Technically, the All-Star festivities for NASCAR in North Wilkesboro this weekend are on the Cup Series side of things. They'll race for a million bucks on Sunday in a field littered with studs.

But Saturday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race has some sweet names in it, too.

In addition to the typical crowd, Ross Chastain will look to win back-to-back races. Sammy Smith and Aric Almirola will join him, as well, along with short-track ace Brenden "Butterbean" Queen.

It's a tough crowd. But my model still views one of the regulars as the favorite.

Here's what my sims have for the field prior to practice and qualifying for the Wright Brand 250.

Before digging in, one quick note. The weather forecast in North Wilkesboro is pretty rough. The field would be set via a bunch of odd rules, including potentially practice times, if qualifying is rained out. There's at least a chance someone like Almirola wouldn't make the show should they not get qualifying in, so know your sportsbook's house rules before betting.

That will be of no concern to Christian Eckes. And my model adores him this week.

Eckes has been demonic on short, flat tracks since joining McAnally Hilgemann Racing. Across a seven-race sample, he has two wins, two additional podiums, and five top-five average running positions. That includes a win this year in Martinsville, the lone 2024 race on a short, flat track.

Last year's North Wilkesboro race didn't go well for Eckes, but that's not of much concern to me. The track has since undergone a re-pave, which will dramatically alter how it races.

I'm not a ton above market on Eckes. He's +400 in FanDuel Sportsbook's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series betting odds, which is 20.0% implied, down from 21.5% in my sims. Still, he'd be my preferred bet here based on the speed he has shown.

The other two decent values at FanDuel are Chastain (+1000) and Ben Rhodes (+3500). Those two both podiumed last week in Darlington with Chastain getting the win, showing he can drag middling equipment to victory lane.

As for Rhodes, his best track type is clearly the short flats. That's why he's a two-time Truck Series champion. I think +3500 is long enough to bite, and I'd prefer him over Chastain prior to practice and qualifying.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.