NASCAR Cup Series

Podium Preview: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas

by
Rob Tiongson
September 24, 2023

Daniel Suárez hopes to emerge victorious in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas. (Photo: John Arndt | The Podium Finish)

FORT WORTH, Texas — As the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs rolls onto the Round of 12, the latest challenge may be one of the steepest yet this year.

Any trip to Texas Motor Speedway is no easy feat even with the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Despite being 100 miles less than prior Cup races at this venue, it is still a Texas-sized challenge for the most daring of contenders.

By all means, a victory in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas is more than pride in The Lone Star State. It is an automatic ticket to the Round of 8.

For most, it means winning a cowboy hat, a symbol of conquering one of the toughest tracks in all of motorsports. While this 1.5-mile quad-oval looks like a friendly intermediate, think again.

Turns 1 and 2 are relatively flat banked corners that put a lot of demand on driver and equipment. As if that is not enough, Turns 3 and 4 are high speed segments that can trick even the savviest of lone riders on a Sunday afternoon.

Altogether, trying to perfect 267 laps at Texas is more than a new challenge. Namely, it is validation on the stamp of being among the best of the best in NASCAR Cup Series competition.

Last year, Tyler Reddick outlasted his competition in his final Cup victory as a Richard Childress Racing driver. Now, he looks to replicate this feat with 23XI Racing but he will face some worthy adversaries in Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Dennyt Hamlin, to name a few.

Once the NASCAR official unfurls the green flag on race day, it is anyone’s guess as to who will prevail in this year’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas. For the time being, come along for the ride this and each race weekend with Podium Preview.

This weekend, Cody Shoppe, Jasmine Sharpe, Kobe Lambeth, Luis Torres and yours truly consider the importance of starting the Round of 12 off on a strong note at Texas plus who stands out as a contender for Sunday’s race.

Podium Preview: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas

Podium Perspectives

Question 1

Martin Truex Jr. hopes he can add another Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 win at Texas to his resume. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)

Of the tracks that are in the Round of 12, how crucial is it to try and either win or get the best possible finish at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday?

Torres : The Round of 12 is the most unforgiving round of the entire playoffs. A year ago, Texas was a demoralizing, cruel race for a lot of drivers because of tire woes and how flawed the safety measures of the current car was. It’ll be an absolute scorcher and who knows how Goodyear’s quality of tires will fare at the polarizing 1.5-mile circuit. You can never tell what kind of race we’re going to have where any of the 12 drivers simply hope to survive.

Altogether, this is a race where you must start off on a positive note because Talladega and the Charlotte ROVAL are as unforgiving. Even more where you can be all but out of title contention if you have a bad race.

More than ever before, leaving Fort Worth with a strong race should make drivers a bit comfortable. But a win will assure a driver a huge deep sigh of relief because this is the most grueling portion of the playoffs. Not even up for any discussion due to how wild and unpredictable all three venues have become.

Shoppe : Texas has to be all but a must win race for the 12 Playoff teams with Talladega and the ROVAL up next. I’d expect teams to put so much extra focus in the sim, studying data and recent races to make sure they are as prepared as possible for this tricky Texas track. You do not want to have to rely on Talladega or the ROVAL to help you gain ground to the cutline!

Question 2

Brad Keselowski seems to reign supreme at Texas and the Round of 12. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)

Which of the Round of 12 Playoffs drivers and teams has the best shot to make a statement this Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway? Justify your answer.

Tiongson : Aside from the usual suspects in Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr., I think we will need to watch how Brad Keselowski fares in the Round of 12. This particular leg of the Playoffs seems to suit the Rochester Hills, Michigan native even with the constant variety of difficult tracks.

RFK Racing has truly improved in the past month and a half from being an organization that was rebuilding to one that is truly on the rise. I would argue that they started finding their form last summer and it is carrying over to this season.

Keselowski has won at Texas, of course, but that was during the pre-refit days of 2017. Still, he seems confident about his chances on Sunday based on his mood and vibes in the bullpen on Saturday afternoon.

I think we need to watch how the No. 6 team fares and see if the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion can find his title form starting now.

Lambeth : I think RFK Racing and Chris Buescher have a great chance at making a huge statement in the Round of 12. Despite Buescher enjoying a career year with three victories, it seems like people still are not taking him seriously as a legitimate championship contender. While Texas is not one of his best tracks, the Prosper native may surprise some folks again with a good run in the Lone Star State.

In 13 starts, his best finish at the 1.5-mile track was 15th place in spring of 2018. With the way his 2023 season is going, I would bet on Buescher getting his best finish at home. After Texas, the second round of the postseason will conclude with a superspeedway and road course. Buescher is more than capable of getting the job done at Talladega and Charlotte ROVAL. So, look for the driver of the No. 17 Ford Mustang to further solidify himself as a driver who should get more respect as a title threat.

Sharpe : During qualifying, 23XI’s Bubba Wallace snagged the pole for Sunday’s race. As much as I would love to see the Toyota team succeed with this weekend’s race, there always seems to be something going amiss, whether that’s car issues, pit crew problems, and even driver drama.

Perhaps my eyes are glued to a particular duo, which had been under the radar until the second half of last year. RFK Racing has been on fire this year, bringing in wins, great finishes, and most importantly, both drivers are in the playoffs. This is exactly what the team needed, as it seemed like their glory days forever remained in the mid-2000s. It’s great to see Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski working together to bring success to not just RFK, but Ford as a whole.

Just keep in mind, Texas is also Chris Buescher’s home track. It would not be crazy to see the No. 17 up in Victory Lane Sunday afternoon/ evening.

Those two laps at Texas proved the most difficult but rewarding to put the pedal to the metal! Now, let us rewind to last Saturday evening’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol, Round No. 29 of 36 for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, with our race and points reports!

Yours truly nearly grabbed another win in 2023.

Likewise, the points race is getting fun ahead of Texas.