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After years of holding two road course races in a season, NASCAR announced a total of 5 road courses for the 2024 Cup Series. What once used to be a rare sight is now going to be a regular occurrence this season.
The addition of more road course races in the calendar has also essentially created a level playing field, presenting more opportunities to drivers familiar with road races.
Here's a list of the top 5 NASCAR drivers to watch on road courses in 2024:
1. Tyler Reddick
Tyler Reddick made a top-5 finish at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this year, driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing. He has been clocking consistent results on road courses. With 3 wins, 7 top-five finishes, and 14 top-ten finishes on road courses in his career, Reddick would be banking on a podium finish at the Sonoma Raceway this Sunday.
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2. Chase Elliott
Driving in the NASCAR Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports, Chase Elliott has bagged 7 wins, 16 top-five finishes, and 20 top-ten finishes on road courses. He also holds the top spot for maximum laps led in road course races with 486 laps.
After an underwhelming performance at the Circuit of the Americas this year where he finished in 16th place, Chase Elliott is someone who’d be looking to make a point at Sonoma this weekend.
3. Alex Bowman
Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman, driving the legendary No. 48 which was previously driven by Jimmie Johnson, also has a decent turnout at road courses. He managed to secure a 4th place finish at the Circuit of the Americas this season.
Bowman holds 6 top-five finishes and 13 top-ten finishes on road courses, putting him in contention for winning the remaining road course races this season.
4. Ty Gibbs
Grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, Ty Gibbs has shown a lot of promise on the tracks. He managed to grab the championship in his debut season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2022. He was also presented with the Rookie of the Year honor in 2023 following his debut season in the Cup Series.
With 3 top-five finishes and 4 top-ten finishes on road courses, including a third place in Austin earlier in March, Ty Gibbs finds himself on the watchlist.
5. Martin Truex Jr.
Martin Truex Jr. has bagged 5 wins on road courses, out of which four interestingly came at Sonoma. The 2017 Cup Series Champion made a top-ten finish at the Circuit of the Americas this season, beating the likes of Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin. Driving the No. 19 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing, Truex Jr. is a favorite to win at Sonoma Raceway this weekend.
With the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on June 9, followed by the three remaining road courses this season, who do you think would come back to winning ways?
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