Goodyear 400 Race Preview and Pick
NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400
Sunday, May 8, 2022 at 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1) at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina
Chase Elliott
Elliott earned his first win of a season that, per the standings, is still being led by Chastain and Byron.
Elliott now sits in third-place in points most directly ahead of Kyle Busch.
The fact that Elliott won last week makes him tougher to rely on this week to win the race.
We may still consider him in matchup betting opportunities, but it is rare to win back-to-back races in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The fact of this rarity should cause us to exclude him from our candidates to bet on to win the race.
Race Info
For this Sunday's race at Darlington Raceway, drivers must complete a total of 293 laps.
As has always been the case, an entry list has been published for this race.
36 teams/drivers are posted on the entry list. All of the usual suspects are there.
So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we already know which drivers will compete in this race.
As for the starting lineup, that gets determined via qualifying.
Qualifying for Sunday's race will take place on Saturday morning at 11:05 a.m.
Directly before qualifying, there will be a practice session from 10:30 a.m. to 11:05.
Track Info
Darlington Raceway's nicknames suggest -- and rightly so -- that it is a relatively difficult track for drivers to navigate.
This raceway gets called the "Track Too Tough to Tame."
It is a "tough" track because of how narrow it is as an egg-shaped track.
This track was initially conceived as an oval, but it had to be constructed around a pond that its owner refused to cede control over.
The result is a raceway where passing is so difficult that drivers commonly rub the walls with their cars, thus earning their "Darlington stripes."
Given the fact of the track's narrowness, starting position is relatively important here.
Drivers we like or dislike should be invested in or against more or less strongly depending on their qualifying results.
At this track, each lap is 1.366 miles.
In completing 293 laps, drivers will have accumulated 400 miles.
Drivers I Dislike
I want to say that I dislike Kyle Larson only in the sense that he is favored to win at this race even though he has never won here.
A string of three consecutive second-place finishes offers assurance that he will be competitive here.
But, given his price, I find it a bit absurd to invest in him to win.
Long Shot
Because sportsbooks offer so many choices for a winner at amazing odds, it's worth placing multiple bets.
If you want to invest in a long shot, Erik Jones is your guy.
Before suffering engine problems in his last race at Darlington and before finishing poorly in the Darlington race directly preceding the one in which he suffered engine problems, he earned two straight top-five finishes, six straight top-eight finishes, and one win,
He is posted at +3500 to win.
My Favorite Guy
I like Kyle Busch for this race.
Kyle Busch is boasting strong racing form in general right now as he's finished first, third, and seventh in his last three overall races.
At Darlington, Kyle Busch suffered an accident in his last race. However, before the accident, he finished third, then seventh, then second.
He is a consistent threat overall and here who, unlike Larson, has proven that he can win at Darlington.
For the above reasons, I recommend betting on Kyle Busch to win.
Best Bet: Kyle Busch to Win at +1000 with Bovada
NASCAR Cup Series: Goodyear 400
Sunday, May 8, 2022 at 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1) at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina
Chase Elliott
Elliott earned his first win of a season that, per the standings, is still being led by Chastain and Byron.
Elliott now sits in third-place in points most directly ahead of Kyle Busch.
The fact that Elliott won last week makes him tougher to rely on this week to win the race.
We may still consider him in matchup betting opportunities, but it is rare to win back-to-back races in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The fact of this rarity should cause us to exclude him from our candidates to bet on to win the race.
Race Info
For this Sunday's race at Darlington Raceway, drivers must complete a total of 293 laps.
As has always been the case, an entry list has been published for this race.
36 teams/drivers are posted on the entry list. All of the usual suspects are there.
So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we already know which drivers will compete in this race.
As for the starting lineup, that gets determined via qualifying.
Qualifying for Sunday's race will take place on Saturday morning at 11:05 a.m.
Directly before qualifying, there will be a practice session from 10:30 a.m. to 11:05.
Track Info
Darlington Raceway's nicknames suggest -- and rightly so -- that it is a relatively difficult track for drivers to navigate.
This raceway gets called the "Track Too Tough to Tame."
It is a "tough" track because of how narrow it is as an egg-shaped track.
This track was initially conceived as an oval, but it had to be constructed around a pond that its owner refused to cede control over.
The result is a raceway where passing is so difficult that drivers commonly rub the walls with their cars, thus earning their "Darlington stripes."
Given the fact of the track's narrowness, starting position is relatively important here.
Drivers we like or dislike should be invested in or against more or less strongly depending on their qualifying results.
At this track, each lap is 1.366 miles.
In completing 293 laps, drivers will have accumulated 400 miles.
Drivers I Dislike
I want to say that I dislike Kyle Larson only in the sense that he is favored to win at this race even though he has never won here.
A string of three consecutive second-place finishes offers assurance that he will be competitive here.
But, given his price, I find it a bit absurd to invest in him to win.
Long Shot
Because sportsbooks offer so many choices for a winner at amazing odds, it's worth placing multiple bets.
If you want to invest in a long shot, Erik Jones is your guy.
Before suffering engine problems in his last race at Darlington and before finishing poorly in the Darlington race directly preceding the one in which he suffered engine problems, he earned two straight top-five finishes, six straight top-eight finishes, and one win,
He is posted at +3500 to win.
My Favorite Guy
I like Kyle Busch for this race.
Kyle Busch is boasting strong racing form in general right now as he's finished first, third, and seventh in his last three overall races.
At Darlington, Kyle Busch suffered an accident in his last race. However, before the accident, he finished third, then seventh, then second.
He is a consistent threat overall and here who, unlike Larson, has proven that he can win at Darlington.
For the above reasons, I recommend betting on Kyle Busch to win.
Best Bet: Kyle Busch to Win at +1000 with Bovada
