NASCAR at Darlington 2022: Odds, Preview and Top Storylines
The NASCAR Cup Series postseason begins on a track that has had four winners in its last six races.
Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, two of the 16 drivers who qualified for the postseason, each have two victories at Darlington Raceway since the start of the 2020 season.
Harvick finished inside the top 10 in May at the South Carolina track. Joey Logano won the first of two races this season at the track nicknamed "The Lady In Black."
Harvick, Hamlin, Logano and 13 other drivers are hunting for a victory on Sunday to automatically lock in their spot in the next round of the postseason.
The NASCAR postseason starts with 16 drivers, and it will cut down to 12 competitors after three round-of-16 races at Darlington, Kansas and Bristol.
Sunday's race at Darlington is the first of two night races in the round of 16. The second one will take place in Bristol on September 17.
Hamlin and Kyle Larson come into the race as co-favorites, but as we have learned this season, unexpected winners can emerge. The Cup Series circuit had 15 different winners, and only Ryan Blaney advanced to the postseason on points.
Cook Out Southern 500 Odds
Denny Hamlin (+600; bet $100 to win $600)
Kyle Larson (+600)
Tyler Reddick (+700)
Chase Elliott (+700)
Ross Chastain (+850)
Kyle Busch (+900)
Joey Logano (+1000)
Martin Truex Jr. (+1100)
Kevin Harvick (+1700)
William Byron (+1800)
Christopher Bell (+2000)
Ryan Blaney (+2000)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Can Recent Darlington Winners Replicate Success?
Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. are the only Darlington winners since the start of the 2020 season.
Those four drivers combined for six wins, with Harvick and Hamlin winning two each. Three of the four racers are in the 16-man playoff field. Truex missed out on points. The No. 19 car will still compete in the races, but he will not be eligible for a championship.
Logano captured first place at Darlington in May thanks to his start on the pole. The Penske Racing driver led 107 laps, the most of any driver in that event.
Starting near the front is vital for a path to victory at Darlington. Five of the last six winners at the South Carolina track started the race inside the top 10. Hamlin won the September 2021 race from the second starting position.
Logano, Hamlin and Harvick appear to have an edge on the rest of the field because of their recent form at Darlington.
Harvick has not finished worse than sixth in the last six races at Darlington. Logano has four top-10 finishes in his last five starts at the track. Hamlin owns four top-five placings in his previous six starts there.
The expectation for the three recent Darlington winners in the playoff field is a top-10 finish at minimum. That could go a long way in helping them reach the round of 12 after Bristol.
Chase Elliott Looking For First Darlington Win
Chase Elliott won the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season title.
Elliott enters Darlington in the best position to advance to the round of 12 because he sits on top of the points standings.
Elliott is 33 points ahead of 13th place, and he has an 11-point gap to Logano in second place to kick off the postseason.
The gap could be narrowed between Elliott and the rest of the field if the No. 9 car driver goes through struggles at Darlington.
Elliott finished fifth in the May race at Darlington, but he also has three finishes of 20th or worse in his last five starts at the track.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver landed outside the top 10 in more races at Darlington than he has been inside the top 10.
Of course, Elliott could rectify that form by producing his first-ever set of consecutive top-10 finishes at Darlington. He landed in fifth after starting in 34th place back in May.
Although Chevrolet has not won at Darlington since 2014, it was the manufacturer with the most top-10 cars in May with six.
The positive finish from May could help Elliott and the No. 9 team perform well this weekend and potentially end the Chevrolet drought at the track.
How Does Martin Truex Jr. Respond to Playoff Qualification Failure?
Martin Truex Jr. lost out on the final playoff spot to Ryan Blaney during a chaotic finish at Daytona last Sunday.
Truex and Blaney both had banged-up cars, but Truex fell behind on points as Blaney gained positions on the grid during the final few laps. Austin Dillon's win gave the Cup Series 15 different winners and just one playoff spot available on points.
Truex and his No. 19 team have to focus on a strong finish to 2022 to get back in the playoff field next season.
A trip to Darlington could help Truex and his team regain that focus after a brutal moment last week at Daytona.
Truex finished inside the top 10 in three of his last five trips to Darlington, and he won at the track last spring.
A win can't be ruled out from the No. 19 team between now and the end of the season. Truex landed inside the top 10 in five of the last seven races.
Visiting Victory Lane may not help with a championship bid, but it would serve as a huge boost to a team that finished the regular season on the wrong end of the playoff luck.
Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).
Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.