This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Worldwide Express 250
Location: Richmond, Va.
Course: Richmond International Raceway
Format: 0.75-mile D-shaved oval
Laps: 250
NASCAR Trucks Worldwide Express 250 Race Preview
Richmond Raceway will host the second race in the opening round of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs this week. Grant Enfinger won last time out at Indianapolis, becoming the first driver to advance to the next round of championship eliminations. The nine remaining championship contenders will want to join him by winning this week with just two races remaining to secure their advancement. This week's race will be the 14th time the series visited Richmond and the third time the track has appeared on the series calendar after a 15-year hiatus ended in 2020. Enfinger won that 2020 return while fellow playoff contender John Hunter Nemechek went to Victory Lane last year. Ten different winners have come from those 13 races, though, which means anything could happen this week as the Trucks go short-track racing under the lights.
Key Stats at Richmond International Raceway
- Number of races: 13
- Winners from pole: 1
- Winners from top-5 starters: 8
- Winners from top-10 starters: 10
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 2
- Fastest race: 104.227 mph
Previous 10 Richmond Winners
2021 - John Hunter Nemechek
2020 - Grant Enfinger
2005 - Mike Skinner
2004 - Ted Musgrave
2003 - Tony Stewart
2002 - Tony Stewart
2001 - Jack Sprague
2000 - Rick Carelli
1999 - Greg Biffle
1998 - Jack Sprague
As with most short tracks, track position is king. Starting out front and maintaining that positive position will be significantly easier than trying to come from behind. The short oval's wide and flat turns offer ample opportunity to change grooves to make passes, but it can take significant time for drivers to move forward through the pack. A short lap distance also forces teams to run similar pit strategies, and pit strategy tends to be less of a factor. Short tracks also often produce multiple caution periods, which also reduces the impact of unique pit strategies. Teams will take advantage of those cautions to pit with an eye to getting their driver out the fastest to leave them with fewer trucks to pass on track. A well set up truck can also dominate, though. Nemechek led 114 of 250 laps in last year's race, despite starting 18th. Practice times and starting position should be good indicators of race success, though.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Trucks Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Worldwide Express 250 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
John Hunter Nemechek - $11,400
Zane Smith - $11,000
Carson Hocevar - $10,500
Chandler Smith - $10,300
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ty Majeski - $9,900
Ben Rhodes - $9,700
Christian Eckes - $9,500
Grant Enfinger - $9,300
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Matt Crafton - $8,700
Tyler Ankrum - $8,500
Derek Kraus - $8,300
Matt DiBenedetto - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Tanner Gray - $7,900
Rajah Caruth - $7,100
Hailie Deegan - $6,500
Spencer Boyd - $5,600
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Worldwide Express 250
John Hunter Nemechek - $11,400
Grant Enfinger - $9,300
Tyler Ankrum - $8,500
Matt DiBenedetto - $8,100
Rajah Caruth - $7,100
Spencer Boyd - $5,600
The picks for the Worldwide Express 250 give fantasy players both recent Richmond winners in Nemechek and Enfinger. Nemechek led 114 laps from the 18th starting position to win last year's race, while Enfinger started fifth and won in 2020 before finishing eighth last year. Enfinger's victory last week only adds to his potential this week, too. Tyler Ankrum has two top-five finishes from his two Richmond starts. He started 30th in last year's race and drove all the way to third, which shows he can finish well at this circuit regardless of where he starts. This will be Matt DiBenedetto's first series race at this track, but he does have a Richmond top-10 from last season in the Cup Series. He isn't part of the playoff battle, but he continues to find his footing with 12th- and 11th-place finishes in his last two outings. Rajah Caruth will make his second series start this weekend. He started 19th and finished 11th in his debut at St. Louis and should be another value option for fantasy rosters this week. Spencer Boyd finishes the selections with a best Richmond finish of 20th from his two tries. His best result this season came at Daytona when he finished 11th.
