Black's Tire 200
Location: Rockingham, N.C.
Course: Rockingham Speedway
Format: 0.9-mile D-shaped oval
Laps: 200
NASCAR Trucks Series Black's Tire 200 Race Preview
Corey Heim made the most of his second start in his part-time 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series campaign, claiming his second straight victory at Darlington Raceway two weeks ago. The 2025 series champion pulled off a dramatic last-lap pass, stunning Ross Chastain in the final moments to steal the win. While those two part-time drivers battled for the top spot, championship contender Christian Eckes finished third, followed closely by Kaden Honeycutt in fourth. Both Eckes and Honeycutt moved up in the championship standings, gaining three and four positions respectively.
This week, the trucks head to historic Rockingham Speedway. Last year's race marked the series' first visit to the North Carolina oval since 2012, with Tyler Ankrum taking the checkered flag that day. This year, the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing driver is aiming for a repeat performance to push himself into the Chase positions. However, he faces stiff competition from Layne Riggs. The Front Row Motorsports driver enters the weekend third in the standings and is determined to capture the Rockingham win he narrowly missed last season. Riggs won both segments that afternoon, led 24 laps, but ran out of fuel before the finish. Meanwhile, everyone is chasing Chandler Smith, who sits atop the standings with a 33-point lead. With two races over the next two weeks, drivers will be looking to close the gap as the championship heads toward the summer.
Key Stats at Rockingham Speedway
- Number of races: 3
- Winners from pole: 0
- Winners from top-5 starters: 2
- Winners from top-10 starters: 2
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 107.239 mph
Previous Rockingham Winners
2025 - Tyler Ankrum
2012 - Kasey Kahne
2013 - Kyle Larson
Last season's return to Rockingham produced a race defined by tire wear and fuel strategy. The track surface remains unchanged since then, and its fast and long sweeping corners put plenty of stress on the tires. Drivers need to be careful exiting the turns, avoiding wheel spin and excessive tire wear as they accelerate and try to maximize speed down the straights. Mastering the throttle not only preserves those tires, but it also helps save fuel. Tyler Ankrum's win in last year's battle was in large part earned by easing off the gas down the straights. Fuel strategy will again play a crucial role, and the fact that four of last year's top-five finishers started outside the top 15 proves that smart equipment management can be more important than starting position. With Goodyear supplying the same tire spec as last year, fantasy players should anticipate a similar scenario. Success will come to trucks with solid speed and drivers who can deliver a smooth, controlled performance.
RotoWire NASCAR Trucks Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Black's Tire 200
Based on Standard $50k Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Corey Heim - $12,000
Layne Riggs - $11,000
Carson Hocevar - $10,700
Christian Eckes - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ty Majeski - $9,700
Sammy Smith - $9,500
Chandler Smith - $9,300
Kaden Honeycutt - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Daniel Hemric - $8,500
Tyler Ankrum - $8,300
Ben Rhodes - $8,100
Justin Haley - $7,900
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Grant Enfinger - $7,500
Tanner Gray - $6,900
Jake Garcia - $6,700
Stewart Friesen - $6,600
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the Black's Tire 200
Layne Riggs - $11,000
Kaden Honeycutt - $9,000
Daniel Hemric - $8,500
Ben Rhodes - $8,100
Jake Garcia - $6,700
Stewart Friesen - $6,600
After narrowly missing out on what could have been a commanding win at Rockingham last season, Layne Riggs returns this weekend with his sights set on redemption. The Front Row Motorsports driver dominated last year's race, winning both stages after starting fifth, but saw his hopes fade when a late fuel stop sent him tumbling down the order. Armed with lessons learned from that disappointment and riding strong momentum in 2026, Riggs is a top contender who is determined to close the gap in the championship standings and capture his second win of the year and his first at Rockingham.
Kaden Honeycutt could play a key role in this week's outcome. Last year, racing for Niece Motorsports, Honeycutt impressed at Rockingham in a fast testing session a few weeks before the event that carried through the race weekend. That extra preparation helped him qualify seventh, and he managed his truck like a veteran through tire and fuel issues to finish sixth. Now in 2026, expectations are even higher since he joined Tricon Garage. With three top-eight finishes in the first four races and sitting second in the championship standings, Honeycutt and his team are ready to carry their momentum into Rockingham.
Daniel Hemric is sure to be excited for his return to Rockingham. Last year, the veteran driver made an impressive climb from 17th to third, notching one of his 10 top-five finishes for the season. Though Hemric led just a single lap, his experience proved invaluable in a race that demanded careful equipment management. With this year's contest anticipating few changes, Hemric has another chance to showcase his skills. Improving on last year's success is the aim and should be within the reach of this group.
A steering issue sidelined Ben Rhodes well before the finish last time at Rockingham. The trouble was especially bitter considering Rhodes had qualified third but was out of the running even before the halfway mark. For that reason, fantasy players didn't get the chance to see what this truck was capable of, and Rhodes will hope to show everyone what they missed this week. Sitting seventh in points with two top-five finishes so far is a decent start, and the No. 99 crew should feel confident they can add to that this week.
Jake Garcia could really use a strong race weekend. The Thorsport Racing driver has managed just one top-10 finish so far this season, but he likely has this week's race circled on his calendar. Last year, Garcia started on the pole, led 43 laps, and finished second, picking up stage points in both segments. After a up and down start to the season, this could be the track where Garcia delivers a standout performance and uses it as a springboard to climb up the standings in the weeks ahead.
Stewart Friesen is another driver hoping to find a platform to build consistency from. After a nice start to the year with a 10th-place finish at Daytona, he has been only 20th or worse since. A crash at Rockingham last year halted his chance of racing to a better finish, but Friesen's vast experience should be an asset in handling this challenges of a place like Rockingham. The veteran driver is finishing below his potential now, and that trend is bound to turn around as the early season progresses.
Best Bets for the Black's Tire 200
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 10:30 AM ET Friday
Race Winner - Layne Riggs +330
Top-three Finish - Kaden Honeycutt +145
Top-five Finish - Daniel Hemric +400
With some more mileage on his last drops of fuel, Riggs might have won last year's Black's Tire 200. He drove an impressive race from the fifth starting spot that day, leading 24 laps and winning both stages. He would have had to work hard to finish the job, but it appears as though he had the truck to do it with. For those reasons, taking the favorite to win this week makes sense. Every team's notebook will be a little deeper with last year's experience, but with conditions expected to be largely unchanged, this could be an opportunity for Riggs to claim a win he missed out on last season.
With similar circumstances expected in this year's return to Rockingham, Kaden Honeycutt could excel again. He was quick during the tire test last season and backed that up in the race a few weeks later. This year, he is with a new team that is firing on all cylinders with three finishes of eighth or better from the first four races. Honeycutt's confident sixth-place finish last year could quickly morph into a top-three this time with smooth driving and clean execution.
Daniel Hemric could also be poised to land his best finish of the season so far. He enters this week's race with back-to-back top-10 finishes in the last two races and having driven from 17th to third at Rockingham a year ago. Hemric's teammate was also the winner of that race. With a bonus payout on the line if he can find his way to Victory Lane this week, Hemric should enter the weekend bursting with confidence, and his veteran approach could propel him up the order for another top finish.
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