Kyle Larson is the 5/1 co-favorite to win at Texas

 

5 KYLE LARSON   Age: 31 (July 31, 1992)   Hometown: Elk Grove, California   Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina   Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels   Standings: 4th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1   THE BATTLE AT BRISTOL: Kyle Larson finished second in Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. After starting 36th, Larson worked his way through the field in the opening 125-lap stage. The 31-year-old driver got up to eighth at the end of stage one. Staying out during the stage break, Larson restarted the second segment in third and took the lead on lap 179. He held the point position for 20 laps before ultimately finishing the stage in third. In the final stage, Larson restarted third and spent the last 138 laps in second, finishing in the runner-up position. This marks his third consecutive top-five finish and series-best 13th top-five of the season.  ROUND OF 16 REVIEW: Larson earned the second-best average finish through the first three playoff races all-time (2.33), only behind Greg Biffle’s 2008 mark (1.67). During the Round of 16, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com driver earned the best all-time average finish in the opening round of the elimination playoffs. The next-best average finish (3.00) came from Larson in his championship-winning year of 2021. Larson added six playoff points in this year’s Round of 16 to bring his bonus points total to 23, the fourth-most of all drivers. THE ROAD TO PHOENIX: The 2021 Cup Series champion is no rookie at navigating the playoff road to Phoenix Raceway. Larson has earned a spot in the Cup Series playoffs seven times and won at six of the seven playoff tracks remaining during his 101 starts with Hendrick Motorsports. With the points reset for the Round of 12, Larson is now 12 markers ahead of the elimination line. So far in the playoffs, he has the most laps run in the top five (804), the second-most laps run in the top 10 (898) and the second-best running position (6.69).  TURNING TO TEXAS: This weekend the Elk Grove, California, native will race at Texas Motor Speedway. He is currently one of only five drivers to have two or more consecutive top-10 finishes at the Fort Worth, Texas, venue. In 2021, Larson dominated the playoff race and then went on to win the championship. His 2021 victory is one of four instances where the fall playoff race winner went on to become the series champion.  1.5-MILE STAT SAVVY: During this season’s four races on 1.5-mile tracks, Larson is tied with teammate William Byron for the most top-five finishes (three), has led the second-most laps (248) and holds the fourth-best average finish (9.50). In the Next Gen era (2022-present) on 1.5-mile tracks, Larson ranks second in points scored (409), average finish (9.45) and is one of eight active drivers to win on this track type (Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2022). Note: Races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since 2022 are excluded in this count of 1.5-mile tracks.  IN 2023: This season, Larson leads the way in top-five finishes (13) and is in a five-way tie, along with Byron, for the most top-10s (15). He’s third in laps led (798), average running position (11.55), laps run in the top five (2,988) and laps run in the top 10 (4,421). Larson has been the second-best driver on restarts, based on information from Racing Insights.   FOUR TIRES FAST: The No. 5 HendrickCars.com pit crew has the fourth-best average four-tire pit stop time of the season at 11.155 seconds. In the middle race of the Round of 16 at Kansas Speedway, the squad had the best average four-tire stop time among all teams (10.085 seconds). The team’s five-man pit crew consists of Blaine Anderson (front-tire changer), R.J. Barnette (tire carrier), Brandon Harder (fueler), Brandon Johnson (jackman) and Calvin Teague (rear-tire changer). HENDRICK, GET SET. GO!: On Tuesday, Hendrick Automotive Group’s Hendrick, Get Set. Go! program gifted New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, a $25,000 grant for auto tech education using the excitement of the HendrickCars.com racing program. Larson, the No. 5 pit crew, head Hendrick Motorsports pit coach Jon Carvin and pit crew development coach Keith Flynn traveled to the event for a question and answer session with students followed by a live pit stop practice in the parking lot. Before getting involved in NASCAR, Flynn was a football and tennis coach from 1985 to 1986 at the school. The Hendrick, Get Set. Go! program’s goal is to connect schools and local Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships for future opportunities for students. Hendrick Automotive Group has seven dealerships surrounding the Wilmington/Jacksonville area. See photos from the event here.  HENDRICKCARS.COM IS HOME: This Sunday’s race marks the 13th of 15 home races for the HendrickCars.com team this season. The Fort Worth, Texas, area is home to two Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships. Respectively, both the driver and crew can be found in their white firesuits this weekend. For every HendrickCars.com home race this season, there is a unique hat, released the week of the race and only available for sale on the trackside merchandise haulers or available to win on HendrickCars.com. Less than 100 of each limited-edition hat will be made available to the public. This week’s Texas-themed hat will be revealed Thursday, check it out here.  WIN A CHEVROLET COLORADO Z71: Want to drive Larson’s 2023 Chevrolet Colorado truck? The 2021 Cup Series champion is giving away his ride to one lucky winner. Fans can donate now to enter a drawing for a chance to take home the Z71 Crew Cab 4WD package with custom features and styling. This special sweepstakes raises funding for the Kyle Larson Foundation’s “DRIVE FOR 5” campaign that supports youth, families and communities in need. The campaign is nearing its fundraising goal of $500,000. Click here to check out this sweet custom ride and enter to win today. The drawing closes on Sunday, Dec. 3, and the winner will be chosen on Monday, Dec. 11.  Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on why success at Texas Motor Speedway is key to advancing in the Round of 12: "Looking ahead to Talladega (Superspeedway), it’s a little crazy and there are typically a lot of crashes. So, you put a lot of pressure on this race this weekend, or at least I do, to do a good job. I like Texas (Motor Speedway). Our No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy team won there a couple of years ago (in 2021). We hope to do that again and have another good day." Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Texas: "Going into Texas (Motor Speedway) this weekend, we have some strong runs behind us from the last couple of weeks, which is good to have that little bit of wind in our sail and momentum. We’ve had this layout of the Texas track since 2017 and it is such a tough place for an intermediate (track). The two ends are so different with not a lot of banking and a tight radius in (turns) one and two and then a lot of banking and a bigger radius in (turns) three and four. So, it’s a tough place. Our mindset is to get a good solid car on the track and execute a good race to make sure we are there at the end."

Christopher Bell is 9/1 and Ty Gibbs is 33/1 to win at Texas

 

CHRISTOPHER BELL |TY GIBBS Texas NASCAR Cup Series Advance

NASCAR Cup Series Overview

● Event: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400  (Round 30 of 36) ● Date: Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 ● Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth ● Layout: 1.5-mile oval ● Time/TV/Radio: 3:30 p.m. EDT on USA/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Interstate Batteries Racing Notes

● Texas is Twice as Nice This Weekend. Interstate Batteries, the founding partner at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), is doubling down for the first time ever this weekend in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth by taking over the primary sponsorship of two NASCAR Cup Series entries. The famed Interstate Batteries medallion will adorn the hoods of both the No. 20 JGR Toyota Camry TRD of driver Christopher Bell and the No. 54 JGR Toyota Camry TRD for driver Ty Gibbs.   ● No Double Vision Here. While both paint schemes will highlight the Interstate Batteries brand, they will not be without their differences. Bell will sport the 2023 Interstate Batteries scheme that has appeared on each of the JGR cars at various times throughout the season.  Gibbs will sport a scheme with a matte-black base and Interstate Batteries branding in green with gold accents.

Christopher Bell, Driver of the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry TRD in the NASCAR Cup Series

● Let the (Second Round) Games Begin. Bell is among the 12 drivers who have advanced to the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, which kicks off this weekend with the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas. The playoff standings have been reset following last weekend’s Round of 16 finale at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, showing Bell in seventh place, five points above the Round of 8 cutline heading into the 30th race of the 2023 season.   ● No Red River Rivalry Here. College football season is in full swing and one of the most storied rivalries in the sport is that between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas. The Red River Rivalry has been going strong since 1929 and is referred to as such in honor of the “Red River," which runs along much of the border between the states of Texas and Oklahoma. Hailing from Norman, Oklahoma – a mere three hours from Texas Motor Speedway – Bell is considered a bit of a hometown kid when it comes to racing at Texas. That’s something he has in common with his primary sponsor for this weekend’s 400 mile race in the Lone Star State. Interstate Batteries, the outrageously dependable battery brand, is based in Dallas, a few short miles from the Texas oval. This is the fourth of five races at which Bell will pilot the Interstate Batteries-branded Toyota Camry. Interstate Batteries wraps up its 2023 primary role at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway next month with Bell and the No. 20 team.   ● Taming Texas. Bell is a five-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and he would like nothing more than to make this weekend’s race at Texas his sixth series win. In four career Cup Series starts at Texas, Bell has earned a pair of third-place finishes – each coming in the track’s fall races in 2020 and 2021. Prior to his Cup Series career, Bell was a regular in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The 2019 season was his last as an Xfinity Series regular – a season in which he scored eight wins, the final of which was at Texas during the track’s fall race. In total, Bell has five starts at Texas in Xfinity Series competition, scoring one win, three top-five finishes and four top-10s.

Ty Gibbs, Driver of the No. 54 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry TRD in the NASCAR Cup Series

● Just a Little Bit Closer. Ty Gibbs makes his 45th career start in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend at Texas. While he is not part of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoff field competing for the season title, he still has plenty for which to race. Sitting at the top of that to-do list is scoring his first career Cup Series win – a feat he came close to achieving during last Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol. To date, Gibbs has a trio of top-five finishes on his 2023 Cup Series racing resume, including his fifth-place finish at Bristol last weekend where he led a total of 102 laps before eventually losing the lead to teammate and eventual race-winner Denny Hamlin with less than 150 laps to go.    ● Texas History. The 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval is a track at which Gibbs has pevious Cup Series racing experience. He competed in the 2022 edition of the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, qualifying 16th, completing every race lap and finishing 20th. In addition to his lone Cup Series start in the Lone Star State, Gibbs participated in a pair of Xfinity Series races – both during the 2022 season in which he won the Xfinity Series championship. The 20-year old’s best Texas effort was a third-place finish he earned during last November’s Xfinity Series race.

Christopher Bell, Driver Q&A

It’s been a full year since the NASCAR Cup Series has raced at Texas. It’s a track that has seemed to be feast or famine for you. What are your expectations as you head into the weekend? “This Texas race is the first 400-mile race we’ve been in at the track. That will probably drive the intensity and make every lap more important. Last year, we had tire issues that really set us back, but I feel like our intermediate track program should set us up well this weekend. This race is going to be a very important race when it comes to being able to transfer to the next round in the playoffs. After this, we have Talladega and then the road course at Charlotte.”   You’ve had quite the streak in qualifying – earning the top starting spot in each of the first three playoff races. How important is qualifying up front, particularly at a track like Texas? “Having a good starting spot is important because you start out with great track position. The other part of it is that it usually means you have a pretty good racecar. We put ourselves in good position. I’m really proud of the Camrys that this 20 group have been able to bring to the races since we’ve started the playoffs. Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and the entire team have been doing a great job of being prepared every week.”   What does it mean to be part of this special sponsorhip program Interstate Batteries is executing this weekend with both you and Ty driving cars with Interstate branding? “Driving the Interstate Batteries car is kind of a right of passage at JGR – it’s like you are officialy part of the club. It’s a big deal to everyone at Interstate Batteries and everyone at JGR – they are the team’s founding partner. It’s an honor to be able to drive that car and would be even more special to win with it and at Texas.”

Ty Gibbs, Driver Q&A

What are your thoughts about this weekend’s 400-mile race at Texas? “I enjoy racing at Texas and it’s cool that Interstate Batteries has given me a black car for this event. It’s a big weekend for them with myself, (Christopher) Bell and (Trevor) Bayne all running the Interstate Batteries scheme. They are an important part of Joe Gibbs Racing and the founding sponsor, so hopefully we can give them a great weekend.”   Interstate Batteries is the founding partner at JGR. How special is it to be racing the Interstate Batteries colors at its home track this weekend?  “Norm Miller has been great to JGR all the way back to 1991, when my grandfather started this whole thing. He’s just a great guy, and Lain Hancock is doing a great job, and it’s more than a sponsorship – they’re part of the family. And I hope we can put them in victory lane.”

Micah Roberts' Top-10 Finish Prediction: 2023 Echopark Texas GP at COTA

The sixth race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup season takes us to our first road course event at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, known as COTA, which is America’s home to Formula-1 for the annual USGP. The 20-turn, 3.426-mile layout with an elevation change of 133 feet will get the Cup Series for the third consecutive season. This season's COTA race will have a different feel to it because the inaugural race winner Chase Elliott will be out due to a snowboarding accident in Colorado a few weeks ago. Elliott has been favored to win all the road courses the past few seasons because he wins most of them, or at least has seven wins between them. This race is up for grabs.

For my complete COTA article with a top-20 finish prediction, sign-up for Sportsline.com.

Here’s a look at what I’m thinking this week using odds to win courtesy of Caesars sportsbooks:

1 #45 Tyler Reddick (10/1) - This is where we ask the age-old question: was his last two seasons driving for RCR responsible for his amazing success on the roads, or was it the driver’s skill? We’ll get an answer to that question this week with Reddick in the No. 45 Toyota while Kyle Busch drives his former No. 8 Chevy. Let’s just say it’s 60% driver vs. a great car.

2 #1 Ross Chastain (8/1) - He’d finish seventh in 2021 at both Sonoma and Road America then and then came to COTA knowing he could win and he did for his first career Cup win. He’s got the arrogance needed to win this race.

3 #17 Chris Buescher (25/1) - He was top-10 in his last five road races in 2022, including a runner-up at Sonoma. He’s a must-play in any betting equation this week.

4 #16 A.J. Allmendinger (12/1) - Don’t mind the car number, it’s a road course, and Allmendinger is a candidate to win. He has two Cup wins in limited racing over his career, which is doing the near impossible in NASCAR with driving for an underfunded team.

5 #2 Austin Cindric (15/1) - Road courses are why he’s in NASCAR. This is where he got his chops to get someone from NASCAR to notice him. And then he goes and wins the Daytona 500 last season as a rookie.

6 #19 Martin Truex Jr (30/1) - He hasn’t won a road course race in his last 17 attempts on them with his last win coming at Sonoma in 2019 which starts a five-race run where he won three times in five races.

7 #99 Daniel Suarez (15/1) - He won at Sonoma last season for his first Cup win and then finished fifth at both Road America and Watkins Glen. Same car, same team, and he led 15 laps at COTA last season before settling for 24th.

8 #20 Christopher Bell (15/1) - He probably offers the best odds among all drivers because we’ve seen him win twice on the road courses in just 15 Cup starts.

9 #8 Kyle Busch (8/1) - He’s one of the best on road courses with four wins over his career, 16 top-fives, 25 top-10s, and 404 laps led. And he now drives the RCR car that won twice on roads last summer.

10 #11 Denny Hamlin (30/1) - He’s worked on his road course skills over his career and has one win and 13 top-fives in his 45 road course starts.

Practice 1 Speeds - Reddick Fastest

Video: NASCAR Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 Odds, Predictions & Picks by Micah Roberts.