NASCAR Weekend Preview: Texas Motor Speedway

The NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series head to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, with several top drivers still searching for their first win of the 2024 season at the demanding 1.5-mile oval.

Cup Series-
AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (3 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
In the Cup Series, Kyle Larson leads Martin Truex Jr. by just 14 points. Larson was the runner-up at Texas last year and won the race in 2021, while Truex has three runner-up finishes but has never won at the Fort Worth track despite leading laps in four of the last five races there.

Reigning champion Ryan Blaney and 2020 champion Chase Elliott are two other winless drivers in the top six of the standings hoping to break through at Texas. Blaney has four straight top-five finishes at 1.5-mile tracks this season, including runner-up at Atlanta. Elliott missed seven races last year due to injury but has rallied to sixth in points with back-to-back top-fives.

William Byron arrives as the defending Texas winner and most recent winner after his Martinsville triumph last week. But scoring back-to-back Texas wins has proven difficult, with seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson being the last to accomplish the feat in 2014-15. Johnson makes his second start of 2024 at one of his best tracks, where he has seven career wins.

A 45-minute practice session is set for 10:35 a.m. ET on Saturday followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 11:20 p.m. ET., both will be televised live on FS1.

Xfinity Series-
Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
In the Xfinity Series, points leader Chandler Smith and Austin Hill have two wins apiece, but Justin Allgaier could be a threat after nearly winning last spring. He started on pole, led a race-high 133 laps, and won both stages before finishing fifth.

Cole Custer is the lone past Texas winner in the Xfinity field, taking the checkered flag in 2018. He trails Smith by 35 points but has been consistent with six top-10s in seven races.

Practice for the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 begins Friday at 6 p.m. ET followed by qualifying at 6:30 p.m. ET – both will be televised on FS1.

Craftsman Truck Series-
SpeedyCash.com 250 on Friday night (8:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
The Truck Series race on Friday night features a tight points battle, with Ty Majeski leading Corey Heim and Tyler Ankrum by just seven points. Two-time winner Christian Eckes has led the most laps (306) but has never won at Texas despite two runner-up finishes.

Former series champions Matt Crafton (2014, 2015) and Ty Dillon (2013) are past Texas winners entered, as are Kyle Busch and Johnny Sauter, who have combined for 10 truck wins at the track.

With no driver firmly establishing themselves as the dominant force yet in 2024, this weekend at the demanding Texas Motor Speedway could allow a new winner to emerge in each series. Buckle up for an action-packed triple-header in the Lone Star State.

Practice for the SpeedyCash.com 250 is Friday at 4:05 p.m. ET followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 4:35 p.m. ET – both televised live on FS1 before the race.

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