EcoSave 250
Location: Charlotte, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
Format: 2.28-mile road course
Laps: 67
NASCAR Trucks EcoSave 250 Race Preview
The second round of playoff elimination races kicks off for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series this week at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. This is the first time the series will run at the track, and the stakes couldn't be much higher. A win in this three-race round guarantees one of four spots in the championship finale to the victor. One driver hoping to get the job done early is Corey Heim. The Tricon Garage driver won last time out at New Hampshire and also won the last four road course races. One of those victories, at Lime Rock Park this season, was also a new track to the series. With nine wins so far in his dominant season, it would be hard to picture a championship finale without Heim in it.
Getting there will be no easy task, though. Layne Riggs and others have started picking up momentum and all the remaining playoff contenders will have to be at their best with a shot at the championship now on the line. Just four drivers will make their way through in the next three races, and there is no better time than now to get the job done. While Heim enjoys a nice 69-point lead to the elimination positions, Tyler Ankrum -0, Grant Enfinger -3, Rajah Caruth -5, and Kaden Honeycutt -7 are locked in a tight battle to claim one of the top four playoff positions or the race win that would see them through to Phoenix.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
- Number of races: 0
- Winners from pole: 0
- Winners from top-5 starters: 0
- Winners from top-10 starters: 0
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: N/A
Previous 10 Road Course Winners
2025 Watkins Glen - Corey Heim
2025 Lime Rock - Corey Heim
2024 Circuit of the Americas - Corey Heim
2023 Mid-Ohio - Corey Heim
2023 Circuit of the Americas - Zane Smith
2022 Mid-Ohio - Parker Kligerman
2022 Sonoma - Kyle Busch
2022 Circuit of the Americas - Zane Smith
2021 Watkins Glen - Austin Hill
2021 Circuit of the Americas - Todd Gilliland
While the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL has been around in NASCAR since 2018, this week's race will be the first time the CRAFTSMAN Trucks contest it. The circuit is a 17-turn, 2.28-mile road course through the more familiar 1.5-mile oval's infield, and it incorporates most of the oval, too. Unique for an infield road course, Charlotte's ROVAL has some noticeable elevation changes and off-camber corners to challenge drivers and setups. The track's main passing areas are the braking zones approaching the track's two chicanes. Both chicanes come after the high-speed sectors on the traditional oval and require heavy braking to successfully navigate the turns, making prime passing opportunities for drivers that are good under braking.
While the trucks have never raced here, both the Xfinity and Cup Series have, and the furthest back any driver started and won any of those races was 22nd. Only three of the combined 14 races have been won by a driver starting outside of the top 10. In short, this is a road course and track position is king. Qualifying and pit strategy will be the primary opportunities to gain positions, but every driver will need to beware of late restarts and the chaos that can arise from every vehicle fighting for limited asphalt.
RotoWire NASCAR Truck Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the EcoSave 250 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Connor Zilisch - $15,000
Corey Heim - $12,500
Layne Riggs - $9,500
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chandler Smith - $9,300
Ty Majeski - $9,000
Tyler Ankrum - $8,800
Parker Kligerman - $8,500
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Daniel Hemric - $8,300
Ben Rhodes - $8,200
Kaden Honeycutt - $8,000
Grant Enfinger - $7,800
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Rajah Caruth - $7,500
Jake Garcia - $7,200
Matt Crafton - $6,900
Josh Bilicki - $6,500
NASCAR Truck Series DFS Picks for the EcoSave 250
Corey Heim - $12,500
Ty Majeski - $9,000
Gio Ruggiero - $7,900
Jake Garcia - $7,200
Matt Crafton - $6,900
Josh Bilicki - $6,500
There has not been a better driver in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series this season than Corey Heim. He has nine race wins, 15 top-fives, and 17 top-10s. It has been a dominant season, and fantasy players can be assured that he'll work hard to be the first to claim a spot in the championship finale with another win this week. A road course outing should suit his strengths well, too. Heim won the last four road course races, including Lime Rock, which also made its series debut earlier this season.
Ty Majeski is also a driver to keep in mind. He racked up nine consecutive top-10 finishes leading up to this weekend, which include a seventh-place finish at Watkins Glen and a runner-up finish at Lime Rock. After a slow start to the season, Majeski is firing on all cylinders now and has a strong road racing pedigree. Fantasy players should expect that run of momentum to continue, potentially earning a spot in the championship finale, too.
Another driver that has shown promise on road courses this season is Gio Ruggiero. The Tricon Garage driver came home third in both prior road course stops this season and is definitely one to watch this week. He is not part of the playoff picture, but he has two top-five finishes from the last three races and five top-10s from the last six. Ruggiero is a series rookie that has been making people take notice all season and is likely to turn heads again this week.
Poor finishes cost Jake Garcia a chance to advance in the playoffs, but that doesn't mean fantasy players should overlook him this week. He remains a contender for top-10 finishes each week and may offer some security at this week's circuit. Garcia finished 15th at Watkins Glen in August and finished 14th at COTA last season. He isn't the favorite on these types of circuits, but his consistency can be good for fantasy players looking for top-15 potential through the middle portion of their lineups.
Matt Crafton fits a similar bill. The veteran has plenty of experience on all types of circuits and turned in respectable results at the two road course races run this season. He was 13th at Watkins Glen and 19th at Lime Rock. Experience like his can be a valuable commodity when visiting a track for the first time, and this week's race could be an opportunity for him to grab another top-15 as his storied career draws to a close.
Lastly, Josh Bilicki will attempt his second series start of the season. The only other truck race he ran so far was Lime Rock. He qualified just 18th for that race but moved forward to finish seventh. That was a good finish for a one-off race and he'll try to build on that this week at a track he has Xfinity Series experience at. His best prior ROVAL finish came last season when started fourth and finished eighth in Xfinity equipment. That experience should come in handy versus the majority of the field who will contest this track for the first time this week.
NASCAR Truck Series Best Bets for the EcoSave 250
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 1:30 PM ET Thursday
Race Winner - Connor Zilisch -130, Corey Heim +110
Top-Five Finish - Ty Majeski +200
Matchup - Layne Riggs -135, Ty Majeski +100
Odds this week line up road-racer extraordinaire Connor Zilisch in his second series start of the season against the season dominating Corey Heim. Yes, Zilisch is excellent on road courses, but there is something to be said for being behind the wheel of one of these machines every week. Heim has proven that several times already this season, including beating out tough competition for the win including Zilisch at Watkins Glen. Heim is also exceptional on road courses having won the last four run in this series. Zilisch certainly has the talent that can give him a shot at challenging for the win this week, but I'd prefer to take slightly better odds for the guy who has been getting the job done nearly every week this season in Corey Heim.
Those looking for a top-five wager should take a look at Ty Majeski. The ThorSport Racing driver is on a run of top-10 finishes that stretches back to Pocono. Included in that run is a seventh-place finish at Watkins Glen and a runner-up finish at Lime Rock. Majeski is one of the better road course drivers in the series and he is riding high on momentum as the season approaches its climax. That scenario gives us all the right conditions to believe he is capable of landing inside the top five at the end of this week's race.
A matchup wagerers may want to consider at the ROVAL is Layne Riggs versus Ty Majeski. Riggs, by virtue of his step up in performance lately, is favored but finishes of 10th and 13th at the two road course races this season are not better than Majeski's results. In the same races, Majeski grabbed a top-10 at Watkins Glen in August and was the second-place finisher at Lime Rock, which happened to be making its debut on the series calendar. This week we have a similar situation with the series debut at the ROVAL. Given Majeski's better road course results this season, I feel he has the edge this week over Riggs, which makes this matchup one worth considering with its favorable odds.
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