Austin Dillon was 30-1 to win last Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400. We all put $4 on him and cashed a $20 win to close out the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season.

Now we head to Darlington for Sunday’s Southern 500.

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TRACK HISTORY/TRENDS

One of the oldest tracks on the current NASCAR schedule anymore. This weekend will be the 123rd race on the South Carolina race track with the first coming on Sept. 4, 1950.

• Prior to last year, the last eight winners had come from a starting spot outside of the top five. Then both came from 4th and 2nd respectively in 2021. Joey Logano won from the pole in May for three straight winners now from the top 2 rows. 6 of the last 10 winners on the season have come from the top 5 (prior to Richmond but the 10 includes all the way up to now).
• Every race winner at Darlington during the stage era have scored stage points. In fact, in 8 of the 9 races, the eventual winner finished in the top 5 in the second stage. Logano was 3rd this past May in Stage 2 but won Stage 1.
• 3 of the 8 races saw someone sweep both stages, but in neither event did they win the race in the end either.
• Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick have combined to win 4 of the last 6 at Darlington including 5 of the last 9 overall.
• The final green flag run to the checkered flag has been at least 34 laps in 6 of the last 9 races at Darlington including 3 of the 9 being 86 laps or longer. The final stretch was 26 laps this past May.
• Expect the race to end in regulation. We’ve had no overtimes in the last 11 races there including 11 of the last 13 (since 2013).
• Chevrolet hasn’t won a Darlington race since 2014 (0-for-11). Toyota has won 3 of the last 5 including 7 of the last 11 overall there.
• A playoff driver has won the postseason opener every year under the system since it started in 2014. Just three times however did the playoff opening winner go on to make the Championship 4 however. Martin Truex Jr. did it twice (2017, 2019) and Kyle Larson once (2021).

Race Odds

6-1…K Larson

7-1…T Reddick

8-1…C Elliott and J Logano

9-1…D Hamlin

10-1…Kyle B and M Truex Jr.

15-1…R Blaney, W Byron, R Chastain and K Harvick

20-1…C Bell

25-1…A Bowman

30-1…A Dillon and M McDowell

40-1…Suarez

50-1…C Briscoe and A Cindric

60-1…E Jones and R Stenhouse Jr.

75-1…A Almirola, C Buescher, J Haley and B Keselowski

100-1…L Cassill, T Gibbs and D Wallace Jr.

500-1…H Burton, C Custer and T Dillon

NOTE: Each analyst has a weekly wagering limit of $100.

NOTE: The weekly wagering limits will increase $100 for each playoff round ending with a $500 wagering limit for the Championship Four race.

COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500 PICKS: RACE 27

Greg DePalma

K Larson…6-1…$24 ($144) 

T Reddick…7-1…$25 ($175) 

C Elliott…8-1…$25 ($200)

D Hamlin…9-1…$50 ($450) 

Kyle B…10-1…$25 ($250)

R Chastain…15-1…$13 ($195)

K Harvick…15-1…$30 ($450)

C Briscoe…50-1…$4 ($200)

E Jones…60-1…$4 ($240)

RECORD: 12 for 26

TOTAL: -277

CJ Radune

K Larson…6-1…$36 ($216) 

T Reddick…7-1…$32 ($224) 

C Elliott…8-1…$28 ($224)

J Logano…8-1…$28 ($224)

D Hamlin…9-1…$26 ($234) 

R Blaney…15-1…$16 ($240)

R Chastain…15-1…$16 ($240)

K Harvick…15-1…$14 ($210)

E Jones…60-1…$4 ($240)

RECORD: 16 for 26

TOTAL: -457

Eric Smith

K Larson…6-1…$40 ($240) 

T Reddick…7-1…$40 ($280) 

J Logano…8-1…$30 ($240)

D Hamlin…9-1…$30 ($270) 

R Chastain…15-1…$20 ($300)

K Harvick…15-1…$23 ($345)

C Bell…20-1…$10 ($200) 

A Dillon…30-1…$7 ($210) 

RECORD: 14 for 26

TOTAL: -592

ARCHIVES

COKE ZERO SUGAR 400 PICKS: RACE 26

COKE ZERO SUGAR 400 WINNER: Austin Dillon

Greg DePalma

C Elliott…10-1…$10 ($100) …29^th

R Blaney…12-1…$25 ($300) …15^th 

B Wallace…15-1…$25 ($375) …11^th

M Truex Jr…18-1…$5 ($90) …8^th 

C Bell…25-1…$4 ($100) …36^th  

A Almirola…30-1…$4 ($120) …21^st 

A Dillon…30-1…$4 ($120) …1^st   

C Buescher…35-1…$6 ($210) …27^th   

E Jones…35-1…$3 ($105) …17^th

M McDowell…40-1…$4 ($160) …32^nd   

J Haley…50-1…$4 ($200) …28^th

T Dillon…100-1…$2 ($200) …18^th  

C Lajoie…100-1…$3 ($300) …30^th  

H Burton…150-1…$1 ($150) …19^th  

RECORD: 1 for 1

TOTAL: +24

CJ Radune

C Elliott…10-1…$12 ($120) …29^th

R Blaney…12-1…$11 ($132) …15^th    

A Cindric…15-1…$9 ($135) …3^rd

B Wallace…15-1…$9 ($135) …11^th

T Reddick…18-1…$8 ($144) …2^nd   

M Truex Jr…18-1…$8 ($144) …8^th    

C Bell…25-1…$5 ($125) …36^th  

B Keselowski…25-1…$6 ($150) …35^th  

R Stenhouse Jr…25-1…$5 ($125) …22^nd

A Almirola…30-1…$4 ($120) …21^st   

A Dillon…30-1…$4 ($120) …1^st  

C Buescher…35-1…$5 ($175) …27^th     

T Gibbs…35-1…$4 ($140) …13^th

E Jones…35-1…$4 ($140) …17^th  

M McDowell…40-1…$4 ($160) …32^nd     

C Lajoie…100-1…$2 ($200) …30^th 

RECORD: 1 for 1

TOTAL: +24

Eric Smith

C Elliott…10-1…$12 ($120) …29^th

R Blaney…12-1…$12 ($144) …15^th      

D Hamlin…12-1…$10 ($120) …25^th  

W Byron…13-1…$8 ($104) …34^th  

R Chastain…13-1…$8 ($104) …33^rd

B Wallace…15-1…$10 ($150) …11^th

B Keselowski…25-1…$5 ($125) …35^th   

R Stenhouse Jr…25-1…$5 ($125) …22^nd

A Almirola…30-1…$4 ($120) …21^st    

A Dillon…30-1…$4 ($120) …1^st  

C Buescher…35-1…$5 ($175) …27^th       

E Jones…35-1…$5 ($175) …17^th 

M McDowell…40-1…$3 ($120) …32^nd       

J Haley…50-1…$3 ($150) …28^th

T Dillon…100-1…$2 ($200) …18^th  

C Lajoie…100-1…$2 ($200) …30^th   

H Burton…150-1…$1 ($150) …19^th 

D Gilliland…150-1…$1 ($150) …23^rd  

RECORD: 1 for 1TOTAL: +24