Dollar Tree 301
Location: Loudon, N.H.
Course: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Format: 1.06-mile oval
Laps: 301
NASCAR Cup Race Preview
For the second time in as many races, getting off pit road first during the final round of stops proved to be the deciding factor as Joey Logano drove to his second win of the season at Richmond. The Team Penske driver now has two wins and four top-10 finishes in the last five races. Only two races remain before the regular season gives way to the final 10-race run to the championship. Momentum built during these final two races could prove pivotal to starting that run strongly and contending for this season's title. Back on the cutline, Logano's teammate Austin Cindric also delivered a strong result at Richmond. The driver of the No. 2 qualified just 23rd but quickly worked his way forward and finished third. That effort helped him move up one spot in the standings, leaving Shane van Gisbergen on the bubble. Despite slipping backward, SVG's margin over Ryan Preece grew to 50 points after a difficult night for the RFK Racing stable. Two opportunities remain to turn things around, and this week's visit to New Hampshire is the first of those chances before drivers tackle Daytona's superspeedway to bring the regular season to a close.
Key Stats at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 54
- Winners from pole: 6
- Winners from top-5 starters: 18
- Winners from top-10 starters: 30
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 10
- Fastest race: 117.134 mph
Previous 10 New Hampshire Winners
2025 Ryan Blaney
2024 - Christopher Bell
2023 - Martin Truex Jr.
2022 - Christopher Bell
2021 - Aric Almirola
2020 - Brad Keselowski
2019 - Kevin Harvick
2018 - Kevin Harvick
2017 fall - Kyle Busch
2017 spring - Denny Hamlin
With its long straights and flat corners, New Hampshire Motor Speedway resembles Martinsville despite being nearly twice the size. It is generally a single-groove track where precision in setup, braking, and throttle application can make the difference between a competitive run and a difficult afternoon. The shallow progressive banking does allow drivers to alter their groove through the turns, which can create passing opportunities. However, the minimal banking also requires heavy braking at the end of the long straights and tends to lean heavily on right-side tires through the corners. Drivers must be careful getting on the to avoid overusing their equipment and tire management can be a key differentiator. The best passing opportunities typically come under braking or by carrying more speed through the long turns to build momentum onto the next straight. Track position is also critical. Since the current generation of car debuted at New Hampshire, no winner has started outside the top five. Even before that, most winners started inside the top 10. Chevrolet may again have their work cut out for them this week, too. None of their drivers has won at this track since 2016 and Toyota has claimed three of the last four victories.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Dollar Tree 301
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Ryan Blaney - $11,200
Christopher Bell - $10,700
Joey Logano - $10,500
Chase Briscoe - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Kyle Larson - $9,500
Ty Gibbs - $9,200
William Byron - $9,000
Chase Elliott - $8,500
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Josh Berry - $8,200
Bubba Wallace - $8,000
Austin Cindric - $7,900
Ross Chastain - $7,700
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Carson Hocevar - $7,200
Alex Bowman - $7,000
Shane van Gisbergen - $6,900
Daniel Suarez - $6,600
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Dollar Tree 301
Christopher Bell - $10,700
Chase Briscoe - $10,000
Austin Cindric - $7,900
Ross Chastain - $7,700
Shane van Gisbergen - $6,900
Daniel Suarez - $6,600
This week's race proves to be a tough decision between Ryan Blaney, who won at New Hampshire last season, and Christopher Bell (DK $10,700, FD $14,000) who is overdue for a victory in 2026. Both drivers are racing extremely well right now and it would not be a surprise if either visited Victory Lane on Sunday. In this instance, due to the lower price point, we're going to go with Bell, though. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver only finished outside of the top 10 once since San Diego, and he finished runner up in four of the last six races. Bell is also a two-time New Hampshire winner who finished first or second in three of his six attempts at the track.
Bell's teammate, Chase Briscoe (DK $10,000, FD $12,000) is also red hot. Last week's race at Richmond was his fourth finish of sixth or better from the last five races, and he might have won if he had been able to beat Joey Logano off of pit road on his final stop. He finished 10th or better in the last three New Hampshire races and led 19 laps last season after starting 18th. Briscoe is building momentum as The Chase approaches and another top-five finish should be within his reach this week.
Austin Cindric (DK $7,900, FD $9,000) has quietly been on a nice run of form. The Team Penske driver had one of his best races last week at Richmond when he finished third, but that was actually his sixth top-15 finish in the last seven races. That consistency has helped him move up a spot in The Chase standings and, if a little more speed can be found, would put him in contention for consistent top-10s or more when The Chase gets underway. At New Hampshire, he has three top-20 finishes from four tries with a best result of 13th. The Penske Fords are finding their form at what could be a perfect time, and Cindric is likely to benefit from that trajectory.
After a tough 2026 season, Ross Chastain (DK $7,700, FD $7,500) has started showing signs of life. He finished 12th or better in three of the last five races, including 12th a week ago at Richmond. The benefit of choosing him this week at New Hampshire is that he needs another top performance, if not a win, to earn a spot in the championship battle. Chastain has also been pretty good at New Hampshire through his career. He has four top-10 finishes from seven series visits to the track, and all of those top finishes came in his last five tries.
Trying to hold off Chastain in the standings is teammate Shane van Gisbergen (DK $6,900, FD $6,200). The New Zealander dropped to the cutline last week but actually grew his points margin over the competition due to Ryan Preece's problems in that race. Last year, SVG only finished 32nd in this race after getting caught in an accident. Prior to that incident, he was running among the top 10, though. He qualified 10th for that race and his road course experience translates well to what it takes to succeed at New Hampshire.
Daniel Suarez (DK $6,600, FD $5,800) could also be a wise selection this week. Suarez is comfortably among The Chase contenders without a ton of pressure that may cause unforced errors. He finished 16th at Richmond, which was his third top-20 from the last five races, too. Suarez has three New Hampshire top-10 finishes to his credit, and the Spire Motorsports equipment has been consistently good all season. This could be a week where Suarez outperforms his prior new Hampshire finishing average.
Best Bets for the Dollar Tree 301
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 5:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Christopher Bell +500
Top-Five Finish - Chase Briscoe +115
Top-10 Finish - Austin Cindric +135
Christopher Bell's long wait for his first win in 2026 might come to an end this week at one of his best tracks. After a slower start to the season, Bell and the No. 20 team have been marching up the order and banging on Victory Lane's door with repeated runner-up finishes. New Hampshire Motor Speedway could provide them the magic, though. Bell is a two-time winner at the track with four top-10 finishes at the track from just six starts. He finished seventh a week ago at Richmond and claimed three runner-up finishes in the last five races. Bell is in excellent form and headed to one of his best tracks.
Chase Briscoe has also been in some of the best form of the season in recent races. He currently holds fifth position in the standings with finishes of sixth or better from the last four races. Briscoe also finished 10th or better in the last three New Hampshire races. His best finish at the track was second in 2024, which he landed despite starting just 24th. Briscoe has never started better than 18th at New Hampshire and still scored those impressive results, which makes him an convincing choice for a top finish regardless of how he qualifies, but his chances increase the further up the grid he makes it.
Now is the time Austin Cindric needs to come forward. He drove a stunning race a week ago at Richmond, which was his best performance in a trend he essentially got underway at Michigan. Since that race, he has only failed to finish out of the top 15 twice, and his third-place effort at Richmond was his best of the season. That run of form moved him off of the bubble for The Chase, and it has him poised to score his best ever New Hampshire result, too. From four prior starts, Cindric's best finish was 13th in 2022. Betting on him to continue his positive build up toward The Chase with another step forward at New Hampshire is a good way to ride his current momentum.
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