AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400
Location: Dover, Del.
Course: Dover Motor Speedway
Format: 1.0-mile oval
Laps: 400
Race Preview
The NASCAR Cup Series waves goodbye to road courses for the time being to focus its attention back on the ovals. This week's trip to Dover Motor Speedway will be the 107th series race at the 1.0-mile oval and marks just six races to go to close out the regular season. Shane van Gisbergen dominated the last two races turning right and left, but he will have it all to do at Dover to keep that run going. Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have won the last four Dover races and both teams are near the top of their game approaching this week's event. William Byron still leads the point standings, but Chase Elliott's consistent top finishes have been eating away at that margin. Bubba Wallace holds the 16th and final playoff spot on the other end of the playoff battle with just three points separating him from Ryan Preece in 17th. With six races remaining, there is still the possibility for a big shakeup in the playoff picture, though. Only four spots remain for 2025 race winners and several big names have yet to make the turn into Victory Lane.
Key Stats at Dover Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 106
- Winners from pole: 13
- Winners from top-5 starters: 59
- Winners from top-10 starters: 79
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 5
- Fastest race: 135.734 mph
Previous 10 Dover Winners
2024 - Denny Hamlin
2023 - Martin Truex Jr.
2022 - Chase Elliott
2021 - Alex Bowman
2020 II - Kevin Harvick
2020 I - Denny Hamlin
2019 fall - Kyle Larson
2019 spring - Martin Truex Jr.
2018 fall - Chase Elliott
2018 spring - Kevin Harvick
Dover is a 1.0-mile concrete oval with steep banking that challenges drivers and equipment. The track's rough surface punishes tires, and the fastest speeds come from flirting with the boundaries of reliability. Drivers can easily get on the wrong side of that equation, and missteps are punished with failures and crashes. Track position is also an advantage for those able to get it. Qualifying and practice speeds will be important fantasy considerations this week, but good teams still have the opportunity to make adjustments or take advantage of strategy to overcome low starting positions. Last year, Denny Hamlin won from the sixth starting spot, but Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott both came from outside of the top 20 to finish in the top five. Goodyear will bring a one-off tire specifically designed for Dover's demanding conditions, and teams will have to adapt to those unknown characteristics along with the ever-changing concrete surface. However, teams will still be faced with a choice between fresh tires and track position as they battle for the victory this Sunday.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson - $11,500
Denny Hamlin - $11,000
William Byron - $10,500
Christopher Bell - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $10,000
Tyler Reddick - $9,800
Ross Chastain - $9,500
Chase Briscoe - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Alex Bowman - $8,800
Joey Logano - $8,500
Kyle Busch - $8,300
Chris Buescher - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Ty Gibbs - $7,400
Josh Berry - $6,800
Erik Jones - $6,300
Noah Gragson - $5,900
NASCAR DFS Picks for the AuoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400
Kyle Larson - $11,500
Chase Elliott - $10,000
Alex Bowman - $8,800
Ty Gibbs - $7,400
Erik Jones - $6,300
Noah Gragson - $5,900
The best average finish at Dover Raceway belongs to Kyle Larson (DK $11,500, FD $14,000). His average finish of 8.2 even tops Jimmie Johnson's despite having just one victory at the track. Larson spends the majority of his time at Dover inside the top 10 and led a total of 938 laps in his 16 series starts. His biggest question is whether or not he can break out of his current slump of three finishes outside of the top 12. If there is any track he can do that, it would be this one. Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott (DK $10,000, FD $12,000) should give Larson a run for his money, though. Elliott is a two-time Dover winner with 10 top-fives from 14 visits. The driver of the No. 9 machine is also on a better run of form heading into the weekend with four top-five finishes, including a win, from the last five races. Both of these drivers started outside of the top 20 in this race last year but finished in the top five. Better qualifying this weekend should set them up to fight for the win.
Alex Bowman (DK $8,800, FD $9,500) adds more Hendrick flavor to the Dover lineup but not without reason. In this price range, fantasy players could pick up Chase Briscoe, but Bowman has a much better Dover record. Despite choosing two Hendrick drivers already, going with Bowman makes sense this context. In fact, Bowman won at Dover in 2021 and finished in the top five in his last two starts. Unlike teammate Briscoe, who we passed over, Joe Gibbs Racing's Ty Gibbs (DK $7,400, FD $9,000)is a value play this week. From his two series starts at Dover, Gibbs has averaged a starting spot of 21.5, but his average finish is better at 11.5. He has yet to start inside the top 15 at this track, yet he hasn't failed to finish outside of it. Gibbs also likely needs a race win to qualify for the playoffs, which means his team will be willing to race for the checkered flag versus the stage points this weekend.
At the lower-priced end of the entry list, fantasy players should consider Erik Jones (DK $6,300, FD $6,200). The Legacy Motor Club driver has a commendable average finish at Dover of 13.8, and not all of the top finishes driving that average come from his days with Gibbs either. His third-best finish at the track (10th) came with Petty GMS Motorsports in 2022 and he finished 16th a year later with Legacy. The Gibbs success at this track seems to have stuck with Jones after switching teams, and that could give fantasy players some low-cost upside by choosing him this week. Another potential value may be Noah Gragson (DK $5,900, FD $4,800). Last year, Gragson started this race fifth and finished sixth. It was one of his best qualifying and race efforts of the season. Yes, that result came with some luck after gaining track position under a timely caution, but having finished there before, Gragson knows what it takes to get the job done again.
NASCAR Best Bets for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 10:00 AM ET Saturday
Race Winner - Chase Elliott +1000
Top-Five Finish - Kyle Busch +275
Top-10 Finish - Ty Gibbs +110
Matchup - Denny Hamlin vs Chase Elliott +125
The combination of Chase Elliott's 2025 season and his statistics at Dover make him a driver to watch this week. He still hasn't failed to finish outside of the top 20 this season and enters this particular race with a tailwind of four top-five finishes in the last five races. There is no question that Elliott is in race-winning form, and Dover is a track he excels at. He has one of the best average finishes at the track (9.5) with 10 top-five finishes from 14 starts. Elliott is a two-time Dover winner that should match up well against Kyle Larson or Denny Hamlin, yet offers significantly more favorable odds.
Kyle Busch also has a Dover resume that wagerers should take into account. Busch is a three-time Dover winner and he started on pole the last two visits. His position outside of the playoff spots make this a track he will be eyeing as an opportunity to boost his championship hopes, too. He is 37 points out of the championship positions and another good Dover finish would help him close some of that ground. He finished fourth in last year's race and brings 14 top-fives from 36 Dover starts to the table. His favorable odds for a top-five finish this week are good considering many other options are in negative territory. A similar argument can be made for Ty Gibbs to snag a top-10 finish. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver doesn't have the extensive Dover resume of Busch, but Gibbs drives for one of the most successful teams at this track and has shown promise. His two top-15 finishes from starting positions outside of the top 15 show that with improved qualifying, he has a top-10 finish well within reach. Regardless of where Gibbs qualifies for Sunday's race, wagerers should reasonably expect him to battle inside the top 10 the majority of the day.
Finally, in the driver matchups, given that we like Elliott for a potential victory, those looking for a less risky play might consider him to beat Denny Hamlin. Hamlin is a race favorite and is drawing negative odds because of that, but Elliott is also in great form with a stout Dover resume. These two drivers are likely to be at the front of this race on Sunday. Both will be tough to beat, but to get odds in positive territory on one of the few drivers that can challenge Hamlin for the win, Elliott makes a respectable choice.
