THE NASCAR The Cup Series heads to the Lonestar State as the playoffs begin round of 16.
Four drivers were eliminated from the championship last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedwayreducing the playoff field from 16 to 12 drivers and resetting the points for the three-race second round.
First up, another test on an intermediate oval, as Texas Motor Speedway hosts its first and only race of the season. That will be followed next weekend by wild field racing at Talladega Superspeedway before the round ends with a heat race at the Roval – the part-road, part-oval track at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
A victory in Texas on Sunday takes all the pressure off for the rest of the round as the winner will automatically advance to the round of 16. A bad race, however, puts drivers in the extremely uncomfortable position of having to perform well at Talladega – NASCAR’s most unpredictable track – the following weekend.
Who will taste victory on Sunday? Here’s all the information you need to prepare for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400:
What time does the Cup race start in Texas?
The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 starts at 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local) at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas.
What TV channel is the Cup race in Texas on?
USA Network is broadcasting the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 and has a pre-race show starting at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. local), while USA and Peacock will have a post-race show at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local).
Will there be a live stream of the Cup race in Texas?
The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 can be streamed live on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app.
NASCAR Playoffs UPDATE: Where are the drivers before the second round?
NEWSLETTER: Sign up to receive daily sports news and features
What is the ranking as the second round begins in Texas?
(*-former champion):
- William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports – 3,036 points
- Martin Truex Jr.*Joe Gibbs Racing — 3,036 points
- Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing — 3,032 points
- Kyle Larson*Hendrick Motorsports — 3,023 points
- Chris Buescher, RFK Racing – 3,021 points
- Kyle Busch*Richard Childress Racing — 3,019 points
- Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing — 3,016 points
- Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing — 3,014 points
- Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing – 3,011 points
- Brad Keselowski*RFK Racing — 3,011 points
- Ryan Blaney, Team Penske — 3,008 points
- Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing – 3,000 points
How many laps is the Cup race in Texas?
The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 makes 267 laps around the 1.5-mile oval for a total of 400.5 miles. The race will consist of three segments (laps per stage): stage 1: 80 laps; Step 2: 85 rounds; Step 3: 102 rounds.
Who won the last race in Texas?
Tyler Reddick led 70 of 334 laps on September 25, 2022, while last year’s playoff race was a 500-mile event. Reddick passed Joey Logano on lap 310, leading the final 24 laps before pulling away from the eventual 2022 champion by 1.190 seconds.
What is the range of the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400?
(Car number in parentheses; P-playoff driver)
1. (23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
2. (17) Chris Buescher (P), Ford
3. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford
4. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
5. (1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
6. (16) A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet
7. (8) Kyle Busch (P), Chevrolet
8. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
9. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
10. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
11. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
12. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
13. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
14. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
15. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
16. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota
17. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
18. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
19. (42) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
20. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
21. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
22. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
23. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
24. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
25. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
26. (77) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
27. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
28. (31) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
29. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
30. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
31. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
32. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
33. (38) Zane Smith, Ford
34. (78) B.J. McLeod, Chevrolet
35. (15) J. J. Yeley, Ford
36. (51) Todd Gilliland, Ford
