you it's Tyler Reddick. While he's never earned a victory at Darlington, he's come exceptionally close. Last year, he led 90 laps and finished second in this race.
Christopher Bell wins at Darlington over Cole Custer, Sheldon Creed and Chase Elliott. #NASCAR
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) August 31, 2024
Then back in May, Reddick was on the pole and dominated, leading 174 of 293 laps. But late-race chaos ended his shot at winning. Reddick got together with Chris Buescher while fighting for the lead, cutting down a tire and forcing the 45 car to pit.
Brad Keselowski
Starts 12th - DK: $9.8K, FD: $11.0K
Earlier this season, Brad Keselowski broke a long losing streak to win the Goodyear 400 here. That win marked the first for the former Cup Series champion since 2011 and really validated his decision to leave Penske Racing to drive the No. 6 car and join the ownership group at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
In that win, Brad K was strong right from the start, qualifying on the front row and eventually leading 37 laps on his way to the victory. It was the second time Keselowski had won at this race track in the Cup Series.
Keselowski showed speed in practice but just missed out on a top-10 starting spot in qualifying. That leaves him with a decent bit of place differential points at one of his best racetracks.
Christopher Bell
Starts Ninth - DK: $9.3K, FD: $11.5K
If we're looking exclusively at Cup Series results from Darlington, you might decide to fade Christopher Bell. In 10 Cup starts at the Lady in Black, Bell has just a pair of top 10s,
Dig deeper, though. He led 40 laps in this race last year after winning the pole. His 23rd-place finish doesn't reflect how well he ran.
Christopher Bell wins at Darlington over Cole Custer, Sheldon Creed and Chase Elliott. #NASCAR
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) August 31, 2024
And then there's Saturday's Xfinity Series race. Sure, it's a lower series, but the race featured a crowded field of Cup drivers and Xfinity contenders. That includes Bell, who dominated from the start. The polesitter led 108 of 150 laps, with Sheldon Creed acting as the only real threat to his march toward victory.
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Noah Gragson
Starts 29th - DK: $7.0K, FD: $7.2K
There are some value place differential options that I love this weekend. Let's start by talking about the No. 10 Stewart Haas Racing Ford of Noah Gragson.
Gragson starts 29th, but that doesn't reflect his speed in practice. He had the third-best 10-lap average in practice and maintained speed on long runs, ranking second of the eight drivers who ran 30 laps.
There are at least 10 place differential points in play for Gragson on Sunday if not more. He's shown in the past that he can run really well at this track, winning twice in Xfinity with three other top fives. He was 14th here back in May in the Cup Series.
Todd Gilliland
Starts 33rd - DK: $6.8K, FD: $5.5K
Todd Gilliland starts back in 33rd. If he can run a clean race in this Front Row Motorsports No. 38 car, there will be plenty of chances to gain positions. He ran well here back in May, finishing 1th with five fastest laps in the race.
Practice for the Southern 500 at Darlington is complete with Erik Jones atop the single-lap speed charts, but Alex Bowman and Todd Gilliland lead the way on 10-lap averages.#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/6GUEQDY3xy
— Zach Sturniolo (@zachstur) August 31, 2024
In fact, Darlington has proven to be one of Gilliland's best tracks. He's never recorded a top 10 here, but his average finish of 19.0 makes this his third-best track by average finish among places he's raced five or more times in Cup.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Starts 36th - DK: $6.2K, FD: $4.5K
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is another driver who is mired in the back at the start of this race. He's finished outside the top 30 in four of the last seven races but was 13th or better in the other three races. He was 23rd here earlier this season. Running just outside the top 20 would be a win because of place differential.
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