After an action-packed, short-track race at Bristol Motor Speedway last week that saw Denny Hamlin win his second consecutive checkered flag at the world’s fastest half-mile, the NASCAR Cup Series hits the road to Austin, Texas, for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas, 3.41-mile road course.
It’s the first road race of the year for the Cup Series, with the green flag dropping on the 68-lap event at 3:30 p.m. Sunday (FOX).
This week’s field includes 15 drivers who have at least one road-course win on their resume, including last year’s COTA winner, Tyler Reddick, who won in overtime after passing William Byron with 12 laps to go.
It was Reddick’s third career road-course win. He's also the favorite to win Sunday at +350.
Can Reddick go back to back?
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FrontPageBets takes a look at the drivers to watch in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the 20-turn, 3.41-mile Circuit of The Americas.
(All odds courtesy of BetMGM and are subject to change)
Pick to win COTA: Chase Elliott (+900)
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, won the first-ever race at the Austin road course back in 2021.
He has seven career road-course wins, including a stretch where he won four in a row, to give him the most of any active driver in the Cup series.
Elliott didn’t race in last year’s COTA event, as he was recovering from injury, but he did finish fourth in 2022.
COTA Top-5 Pick: Ty Gibbs (+140)
The 21-year-old driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is having a great start to 2024. Currently, Ty Gibbs is in third place in Cup points through five races.
In nine career road-course Cup starts, Gibbs has recorded four top-10 finishes, including two top-5s.
In his first-ever Cup race at the Circuit of The Americas last year, Gibbs finished ninth after starting 17th.
COTA Longshot Pick: Kyle Busch (+2000)
Kyle Busch finished second in Austin last season, giving him his second top-10 in three races at the 3.41-mile road course.
Busch, driver of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevy, has four career road-course Cup wins, tying him for third among active drivers with Kyle Larson.
In 53 career road-course Cup starts, Busch has 29 top-10s, 20 of which are top-5 finishes.
NASCAR COTA odds-on favorites
Tyler Reddick +350
Chase Elliott +900
Ty Gibbs +900
Christopher Bell +1100
William Byron +1200
A.J. Allmendinger +1300
Kyle Larson +1400
Ross Chastain +1400
Martin Truex Jr. +1400
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Mike Szvetitz is the General Manager and Content Director for FrontPageBets.com. Szvetitz is a 24-year veteran reporter and editor, including serving 17 years as a sports editor in Florida, Alabama and Virginia, covering everything from preps to pros. His "View From The Lazy Boy" column won multiple state and national awards. He can be reached at mszvetitz@timesdispatch.com.