Posted on July 3, 2021July 3, 2021 by Terrin Waack

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.

PHOTOS: All of Chip Ganassi Racing’s wins by driver

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.”

Posted on July 3, 2021 by Chase Wilhelm

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

Posted on July 3, 2021July 3, 2021 by Staff Report

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).

RELATED: Practice results

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.

Another driver going to a backup car for Sunday will be Ryan Preece, who received significant damage to the front end of the No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet early on in the session. Preece will also start from the rear.

Brad Keselowski went for a spin with a handful of minutes left, but was able to keep the No. 2 Team Penske Ford off the wall and away from any damage.

Next up for the Cup Series is Sunday’s Busch Pole qualifying session at 11:05 a.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App.

Posted on July 3, 2021July 3, 2021 by Staff Report

This article is brought to you by BetMGM.

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.

THE ODDS-ON FAVORITE

Chase Elliott (+300)

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.

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Sean Montgomery

It has been nearly two years since Matt DiBenedetto was last seated in a race car at Road America, the site of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Jockey Made in America 250 presented by Kwik Trip (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). A lot of things have changed since then, but for DiBenedetto, the focus remains on a race for redemption and a chance to solidify his name among renowned names in NASCAR history.

RELATED: Road America schedule | Learn more about Road America

DiBenedetto’s lone start at the technical, 14-turn Wisconsin track came in 2019 by way of an Xfinity Series seat for Joe Gibbs Racing. In a field packed with skilled road-course drivers like AJ Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindricc, it was DiBenedetto who led almost twice as many laps as anyone else in the 38-driver field. Chasing down race-leader Bell on the final lap, DiBenedetto spun in the final turn and limped home with a 27th-place finish.

“We led a lot of laps but we kinda threw the race away,” DiBenedetto told NASCAR.com. “I wish we could go back and redo that one. We were easily the fastest car on the race track and I made mistakes, we had a blow-up of a pit stop and I didn’t do a good enough job of trying to recover from that many mistakes and yeah, the win slipped away from us. That one still haunts me to this day.”

Now, the driver in his second season with the Wood Brothers Racing is focused on controlling the positives and capitalizing on a new opportunity this weekend.

“It’s still encouraging though that we were really fast,” DiBenedetto said. “[Road America] is a track that I really love and it’s one of my favorite places that we go to. So there are a lot of positives on that side of it and I’m fortunate that I have been there a few times.”

With NASCAR’s premier series heading back to Elkhart Lake for the first time since 1956, DiBenedetto’s in-race experience gives him a slight edge with the No. 21 crew pushing for consecutive playoff berths for the first time under the new format. Entering the weekend, DiBenedetto’s camp sits 60 points behind 14th place in the playoff standings, the current cutline (based on drivers that don’t have wins in the standings).

RELATED: Who’s on the playoff bubble?

“Our number one goal has been to make the playoffs,” DiBenedetto said. “I’ll be honest, we’ve had probably the roughest luck, circumstances, whatever you want to call it in my career this year. It just feels like nothing is lined up, we have not had smooth races and when we do, it’s like, ‘Alright, yeah we have a top 10 run going’ and then we have an electrical issue or something. It’s just been one thing after another.”

Through race 19 out of 36, DiBenedetto remains winless and is on pace for fewer top 10 runs than a season ago when he had a career-best 11 top-10 finishes. In early June, the team made a major change, tasking Jonathan Hassler — a long-time Team Penske engineer — with getting them back on track for a late-season push.

But the changes and adversity haven’t distracted him from one of his biggest personal goals — a historic milestone that would turn the entire season, and perhaps his career, around.

“I really want to get that 100th win for the Wood brothers,” DiBenedetto said. “We have the strength to do that as a team, just need some things to fall a little bit our way.”

Sitting on 99 wins since Ryan Blaney’s 2017 triumph at Pocono Raceway, the milestone victory for DiBenedetto would solidify him among all-time great names for the longest continuously operating team in the series. It would also mark his first career victory in the Cup Series. He nearly achieved the goal a season ago, finishing a heartbreaking runner-up in both races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He also led taking the white-flag lap at Talladega Superspeedway this spring.

RELATED: Betting odds for Road America

In spite of all the pressure as the regular season winds down, DiBenedetto is confident that he and his team are moving in the right direction.

“Like many teams, we have had to work improving our road course program,” DiBenedetto said. “We were a little weak there. But I think we are making some gains and I’m excited to see where we fall at Road America.”

Posted on July 2, 2021July 2, 2021 by Staff Report

Want a chance to win $444 on the Fourth of July?

Busch is celebrating the Fourth of July weekend by giving out $444 every time Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford is driving during a lap with the number “4” in it in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). That means, you potentially have 15 shots (Laps 4, 14, 24, 34, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 54) to win some money and a Busch Light Apple cooler. Harvick must complete the lap for there to be a winner for the particular lap.

RELATED: Road America weekend schedule

How do you enter for a shot to win? Follow @BuschBeer on Twitter, turn on your notifications and tweet #BuschLightApple and #Sweepstakes during the laps with a “4” in them for your chance to win!

Coming into Sunday’s race at Road America, Harvick is ninth in the point standings. His 14 top 10s are tied for the most in the series through 19 races. He also has six top fives on the season with a best finish of second at Kansas Speedway. The race at the Wisconsin road course will be Harvick’s first start there across any national series and marks the Cup Series’ first start there since 1956.

Sunday’s race also marks Harvick’s first of the season with Busch Light Apple adorning his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. The Busch Light Apple colors were on his car last year for three races — including two victories at Michigan last August.

Busch Light Apple is a crisp, refreshing, apple-flavored lager with a touch of sweet on the front end and a clear, beer finish on the back end. It is available for a limited time only in 12-, 24- and 30-packs at a store near you.

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

With the NASCAR Cup Series visiting its fourth road course of the 2021 season, Chase Elliott overtakes teammate Kyle Larson as the betting favorite to win Sunday’s event at Road America. The Jockey Made in America 250 presented by Kwik Trip (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) marks the seventh straight race in which one of these two Hendrick drivers has had the shortest price, Elliott has been the chalk for the three road races during this span.

Elliott, though, is out of form. While he’s been far and away the series’ best road course driver in recent seasons, the No. 9 Chevrolet finished 27th, 12th and 39th the last three Cup races. That explains the lengthening of his odds for this weekend’s race in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, from his prices at the two most recent races on road courses.

Elliott is offered at a market consensus 5/2 (+250, or bet $100 to win $250) to take the checkers in Cheeseland, longer odds than his +200 at Sonoma in June and +180 at the Circuit of The Americas in May.

Second on this week’s oddsboard is Larson, who despite some hiccups at the Pocono doubleheader last weekend, continues to look like the best driver in the field. He has three wins (including Sonoma) and four second-place finishes over the last eight points-paying races. This week, Larson can be had for +350 at a variety of sportsbooks around the country.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch are the only two other drivers listed in single-digit odds in early wagering. Truex (market consensus of 6/1 odds) is excellent on road courses, tallying two wins, a 7.91 average finish and 116.1 average rating in the 11 road course races since 2018. Busch (market consensus of 8/1 odds) frequently runs near the front but is wildly inconsistent on these layouts. He has four top 5s but no wins, an 18.82 average finish and a 94.8 rating over that same 11-race span.

As impressive as Truex’s past performances have been, Elliott is a master of the road course domain. Over those 11 races, Elliott has six wins, a 6.91 average finish and a 125.0 rating. While those numbers easily justify a play at 5/2 odds, it’s up to bettors to weigh them against his recent overall struggles.

Crashing the party

Nine of Sunday’s top 10 favorites are either from the Hendrick, Gibbs or Penske garages. The outlier? AJ Allmendinger, ninth on the betting board at 25/1 odds at BetMGM.

While The Dinger hasn’t been a Cup regular since 2018, Kaulig Racing has been putting him in the No. 16 Chevy for select road course races this season – and with solid returns. Allmendinger finished fifth in Austin and seventh on the Daytona Road Course.

In five road course races since 2018, Allmendinger has a top five and three top 10s, plus a respectable 14.40 average finish and 81.8 rating.

So respected is Allmendinger this week that SuperBook USA in Las Vegas matches him against drivers from each of the top three teams in head-to-head props. Here are those lines as of Thursday afternoon:

Joey Logano -140 vs. Allmendinger +120
Denny Hamlin -130 vs. Allmendinger +110
William Byron -110 vs. Allmendinger -110

Also, Allmendinger is the +220 favorite in a group matchup with Ryan Blaney (+280), Kevin Harvick (+300) and Christopher Bell (+300).

At Barstool Sportsbook, he is +650 to finish in the top three, +300 for top five and -106 for top 10.

Thoughts from a pro

From a handicapping perspective, road courses are relatively easy to figure out and therefore tough for bettors to beat. While that may sound counterintuitive, such predictability means the odds are usually sharp, making it more difficult to find an edge.

Zack White gambles professionally and counts NASCAR as one of his sports, but road course races are among those he stays away from.

“Historically, I just haven’t had good results (on road course races),” White said. “I feel like it’s easier for the bookmakers to get it right when they’re hanging the lines. Drivers are either good at road courses or they’re not, or they either have good equipment or they don’t. So it’s easier for them to price. Also, I just need a need a week off every now and then, and it feels like the easiest ones to take.”

For those of us who just have to get some action down, the suggestion is to target drivers with high levels of skill.

“Some tracks I call skill tracks. Anytime you’ve got to do shifting or breaking or turns that are more than just a wide one and two, three and four, like the D-ovals and stuff, the driver’s skill comes into play,” White added. “Some of the other tracks, you could put anybody in Kyle Larson’s car and send them around Atlanta with a gas pedal all the way to the floor, and they’re going to do pretty well.”

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Zach Sturniolo

For the first time since 1956, the NASCAR Cup Series will navigate the twists, turns, inclines and declines of Road America. How fitting the reunion takes place on Sunday, July 4 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The NASCAR Xfinity Series has journeyed to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, since 2010, so teams’ notebooks aren’t totally empty. Break out the brats and cheese curds as we sort through another new venue on the Cup Series circuit.

FAN ATTENDANCE

Road America’s return to the Cup schedule will be held in front of a full throng of fans roaming around America’s National Park of Speed.

For more information on how the facility is protecting fans from COVID-19 and any other questions about navigating the facility, check out the track’s website here.

RULES PACKAGE

As with all road courses on the 2021 Cup calendar, teams will utilize the low-downforce, high-horsepower package this weekend in Wisconsin. With 750 HP under the hood, teams will also have shorter spoilers and splitters to lessen the impact of aerodynamics.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Teams will receive three sets of tires for Saturday’s practice session, one for qualifying and six for Sunday’s race. This week’s tire compound will be the same as utilized at Circuit of the Americas, the most recently raced new road course on the Cup calendar this season.

“Road America is one of several road courses at which we will run the same tire code this season,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “All three national series ran this tire at COTA in May and the Xfinity cars ran it again at Mid-Ohio in June, with it coming back again at Indianapolis in August. It helps teams to have a common tire at different tracks because they can start to build a notebook on that tire and remove that variable from how they approach tracks that are of different lengths, number of turns and balance between straightaways and corners.”

PRACTICE & QUALIFYING

Because Cup cars have yet to traverse the hilly, twisty terrain of Road America, teams will be afforded one practice session on Saturday (12:35 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN) before qualifying Sunday morning (11:05 a.m. ET, CNBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR HISTORY AT ROAD AMERICA

— Tim Flock won the Cup Series’ lone race on the original course in 1956 driving a Mercury. His average speed was 71.2 mph.

— The track was built in the early 1950s, a project headed by highway designer Clif Tufte, before hosting its first race in 1955, a Sports Car Club of America competition for its Chicago region.

— There will have been 23,702 days between the 1956 Cup race and the 2021 date, the longest gap between races in series history.

— Four past Road America winners from the Xfinity Series will compete in Sunday’s Cup Series event: AJ Allmendinger (2013 winner), Michael McDowell (2016), Christopher Bell (2019) and Austin Cindric (2020).

— Road America will be the third “new” track on the Cup schedule in the last seven weeks.

Source: Racing Insights

ODDS ARE…

If one thing is true, regardless of whether a track is new, Chase Elliott is the man to beat on road courses.

Elliott has won five of the last seven road course races and enters Road America as the favorite at 23-10 odds, courtesy of BetMGM. Kyle Larson, who won the most recent road course race at Sonoma Raceway, enters not far behind at 14-5 odds while Martin Truex Jr. sits at 13-2 odds.

On the surface, Truex would seem like a great bet with wins in three of the last 12 road course races. But use caution with Truex this week: The No. 19 team has finished outside the top 10 in six of the last seven Cup races, the lone exception being a third-place finish at Sonoma.

But if you’re looking for a sleeper, consider Alex Bowman. The winner of last Saturday’s race at Pocono Raceway, Bowman has four straight top 10s on road courses and has never finished worse than 14th on a road course since joining Hendrick Motorsports.

ODDS: See the betting lines for Road America

ROAD AMERICA STORY LINES

— Road America now boasts the longest track distance in the sport at 4.048 miles with a straightaway that’s 4,405 feet long and 36 feet wide.

— After Darlington Raceway in May, Kyle Larson trailed points-leader Denny Hamlin by 144 points. That gap has shrunken to just two points as Hamlin barely maintains his point lead.

— With top 10s in three of his last four races, Kurt Busch has snuck his way back into the Playoffs and sits +3 on the cut line entering this weekend’s race at Road America.

— Kyle Larson has already won four races this year, but he could have as many as nine if not for late-race mistakes that took him out of contention.

— With a win last Sunday at Pocono, Kyle Busch has taken sole ownership of No. 9 in all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins with 59 victories. Next in line? Dale Earnhardt, who won 76 races.

— Nineteen races into the season, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin both remain winless after combining for 16 victories in 2020.

— Kyle Larson maintains the longest top-10 streak of his career with eight in a row, including a ninth-place finish in Pocono 1 despite blowing a left-front tire and impacting the wall in the final turn that cost him a fourth consecutive win.

Source: Racing Insights

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts. It’s not too late to join in on the competition.

The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (757), Kyle Larson (745) and William Byron (681).

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on July 1, 2021July 1, 2021 by Chase Wilhelm

The NASCAR Cup Series will hit the track at Road America for the first time since 1956 with Sunday’s Jockey Made in America 250 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), while the Xfinity Series races the Henry 180 on Saturday (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

But before all the action, we analyze all the twists and turns of the 14-turn, 4.048-mile Road America course to get you ready for a historic Fourth of July weekend. See the turn-by-turn breakdown below as we ride along with Justin Haley during Xfinity Series action in 2020.

TURN 1: Cars will rocket from the start-finish line downhill to the first turn of the road course, which is a flat right-hand corner. Drivers will be heavy on the brakes to make it through without going into the run-off area.

TURNS 2 & 3: The second turn is less of a corner and more of a little right-hand kink in the track before reaching Turn 3. Cars will gain a bit of speed before decelerating and downshifting for the right-hander.

TURN 4: Like Turn 2, the fourth turn is more of a right-hand kink in the longer straightaway as drivers approach Turn 5.

TURN 5: After gaining a decent amount of speed in Turn 4 through the Moraine Sweep, drivers will be on the brakes and likely downshifting to first gear entering the first left-hand turn on the road course.

TURN 6 & 7: The left-hand sixth turn will come quickly after a short chute up the hill, as drivers will move up to second gear, staying in the same gear through the right-hand Turn 7.

TURN 8: Drivers will hurry up through Hurry Downs to grab third gear out of Turn 7 before downshifting right back to second gear for the left-hand eighth turn, one of the sharpest turns on the course.

TURNS 9 & 10: This is what’s referred to as “The Carousel” portion of the course, which is a long, sweeping right-hand series of corners. Drivers will roll through the turn in second gear and feather the throttle in order to carry speed through it without going over the edge.

TURN 11: Drivers will grab third gear coming out of the Carousel and roll through this slight right-hander — the Kink. It’s not a heavy braking zone, but they will need to be careful when they get back on the throttle.

TURN 12: Drivers will be in fourth gear through Kettle Bottoms and downshift all the way down to second and heavy on the brakes for Canada Corner, the right-hand 12th turn.

TURN 13: Drivers will stay in second gear after Turn 12 and roll through this left-hand corner — the Bill Mitchell Bend — without upshifting going uphill.

TURN 14: The final corner is a right-hander as drivers will roll through it still in second gear before launching back out onto the frontstretch and upshifting up the hill to fourth gear back to the start-finish line.

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Reid Spencer

In compiling a series-best four NASCAR Xfinity victories so far this season, Austin Cindric has won on four distinctly different tracks — the Daytona superspeedway; the flat, one-mile asphalt Phoenix; the high-banked, one-mile concrete at Dover; and the 2.5-mile triangular Pocono, with its three distinct corners.

A surprising absence from Cindric’s resume this year is a road course win — given that road course racing generally is acknowledged as his forte. But the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford hopes to correct that omission in Saturday’s Henry 180 at Road America (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The defending winner of last year’s Xfinity Series race at the 4.048-mile circuit, Cindric also will race in the Cup event there on Sunday.

“It’s just a classic race track,” Cindric says. “There’s no two ways about it. I’m excited for this weekend, mainly because Road America always pulls a great crowd. It’s a great atmosphere.

“It’s Fourth of July weekend, and I feel like there’s a really passionate short-track racing fan base in that part of the country, and that part of the country hasn’t had a Cup race in I don’t know how long. So I’m excited to see the turnout. It should be a really fun weekend.”

Cindric will face stiff competition if he hopes to go back-to-back at Road America. Road course ace AJ Allmendinger and JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier are Xfinity Series regulars who have won at the track.

In addition, NASCAR Cup Series stars Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick are competing in the lower series to get additional track time. Busch won his 100th Xfinity Series race June 19 at Nashville Superspeedway, extending his own series record.

“Being able to come to a new track — when everything was announced that we were coming here — I wanted to run there as much as I could,” says Busch, who has never raced at Road America. “We were able to work it out so both myself and Ty (Gibbs) can run here, as well, so I think it’s beneficial for both of us.

“He loves road racing, too. It was kind of a perfect scenario — being able to get in the Xfinity Series and be able to practice in both of those races. I’m hoping it will be a really good weekend for us.”

Gibbs has posted seven top fives in eight starts in a part-time role this year. He won at the Daytona Road Course in his first start in the series and picked up a second victory on the Charlotte oval. Because both Gibbs and Busch are competing in the Xfinity race, Gibbs will drive the No. 81 Toyota instead of the No. 54, which Busch will drive.