What’s up everyone?! Welcome to the Truck Series Setup. This week we will be looking ahead to the Truck race at Dover International Speedway. I’m RyanLarkin88 and you can follow me on twitter @Larkin8. If you are just finding the DFSArmy and are not a VIP member sign up and use code Xfinity to save 20%!! Our DFSArmy VIP members get access to the Domination Station and Research Station post qualifying. Also, VIP members get access to our VIP Slack and direct contact to the NASCAR coaches. Come join the best team in NASCAR DFS!
After a month off the Truck Series returns to action at Dover. This break will have been a great opportunity for teams to make changes and updates to their equipment based off what they learned in the early part of the season. As for Dover itself, it is a high banked 1 mile concrete track. The track does offer good side by side racing but with turns that tighten abruptly and a transition onto the straights that upsets handling we do often see accidents especially out of the less experienced drivers. Long run speed and consistency does matter here so check out the practice speeds to see who is looking good. The Research Station is the perfect tool to utilize for this.
Quick Facts
Date: May 3rd
Practice 1: Thursday 2:05 pm ET.
Practice 2: Thursday 4:05 pm ET.
Qualifying: Friday 1:05 pm ET.
Race: Friday 5:05 pm ET.
Laps: 200 Stages: 45/90/200
Drivers: 32
Defending Champion: Johnny Sauter
AVG. # of Cautions: 6.5 excluding stage cautions
AVG DNF’s: 11.4 per race
Lineup Building
Dominator / Top Tier
For this race most lineups should look to have 2 dominators. Outside of that 1 and 3 dominator lineups are certainly possible but are less likely overall. If a 3 dominator lineup were to be necessary it would consist of 3 drivers all splitting laps led in the 40-60 range and therefore they would each get a far amount of fast laps as well. As for this race Johnny Sauter will get a lot of attention considering he has won the last two races at Dover. He definitely has the ability to deliver a race winning performance but he has clearly been a step off compared to the rest of the elite drivers. The past month off could have been exactly what Sauter needed to get his season on track. Matt Crafton will be a driver to look out for today. Crafton was 3rd in 10 lap avg in Truck practice and has finished 8th or better in 9 of the last 11 Dover races. The two races he did not finish inside the top 8 he lead 46 laps in both and was a contender for the win. Brett Moffit is driving for the team that Sauter won the last two races at Dover so he is also a strong contender for the win.
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Mid to Low Tier
I will continue to push Jesse Little although there has been an obvious step down in speed since the loss of his crew chief Matt Noyce moved over the #98 of Ben Rhodes this year. That being said Little has finished 14th and 9th the last two years and has shown the ability to stay out of trouble which will be vital. Kraus, Lessard, Ankrum will all be driving good equipment today and all over top 10 upside. However, all three drivers fit the mold of the inexperienced and therefore ultra risky at this track. If you are looking for some help with unknown drivers look back at the K&N East Series races at Dover. These results can offer some additional insight.
Punts
With double digit DNFs in 4 of the last 5 races that makes everyone playable. A lot of the lower level teams have struggled to finish with many parking rather early in the race in the past. It is hard to read this situation and to know who exactly this would apply to. I don’t believe we will see as much of this today but we could see drivers like Cobb and Reaume run 10 laps down yet score 30 points. Norm Benning is to lone driver I feel comfortable saying avoid based off practice.
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This will conclude this edition of The Truck Series Setup. If you would like to reach out and talk NASCAR Follow me on twitter @Larkin8 or of course Become a VIP member and join me as well as our other DFS Army NASCAR contributors (Brady Miller, Taco, and NillyJay) in the NASCAR coaching channels.