What a great name for the first race of the season. NextEra Energy, the first race of the season lets go. Last year’s NextEra Energy 250 was won in overtime as Grant Enfinger held off a charging Jordan Anderson on the final lap to clinch his victory. It was a wild finish as a crash on lap 98 of 100 took out 13 drivers in the field. The Truck Series was capped off last year with Sheldon Creed taking home the Championship. The final four was comprised of the aforementioned Cree, Zane Smith, Brett Moffitt, and Enfinger.
Below is a lineup that we believe can provide the best value for the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway on 02/12/2021 (DraftKings Values)
| Driver #1 | $ 10,600 | ||
| Driver #2 | Stuart Friesen | $ 8,800 | |
| Driver #3 | $ 8,400 | ||
| Driver #4 | Johnny Sauter | $ 8,200 | |
| Driver #5 | Derek Kraus | $ 7,300 | |
| Driver #6 | $ 6,700 |
Stuart Friesen: After finishing the year on a high note with two sixth-place finishes and Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, Stuart Friesen is poised to add to his win totals in 2021. Friesen in the last three years at Daytona has an average start of 19.33 and an average finish of 14.7. Those numbers are not crazy but I like the value this week for Friesen. At Daytona’s “Sister” track Talladega Friesen has been good in the last three years where he has one top-five finish, two top 10 finishes, and has led 14 laps.
Johnny Sauter: As the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and two-time runner-up in points standings, Johnny Sauter is back with ThorSport Racing for 2021. Sauter is fifth all-time in Truck Series wins. In three races in the past three years at Daytona, Sauter has one win, one top-five finish, two top 10 finishes, and has led a series most 51 laps. Daytona has been Sauter’s track to shine of late and I think is a must-have in your lineup. Sauter finished the first practice with the third-best practice times.
Derek Kraus: The NextEra Energy 250 was arguably Derek Kraus’s best race of the year in 2020. Kraus started 16th on the day and raced his way to a fourth-place finish. As a 19-year-old in the series, Kraus has shown excellent potential while racing in the truck series and I believe is an excellent sleeper this week. Also, as a rookie, Kraus was able to improve his track position in 15 of 23 races, not bad for a rookie.
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Below is a lineup that we believe can provide the best value for the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway on 02/12/2021 (DraftKings Values)
| Driver #1 | Sheldon Creed | $ 10,600 | |
| Driver #2 | Stuart Friesen | $ 8,800 | |
| Driver #3 | Todd Gilliland | $ 8,400 | |
| Driver #4 | Johnny Sauter | $ 8,200 | |
| Driver #5 | Derek Kraus | $ 7,300 | |
| Driver #6 | Jordan Anderson | $ 6,700 |
Sheldon Creed: The number two GMS Racing Chevrolet driven by Sheldon Creed was exciting to watch in 2020. Creed won six races in 2020, capped by his Championship victory in Phoenix. I cannot see any reason why Creed does not repeat his dominance in 2021. In 2020 Creed was able to put together a ninth-place finish after starting 12th at Daytona. The pairing of Creed and crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz is showing to be a powerhouse. They have all they need to repeat as champions in 2021.
Todd Gilliland: The driver of the Number 38 Front Row Racing Ford, Todd Gilliland is one of the most talented young drivers that has unfortunately not lived up to his potential yet. I think that 2021 is the year that Gilliland finally comes out of his shell and shows us what he is made of. Gilliland is entering his third full-time season in the Truck Series. Gilliland was unable to get to victory lane in 2020 but was able to get four top-five finishes. His average start at Daytona in two races is 17.50 and his average finish is 14.0. Gilliland is a value/sleeper pick for me this week.
Jordan Anderson: As the runner-up in last year’s NextEra Energy 250 I like Jordan Anderson to be right there at the end of this race. In three races at Daytona, Anderson has a top-five finish, two top 10 finishes, and had led a single lap. 2020 was Andersons best season so far and can provide lots of value this week and in the future. The Truck Series is dominated by the top end drivers and finding the diamonds in the rough like Anderson can be key to winning your matchup’s.
