This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Long John Silver's 200
Location: Martinsville, Va.
Course: Martinsville Speedway
Format: 0.53-mile oval
Laps: 200
NASCAR Trucks Long John Silver's 200 Race Preview
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to action after a short break following a trip to Circuit of the Americas where Corey Heim grabbed his first win of the season. He'll be feeling extra confident this week as the series heads to Martinsville Speedway where he is also the defending race winner. His win last time out made him the fourth driver to punch his ticket to the championship playoffs this season, and only six spots remain for drivers to win their way into that championship fight alongside him. His momentum will make Heim one of the drivers the field will have to overcome, though. He dominated last year's Martinsville visit, leading the most laps and winning both stages on the way to the finish. This will be the second short-track stop of the season for the trucks after Bristol. Christian Eckes won that race, just two races ago, and this weekend's Martinsville visit is one of just 11 opportunities remaining for the rest of the garage to join this season's playoff field with a race victory.
Key Stats at Martinsville Speedway
- Number of races: 46
- Winners from pole: 9
- Winners from top-5 starters: 28
- Winners from top-10 starters: 38
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 2
- Fastest race: 75.296 mph
Previous 10 Martinsville Winners
2023 - Corey Heim
2022 - William Byron
2021 - Zane Smith
2020 - Grant Enfinger
2019 fall - Todd Gilliland
2019 spring - Kyle Busch
2018 fall - Johnny Sauter
2018 spring - John Hunter Nemechek
2017 fall - Noah Gragson
2017 spring - Chase Elliott
Martinsville Speedway's flat, paper-clip shaped configuration forces drivers to manage their equipment (tires and brakes) and efficiently navigate traffic to run at the front. Grip through the tight turns is what everyone will be trying to maximize, and getting the best corner exit onto track's long straights is what teams will be aiming to perfect in their setups. Martinsville's fastest line is always the inside, and holding a vehicle as close to the inside curb as possible will maximize lap speed. Vehicles on the outside tend to fall victim to traffic and drifting out of the groove opens the door to losing several positions at a time. As a result, track position, and being able to claim that preferred line, is imperative. With track position being such an important factor, teams further behind will try to gamble on pit and tire strategy throughout the race. Fresh tires will be faster than old ones with grip at a premium, but losing track position will be the price teams pay for four-tire changes under caution. Winners at this track often come from the top 10, but some rare wins from deeper in the starting lineup are not unheard of.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Trucks Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Long John Silver's 200 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Corey Heim - $11,000
Ty Majeski - $10,700
Christian Eckes - $10,500
Grant Enfinger - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ben Rhodes - $9,900
Nick Sanchez - $9,600
Sammy Smith - $9,300
Tyler Ankrum - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Rajah Caruth - $8,700
Matt Crafton - $8,500
Stewart Friesen - $8,300
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Taylor Gray - $7,800
William Sawalich- $6,900
Bayley Currey - $6,500
Daniel Dye - $5,800
NASCAR DFS Trucks Picks for the Long John Silver's 200
Ty Majeski - $10,700
Ben Rhodes - $9,900
Matt Crafton - $8,500
Taylor Gray - $7,800
Tanner Gray - $7,300
Daniel Dye - $5,800
Ty Majeski enters this Martinsville race weekend second in points but without a win. This race was a positive one for him last season, picking up stage points in both segments before finishing fourth. He finished 11th in the 2022 race and this will be his third series start at the track. Ben Rhodes is also winless in 2024, and he sits just one point shy of the playoff positions. Rhodes brings a lot of experience to this week's race with 13 prior series starts at the track. In that span, he amassed an impressive eight top-10 finishes with four of those being top-fives. He also finished seventh or better in his last four Martinsville tries. Another veteran looking to check the playoff box with a win this weekend is Matt Crafton. The veteran is a two-time winner with 40 series starts at this track. He finished just 26th last season but finished inside the top 10 the three Martinsville stops before then.
Taylor Gray may also make a worthy selection for Martinsville. The TRICON Garage driver enters this weekend with four top-10 finishes from the last four races. He also brings a pair of eighth-place Martinsville finishes from three starts. His brother, Tanner Gray, also boasts a respectable Martinsville record with two top-five finishes from his last three attempts. Tanner was 10th last time out at Circuit of the Americas and will be working hard to hold on to his position in the playoffs, just one point from safety. Five races into the season, Daniel Dye sits 15th in the standings with one top-10 and two top-15 finishes. His only prior Martinsville series start was last season when he qualified 21st and finished 31st. Dye should be fighting for top-20 and top-15 finishes each week this season and that should be fantasy players' expectations of him this week as well.
