DFS NASCAR: Southern 500 Track Breakdown

“The Lady In Black” looms this week as there are just two stops left before the Chase begins. Darlington Raceway is it’s own unique challenge for drivers and race teams alike with the two different turn radii and different banking as well. It makes for a tough day on the transmissions as the drivers try with all their might not to put it in the wall at the Southern 500. Cars will either move up a lot or back up a lot with very little in between at the track that’s too tough to tame and only a handful of drivers have led more than 60 laps in the last couple of runs on the track. The drivers on the bubble are ones to pay attention to with their chances to punch an automatic ticket getting smaller by the week.

*The data represents the Top-15 drivers historically at Darlington Raceway, not the Intermediate-length tracks.

Drivers to watch this week:

Kevin Harvick: Harvick comes into the week following another strong performance at Michigan, as the top driver in the last couple of years at Darlington. With a win, two top-five finishes, and 282 laps led (the most) he is a favorite to put up yet another point haul on Sunday night. He is the most expensive driver at $10,600 but you get what you pay for with Harvick, who is still the only driver to average better than 50 FPPR.

Carl Edwards: Edwards is the owner of the other win in the last two races at Darlington as well as one of the best positional differentials in the field at +10. He may not have the laps led category in his favor, only 15 led in two races, but he does know how to move through the field which allows him to be played no matter where he qualifies. Edwards also has eight top-10 finishes in his 12 races at the southern track.

Jimmie Johnson: The 48-team has seemed to sort out their mid-season woes and have posted back-to-back seventh and sixth place finishes. Darlington is a very good track for Johnson who has three career wins in 17 races here as well as nine top-five finishes, one of them coming in the last two attempts. He also boasts the best positional differential in the field this week at +11.5. With them gearing up to make a run at their seventh championship, except this Sunday to be another good one for J.J.

Kyle Larson: Larson is fresh off his emotional first career win at Michigan last week and next up is a track that has been kind to him in the past. An eighth and 10^th place finish are what he’s earned in the last two tries while moving up an average of 7.5 spots a race. He is a young driver and could have a let down after last Sunday so there is a bit of risk involved with this play.

Jeff Gordon: Gordon is back in the car for another week, as Dale Jr. is still not cleared to race yet again. Alex Bowman filled in at Michigan with an event already on Gordon’s schedule but now it’s time to head to the track that the future Hall of Famer has won at seven times in 35 starts. He has also led 1,744 laps in those races, though only eight have come in the last two. He has finished seventh and 16^th in the previous couple of races at Darlington and could challenge for a top-five spot again this year. A boom-or-bust pick is what he amounts to but it could bode well for those who chose to play him.