Denny Hamlin is coming off his first victory of the season last weekend, and on Sunday he will attempt to become the first driver to win consecutive races at Darlington since Greg Biffle in 2005-06.
The 1.366-mile oval at Darlington Raceway is the venue for Sunday's Goodyear 400.
"It's a tough track mentally and physically," Hamlin said. "It's a driver's track because the driver can make a difference at Darlington. You can manipulate the way your car is handling based on the line you choose to run."
GOODYEAR 400
The Place: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C.
The Date: May 14, 3 p.m. ET
The Distance: 400 miles
Defending Champion: Denny Hamlin
TV: FS1
Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
FIVE BEST BETS
Kyle Larson (+500 at BetMGM)
Larson battled a loose car and ultimately was passed on the final lap to finish second in Kansas City, just missing out on his third win of the year. He opened at +600 this week but saw his odds shorten as he leads the field with 9.6 percent of the total tickets and 20 percent of the money wagered at BetMGM. That makes Larson the sportsbook's biggest liability this week.
Denny Hamlin (+700)
Hamlin is the winningest active driver at Darlington, with his most recent of four victories at the track coming two years ago. "There's something about it that has always matched my style of driving no matter what type of car we're racing, so I anticipate we'll have a really good shot at contending this weekend," he said. Harvick has been backed by 8.4 percent of the money.
Ross Chastain (+900)
The series championship leader has done everything but win this season. He is has five top-five finishes, including a third last weekend. However, Chastain has enjoyed limited success at Darlington, where he has only one top-10 in seven career starts -- a third in the 2021 playoff race. Chastain did lead 26 laps in this race last year.
Kevin Harvick (+1400)
The three-time Darlington winner still is in search of his first win this year. Harvick finished fourth in this race last year and sits in fifth in the standings in his final season. He's one of four drivers in the top-10 in the standings despite not finding Victory Lane this year. Harvick has also earned a pair of career poles at Darlington. He is third in the field with the public backing Harvick with 8.5 percent of the money.
Erik Jones (+2000)
Jones has only two top-10s this season and is 23rd in the standings and could use a strong outing at one of his most successful tracks. He's a two-time winner at Darlington, beating Hamlin by .252 seconds to open last year's playoffs.
LONGSHOT PICK
Brad Keselowski (+4000)
Keselowski has one career victory at Darlington and enters with two top-10s in his past three races (Talladega, Dover). He finished runner-up at Atlanta and his five top-10s this season is one off Keselowski's total for all of 2022.
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