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2023 Food City Dirt Race Sleeper Picks

By Jeff Stinger

We’re about to get dirty with the Cup Series heading out to Barstow for the 2023 Food City Dirt Race. But, this is not your ordinary race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The event adds a unique twist to a classic course. As this season develops, it’s always a good idea to check out names moving up the boards.

The top of the list is tight. Only four points separate Alex Bowman and Ross Chastain. And as we all know, the circumstances of the track could easily make this anyone’s race. That said, let’s get down and dirty as we preview the grid’s top sleeper picks for this weekend.

A Closer Look at the top 2023 Food City Dirt Race Sleeper Picks

READ MORE: 2023 Food City Dirt Race NASCAR Odds & Prediction

Ryan Preece

  • 2023 Food City Dirt Race Odds: +30,000

The 32-year-old first made his way to the Cup Series five years ago. He drives the No. 41 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing after serving as a reserve driver for the team. Preece made select starts across all three national series and scored his first win of the season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Nashville Superspeedway. He also earned a pair of top-ten finishes and an average finish of 24.3 in 2020. A year before that, he documented a top-five and three top-ten finishes.

So far, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion featured in 115 races over five seasons. He recorded his best finish in 2019 at 26th place. Preece also has nine top-ten finishes racing in NASCAR’s top-flight division. He found success with Joe Gibbs Racing and scored two wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. At the moment, the Connecticut-born driver pens an average start of 26.571 and an average finish of 26 in seven races. He ranks 28th with 88 points and ample experience on dirt. Ryan’s positive credentials make him a viable sleeper pick contender this weekend.

Todd Gilliland

  • 2023 Food City Dirt Race Odds: +100,000

Another promising youngster makes his way to the sleepers list. The North Carolina man is one of Rick Ware Racing’s wheelmen and drives the No. 15 Mustang for the team. He also has racing roots as the son of NASCAR driver and team owner David Gilliland. Of course, having connections to the sport is not the only thing you need to become a successful driver. There’s also the matter of bringing in results. Since first featuring in the Cup Series, he achieved three top-ten finishes and a career-best finish of 28th in 2022.

Todd recorded his first top-five finish at the Indianapolis road course. He spent some time racing in the Truck series where he earned his second win in his fourth full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The 22-year-old also previously spent time racing with Kyle Busch Motorsports, where he earned his first series win at Martinsville in 2019. In seven races this season, the Front Row Motorsports driver scored a top-ten finish and logs an average start of 24 and an average finish of 21.

Noah Gragson

  • 2023 Food City Dirt Race Odds: +50,000

The Nevada-born driver makes his way to the big leagues after four seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. You can find him behind the wheel of the Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. He found success driving for JR Motorsports last year and finished second in points. Since securing his first career win at the 2020 Daytona International Speedway Xfinity Series, he followed this up with a victory in Bristol. His dirt racing experience should be enough to keep the favorites under pressure.

Gragson first caught the attention of many when he won a combined four races between the ARCA Menards Series East and West seven years ago. He ranks 29th on the standings and amassed 87 points in seven races now. Sporting number 42 on his car, we’re excited to see Noah showcase his dirt track driving skills as our third and final sleeper picks for the 2023 Food City Dirt Race.

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