Echopark Automotive Grand Prix Preview and Free Pick
NASCAR Cup Series: Echopark Automotive Grand Prix
Sunday, March 27, 2022 at 3 p.m. ET (FS1) at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas
Race Info
This has been a pretty weird start to the NASCAR season.
After Chase Briscoe of all people won in Phoenix, William Byron earned his third career win by defeating the field last week in Atlanta.
You slowly begin to wonder: when will the big names start to take over?
In any case, the season hasn't been totally weird.
We can rest assured that Byron won't win this week's race as well just like we knew that Briscoe wouldn't also win in Atlanta.
It is very hard, even for the best driver, to win back-to-back races.
So, we can rule out Byron from our list of candidates to win this week.
For this Sunday's race, drivers must complete a total of 68 laps.
As has always been the case, there will be a total of three stages for this race.
Stage 1 requires the drivers to complete 15 laps.
Stage 2 terminates after the 32nd lap.
Stage 3 consists in the next last 36 laps.
The entry list has been published by now. There are 39 teams/drivers listed for 40 spots.
So, barring any really weird circumstances, we already know which drivers will participate in this race. You can expect all the familiar faces.
As for the starting lineup, there will be qualifying after the practice session.
Drivers will have their practice session on Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. That will last for an hour.
At 11 a.m. on the same day, drivers will have a slightly different qualifying session. This time, qualifying will be multi-vehicle. It will be two rounds.
This week's starting lineup will be decided by qualifying.
Track Info
This is the second time ever that the NASCAR Cup Series is staging a race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
So, at least in one sense, this is still a fairly new course for drivers.
This track has so few laps because one lap requires 3.4 miles.
So, in completing 68 laps, drivers will have amassed 231.2 miles.
There are 20 turns per lap and elevation will change more than 100 feet over the course of a single lap.
Since this is a road course, banking won't be a thing like in the previous races that have taken place on more traditional NASCAR surfaces.
Drivers I Dislike
Stats are radically skewed for this race because drivers have only raced here a single time.
So, well-known guys like Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick find themselves statistically at the bottom because they did not finish the one race that took place here.
Those guys are not among the guys I dislike.
Instead, I want to focus on fading Brad Keselowski who ended a streak of three top-20 races this season to finish 12th at Atlanta.
More importantly, in 31 tries, he has never won a road race in his career.
His average finishing position in this kind of race is a relatively awful 15.42.
My Guy
Chase Elliott is typically the guy that bettors will blindly invest in to win a road race.
But there are other guys as well who have strong road racing numbers.
One such guy is Kyle Larson who has three wins and six top five finishes at road courses.
Among the historically best road course racers, Larson clearly has shown the highest ceiling this year, winning at California and finishing second at Las Vegas.
Best Bet: Larson to Win (Odds TBA)
NASCAR Cup Series: Echopark Automotive Grand Prix
Sunday, March 27, 2022 at 3 p.m. ET (FS1) at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas
Race Info
This has been a pretty weird start to the NASCAR season.
After Chase Briscoe of all people won in Phoenix, William Byron earned his third career win by defeating the field last week in Atlanta.
You slowly begin to wonder: when will the big names start to take over?
In any case, the season hasn't been totally weird.
We can rest assured that Byron won't win this week's race as well just like we knew that Briscoe wouldn't also win in Atlanta.
It is very hard, even for the best driver, to win back-to-back races.
So, we can rule out Byron from our list of candidates to win this week.
For this Sunday's race, drivers must complete a total of 68 laps.
As has always been the case, there will be a total of three stages for this race.
Stage 1 requires the drivers to complete 15 laps.
Stage 2 terminates after the 32nd lap.
Stage 3 consists in the next last 36 laps.
The entry list has been published by now. There are 39 teams/drivers listed for 40 spots.
So, barring any really weird circumstances, we already know which drivers will participate in this race. You can expect all the familiar faces.
As for the starting lineup, there will be qualifying after the practice session.
Drivers will have their practice session on Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. That will last for an hour.
At 11 a.m. on the same day, drivers will have a slightly different qualifying session. This time, qualifying will be multi-vehicle. It will be two rounds.
This week's starting lineup will be decided by qualifying.
Track Info
This is the second time ever that the NASCAR Cup Series is staging a race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
So, at least in one sense, this is still a fairly new course for drivers.
This track has so few laps because one lap requires 3.4 miles.
So, in completing 68 laps, drivers will have amassed 231.2 miles.
There are 20 turns per lap and elevation will change more than 100 feet over the course of a single lap.
Since this is a road course, banking won't be a thing like in the previous races that have taken place on more traditional NASCAR surfaces.
Drivers I Dislike
Stats are radically skewed for this race because drivers have only raced here a single time.
So, well-known guys like Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick find themselves statistically at the bottom because they did not finish the one race that took place here.
Those guys are not among the guys I dislike.
Instead, I want to focus on fading Brad Keselowski who ended a streak of three top-20 races this season to finish 12th at Atlanta.
More importantly, in 31 tries, he has never won a road race in his career.
His average finishing position in this kind of race is a relatively awful 15.42.
My Guy
Chase Elliott is typically the guy that bettors will blindly invest in to win a road race.
But there are other guys as well who have strong road racing numbers.
One such guy is Kyle Larson who has three wins and six top five finishes at road courses.
Among the historically best road course racers, Larson clearly has shown the highest ceiling this year, winning at California and finishing second at Las Vegas.
Best Bet: Larson to Win (Odds TBA)
