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MyattSport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Grade: Darlington Race Track
Format: 1.37 mile oval
Laps: 147
NASCAR Xfinity Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 Race Preview
The battle to make the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs continues this week at Darlington Raceway. Jeremy Clements survived a wild race at Daytona a week ago to claim a surprise win. NASCAR imposed a hefty penalty after an illegal intake manifold was discovered on the car after the race, meaning the win won’t count toward the playoffs. That’s a huge blow to the small team and unlikely driver that has put in big performances this season. The win itself will represent Clements, but the playoff position that would normally come with it has been eliminated. He is ranked 20th in points after the controversy. However, there are three more chances left for him, and all the other drivers, to win and enter. First up is Darlington, where Justin Allgaier prevailed earlier this season. Allgaier has won two of the last three races at this track and Noah Gragson has won the fall version last season.
Key Statistics at Darlington Raceway
- Number of races: 64
- Winners from pole: 15
- Top 5 starters winners: 39
- Winners of the top 10 starters: 49
- Winners of starters 21 or under: 6
- Fastest race: 141.355 mph
10 Previous Darlington Winners
Spring 2022 – Justin Allgaier
Fall 2021 – Noah Gragson
Spring 2021 – Justin Allgaier
Fall 2020 – Brandon Jones
Spring 2020 – Chase Briscoe
2019 – Cole Custer
2018 – Brad Keselowski
2017 – Denny Hamlin
2016 – Elliott Sadler
2015 – Denny Hamlin
Darlington’s uniquely shaped oval is known as an abrasive surface and a driver challenge. Each end of the track features distinctly different turns with different inclines that many drivers like to use to run up the wall on one and down the bottom of the track on the other. However, the preferred line, and often the fastest, is the line right against the outside wall. However, getting as close to the outer wall as possible at top speed every lap leads to errors. What the drivers are trying to achieve is getting to the 1-inch line perfectly every time. That preferred lane can make it a challenge to race through traffic. While track position is extremely important, new tires often give cars a huge speed advantage. However, due to the abrasive surface, almost all visits to pit road will be for four tire changes. Teams that can best manage tire wear and maintain speed at the end of a fuel race can prepare to defend at the front of the field as they race to the checkered flag.
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DraftKings Value Picks for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (based on a standard salary cap of $50,000)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson – $11,500
Christopher Bell – $10,900
Ty Gibbs – $10,600
Justin Allgaier – $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Noah Gragson – $10,000
Josh Berry – $9,800
A. J. Allmendinger – $9,500
Sam Mayer – $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Austin Hill – $8,700
Brandon Jones – $8,500
Daniel Hemric – $8,300
Riley Herbst – $8,100
DraftKings Long-Term Values
Ty Dillon – $7,500
Brandon Brown – $7,200
Jeremy Clements – $6,800
Ryan Vargas – $5,700
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200
Low Risk Alignment ($50,000 salary cap)
Justin Allgaier – $10,200
Noah Gragson – $10,000
Brandon Jones – $8,200
Sheldon’s Creed – $7,800
Brandon Brown – $7,200
Joe Graf Jr. – $6,400
Spring Darlington victor Allgaier got used to the Darlington early and has been successful on the track ever since. He has two wins at the track and has amassed 10 top-10 finishes in 14 starts at the track. Similarly, Gragson also found Darlington to his liking. He and Allgaier have combined to win the last three races at the track, and Gragson hasn’t finished lower than eighth in any of his six races at the historic track. Martinsville winner Brandon Jones finished seventh in the spring race at this track. The biggest hurdle for fantasy players to pick him this week is that he has only one top-five finish in the last seven races. However, his top 10 finish at this track earlier in the season should be a good sign of potential this week. Another driver looking for a bit of luck is Sheldon Creed. Creed has been working his way into playoff contention, but a slower start to the year is holding him back. A victory would let him in. He started 10th at Darlington earlier this season but failed to show what he could do after engine failure forced him out of the race. Brandon Brown could also offer some advantages to fantasy rosters this week. He comes relatively cheap due to just four top-20 finishes at Darlington in his eight tries. However, Brown has been moving up the standings with frequent top-15 finishes and a fourth-place finish last week at Daytona. Another top-20 contender this week should be Joe Graf Jr. Graf has two top-20 finishes in five starts at Darlington, which would be good value for money for players this week.
Highest Risk Alignment ($50,000 salary cap)
Kyle Larson – $11,500
A. J. Allmendinger – $9,500
Daniel Hemric – $8,300
Landon Cassill – $8,000
Jeremy Clements – $6,800
Ryan Vargas – $5,700
Kyle Larson will get extra time in the seat this week as he prepares to get his NASCAR Cup Series playoffs off to the best possible start. He boasts an impressive average track finish in that series of 10.5 with a best finish of second. This will be his third season start at Xfinity. AJ Allmendinger is at the top of the points battle as he looks to reclaim the regular season title. He has been consistently fast all year and will be looking for his second top-10 finish at Darlington this week after finishing eighth on the track in May. Daniel Hemric is another of the best options for this race. He finished 10th in the spring race and has three top-10 finishes in seven track appearances in this series. He ranks 11th in points and could use a win to guarantee himself a playoff spot. Veteran Landon Cassill also brings advantages to fantasy rosters this week. Darlington is a track where veterans tend to outperform others, and Cassill’s nine races here show that he has the experience to make the most of the race. He has two top-10 finishes at Darlington in that span and posted his best series finish at track sixth in the spring race. Jeremy Clements went from the high of winning Daytona last week to the low of losing his playoff spot just days later. Still, Clements has often proven to be a lower-priced driver with significant growth potential. With three top-10 finishes in 14 starts at Darlington, he should enter this weekend thinking a top finish is within his grasp. Rounding out the selections is Ryan Vargas, who earned a 21st-place finish at Darlington in May. His first top 10 finish of the season came last week at Daytona, giving him momentum this week to crack the top 20.
The authors of this article may play in daily fantasy contests, including but not limited to games for which they have provided recommendations or advice in this article. In the course of playing these games using their personal accounts, they may use players in their rosters or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. CJ Radune participates in daily fantasy contests with the following accounts: DraftKings: cjradune, RaceDayScore: cjradune.