This is about as close as it gets to that in the modern day, and Bell\u2019s dominance here in the land of clams and lobster may very well rival that when he packs up and leaves racing behind. <\/p>\n
A wild card in this race is the weather. Last season, this race was run in wet conditions, and boy, was it fun. New Hampshire suddenly turned into a multi-groove superspeedway of sorts. <\/p>\n
If it rains, it shouldn\u2019t affect Bell too much, but don\u2019t be surprised if we get a wild underdog of a winner either. <\/p>\n
2025 DraftKings Rules of the Road<\/p>\n
Drivers will be awarded points based on their finishing position, position differential, fastest laps and laps led. The driver who wins the race scores 45 fantasy points, while second place gets 42 points, third gets 41 points and so on, at least through the top 10. The 11th-place finisher scores 32 points, 21st gets 21 and 31st gets 10.<\/p>\n
However, any spots drivers lose or gain on the track are added or subtracted from their score. If the driver leads a lap, they will earn 0.25 points for each lap led and 0.45 points for each fastest lap.<\/p>\n
Fantasy Forecast<\/p>\n
Christopher Bell ($11,200)<\/p>\n
After all that talk in the intro about this magical combination, you knew I was rolling with Bell this weekend. <\/p>\n
Just in case you\u2019re wavering on this pick, though, he\u2019s two wins in three years, a 10.3 average finish in the Next Gen car, and an insane driver rating of 141.2 during last year\u2019s race. <\/p>\n
Bell wins this Sunday. That\u2019s all you need to know. <\/p>\n
Chase Elliott ($9,200)<\/p>\n
Rest assured, Chase Elliott<\/a> fans: he will be fine in the Round of 12, despite his disappointing finish at Bristol last week.<\/p>\n I\u2019m basing this performance on how he did at World Wide Technology Raceway two weeks ago. Elliott showed real speed there for the first time since midsummer, finishing in third. This track and Gateway are very similar in makeup, and that bodes well for him. <\/p>\n Buyer beware, though: this team has had a terrible penchant for beating itself over the last two seasons. If they can get it together, I see a podium coming. <\/p>\n Tyler Reddick ($8,700)<\/p>\n Tyler Reddick<\/a> did just enough to escape the Round of 16, but I am pretty concerned about the lack of speed he showed during the first round. Nevertheless, I like Reddick here over his teammate, Bubba Wallace<\/a>. He\u2019s finished sixth here in both 2023 and 2024, and I\u2019m big on consistency. <\/p>\n This weekend, he\u2019ll do one spot better and pick up a top five. <\/p>\n Carson Hocevar ($7,200)<\/p>\n If Carson Hocevar<\/a> had fresh tires on that final Bristol restart, we\u2019d have had a totally different narrative heading into this race weekend. <\/p>\n One day, and one day soon, it\u2019ll all line up for him, and he will win a race. As for this week, though, I look at Hocevar\u2019s performance at Gateway, and I\u2019m he\u2019s in line for a top 10 or 15, which is perfect for his salary. <\/p>\n Ryan Preeece ($7,000)<\/p>\n If we are going flat short track racing, you know it\u2019s a certainty I\u2019m telling you to sign Ryan Preece<\/a>. <\/p>\n He ran 11th here last season, a career-best Cup Series finish at this track, but he has a storied career in the Whelen Modified Tour at this race track. <\/p>\n He\u2019s definitely going to be in the top 10, but don\u2019t be surprised if he finds the winner\u2019s circle. <\/p>\n Austin Dillon ($6,500)<\/p>\n Unfortunately, Austin Dillon<\/a> was unceremoniously eliminated from the 2025 playoffs last weekend at Bristol. That doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t plenty left in the tank, though. <\/p>\n Dillon, of course, won at Richmond Raceway to get into the playoffs, which shares some handling characteristics with New Hampshire. <\/p>\n He also finished ninth here in 2023, so maybe, just maybe, he\u2019s got one more good run left in him this season. <\/p>\n Prop Bets and Locks<\/p>\n Chevrolet (+250) to win: The bow tie gang has looked somewhat overmatched and overwhelmed by Toyota so far in these playoffs, and usually that is not the case. Still, though, I\u2019m surprised to see them open as underdogs here at New Hampshire. With the depth and roster that this manufacturer has, I say cash in here.<\/p>\n Ross Chastain<\/a> (+300) to finish top five: Chastain has been so very uncharacteristically quiet since winning the Coca Cola 600 back in May that I have routinely forgotten he\u2019s in the playoffs. That\u2019s probably why he\u2019s entering this week below the cut line. But he has a good record here at New Hampshire, and he may remind us who he is by finishing second this week. <\/p>\n Wallace (+130) over Ryan Blaney (-175): Look at this beautiful head-to-head matchup right here. We\u2019ve got anything you could ever want. Two best buds locking up at a place where both should be good. They\u2019re both in the playoffs and both could use a massive win to lock into the Round of 8. Wallace just wants it and needs it more than Blaney, though. After all, Wallace won the Brickyard 400, and those turns are pretty flat in spots. He also ran eighth at Gateway. This bet is a lock, and if you\u2019re in the business of making money, this is your jam.<\/p>\n Garrett joined Frontstretch as a news writer in 2023, and became a fantasy racing and betting writer in 2024. Hailing from the heart of coal country in southern West Virginia,\u00a0 he’s a married father of three and currently enrolled in the Physical Therapy Assistant Program at New River Community Technical College in Beaver, WV.<\/p>\n![\"Donate](\"https:\/\/frontstretch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/frontstretch-donate.avif\")
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