This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Fresh From Florida 250
Location: Daytona Beach, Fla.
Course: Daytona International Speedway
Format: 2.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 100
NASCAR Trucks Fresh From Florida 250 Race Preview
After dominating the 2025 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and claiming the season championship, Corey Heim is shifting gears for 2026. The reigning champ is stepping away from trucks to pursue a part-time NASCAR Cup Series campaign, aiming to land a full-time spot in NASCAR's top division. Just a year ago, Heim kicked off his remarkable season with a victory at Daytona International Speedway that set the tone for his championship run.
Now, with the start of the 2026 season, the current roster of drivers is eager to follow in Heim's footsteps, hoping to launch their own championship bids by capturing victory in the season opener. Friday night's race marks the 27th time the trucks will race around Daytona's legendary high banks in a thrilling start the new year, especially with Ram returning to the fray with Kaulig Racing.
Daytona International Speedway is one of the most iconic tracks in the world, and every driver dreams of adding their name to its prestigious winners list. But before anyone can celebrate, they'll have to survive a race that's often as unpredictable as it is exciting. With a brand-new season set to begin, the possibilities are wide open. Teams and drivers alike are focused on starting 2026 strong and making a statement under the Friday night lights at Daytona.
Key Stats at Daytona International Speedway
- Number of races: 26
- Winners from pole: 4
- Winners from top-5 starters: 10
- Winners from top-10 starters: 15
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 5
- Fastest race: 146.622 mph
Previous 10 Daytona Winners
2025 - Corey Heim
2024 - Nick Sanchez
2023 - Zane Smith
2022 - Zane Smith
2021 - Ben Rhodes
2020 - Grant Enfinger
2019 - Austin Hill
2018 - Johnny Sauter
2017 - Kaz Grala
2016 - Johnny Sauter
Daytona International Speedway is a unique challenge for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The track's high banking and pack racing is different than most other circuits the series visits. Instead of just focusing on raw speed, drivers have to be smart in the draft to make every move count. Qualifying at the front is not a necessity, and if your truck handles well in traffic and you can make passes through the pack, you can find yourself with a chance at the victory. However, racing in the pack at this track is tight and the stakes are high. Just one mistake, either on track or in the pits, can put a contender out of contention in the blink of an eye. Luck often plays a part in the outcome, but being patient, avoiding trouble, and making good decisions can earn a driver a shot at the win. A Daytona victory is a highlight on any driver's resume, and starting the new season off with a visit to Victory Lane will be the best possible start to someone's 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship effort.
RotoWire NASCAR Truck Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Fresh From Florida 250
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Layne Riggs - $10,000
Chandler Smith - $9,800
Carson Hocevar - $9,700
Ty Majeski - $9,300
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Justin Haley - $9,000
Grant Enfinger - $8,800
John Hunter Nemechek - $8,700
Christian Eckes - $8,300
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Kaden Honeycutt - $8,200
Taylor Gray - $8,100
Tony Stewart - $8,000
Daniel Hemric - $7,900
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Giovanni Ruggiero - $7,700
Tyler Ankrum - $7,300
Daniel Dye - $6,900
Stewart Friesen - $6,700
NASCAR Truck Series Optimal DFS Lineup for the Fresh From Florida 250
Layne Riggs - $10,000
Ty Majeski - $9,300
John Hunter Nemechek - $8,700
Kaden Honeycutt - $8,200
Daniel Dye - $6,900
Stewart Friesen - $6,700
The 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season could be a big one for Layne Riggs. The Front Row Motorsports driver won three races and racked up 13 top-five finishes en route to a fifth-place finish in the series standings. He was the winningest driver in the series last year behind Corey Heim, which gives him optimism of finishing even higher up the order this year. First, he'll have to navigate Daytona, though. In two series starts at this track, Riggs has a best finish of 13th from last season. He will be hoping his 2026 championship effort gets off on a better foot this Friday.
Ty Majeski nearly upset Heim for the championship last season, but Heim was just too strong and passed Majeski in an overtime finish to win the championship. Majeski still ended the year with 10 top-fives and 18 top-10s, though. One of those came at Daytona, too. The ThorSport Racing driver started second and finished third in this race last year. He also started on the front row at Daytona in four of his five series tries. With three top-10 finishes in that same span, Majeski is a confident selection for most fantasy rosters this week.
John Hunter Nemechek returns to the series this week for the first time since 2023. He is a 13-time race winner in truck competition and should be up to speed quickly despite being out of this type of machinery for a bit. At Daytona, Nemechek has five series starts with a best finish of fourth. His last series Daytona start was in 2022 when he started on the front row and led 50 laps but finished 24th. Nemechek has a ton of past success in this series and should be one of the top choices among the part-time drivers taking part this weekend.
Unlike Nemechek, Kaden Honeycutt is not a part-timer in the series. Last year, the Tricon Garage driver finished an impressive third in the season standings with 14 total top-10 finishes. Wins and top-five finishes are what he has in his sights for 2026. Daytona is the first of those opportunities for him. He started eighth here last year but crashed out and finished 35th. That race was an opportunity left unfulfilled, which Honeycutt will want to put right this time around.
Daniel Dye is another young driver with experience that fantasy players should consider this week. Dye has two full seasons of truck competition under his belt with two top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in all. Daytona hasn't been the best venue for him in the past, but this year he is helping Ram return to the series with Kaulig Racing. This is a great opportunity for Dye to show what he is capable of and improve on his series best Daytona finish of 21st in 2024.
Finally, Stewart Friesen returns to the series this week after being forced out of competition last season due to injury. The Canadian veteran has nine prior Daytona starts with a best finish of 10th from 2019. The truck he was forced to vacate last year wound up finishing third in the owner's standings at the end of the season thanks to substitutes Christopher Bell and Kaden Honeycutt, and Friesen will be working hard to ensure he can produce similar results with his full-time return this year.
NASCAR Truck Series Best Bets for the Fresh From Florida 250
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:30 PM ET Thursday
Race Winner - Layne Riggs +285, Ty Majeski +1200
Top-three Finish - Ty Majeski +310, Tyler Ankrum +600
It is often difficult to pick a winner at superspeedway races, and making this week's choice even more challenging is the fact that this is the first race of the season. Not a lot of track time builds up to Friday night's race, so picking a winner with such little information is a tough proposition. Despite all of the unknowns, we do know that Layne Riggs was consistently one of the top series contenders as last season progressed. He will have stiff competition this year to maintain that level of success, but with another year under his belt, expectations continue to increase. Riggs hasn't had the best of luck at Daytona yet, but he is a proven winner with Front Row Motorsports and should be considered one of the early favorites to kick the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season off with a win this week at Daytona.
Those looking for better odds than favorite Riggs might want to consider Ty Majeski. The veteran driver started on the front row in four of his five Daytona races and turned those into three top-10 finishes. He has never won at this track, but Majeski has been consistent throughout his career and should be expected to be near the front at the end. He finished third in this race last season, and wagerers can get attractive odds on him repeating that Friday, too. Majeski is one of this season's early championship favorites and getting off to a quick start at Daytona would help him consolidate some early momentum.
One final option to consider for a top-three finish is Tyler Ankrum. The McAnally-Hilgemann Racing driver finished fourth in last year's championship despite exiting the Daytona round early due to an engine failure. In the two series races at the track prior to that, he finished seventh and 11th and led a combined 31 laps, though. Last year's trouble seems to be offering some extra value to fans looking to go with him for a top-three finish Friday night.
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