NASCAR returns to North Wilkesboro for the first time since 1996. The short tracks are back. The Cup Series is embracing its North Carolina roots. No one knows what to expect but between a full practice on Friday, a Truck Series race on Saturday followed by two heat races and the All-Star Open on Sunday afternoon, DFS players should have plenty of information for making bets come Sunday night.
As always, trust the data but also trust your eyes. Here are the best bets for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, which gets underway Sunday, May 21 at 8 p.m. ET.
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This race is about the return of the legendary track featured in the classic Tom Wolfe essay, “The Last American Hero is Junior Johnson. Yes!” The bootlegger spent time in the Chillicothe, Ohio penitentiary for hauling moonshine in a fast car. Upon release, he became one of the greatest American racecar drivers ever. The essay was later turned into a movie starring Jeff Bridges. The backdrop for the essay is Wolfe’s visit to a NASCAR race at North Wilkesboro in 1965.
This is a legendary moment. NASCAR doesn’t need any All-Star gimmicks. It’s a 200 lap race with a competition caution in the middle. There’s no inverts or funky rules. The star is the track and the drivers. Just let them run, and run they will. It’s a pure race. Let the best man win.
Race Winner — All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro
Kyle Larson +650
No gimmicks. No nonsense. The best driver in the fastest car on Sunday will walk home with a $1 million check. Larson is the best driver in NASCAR. He has the best car in the Cup Series. He’s been great in every racing package and that includes the short-track package. At Phoenix, Larson had the fastest average lap time. He was the second-fastest at Richmond but won the race. At Martinsville, he ranked fifth in lap times. The average of those three races at the short, flat tracks is the best. Finally, Larson will be getting plenty of laps at North Wilkesboro this weekend because he will be participating in the Truck Series race.
Christopher Bell +900
This is simply a Sunday night short-track race. Technically, it’s an All-Star race, but every race in terms of personnel is an All-Star race. Sure, there is a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding this event, but because NASCAR wants the track to take center stage, the rules and format have been simplified. This is as regular of a race as it gets. It’s more regular than the regular season races. A typical race has three stages or two fake cautions. This race only has one and that’s standard for grass roots, short-track racing. This is stock car racing in its purest form.
Without gimmicks, the best are the best. And Christopher Bell is the best when it comes to short tracks. He dominated the short-track races in the Xfinity Series and won two Cup Series short-track races last season (New Hampshire and Martinsville) and was the runner-up at Richmond. At the short tracks this season, he ranks fifth in average lap time. Just like the other fast short-trackers in front of him, he’ll be running double duty this weekend at North Wilkesboro. These guys aren’t messing around. Bell, Byron and Larson were already in another ballpark, but with the additional track time, they should beatdown the competition on Sunday night.
Check back later this week for additional NASCAR matchup bets and prop bets as they become available on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Race Winner — All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro
William Byron +1000
The Byron pick worked last week. Why not roll with Willie B again? The car is fast and he’s won three races this season. Byron won at the short, flat track in Phoenix. He did not get the win at Richmond, but he recorded the fastest average lap time in that race. In 2022, Byron dominated the spring race at the short, flat track in Martinsville. Byron checks all of the boxes. His current form is perfect. His Hendrick Chevy is fast everywhere. This track type is one of his strengths and one of Hendrick’s strengths. Last but not least, the last car to win at North Wilkesboro was this same No. 24 Chevy driven by Jeff Gordon in 1996. One more thing, Byron is running the Truck Series race, too.
Chase Briscoe +2800
No one has any experience at North Wilkesboro. Aside from iRacing, this will be a new experience for every driver. The playing field is as even as it has ever been. Briscoe scored his first Cup Series win with a surprise short, flat track win at Phoenix in the spring of 2022. That used to be his worst track. This year, he was the 10th-fastest at Phoenix, 14th at Richmond and third-fastest most recently at Martinsville. The SHR Fords have been at their best over the last several seasons in the short-track package. Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola and Briscoe have each earned short-track wins. Briscoe is a bit of a long shot and the top-tier drivers have an edge in equipment, skill and extra reps. However, no one really knows what to expect in the All-Star race and Briscoe has surprised us before.
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All betting odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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