NASCAR insider picks Team Penske’s driver as favorite to win 2025 Cup Series race at COTA

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season heads to the Circuit of the Americas for the third race of the season, the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Ahead of the road course race, NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass shared his prediction, picking the winner, top-five finishes, and longshot to win the 2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.

Pockrass picked Team Penske driver Austin Cindric to take the checkered flag at COTA on Sunday, March 2. He has two top-10 finishes at COTA and will start from 36th position in the 37-driver field on Sunday.

Rounding out Pockrass’ top-five predictions are Tyler Reddick, debutant Connor Zilisch, Shane van Gisbergen, and Chase Elliott. He also picked Bubba Wallace as a longshot prospect. Wallace will start from the front row alongside his 23XI Racing teammate Reddick.

Pockrass wrote on X:

“My Cup pick for today at COTA: Cindric ... top-5: Cindric Reddick Zilisch SVG Elliott ... longshot: Wallace ET 2:30-NASCAR RaceDay 3:49-Cup green 20-25-50, 5 sets”

Austin Cindric finished 25th, eighth, sixth, and 18th in the four events at COTA so far. Cindric finished eighth and 28th in the first two races of this season. He has never won a road course race and will look to win the first of his career this Sunday.

Meanwhile, Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch, Tyler Reddick, and William Byron are the top favorites to win the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. SVG, Zilisch, Reddick, and Byron will start sixth, 14th, pole, and 15th on Sunday.

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Kevin Harvick picks William Byron to win the 2025 NASCAR EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at COTA

The 2014 Cup Series champion-turned-commentator Kevin Harvick picked William Byron, the #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver, as a favorite to win his back-to-back Cup Series race at COTA. He is a defending winner of the event.

In the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, when his co-host Kaitlyn Vincie asked him to give his prediction for this weekend’s COTA road course race, Harvick picked the #24 HMS driver and said:

“I’m going to take William Byron. I think that he just notoriously has the early season mojo to get into victory lane. Has done well on the road courses. So I'm going to go #24.” [1:01:11]

Catch NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams in action at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday at 3:30 pm ET. Fans can witness the 232-mile NASCAR Cup Series race on FOX and MAX.