Tuesday, July 6 5:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., IMSA Auto Racing Pilot Challenge (tape delay), NBCSN
Wednesday, July 7 6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
Thursday, July 8 6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., ARCA Menards Series West NAPA Auto Parts 150 (at Irwindale) (tape delay), NBCSN
7 p.m., Dale Jr. Download, NBCSN
7 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (at Knoxville), FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (at Knoxville) (re-air), FS2
Friday, July 9 6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying races (at Knoxville), FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: Knoxville, FS1
9 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers (at Knoxville), FS1
On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Corn Belt 150 Presented by Premier Chevy Dealers (at Knoxville)
Saturday, July 10 6 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers (at Knoxville), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers (at Knoxville), FS2
2 p.m., Lost Speedways: Danger Zone (re-air), NBCSN
2:30 p.m., Lost Speedways: Home Treasures (re-air), NBCSN
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green (at Atlanta), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Credit Karma Money 250 (at Atlanta), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
On PRN
3 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Credit Karma Money 250 (at Atlanta)
Sunday, July 11
11 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers (at Knoxville), FS1
1 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: Atlanta, FS1
3 p.m., Countdown to Green: Atlanta, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart (at Atlanta), NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
On PRN
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart (at Atlanta)
Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch will be among six drivers to start at the rear of the NASCAR Cup Series field for Sunday’s Jockey Made in America 250 at Road America (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota lost power during Wallace’s qualifying run on Sunday morning, stalling out during the first round of the session. As a result, the team elected to change the transmission.
Wallace joins the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Kyle Busch and the No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet of Ryan Preece will start at the rear of the field after electing to bring out backup cars following a pair of crashes in Saturday’s Cup Series practice session.
The three other teams going to the rear include the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet of Justin Haley (engine change), the No. 52 Rick Ware Racing Ford of Josh Bilicki (unapproved adjustments) and the No. 78 LiveFast Motorsports Ford of Kyle Tilley (unapproved adjustments).
William Byron earned the Busch Pole for Sunday’s Jockey Made in America 250 presented by Kwik Trip (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Byron topped the board with a lap of 132.049 seconds at 110.359 miles per hour in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Byron’s teammate, Kyle Larson, will start alongside him on the front row with a lap of 132.233 seconds at 110.205 mph in the No. 5 Chevrolet.
“We struggled a little bit off the truck but we had some good changes in mind,” Byron told CNBC after his pole run. “It was fast in race trim on the long run … It’s nice to see Hendrick 1-2 and on the pole.”
AJ Allmendinger will start third for Sunday’s race at the 4.048-mile course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, followed by Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric. Denny Hamlin, Matt DiBenedetto, Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 12 drivers in the final round.
The biggest surprise of the first round was Chase Elliott’s starting spot. The winner of five of the last seven road-course races will start 34th after the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports was unable to complete a lap as cautions came out during the two times he was attempting his full speed lap.
There were a pair of cautions in the first 20-minute round of qualifying. The first came early in the session when the No. 78 LiveFast Motorsports Ford of Kyle Tilley stalled on course, while the second came in the closing minutes when Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota lost power during his qualifying lap.
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, Ryan Blaney is actively involved in the search for his crew chief.
Blaney adopted the voice of Jeremy Bullins in his ear when he signed with Wood Brothers Racing as a rookie in 2016. When Blaney made the transition to Team Penske in 2018, so did Bullins. The two worked together on the No. 12 Ford through the 2019 season.
Before the 2020 season, team owner Roger Penske switched up all three of his crew chiefs, pairing Blaney with Todd Gordon.
Well, just this week, Gordon announced he will retire from his crew-chief role at the conclusion of the 2021 schedule, and Blaney is already searching for his next play-caller.
“I appreciate Mr. Penske letting me have a big say in it,” Blaney said Saturday after the NASCAR Cup Series’ lone practice at Road America. “I think that’s the right thing to do, is really have everybody talk it out and try to figure out the right person for the job. Whether he’s internal or external, we have options. At least people we think can do it. Hopefully, they want to do it.”
Blaney and Bullins won three races together. Blaney and Gordon have two victories under their belts with 17 chances left to add to the total, starting with Sunday’s Jockey Made in America 250 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM).
The pair is locked into the playoffs thanks to their win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. They have three top-five and nine top-10 finishes through 19 races in 2021.
“It kind of stunk that I didn’t really get a full season of practice or qualifying to work with Todd,” Blaney said. “Because those first four races in 2020, we were spectacular and we had time to work with each other and really understand our cars. And then that was kind of taken away, unfortunately (due to COVID-19).”
Apart from the runner-up finish in the 2020 Daytona 500, the results themselves for the No. 12 team in the first four races last season don’t scream spectacular – 11th, 19th and 37th. But looking deeper into the details, Blaney led laps in three of the four events. He was even atop the points standings after Weeks 2 and 3.
Blaney later won at Talladega Superspeedway in June to qualify for the playoffs, where he was ultimately eliminated after the Round of 16. He finished ninth in the final standings.
“Definitely a new adventure for me; it’ll be pretty good,” Blaney said. “But right now, focused on ending Todd’s racing career with a bang.”
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Michael Annett pitted with 10 laps to go in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America. The veteran driver thought it was a bit soon at the time. But when caution flew four circuits later and a good chunk of the front-runners stayed out on older tires, he knew his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet was going to be sitting rather pretty as laps ticked off.
And he was right. Annett finished third, just behind race-winner Kyle Busch and second-place Daniel Hemric. Justin Haley and Noah Gragson were fourth and fifth, respectively.
“It’s good for me to be up there,” Annett said. “I know, throughout practice, I’m never in the top 10, top 15. So, my strategy is always stay on course, try to keep the fenders on it and then, when those guys are all beat up and the fenders are rubbing on the tires, my car is brand-new. … It’s just typical Xfinity Series road-course racing. Everybody just beats and bangs, and usually, if you just keep your nose clean, you’re going to be there at the end and get a bunch of spots at the end.”
The top-five finish marked Annett’s first in 2021. It was his eighth inside the top 10.
Annett actually has nine career starts at Road America now, making him the third-most experienced Xfinity Series driver there. He holds two top-five results and four top 10s. His other top five (runner-up) came in 2017 with his current team.
“I don’t know,” Annett said. “I really don’t like road courses. I’m having a lot more fun this year. Last year, really, I started to figure out some things and started to look forward to them.”
Nine races race remain before the 12-driver Xfinity Series playoff field is set, starting with next Saturday’s Credit Karma Money 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM), and two of those are on road courses (Watkins Glen International on Aug. 7 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Aug. 14). Annett has one career top-10 finish at each venue, and both came last season – eighth at Watkins Glen and ninth at Indy.
Annett is a part of the playoff picture, sitting 10th and 56 points to the good.
“We’re right there,” Annett said. “But we’re not comfortable.”
ELKHART LAKE, Wis.— Taking advantage of a late wreck that foiled other contenders — not to mention fresher tires for the final six-lap green-flag run — Kyle Busch won Saturday’s Henry 180 at Road America, claiming his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in four starts this season.
On Lap 41 of 45, Busch took the lead from AJ Allmendinger, whose No. 16 Chevrolet was struggling on older tires.
Over the next four laps, the driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota widened his lead to 3.522 seconds at the finish over teammate Daniel Hemric, who ran second after passing Allmendinger for the runner-up spot.
Busch, who won in his Road America debut and for the 101st time in his career, extending his own series record. The victory came after Busch experienced several off-track excursions that luckily didn’t deprive his car of the speed necessary to win.
“Obviously, tires — that was the saving grace for us,” said Busch, who got four new tires under caution on Lap 36. “We had a set of tires left over and (Allmendinger) didn’t.
“When we did put our last set of tires on, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to get through that many cars. I don’t know what happened on those last couple of restarts. I couldn’t really see what was happening. We were fortunate to get by that stuff and get through that stuff without any damage to our race car.”
Busch restarted seventh on Lap 40 after the final caution for the multicar wreck. He made up four positions almost immediately and passed Allmendinger for the lead in Turn 3 on the next circuit.
Michael Annett overtook Allmendinger on the next-to-last lap and finished third. The winner of the first two stages, Allmendinger held fourth, with Harrison Burton completing the top five.
An 11-car wreck between Turns 2 and 3 after a restart on Lap 37 damaged the contending cars of Austin Cindric and Justin Allgaier and set Busch up for his run to victory. Cindric appeared in control of the race until he pitted for tires after the No. 81 Toyota of Ty Gibbs stalled on the track with transmission issues on Lap 35 and caused the sixth caution of the race.
Cindric’s No. 22 Ford sustained damage to the right-rear in the melee that followed the restart, and he was forced to pit for repairs. Nevertheless, he charged to eighth place at the finish and holds an 89-point lead over second-place Allmendinger in the series standings.
“Sometimes it works out for you, and sometimes it doesn’t,” Cindric said philosophically. “Today was one of those days. It just wasn’t meant to be. If they gave out an award for cars passed, we would handily have that.
“I’m not sure there’s a corner on this car that doesn’t have damage. I appreciate the hard work by everybody. We had a decent points day, and we will move on.”
Gibbs, who edged Cindric for the pole position during Saturday morning’s time trials, was running second when his car stopped because of the broken transmission at the top of the hill in Turn 6. His 31st-place result was his worst in a part-time campaign that has produced two victories and seven top fives in nine starts.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ next race is scheduled next Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Notes: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage was completed without issues or lug-nut violations.
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Kurt Busch entered the Chevrolet simulator last Wednesday with a clear mind – and phone. When he exited, there were about 200 unread messages. Busch immediately knew something happened.
While he was turning laps on the virtual Road America, the Trackhouse Racing Team announced it purchased Busch’s current team, Chip Ganassi Racing.
“It was a surprise to me,” Busch said Saturday after posting the fastest speed in the NASCAR Cup Series practice at Road America. “But all of us at Ganassi looked at each other and said, ‘We’ve got a playoff berth right in front of us. Let’s go get it, let’s win, and let’s push as hard as we can here, right now, in 2021.’”
Chip Ganassi Racing has 16 NASCAR races left in its tank, starting with Sunday’s Jockey Made in America 250 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Trackhouse will acquire CGR’s equipment and two charters at the conclusion of the 2021 season. Trackhouse currently leases a charter from Spire Motorsports to back the No. 99 Toyota, driven by Daniel Suarez, who will return in 2022.
That leaves one seat open, and there are two drivers at Chip Ganassi Racing – Busch in the No. 1 Chevrolet and Ross Chastain in the No. 42 entry. Busch is in his third season with Ganassi. Chastain is in his first.
“We’ve actually talk – (owner) Justin Marks and myself – about Trackhouse,” Busch said. “Now it’s going to have a different name and branding, and I’m familiar with everybody at Ganassi, so it changes the complexion of how we’ve talked already and what we still need to talk about.”
Nothing in Busch’s long-term future is confirmed yet. The 2004 champ does have a call in to FOX Sports, which is now down an analyst after Jeff Gordon’s departure for a vice-chairman position at Hendrick Motorsports. Busch will be in the booth for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoffs this season and next, he confirmed.
The Trackhouse-Ganassi news was also a shock to Denny Hamlin, whose 23XI Racing Team is looking to obtain a second charter, but the change of power doesn’t worry him.
“I don’t think (charters are) as scarce as people think,” Hamlin said. “There are still rules in there that you still gotta go out there and compete. You can’t just ride around, or else your charter could be up for sale. There are a lot of provisions, a lot of ways you can get into this sport. And we’re looking at all avenues.”
Kyle Larson, who races for Hendrick Motorsports now, is currently Chip Ganassi Racing’s winningest driver with six victories. Larson began his full-time Cup career with CGR in 2014 and continued it until 2020, when he was released four races into the season after his use of a racial slur on an iRacing platform.
“Obviously wish things would have worked out better for me last year and all that with their race team,” Larson said. “But he’s meant a lot to me. He’s not leaving racing. He’s still going to make a huge impact on motorsports. He’s one of the greatest car owners there’s ever been in motorsports. I’m just thankful I got to race for him.”
Jamie McMurray has the second-most wins with five. He stepped out from the No. 1 machine in 2018, giving the wheel to Busch.
Busch has two wins under the Chip Ganassi Racing banner – one apiece in 2019 and 2020. He currently ranks 14th in points and is three points to the good on the playoff cutline. Chastain is 22nd.
“We’ve won a couple races but would love to see more wins,” Busch said. “Just got to go out and push hard here as a winner. Because Chip is a winner. I think that’s what his legacy is going to be.”
Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip at Road America (⏰ 2:30 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Sunday’s Cup Series race at Road America and 20th points-paying event of the season.
Where: Road America, a 4.048-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin Green flag time of race: 2:40 p.m. ET
Practice: Saturday at 12:35 p.m. ET on NBCSN | 50-minute open session Qualifying: Sunday at 11:05 a.m. ET on NBCSN | Group qualifying TV/Radio: NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Forecast: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 92. Heat index values as high as 95. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph Race Distance: 62 laps, 250 miles Stages: 14 | 29 | 62 Pit-road speed: 40 mph Caution car speed: 45 mph Honorary starter: Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers running back Road America 101: Get the full lowdown
Entry list: See who’s in the field Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where| Explaining backward pit stops at Road America
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media
Five to watch
Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at Road America.
1. Although Hendrick Motorsports stumbled a tad compared to their recent streak during the Pocono Raceway doubleheader, it’s highly unlikely that all four drivers won’t be in the running for victory on Sunday. Chase Elliott is NASCAR’s newest road-course king, but Kyle Larson is right there to pounce. Elliott and Larson have finished 1-2 the past two road-course races, with Elliott winning at Circuit of The Americas, while Larson held off his fellow teammate for the Sonoma Raceway win. Alex Bowman has top 10s in all three road-course races so far this season, while three of William Byron’s five finishes outside the top 10 this season have come on road courses.
2. There are four Cup Series drivers in the field this weekend that have won Xfinity Series races at Road America — AJ Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Austin Cindric and Michael McDowell. Among those drivers, Allmendinger and Bell have seen the most success during Cup Series road-course races this season. Bell won at the Daytona Road Course, while Allmendinger finished seventh at Daytona RC and fifth at Circuit of The Americas. All four could be poised to steal the show on Sunday. McDowell does have top 10s in two of the three road races this season.
3. With seven races to go in the regular season, three drivers have gained a substantial amount of points over the last four races on the playoff cutline. Kurt Busch has gained 86 points on the bubble over the last four races and is three points above the cutline, Daniel Suarez has gained 54 points and is 48 points back on the cutline. Bubba Wallace has gained 41 points over last four races and is 54 points below the bubble.
4. On the top side of the spectrum, the race for the regular-season championship is heating up between Larson and Denny Hamlin. Over 140 points sat between both drivers in the regular-season standings after the Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway on May 9. But in the seven races since, Hamlin now just holds a two-point lead on the Cup Series’ hottest driver. Larson has won four races this season so far, while the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team of Hamlin has yet to break into Victory Lane.
5. The future for Kurt Busch and Ross Chastain is a little foggy after this week’s news that Trackhouse Racing Team will take over the assets of Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the 2021 season. With rumors of Silly Season swirling, Trackhouse Racing Team owner Justin Marks says that Suarez will continue to drive the No. 99 in 2022, which leaves one more seat up for grabs with a second car. Marks did indicate that Busch and Chastain are the top two candidates for the ride, but nothing is set in stone just yet.
Race-day staples
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles. •Power Rankings: Alex Bowman as a title contender? | Scope the ranks •Paint Scheme Preview: Looks for Road America | See the schemes •Fantasy Fastlane: Kurt Busch an ideal pick? | Full Fantasy advice |Set your roster •Preview Show: Underdogs show promise at Road America | Watch the show
Get in on the action
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy. • Betting odds for Road America | See the odds
• Don’t sleep on Allmendinger |Read why in our BetMGM preview • Elliott tops oddsboards, but Allmendinger crashes party | Learn more • Is a bet on Elliott to win the title worth the wait? | Learn more
• Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
• Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
Returning to Road America
As the Cup Series returns to Wisconsin, take a look back at history while learning more about the track. • Back to 1956: Looking back on the first Cup Series race at Road America | Go back in time • Track preview: Will recent experience pay off at Road America? | Watch video • Turn-by-turn: Analyzing all 14 turns at Road America | Get to know the track
Fast facts
Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights. •Sunday will be the first Cup Series race at Road America since 1956 when Tim Flock won the race. There are 23,702 days between Cup races at Road America, nearly 65 years • Road America now owns the title for longest track on the circuit at 4.048 miles, ahead of Circuit of The Americas at 3.61 miles. •Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson have finished 1-2 the past two road-course races. Elliott has won five of the last seven road-course events. •Kyle Larson has finished in the top two in seven of the past eight points-paying races. •Hendrick Motorsports has won six of the past seven races and finished 1-2 in four races. • Martin Truex Jr. has just one top-10 finish since his Darlington Raceway victory, which was eight races ago. Truex has averaged a finish of 17.25 the past seven races.
Catch the pack
Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race. • Trackhouse Racing to acquire Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of 2021 season | Learn more
• Six candidates to watch as potential drivers of Trackhouse’s second car | Who could it be? • Matt DiBenedetto eyes Road America redemption, historic victory for Wood Brothers Racing | Read more • Chase Elliott on Jeff Gordon’s executive qualities, early career help | Read more • Chase Elliott nominated for 2021 ESPYS Best Driver Award | Read more • Michael McDowell carries experience, fond memories in Road America return | Read more
• How the postseason picture looks leading into Road America | Playoff Watch
Say what?
Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.
“I’ve raced there before in an Xfinity car in 2013. I remember it was a really fun race track – a really long race track. I’m definitely excited to get back there this weekend because it’s a really cool place. Whether on the simulator or iRacing, it’s good to get visuals of elevation changes ahead of time.” — Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
“It’s nice going into the weekend with some experience that Cup veterans may not have since I’ve raced at Road America in the Xfinity Series. It makes me wish we weren’t having practice or qualifying so the Cup veterans could feel a little bit of what I felt heading into the Sonoma race weekend without turning a lap there! Regardless, this weekend is going to be a great opportunity for our team.” — Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
“I think a lot of people are noticing how narrow the track, that’s for sure. It’s very unique in that aspect for stock cars, but you still have enough room to move around and race too. I think a lot of them have simulator laps and Kyle (Busch), I think came up here and tested as well. They are world class racecar drivers. They will figure it out. Honestly, they haven’t really reached out to me, but I’m sure they are going to be tough to beat whenever they get here.” — Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kurt Busch knocked off brother Kyle Busch from the top of the leaderboard with less than three minutes left in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice in preparation for Sunday’s Jockey Made in America 250 at Road America (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Busch laid down a lap of 133.849 seconds at 108.875 miles per hour in the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Kyle Busch finished with the second-fastest time at 134.116 seconds with a speed of 108.658 mph, but that was before he crashed the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the lone practice session. Busch came on the radio right after the incident: “The car is killed. Backup.”
The team did elect to pull out the backup car for Sunday’s race and will be forced to start at the rear of the field.
Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick finished out the top-five positions, followed by Denny Hamlin, AJ Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe to round out the top 10.
In 1956, what is known today as the NASCAR Cup Series visited Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin to compete at what is known as Road America — a road course well-known to several racing circuits. This weekend, the Cup Series returns for the first time in 65 years for the Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
NASCAR Hall of Famer Tim Flock won that road-course race that day, and it would be his last NASCAR victory of a storied career. He won 39 races in the Cup Series and won two season championships. Fellow NASCAR Hall of Famers and racing pioneers Junior Johnson, Lee Petty, Fireball Roberts, Joe Weatherly, Rex White, and Curtis Turner — among others — were in the field that day.
The Cup Series paychecks are a tad bit better these days. So who tops the NASCAR racing odds this weekend, and what is going to happen? We discuss the contenders below with odds as of Saturday afternoon.
For once, Kyle Larson (+300) isn’t dominating this category, right? By Saturday after practice, though, Larson was a co-favorite.
Road courses are a special place for Chase Elliott. And his Hall of Fame daddy — Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, Bill Elliott — he was pretty good at these rare venues, too. At least they were rare when Bill raced.
Chase has nabbed six of his 12 NASCAR Cup Series wins on road courses, thus his standing heading into this weekend. In 15 career road-course races in the Cup Series, he has eight top-five finishes. It’s an incredible stat and explains why he tops the NASCAR betting odds going into this weekend.
OTHERS: Larson (+300) has proven he can win on any style track. It only makes sense he’s near the top. He’s been nearly untouchable the past month (year?).
Martin Truex, Jr. (+850) is third in the odds and has an impressive record on road courses, winning four races in the Cup Series and finishing in the top 10 more than half the time he’s raced on tracks of this genre. This is clearly a niche for stock-car racers, and Truex is one of the best. And Kyle Busch (+1200) is always a threat, anywhere. Who are we kidding? No need to elaborate.
THE DARK HORSE THREAT
AJ Allmendinger (+2000)
The Road America course in Elkhart Lake has been a racing playground for A.J. Allmendinger for nearly 15 years. While many of the NASCAR Cup Series regulars haven’t been here — or if they have, it was years ago in a lesser series — Allmendinger has gotten it done.
Allmendinger has won here in diverse series (Xfinity Series 2013, Cart/CCWS in 2006). There’s a reason he’s No. 7 (tied) this week in the NASCAR odds, even though he’s not in elite equipment.
The man can wheel a car around this Wisconsin-based track. Folks might be sick of him being brought up every time there’s a road-course race, but let’s face it? While several Cup Series drivers quietly loathe these tracks, Allmendinger salivates when he sees them on the calendar.
THE INTRIGUING LONG SHOT
Christopher Bell (+2500)
This young man won the Xfinity Series race here at Elkhart Lake in 2019. He won the Daytona Road Course race earlier this year and has been an understudy of Kyle Busch, who has won everywhere.
Bell has posted top-five finishes in the Cup or Xfinity Series at five different road-course venues: Daytona, Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, Charlotte … and Road America.
