There are only two weeks left before NASCAR’s playoffs begin and there are still lots of automatic forecasts left for the taking. Denny Hamlin must be thrilled the tour is led back to Darlington Raceway.

The defending champion of this Bojangles Southern 500, Hamlin is second among active drivers with 2 wins in the 1.366-mile track and he has seven top 5s and 10 top 10s to go with it in 12 career races at the track. He has finished in the top 3 in four of his past six races at Darlington and 4 at five of the final six on that track.

The 38-year-old has to be thrilled to make his way to South Carolina this week as he looks for his first victory of the year in addition to an automatic berth into the playoffs. However, with only three finishes inside the top 10 in his last six races, he isn’t performing at his best.

The Big 3 of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. do Exactly That. All three have wins on the track in their careers and have combined for 11 top 5s and 24 top 10s in Darlington Raceway. Busch is second among active drivers in driver rating in the South Carolina track (105.1) and he is our choice to win the Bojangles Southern 500.

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