This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Crayon 301
Location: Loudon, N.H.
Course: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Format: 1.06-mile oval
Laps: 301
NASCAR Crayon 301 Race Preview
William Byron became the first driver to reach four victories in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season when rain prematurely ended last week's Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ford teams dominated the first two stages, but as rain approached the track it was William Byron's team that played the perfect pit strategy to put their driver in position to win when the raindrops began to fall. Byron's victory pushed him to the top of the points and leaves five playoff spots available for drivers to qualify for the championship fight on points alone.
The next of those seven remaining regular-season races is the Crayon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Christopher Bell won the New Hampshire stop last season, but it was his teammate, Martin Truex Jr., who controlled much of the race. Truex won both stages and led 172 of the 301 laps. The fast 1.0-mile oval makes its lone appearance on the schedule this weekend. While not a playoff track, the venue could have championship implications as the build up the finale of the regular season continues.
Key Stats at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 51
- Winners from pole: 6
- Winners from top-5 starters: 15
- Winners from top-10 starters: 27
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 10
- Fastest race: 117.134 mph
Previous 10 New Hampshire Winners
2022 - Christopher Bell
2021 - Aric Almirola
2020 - Brad Keselowski
2019 - Kevin Harvick
2018 - Kevin Harvick
2017 fall - Kyle Busch
2017 spring - Denny Hamlin
2016 fall - Kevin Harvick
2016 spring - Matt Kenseth
2015 fall - Matt Kenseth
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a somewhat unique 1.0-mile oval that dropped to a once-a-season appearance on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2018. Its long straights connect tight turns at opposite ends of the circuit, which makes it more like Martinsville than most other circuits. The longer turns, coupled with the track's long straights, make it significantly faster, though. New Hampshire's straightaways require heavy braking into the tight turns, and that can put strain on equipment. The track does offer multiple grooves for drivers to try different lines, though. Mechanical grip carrying speed through the turns without excessively taxing the tires is the goal. While most New Hampshire winners have started inside the top 10, the track does have a tendency to produce winners from deeper in the field. That typically requires either late cautions or weather disruptions that enable off-strategy gambles to pay off, though. In general, those who start with positive track position have an easier time maintaining that until the finish.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Crayon 301 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Christopher Bell - $11,200
Martin Truex Jr. - $11,000
Denny Hamlin - $10,900
Kyle Larson - $10,600
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
William Byron - $9,900
Kevin Harvick - $9,600
Ryan Blaney - $9,400
Joey Logano - $9,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Ross Chastain - $8,800
Brad Keselowski - $8,600
Tyler Reddick - $8,400
Bubba Wallace - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Alex Bowman - $7,800
Ty Gibbs - $7,600
AJ Allmendinger - $6,700
Justin Haley - $5,800
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Crayon 301
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Martin Truex Jr. - $11,000
Kevin Harvick - $9,600
Ross Chastain - $8,800
Alex Bowman - $7,800
AJ Allmendinger - $6,700
Austin Cindric - $6,100
Luck hasn't been on the side of Martin Truex Jr. (DK $11,000, FD $14,000) recently, but there is still plenty to be optimistic about at New Hampshire. He led 172 laps in last year's race before finishing fourth, which was the fifth time he led more than 100 laps in a single race at the track. From 29 New Hampshire starts, he has an impressive average finish of 11.7. It would be overdue for him to score a victory at this track this weekend. Another veteran that knows his way around this circuit is Kevin Harvick (DK $9,600, FD $11,500). The former champion is in a comfortable position in the 2023 standings, but he would love a win to relieve some pressure. New Hampshire is a place he can end his three-race slump of finishes outside of the top 20, too. This four-time New Hampshire victor has finished sixth or better in the last five races there. Ross Chastain (DK $8,800, FD $10,000) is also looking to this week's race to break his streak of finishes outside of the top 20. With back-to-back New Hampshire finishes of eighth, he should be capable of doing that, too. Chastain has his Nashville victory holding his playoff spot for him, and now the focus is on building the team to be at their peak when those playoff races get underway.
Alex Bowman (DK $7,800, FD $7,200) has found his return from injury more difficult than he would have wished. He continues to build his point tally toward the playoff positions, but he needs to be scoring top-12 finishes to consistently make up ground. He finished ninth at New Hampshire in 2021 and had a run of five consecutive finishes inside the top 15 at the track before crashing out of last year's race. A top-15 result would be a respectable result from Bowman this week, and his price is appropriate for that type of performance. In contrast, Kaulig Racing has been on an upswing the last two races. AJ Allmendinger (DK $6,700, FD $6,000) has three top-10 finishes from the last four races and is in striking distance of a playoff spot. He finished 16th at this track last season and is working on improving upon that this week. Austin Cindric (DK $6,100, FD $5,500) is another one gaining traction recently. He has three top-15 finishes from the last five races and finished 13th in last year's New Hampshire race despite starting 28th.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kyle Busch - $10,400
Joey Logano - $9,200
Brad Keselowski - $8,600
Tyler Reddick - $8,400
Daniel Suarez - $7,500
Justin Haley - $5,800
Kyle Busch (DK $10,400, FD $11,000) is a three-time New Hampshire winner who has had a rougher time at the track recently. He finished 12th in last year's race, but he crashed out of his two prior visits. Like Truex, he has led more than 100 laps at the track on multiple occasions, though. Busch has three victories so far in 2023 and hasn't finished lower than ninth since the All-Star Race. Last week's race was an opportunity for Joey Logano (DK $9,200, FD $9,000) to get to the front and lead laps. The shortened race didn't play to his strategy, but being at the front of the field is indication the team is headed the right direction. Logano has two New Hampshire wins to his credit and led 25 laps in last year's race before finishing 24th after contact with Chase Elliott. Brad Keselowski (DK $8,600, FD $8,000) was another Ford driver that grew some confidence by getting out front last week. Similarly, Keselowski also has two New Hampshire victories. He has also led more than 100 laps at the track on four different occasions, and enters this week's contest seeking his fifth consecutive top-10 at the track. In contrast, Tyler Reddick (DK $8,400, FD $8,500) is a driver in need of a good finish. He enters this week's race with five consecutive finishes outside of the top 25. He is confidently in the playoffs with his win at Circuit of the Americas, but needs to turn his current form around in preparation for a championship bid. Reddick has three series starts at New Hampshire with a best finish of 10th. Just matching his average finish at the track (14.7) would be a good outcome for him on Sunday.
Daniel Suarez (DK $7,500, FD $7,500) should feel good about his chances this week. He has seven series starts at this track with three top-10 finishes. He is tied with Michael McDowell for the final spot in the playoffs, and this week could be a chance for him to differentiate himself in that fight. His second-place finish last week at Atlanta could be a signal of more good things to come. Like Suarez, another driver entering this weekend with a head of steam is Justin Haley (DK $5,800, FD $4,500). Haley has two consecutive top-10 finishes from the last two races and is 21st in the standings. Momentum is a huge factor in NASCAR and Haley and Kaulig Racing have a lot of it at the moment. Haley admits this is not his best track, but he current trend would project him finishing better than average this week.
