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NASCAR Cup Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 scheduled this Sunday, April 14. The 400-mile race at the mile-and-a-half oval will be the ninth round of the 2024 Cup Series season.
Following the recent swing of short-track races, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to an intermediate oval in Fort Worth, Texas. Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron is the most recent winner on the track, having secured victory in the fall playoff race last season.
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As NASCAR makes its lone visit to Texas Motor Speedway in Spring this season, Byron and his HMS teammate Kyle Larson are the pre-race favorites. However, strong competition is expected from the Joe Gibbs Racing and the 23XI Racing drivers who have race-winning form on such ovals.
Ahead of the event, let us take a look at the five NASCAR drivers to keep an eye on, this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
5 NASCAR drivers to watch out for at Texas Motor Speedway
#5 Ryan Blaney
The reigning NASCAR Cup champion returned to form at Martinsville Speedway, last weekend with a top-five finish. Ryan Blaney has won an All-Star race at Texas but is yet to take his first points-paying win at the track.
Except for his previous visit to the mile and half oval, Blaney had seven consecutive top 10 finishes at the track, with four top five results. He has a 12.7 average finishing position in his previous three visits to the track.
#4 Denny Hamlin
The veteran Joe Gibbs Racing driver is leading the charge at the team with two victories in the first eight rounds of the season. The short track favorite has also demonstrated race-winning speed on intermediate ovals.
Denny Hamlin has an 8.7 average finish during his previous three visits to Texas Motor Speedway. Hamlin is a three-time winner on the track, with his last win dating back to the 2019 season.
#3 Tyler Reddick
The 23XI Racing driver is among the favorites to win the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. The #45 Toyota driver has secured a victory at Texas Motors Speedway and boasts an impressive 11.7 average finish in his previous three outings at the track.
Tyler Reddick came agonizingly close to winning the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the most recent intermediate oval race. Reddick is anticipated to run at the forefront, contending with two other drivers for his second victory at the track.
#2 William Byron
The #24 Hendrick Motorsports driver has shown tremendous form this season, racking up three victories on different tracks, having won at a Superspeedway, short track, and a road course.
William Byron is the defending race winner at Texas Motor Speedway, taking the lead in the final laps of the fall playoff race last season. Byron has an impressive 3.3 average finishing position in his previous three visits to the track.
#1 Kyle Larson
The 2021 NASCAR Cup champion delivered a race-winning performance at Texas Motor Speedway last season. However, he spun out during the final string of restarts, forfeiting a potential playoff victory to his teammate.
Kyle Larson is a perennial favorite to win at intermediate ovals, and recently demonstrated his defensive tactics to win the previous intermediate race at Las Vegas. Larson has two race wins at Texas, which includes an All Star race win during his title-winning campaign.
The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, is scheduled this Sunday, April 14, at 3:00 PM ET. Catch the action live on FS1, PRN, and SiriusXM Radio.
