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Can Austin Cindric carry his speed from last weekend to a similar track in Sin City?
Oct 11, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric during practice for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectKyle Larson's emphatic, dominant win on a track type that hasn't been smooth sailing for him this year was a heck of a statement that he's ready to go back-to-back for the Cup Series title. Can he continue the momentum at a similar venue this weekend? Like Kansas a week ago, Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile intermediate circuit, but it does have significantly different bump characteristics.
The style of racing is similar; many of the in-car challenges for these drivers are not. In DFS, this is yet another 267-lap race, which proved a week ago to still be painful to fade if they're heavily concentrated in one spot. It's quite possible with the top-four race favorites starting in the top six. As was the case last week, I'll accept place-differential options where I can find them.
Passing is possible.has NASCAR contests for all three of the top touring series. Here are my favorite picks for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. I'll be honest. I didn't think Kyle Larson had last week's dominant run in him.
Sweeping the stages and winning the race at Kansas, he's positioned himself incredibly well at a track where he's a favorite no matter what. Since the start of 2023, Larson has the series' best average finish at Vegas with two wins and the most laps led . As you'd guess, he's also now in a good spot in my blended speed rankings for the week.
He was actually only second in median lap time last week at Kansas, but that's good enough to blend third overall after a fifth-place median lap time here in the spring. I will say that, if you're looking to fade Larson, he's made several mistakes in races this year pushing on a razor's edge. If he crashes out of Sunday's race, bold DFS players that fade him would be handsomely rewarded.
This feels like Groundhog Day, but I'd still favor Hamlin over Kyle Larson despite what we saw last week. Hamlin had the third-best median lap -- and has had a top-three median lap time at all six intermediate tracks in my sample this year.
He's also third in average finish in the aforementioned period at Vegas and has won the last two races here.qualifying was washed out because Hamlin went out there and won the pole on Saturday, so he's no secret or second fiddle to Larson anymore. It'll be fascinating to see how the field plays these top two in single-entry GPPs. My gut tells me both is a mistake.
Man, it might be legitimately over for the field if Joey Logano has intermediates squared away. The short-track specialist this season has been dead to rights on them all season but posted a ninth-place median lap time a week ago at Kansas. He finished 20th after a flat tire, though.
Las Vegas in March was actually Logano's best speed ranking on this track type prior to that Kansas effort, and he's finished 15th or better in six straight races here. That includes a win in October 2024. Insane stat: Joey Logano only has ONE career DNF at Las Vegas in 25 starts, coming in the spring of 2023.
He is also more likely to win at Vegas than he is to finish worse than 15th, with 4 wins to 3 finishes worse than 15th . It was a quiet but effective day for he who I'd dub NASCAR's "Mr. Intermediate" at present. Chase Elliott is just pretty mediocre on all other types of tracks, but he shined again at Kansas with the seventh-best median lap time, and he finished eighth.
He's just continued to churn out top-10 speed, flashing for good results at Las Vegas and Texas when the right restart breaks his way. I am kicking myself for not writing up Austin Cindric in my picks last week. He was 12th in my blended speed rankings but missed the cut by one driver. Cindric absolutely starred at Kansas relative to expectations, finishing 2nd with the best median lap time in the field.
His Penske Ford's speed is another reason to be optomistic about Logano at a better track for the driver. Starting seventh, I think Cindric's floor might be a bit too low for cash games. There, I'd prefer Josh Berry, starting 36th with a much slower car. But, if you want a car from this tier that could contend for the win, it's the #2.
He's posted four straight top-16 finishes on these cookie cutter, 1.5-mile ovals, and that's come with three straight top-15 median lap times, too. That's legitimate -- and has held even through Toyota's overall decline after the Sometimes, he's just starting too well to consider for DFS upside, but a 21st-place starting spot isn't too bad. There's still solid upside for a top 15.
He's scored one in 4 of 11 Las Vegas starts with this current team, which has dramatically improved on speed in 2026. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Austin is an experienced multisport analyst, having written for over five years for numberFire.com and FanDuel Research. He won the 2022 Fantasy Sports Writers Association award for 'Best Football Article'.
Though usually watching sports or NFL Draft tape, Austin also enjoys spending time with his family, a good baked pasta dish, hitting the driving range, or sim racing.
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