NASCAR in Texas: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400

The remaining drivers in the 2023 Cup Series playoffs are making their way to Texas for the first race in the Round of 12. The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway is coming up on Sunday, September 24 at 3:30pm ET, and it’s not a race you want to miss. 

CURRENT NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS

Last week’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway solidified the 12 drivers moving on to the next round of the Cup Series playoffs, and the 4 drivers to be eliminated after the Round of 16. Denny Hamlin, after finishing second in Kansas the week before, clinched his third victory of the 2023 NASCAR season, automatically moving on to the Round of 12. 

Two drivers that were on the brink of elimination managed to hold on, thanks to their performances at Bristol. Those drivers were regular season champion, Martin Truex Jr., and first-time playoff driver Bubba Wallace. Despite finishing the race in 19th and 14th, respectively, both gained enough points to slide their way through to the Round of 12. 

As for the drivers who didn’t make it: Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick missed the mark by 4 points, which means Kevin Harvick will finish his final Cup Series postseason out of the competition. Michael McDowell performed well, ending up in 10th place, but couldn’t make it past the elimination bubble. Nor could No. 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The final 12 racers are listed below, along with their reset point totals (3,000 plus points gained during the playoffs) going into the Round of 12.

1. No. 24 William Byron (3,036 points)
2. No. 19 Martin Truex Jr. (3,036 points)
3. No. 11 Denny Hamlin (3,032 points)
4. No. 5 Kyle Larson (3,023 points)
5. No. 17 Chris Buescher (3,021 points)
6. No. 8 Kyle Busch (3,019 points)
7. No. 20 Christopher Bell (3,016 points)
8. No. 45 Tyler Reddick (3,014 points)
9. No. 1 Ross Chastain (3,011 points)
10. No. 6 Brad Keselowski (3,011 points)
11. No. 12 Ryan Blaney (3,008 points)
12. No. 23 Bubba Wallace (3,000 points)

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY SPECS

Texas Motor Speedway is in Fort Worth, around 30 miles from Dallas, and is known as “The Great American Speedway” for good reason. One of the few superspeedways on the NASCAR schedule, Texas Motor Speedway was once considered the fastest track on the NASCAR circuit without restrictor plates.

And while the 1.5-mile track isn’t recording the fastest times anymore, it’s still one of the most entertaining and iconic tracks in the circuit. With 20-degree banking on turns 1 and 2, and 24-degree banking on turns 3 and 4, the track’s high banking curves lead to exciting races with no margin for error.

The upcoming race consists of 267 laps around the track for a total of 400 miles. The race will be shortened from 500 miles to 400 for the first time this year. This was likely done to reduce the length of races.

As one of the largest motorsport venues in the world, the track has been home to more than just the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400, but also the All-Star race in 2021 and 2022, as well as the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 from 1997-2020.

AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 400 PREDICTIONS

Who will take home the first victory in the Round of 12?

In 2022, it was Tyler Reddick who got to victory lane, a whole 1.190 seconds before second place finisher Joey Logano (who is now out of the playoffs). In fact, Reddick’s win at Texas last year was his first career win on an oval.

He has since added two more victories to his stats, including the 2023 Hollywood Casino 400 in Kansas a few weeks back. If he can continue the momentum, it’s not hard to believe he might be able to do it again. Same can be said about Denny Hamlin after winning last week’s race at Bristol.

Other racers to look out for include Kyle Larson, winner of the same, but slightly longer race in 2021, and Ryan Blaney. Blaney is nearly at the bottom of the current playoff standings, with only Wallace below him, and performed well in last year’s race at Texas. Could this be the push he needs to shoot to the top?

Find out on September 24th at 3:30pm ET on USA Network.

HOW TO WATCH NASCAR CUP SERIES RACES LIVE

The 2023 NASCAR playoffs are in full swing, with only seven races remaining, including the September 24th AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. As the competition heats up, make sure your entertainment experience can handle it.

With DIRECTV, you can watch the remaining races live on USA Network or NBC, including Xfinity Series races and eligible Craftsman Truck Series races (also on FS1). Plus, customers can get access to pre- and post-race analyses from the experts, all on DIRECTV.

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