"It's so different on both ends" - Here's why Austin Dillon thinks the NASCAR Texas track has changed a lot

The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 is set to begin this Sunday at the Texas Motor Speedway. Austin Dillon will be on the track where he claimed a Cup victory in 2020 and a pole in 2016. Despite being eliminated from the NASCAR playoffs last week, the 32-year-old will look to replicate his strong form on Sunday and also win the fifth Cup race of his career.

Unlike most intermediate race tracks, the Texas Motor Speedway has different characteristics as it is quad-oval shaped, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly. The 1.5-mile-long has 20 degrees of banking in Turns 1 and 2 and 24 degrees in Turns 3 and 4 with a total distance of about 500 miles, which will be covered in 334 laps. Dillon is among the drivers who feel that reconfigured Texas has a lot of grip and banking has changed a lot from the old track to the new track.

Heading into Texas, the #3 Chevrolet driver admitted that the 1.5-mile-long track has always been a strong track for him. He went on to say that the track is fun to race because it is so different on both ends as one end is high-banked with high speeds while the second end is hard.

Austin Dillon said:

“Texas Motor Speedway has always been a strong track for me. I think as the surface wears out, Texas could become a better race. It just needs to lose some more grip in order to make the racing more exciting. The track has so much grip now. The banking has changed a lot from the old track to the new track.”

He continued:

“The track is fun to race because it’s so different on both ends. You have one end that’s very banked and has high speeds, and then you have a hard end where you have to get turned and get back on the gas. I’m looking forward to going there and trying to get a win with our True Velocity Chevy.”

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Austin Dillon’s odds of winning AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

Heading to Texas Motor Speedway, Austin Dillon has the 13th best odds to win the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at +10000 odds, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Despite being eliminated from the title hunt, the Welcome, North Carolina native has the opportunity to add more wins to his tally.

He is in a situation where he has nothing to lose and can prove to be a danger for playoff drivers to disturb their playoff picture with a win.

Catch Austin Dillon at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 25, 2022.