Welcome back, NASCAR fans. This week, we get something a little different as the Cup series heads to the El Coronado Naval Base for a street race to celebrate the Navy’s 250th anniversary.
In this article, we will have a look at the track, some trends, and then go over some drivers who should be on our radar this weekend.
NASCAR DFS: Anduril 250
Track Preview & Fantasy Angle
The track is 3.4 miles in length and has 16 turns. It is the longest track in NASCAR since Road America was on the schedule in 2021 and 2022. Shane Van Gisbergen compared the track to Sebring International Raceway in Florida, which was a former World War II training base. The biggest comparison he made was the bumpy surface, which should challenge drivers much more than other road course layouts.
With no track history, we will rely heavily on track type history on road courses and the three Chicago Street Course races from 2023 to 2025. No surprise who dominated those Chicago races as SVG won two of them and was running towards the front in the other before getting caught up in a crash. He has also won six of the last eight road course races overall and is the only driver to finish in the Top 10 in all eight.
Top Pre-Qualifying Targets for DraftKings
Shane van Gisbergen ($13,000)
The price is steep at almost $3,000 higher than any other driver, but he will be tough to fade. As I mentioned above, he has won six of the last eight road races and also won two of the three Chicago Street races. It’s not whether I will include him in my player pool, but rather how much exposure I will end up with. With his high price, that will ultimately come down to how many lower-end value plays stand out after practice and qualifying.
Tyler Reddick ($10,200)
In the lineups where I am fading SVG, Reddick is easily at the top of the list. He is one of just two other drivers to win a road race (COTA – 2026) since the start of last season and was also 2nd and 3rd in the last two Chicago Street races. He enters the weekend leading the Cup series in wins (5), Top 5’s (10), Top 10’s (12), average finish (7.2), average run (9.1), and is second in average DraftKings scoring (50.7). The one advantage he provides over SVG is a much more balanced lineup build.
Ty Gibbs ($9,700)
Gibbs is another driver in the top tier that I am going to be watching closely during practice and qualifying. He has finished in the Top 5 in both road course races this season and is the only driver to finish in the Top 10 in all three Chicago Street races (2nd, 3rd, 9th). Gibbs is having somewhat of a breakthrough season in the Cup series, with his first win coming at Bristol, and sits 6th overall in average finish (13.7).
Michael McDowell ($8,800)
McDowell almost joined Gibbs in the Chicago Top 10 trend. He finished 7th and 7th in the first two races and led the most laps (31) last year and was running up front before throttle issues mid-race sent him back to a 32nd-place finish. When it comes to road racing, McDowell has been one of the best with the third-most top 5 finishes (5) since the start of last season.
John Hunter Nemechek ($5,800)
Whether you are playing SVG or stacking two top-tier drivers, you are going to need some low-end value. Nemechek stands out more than anyone else down the board as the only driver under $7,000 with multiple Top 10’s at road courses, one of which came in the last one at Watkins Glen.
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