This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Location: Concord, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 134
NASCAR Trucks North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Race Preview
Kyle Larson kept the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regulars out of Victory Lane last week at North Wilkesboro in a dominating performance and prelude to his third NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race victory. This week the CRAFTSMAN Trucks move to the high speed 1.5-mile oval of Charlotte Motor Speedway as the regular season draws closer to conclusion. As a result of Larson's win last week five playoff places remain to be claimed with six races remaining for drivers to get the job done. Stewart Friesen occupies the final playoff spot heading into the weekend with a four-point advantage over Matt DiBenedetto, who finished third a week ago in his best finish of the season. Unlike last week's outing at North Wilkesboro, this week's track is very familiar to the teams. Charlotte has hosted 20 prior series races dating back to 2003. Those 20 races have produced 11 different winners, and only four of those races were won by someone starting outside of the top 10.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 20
- Winners from pole: 4
- Winners from top-5 starters: 11
- Winners from top-10 starters: 16
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 128.947 mph
Previous 10 Charlotte Winners
2022 - Ross Chastain
2021 - John Hunter Nemechek
2020 - Chase Elliott
2019 - Kyle Busch
2018 - Johnny Sauter
2017 - Kyle Busch
2016 - Matt Crafton
2015 - Kasey Kahne
2014 - Kyle Busch
2013 - Kyle Busch
In the 20 Truck Series races run at the Charlotte oval more than half of the winners have started in the top five. The main reason for this trend is that Charlotte favors fast machines. The 1.5-mile oval is one of the fastest on the calendar with its high banks and multiple grooves. The fastest drivers qualify at the front, and that positive track position is easier to maintain than make up through the fast race. Those trucks with quick early-race speed are typically able to drive away from the pack, which makes finding the right adjustments to gain ground a difficult path to take. While the track offers multiple grooves for drivers to use, clean air is still one of the biggest advantages given the high speeds. With that factor in play, drivers that lose positive track position can find it difficult to regroup and move forward through traffic to get that advantage back. As a result, teams will use caution periods and restarts to gain ground if they find themselves behind. A fast truck will want to see the race stay green for long periods, while those falling behind will hope to see cautions to both make changes and gain positions with the field grouped together during the ensuing restarts.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Trucks Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Zane Smith - $10,800
Ty Majeski - $10,600
Corey Heim - $10,400
Grant Enfinger - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Christian Eckes - $9,800
Stewart Friesen - $9,600
Ben Rhodes - $9,400
Matt DiBenedetto - $9,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
David Gilliland - $8,900
Tanner Gray - $8,700
Nick Sanchez - $8,300
Bayley Currey - $8,200
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Ryan Vargas - $7,600
Rajah Caruth - $7,200
Hailie Deegan - $6,600
Tyler Hill - $6,400
NASCAR DFS Picks for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Grant Enfinger - $10,000
Matt DiBenedetto - $9,200
Tanner Gray - $8,700
Nick Sanchez - $8,300
Rajah Caruth - $7,200
Tyler Hill - $6,400
Leading the lineup for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 is Grant Enfinger. He won on the most recent 1.5-mile oval at Kansas and is confidently into the playoffs as a result. With Charlotte finishes of 10th or better from three of his last six starts, coupled with his runner-up finish in last year's race, he appears to be a reliable option for most lineups this week. Matt DiBenedetto should also rise to the top of roster considerations. He is hungry for a top finish to push his way into the playoff positions in the standings. He is just four points outside of the cutoff, and he finished in the top 10 in three of the last five races. DiBenedetto finished 17th at Charlotte last season as he was still getting his bearings in the series. He is much improved at this point and should be challenging for a first win. Tanner Gray will be attempting his 12th series start of the year this week at Charlotte. He already has three top-fives and five top-10s from his 10 starts this season and is looking to add to those totals. He finished sixth in this race last season and brings fantasy lineups top-10 potential for a bargain price.
Another bargain could be Nick Sanchez. Like DiBenedetto, Sanchez sits just outside of the top 10 in the standings. He has a 16-point gap to Stewart Friesen in 10th and finished 11th or better in three of the last five races. This will be his first series start at Charlotte, but he qualified on pole at Texas and finished sixth at Kansas. Both of those are 1.5-mile ovals and indicate Sanchez could be in store for a shot at another top-10 this week. Rajah Caruth will also make his first series Charlotte start. Caruth's best finish from the last five races was his sixth-place finish at Darlington. He also finished third in the ARCA Series General Tire 150 race at the track last season. Finally, Tyler Hill takes the last roster spot. It will be his first race on Charlotte's main oval after racing legends cars at the facility. It will be his second series start of the season after starting 30th and finishing 22nd at Kansas.
