DraftKings is launching a free pool for Talladega this weekend. No entry fee, no salary cap, no roster building — just tap your picks. Talladega is NASCAR’s wildest track, where a 30th-place starter can win, and the leader can be upside down by lap 40. That chaos evens the field. The casual player versus the professional stat guy? Same shot. Check out the DraftKings NASCAR picks for the first round of the NASCAR Drive for the Prize Prediction Series.

Fill out your picks on DraftKings: NASCAR Drive for the Prize Prediction Series (Talladega)

---

Winner of the Race: Austin Cindric

Cindric is the defending winner of this race and is called the best superspeedway racer of the Next Gen era by NASCAR.com’s own Fantasy Fastlane this week. That’s not a brand — rather, it’s a scouting report: Three career Cup wins, two of them on drafting tracks (2022 Daytona 500, 2025 Talladega). The No. 2 Penske ran up front in the spring and the fall at Talladega in 2025. Tyler Reddick is the hot hand with five wins in nine starts and a 2-for-2 record on drafting tracks in 2026, but Talladega asks who survives the stack-up. Cindric has proven he lives in the right real estate at the right time.

Will Either Ryan Blaney or Denny Hamlin Finish Top 3: No

This one reads as a trap. Ryan Blaney has three Talladega wins and looks like a strong “Yes” on paper. But Hamlin is dragging this parlay into the ground. Hamlin’s Gen 7 superspeedway average finish is 20.87 across 23 starts — with zero wins and two top-five finishes. Dead weight. Blaney has to carry the whole ticket himself, and he’s got two wins in 23 Gen 7 drafting races.

Will Either Brad Keselowski or Kyle Busch Finish Top 5: Yes

Brad Keselowski owns Talladega — his six wins are most among active drivers — and has two runner-up finishes here since 2022. Kyle Busch also has a superspeedway win in the Gen 7 era. That’s two bites at a top 5, and one of them is the greatest Talladega driver still drawing a paycheck. The Ford package has been elite on drafting tracks lately, and RFK keeps bringing fast cars. One of these guys cracks the top 5.

Will Either Austin Cindric or Chris Buescher Finish Top 5: Yes

Cindric won the spring race here last year. Already covered. The kicker is Buescher — peers call him one of the best superspeedway drivers in the field, and he led laps in 10 of his last 13 Talladega trips. His finishes haven’t matched his speed, but this is a top-5 question, and Cindric alone carries the ticket. Buescher is pure upside. 

Will Chase Elliott Finish Top 10: Yes

Chase Elliott has the best Gen 7 superspeedway average finish of any active playoff-tier driver — 13.45 across 22 starts, with 11 top 10s and three wins. That’s a 50 percent top-10 rate on tracks where half the field crashes. He’s the most consistent drafting-track driver in the sport. 

Will Chase Briscoe Finish Top 10: Yes

Chase Briscoe won this race in the fall. He also has a Gen 7 superspeedway average finish of 20.57 across 23 starts with only five top 10s. Still, the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas have been rocket ships, and Briscoe just proved he can close here. The recency wins over the sample. Small lean, but take the “Yes.”

Winning Team: Team Penske

Cindric won at Talladega in the spring. Joey Logano has led laps in 20 straight drafting track races — an all-time record. Blaney has three Talladega wins and is a constant top-10 threat on drafting tracks. Three shots, all from the shop that just produced the defending winner. 

Top Ford Driver: Austin Cindric

Defending winner. Already the pick to win the race. Keselowski is the sentimental Ford pick with six Talladega wins, but his 2025 Talladegas included a 36th-place finish. Blaney is the other threat, but has been wrecked out of Talladega twice in the last three tries. Cindric’s the safest Ford bet on the board.

Highest Finisher — Keselowski / Larson / Elliott: Chase Elliott

Elliott has the best Gen 7 superspeedway average finish of the three at 13.45. Larson is 20.35 and still winless at Talladega in 21 career starts. Keselowski has the wins on his resume, but is mired in a rough stretch — one top 10 from his last three Talladegas. Elliott is the statistically best drafting-track driver in this race.

Highest Finisher — Busch / Stenhouse / Chastain: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has four career Cup wins — all four at superspeedways. He won the 2023 Daytona 500 and the 2024 Talladega fall race. This is his track. Ross Chastain won the 2022 Talladega spring race and is a live threat, but his superspeedway numbers since have cooled. Busch has a superspeedway win in the Gen 7 era, but may be washed. Stenhouse specializes in exactly this race. Ride the specialist.