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Texas Motor Speedway hosts its lone Cup race this weekend.
NASCAR heads to the 1.5-mile speedway after having run three of the final 4 races on quick tracks.
The final seven Texas Cup races have been received by a special driver. These winners are: Denny Hamlin (March 2019), Kevin Harvick (November 2019), Austin Dillon (July 2020), Kyle Busch (October 2020), Kyle Larson (October 2021), Tyler Reddick (September 2022) and William Byron (September 2023).
Right here’s a take a look at the place issues stand for every Cup group heading into the ninth race of the season:
23XI Racing — Excellent news: Bubba Wallace has certified within the high 10 in 14 of the final 17 races. He received the pole for final yr’s playoff race at Texas and completed third after main a race-high 111 laps. Tyler Reddick has 4 top-five finishes in his final seven begins at 1.5-mile tracks. Reddick’s 289 factors within the final seven races at 1.5-mile tracks is essentially the most within the sequence. Dangerous information: 23XI Racing has led 97 of two,429 laps this season. That ranks fifth within the sequence behind Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Staff Penske and Entrance Row Motorsports.
Entrance Row Motorsports — Excellent news: Todd Gilliland is coming off a season-best Thirteenth-place end at Martinsville. Dangerous Information: Gilliland and teammate Michael McDowell have but to attain a top-10 end at Texas in Cup.
Hendrick Motorsports — Excellent news: It’s good to be William Byron. He has received 9 of the final 44 Cup races. He has three wins this season. Every win has been on a special fashion observe: A superspeedway (Daytona 500), street course (COTA) and quick observe (Martinsville). Byron additionally received final fall’s playoff race at Texas. Chase Elliott has scored top-five finishes in every of the previous two races. Kyle Larson has scored a series-high 94 stage factors this season. Dangerous information: Byron and Alex Bowman have each but to attain a stage win this season.
Joe Gibbs Racing — Excellent news: Martin Truex Jr. has one of the best common end within the sequence this yr at 9.4. Denny Hamlin has one of the best common working place this season at 7.3. Christopher Bell has completed within the high 5 in three of the final 4 Texas races. Dangerous information: Ty Gibbs has a median end of 17.5 up to now two races. He had a median end of 6.0 within the earlier 5 races.
JTG Daugherty Racing — Excellent news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. completed ninth at Texas in September, the newest Cup race there. Dangerous information: That’s Stenhouse’s solely high 10 at Texas in 19 Cup begins.
Kaulig Racing — Excellent news: Martinsville is over. Josh Williams was twenty seventh and Daniel Hemric was twenty eighth there final weekend. Dangerous information: Hemric has completed twenty eighth or worse in every of the final 5 races.
Legacy Motor Membership — Excellent news: Staff co-owner Jimmie Johnson is again within the No. 84 automotive this weekend. Erik Jones has had back-to-back top-15 finishes for the primary time this season. Dangerous information: The workforce has but to guide a lap this yr.
Richard Childress Racing — Excellent news: Kyle Busch’s Sixteenth-place end at Martinsville snapped a streak of six consecutive finishes of twentieth or worse at tracks 1 mile or much less. Austin Hill makes his first Cup begin of the season, driving the No. 33 automotive for RCR. Dangerous information: Austin Dillon has been working within the high 15 in simply 7.2% of the two,429 laps run this yr.
Rick Ware Racing — Excellent news: Justin Haley ranks ninth within the sequence this yr in proportion of laps accomplished at 99.7%. Dangerous information: The group has but to attain a top-20 end at Texas.
RFK Racing — Excellent news: Brad Keselowski has scored 5 consecutive top-10 finishes at Texas, finest amongst energetic drivers. Dangerous information: Chris Buescher’s 15 stage factors this yr are the fewest amongst drivers in a playoff place. Keselowski fell out of a playoff spot, dropping to 18th within the factors after his Twenty fourth-place end at Martinsville.
Spire Motorsports — Excellent news: Carson Hocevar’s Seventeenth-place end at Martinsville was the group’s finest consequence within the final 4 races. Dangerous information: Rookie Zane Smith has scored the fewest factors of any driver who has began all eight Cup races this season.
Stewart-Haas Racing — Excellent news: Chase Briscoe introduced final week that his spouse is anticipating twins. The couple has a toddler, so Briscoe famous {that a} “Social gathering of 5” is coming. 5 is also the variety of consecutive high 10s he’s scored at Martinsville after his Tenth-place end. Ryan Preece positioned a season-best ninth at Martinsville. Noah Gragson completed sixth at Las Vegas in the newest race at a 1.5-mile speedway. Dangerous information: The group has but to attain a top-five end this yr. Briscoe is the workforce’s solely driver with a median end higher than twentieth this yr. His common end is 15.6.
Staff Penske — Excellent news: Joey Logano was thirtieth in factors 4 races in the past. He enters Texas fifteenth within the standings, the primary time this season he’s been in a playoff spot. Ryan Blaney’s finishes within the final 4 races on 1.5-mile speedways: third (Las Vegas), 2nd (Atlanta), 2nd (Homestead playoff 2023), sixth (Las Vegas playoff 2023). Logano and Blaney every has scored eight high 10s within the 11 races since Texas was reconfigured. That’s finest amongst energetic drivers. Dangerous information: Austin Cindric has completed 18th or worse in seven of the eight races this season.
Trackhouse Racing — Excellent news: Ross Chastain completed second final yr at Texas. Chastain ranks third within the sequence in factors scored on 1.5-mile tracks within the Subsequent Gen period, trailing solely Kyle Larson and William Byron. Dangerous information: Trackhouse’s two drivers, Chastain and Daniel Suarez have mixed for 5 pit street rushing penalties this yr. Solely Joe Gibbs Racing has had extra pit street rushing penalties this yr with six.
Wooden Brothers Racing — Excellent news: Harrison Burton has a median end of 19.0 in two Cup begins at Texas. He received the Xfinity race at Texas in 2020. Dangerous information: Burton has completed twenty seventh or worse in seven of the eight races this yr.
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