Kyle Busch dominated this race in 2024 (112 of 167 laps led, both stages, won by 0.112 seconds) and is back in Spire's #7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet. Carson Hocevar returns from Cup duty with the field's best Texas truck record (8.3 avg, 1 win in 4 starts). Christian Eckes is the model's value pick.
Friday night's SpeedyCash.com 250 kicks off the Texas tripleheader on FS1, and the storyline writes itself: Kyle Busch is back in a Spire Motorsports truck two years after one of the most dominant Texas truck performances in series history. In 2024 he led 112 of 167 laps, swept both stages, and beat Corey Heim by a hundredth of a second. He's in the No. 7 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet again Friday.
Carson Hocevar drops down from the Cup garage one week after his first career Cup win at Talladega. His Texas truck résumé is the best in the field: 4 starts, 1 win, 2 top-5s, 8.3 average finish. The career Truck numbers (86 starts, 5 wins, 23 top-5s, 36 top-10s) tell you why DFS sites have him in the top tier despite running part-time.
The model's quiet favorite isn't either of them — it's Christian Eckes at projected finish 8.8.
Race Details
| Race | SpeedyCash.com 250 |
| Track | Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile, high-banked tri-oval) |
| Date | Friday, May 1, 2026 — 8:00 PM ET |
| TV / Radio | FS1 / MRN / SiriusXM |
| Distance | 167 laps / 250 miles |
| Field | 35 trucks |
Top Plays
Kyle Busch (#7, $15 FJ / $11,000 DK) — Defending winner of this race, led 67% of the laps in his last Texas truck start. Spire equipment, his sixth career Truck win came here. Model projects a top-3 finish (34.4 fantasy points — the highest in the field). At $15 FJ, he's the chalk lock that almost has to be in your lineup.
Carson Hocevar (#77, $15 FJ / $10,700 DK) — Best Texas truck record in the field by a mile (8.3 avg in 4 starts). One Texas win, two top-5s. Career Truck: 86 starts, 5 wins, 23 top-5s, 36 top-10s. Model projects a top-15 finish (28.4 pts). The Talladega Cup-win narrative makes him the popular pivot off Busch — own at $15 FJ.
Christian Eckes (#91, $13 FJ / $9,300 DK) — Model projects a race-winning finish. Two tiers below Busch and Hocevar in salary; same projection band. McAnally-Hilgemann Racing's #19 has been one of the more consistent intermediate-track outfits this season. Best leverage play on the slate at $13 FJ.
Mid-Tier Targets
undefined (#undefined, — FJ / — DK) — Lost the 2024 SpeedyCash.com 250 to Busch by 0.112 seconds. Projects a mid-pack finish (undefined pts). ThorSport's #11 is a perpetual top-5 threat at intermediates.
Ty Majeski (#88, $13 FJ / $8,800 DK) — ThorSport's #98 with a strong recent track record on intermediates. Projects a top-10 finish at $13 FJ.
Justin Haley (#16, $8 FJ / $6,900 DK) — Spire's other Cup-driver-in-a-truck. Projects a top-3 finish; veteran intermediate racer who knows how to manage tires.
Ross Chastain (#45, $14 FJ / $9,500 DK) — Cup superstar dropping in. Projects a top-5 finish — the Niece Motorsports equipment is the question mark, not the driver.
Value & Punt Plays
Justin Haley (#16, $8 FJ / $6,900 DK) — Projected 32.0 pts (top-3 finish); 4.00 pts-per-FJ-dollar.
Cory Roper (#62, $7 FJ / $6,000 DK) — Projected 21.0 pts (mid-pack finish); 3.00 pts-per-FJ-dollar.
Dawson Sutton (#26, $7 FJ / $6,100 DK) — Projected 21.0 pts (mid-pack finish); 3.00 pts-per-FJ-dollar.
Brenden Queen (#12, $8 FJ / $6,500 DK) — Projected 23.0 pts (top-15 finish); 2.88 pts-per-FJ-dollar.
Sub-$5 Punts
- Toni Breidinger #27 — $4: 21.0 projected pts (mid-pack finish)
- Spencer Boyd #76 — $5: 17.0 projected pts (back-half finish)
- Josh Reaume #22 — $5: 14.0 projected pts (back-half finish)
Platform Tips
FantasyJolt ($50 cap, 5 drivers, A-E multipliers)
Truck slates reward "two studs + three values" more than Cup does. The chalk build is Busch + Hocevar at the top ($15+$15 = $30) which forces three sub-$8 picks across C, D, E. The cleaner build: pivot one elite to Christian Eckes ($13) and free salary for Ty Majeski or undefined in the mid-tier. Reference build: Kyle Busch A / Christian Eckes B / undefined C / Justin Haley D / Toni Breidinger E.
DraftKings ($50,000 cap, 6 drivers, no positions)
DK Truck contests historically pay big to lineups that nail the place-differential math — drivers starting outside the top-15 who finish top-10 are gold. With qualifying still ahead, watch for Cup-driver guests (Busch, Hocevar, Chastain, Haley) who get demoted on the practice grid but still have winning speed. Stack two and pay down for value.
(FanDuel does not run Truck Series contests.)
The Lock
Kyle Busch. Last time he ran this race he won it from the front and never gave back. Spire equipment is good. The model agrees, projecting a top-3 finish. There's a real chance he leads laps 1-167.
Green flag Friday at 8 PM ET on FS1.