The 12th race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series will happen this coming Sunday at Darlington Raceway down in South Carolina. Who will win the second race of the month of May at the “The Track Too Tough to Tame?” We’ll know that for sure on Sunday, but before that, here’s a preview of the 2021 Goodyear 400.
Hamlin rebounded with a much stronger performance last Sunday at the 2021 Buschy McBusch Race 400, where he finished 12th overall. Prior to that, he was just 32nd at the Talladega Superspeedway during the 2021 GEICO 500. Nevertheless, Hamlin is easily among the favorites to win at the Darlington Raceway. For one, he is currently second in points with 2021. So far this season, he has 8 top 10s and 8 top 5s as well. Last year, he won the Toyota 500 at Darlington Raceway, where he’s got three victories and 9 top 5s in 17 career starts.
Martin Truex Jr (+750)
Like Hamlin, Truex also put up a solid showing last Sunday, finishing sixth at Kansas Speedway to add to his season points total. Truex will head to Darlington this weekend as the season leader with 2021 points. He’s won a pair of races this season and finished inside the top 10 seven times. As for his Darlington Raceway resume, Truex has a win, a couple of top 5s, and 9 top 10s in 17 career starts there. He’s finished no worse than 15th in four of his lsat five appearances at Darlington Raceway.
Joey Logano (+1000)
Logano has not won at Darlington Raceway so far in his career, but his track record there is nevertheless solid. He’s got 4 top 5s and 7 top 10s in 14 career starts at the South Carolina-based racetrack. His career average finish there is 14.86, and in his last appearance at the Darlington Raceway, he finished third at the 2020 Cook Out Southern 500.
SLEEPERS
Erik Jones (+8000)
Jones is way behind the playoff cut, but now comes a great chance for him to secure a ticket to the postseason, as he’s always showed out when he’s in South Carolina. In fact, among all active drivers, Jones owns the best average finish at Darlington Raceway (5.17) albeit in just six races. He’s got one win there, topping the field at the 2019 Bojangles’ Southern 500.
Austin Dillon (+4000)
Dillon is quietly putting together a string of sterling performances of late, having finished inside the top 10 in all of his last three races. That’s a nice momentum for him to have heading into the Darlington Raceway, where his average finish is 12.00.
LONG SHOT
Ryan Preece (+20000)
On the season, Preece has cracked the top 10 just twice in 10 starts. He hasn’t made it to the top 20 in three of his last four starts. In his last appearance at Darlington Raceway, though, he finished 17th overall at the 2020 Cook Out Southern 500 — his best finish there to date.
