RADIO
It's time for the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro! This weekend, NASCAR returned to the track for the first time since 1996, with Jeff Gordon winning the last Cup race here. No one in that field is still active in the Cup Series, so there's not much experience at this track in the field, aside from some drivers running the various late model races and the Truck Series race this week.
There are some little quirks this week. For example, we have a starting lineup, but it doesn't feature every driver that'll be in the race. The top two finishers in the All-Star Open will make the race, as will the fan vote winner.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR All-Star Race on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 5/21/23 at 8:12 p.m. ET. If you have any questions or want to talk about NASCAR, you can find me on Twitter at @juscarts.
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Kyle Larson
Starts 16th - DK: $10,100, FD: $13,500
We're at a short track. This is Kyle Larson. I shouldn't need to say more.
I will, though. Larson finished eighth in his heat race but was running better before he got moved up the track and lost some spots late. And he also won the Truck Series race on Saturday, which seems pretty big—the Truck Series vehicles don't race like the Cup Series ones, but there's still a lot you can learn from having all those additional laps.
The place differential upside is just another added bonus. Larson's my top DFS play because despite this being a tough track to pass on, he's a driver who has the car and talent to figure out a way to get to the front. I don't think he wins this race unless things get chaotic, but he should have a strong finish.
Joey Logano
Starts 3rd - DK: $9,700, FD: $10,000
Like I said, it's tough to pass here. In the first heat race, the rain tires caused a little movement, but in the second heat when the whole race was on slicks, the polesitter led all 60 laps and the top three starters finished first, second, and third.
So, because of that, I think Joey Logano is a major threat to win. He only has to get past two cars to get the lead, and those two cars—Daniel Suarez in the 99 and Chris Buescher in the 17—aren't huge threats. I think Suarez probably leads for a while early, but I consider Logano my favorite to come away with the victory.
Chase Elliott
Starts 13th - DK: $8,300, FD: $9,500
In the first heat race on Saturday, Elliott finished seventh, but he was one of just two drivers to lead laps as he was up front for 26 of them.
In fact, he could have a shot to win, but he made a bad lane choice on a restart, dropping from the front row back to seventh because of it:
In a short race like a 60-lap heat race, you don't come back from a mistake like that. But with 200 laps on Sunday night, there's a little more room for drivers to show what their cars can do and, if something like a bad lane choice leads to some lost positions, there's time to bounce back. Elliott had a fast car Saturday and I expect he'll still have a fast car on Sunday.
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Brad Keselowski
Starts 8th - DK: $7,100, FD: $7,100
RFK looked really good on Saturday, with Chris Buescher winning his heat race and Brad Keselowski finishing fourth in it. Buescher starting on the outside from P2 worries me because he might lose a handful of spots early, which will hurt in DFS with the lost place differential points, but Keselowski starting eighth feels like a good play.
Overall, Keselowski has run well lately, with top 10s in three of the last four races. He also led seven laps at Martinsville, though he finished 24th in that one. I think Brad K can challenge for a top-five on Sunday.
Daniel Suarez
Starts 1st - DK: $6,600, FD: $6,500
It's not easy to pass at this track. In the Truck Series race yesterday, we routinely saw drivers choosing the bottom on restarts, including four of the top five on one restart, because the top groove just wasn't working. On a one-groove racetrack with clean air, the driver starting on the inside of the first row has a great shot to lead a lot of early laps.
For this race, that driver is Daniel Suarez. He didn't lead the whole time in the heat race Saturday, but part of that was because the teams were on rain tires for a bit. He was the best driver when they were on the slicks, and he led 34 laps on his way to the win. Yes, starting on the pole brings a lot of negative place differential upside, but not as much as usual with the smaller field. I don't think Suarez ends up winning, but leading a lot of laps and finishing somewhere between third and sixth seems pretty plausible.
Potential Open Drivers
Let's take a look at some drivers in the Open who could interest me if they make the race.
Josh Berry is the first one. Obvious pick here, because he's in Hendrick equipment and has a lot of history racing short tracks. This is a place that should suit him, and since he'll start at the back and have place differential upside if he makes the race, he's one of my targets if he transfers in.
Ty Gibbs is my other big Open driver to watch. Gibbs has struggled a little lately, but he has four top 10s this season. Not as much upside as Berry, but still a solid play.
Noah Gragson has a good shot to win the fan vote. This is the kind of track where his car not being as good as other cars won't matter as much, and I think his aggression could be a plus.
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