A 36-driver field, a 180-lap race, and an early look at Gateway pricing before Saturday practice and qualifying.
<p>Gateway gives the O'Reilly field a full Saturday: practice and qualifying come first, followed by 180 laps under the evening lights. The Nu Way 225 is scheduled for September 12 at 6:30 p.m. Central, opening the track's NASCAR doubleheader.</p><p>The 225-mile distance makes this more than a short sprint. Goodyear's published plan gives O'Reilly teams five sets in total, including three new sets for the race. The tire combination was used at Phoenix in March. Tire use and the timing of stops are worth watching, but they are not a substitute for seeing how this field performs at Gateway.</p><h2>The Early Salary Board</h2><p>All 36 active entries have FantasyJolt salaries, ranging from $3 to $14. The top salary tier contains #1 Carson Kvapil, #2 Jesse Love, #7 Justin Allgaier. These are salary tiers, not a prediction of finishing order.</p><p>At a $50 cap for five drivers, three $14 selections leave $8 for the other two slots. That makes the lower tiers important to roster construction, but a low price alone does not establish value.</p><h2>What Comes Next</h2><p>Saturday practice is scheduled for noon Central, with qualifying at 1:05 p.m. Central. As of this September 10 preview, FantasyJolt's race-specific ML projections are not yet published. No starting positions, projected scores, or model picks are being claimed here. Review the official grid and updated projections before finalizing a team.</p><p>This is an early race preview, not a final lineup recommendation. Inspection and driver-change news still require a race-weekend check.</p>