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The whole lot it’s essential to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Sequence race at Texas, the fourth playoff occasion of the 2022 marketing campaign.
The place: Fort Value, Texas
Approximate begin time: 3:30 p.m. ET | Weekend schedule
TV/Radio: USA, NBC Sports activities App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
The purse: $8,455,617
Forecast: Sunny, with a excessive close to 97 levels, in accordance with NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 334 laps | 501 miles
Levels: 105 | 210 | 334
Pit-road velocity: 45 mph
Warning automotive velocity: 55 mph
Texas 101: Get the full lowdown
Beginning lineup: Starting lineup for Sunday
🚨 Inspection: No. 10 fails twice, loses pit choice and engineer James Kimbrough
Pit stalls: Where driver will pit Sunday
Playoff grid: Print yours now
Key issues to look at 🔑
Huge story line
Thus far within the playoffs, each race has been a wild card. However trying past the horizon at Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Roval looming giant, Texas Motor Speedway could also be each remaining playoff driver’s finest likelihood at reaching Victory Lane within the Spherical of 12. Non-playoff drivers swept the Spherical of 16, leaving the large query of which title contender will probably be first to finish the historic streak. Remaining championship hopefuls have 5 mixed wins on the Fort Value oval — Denny Hamlin is the one multi-time winner of the group — and defending champion Kyle Larson dominated this race a 12 months in the past, main 256 laps. There’s a very slim likelihood we go 10 races and not using a playoff driver successful a race, so the large query is, will it lastly be this week? And in that case, who will it’s? Sunday’s race can have large title implications. | How 19 winners stacks up in history | Early notes from practice and qualifying
Who’s sizzling? Who’s not?
Who picked Christopher Bell to be the strongest driver within the playoffs thus far? Possibly fewer than most. However Bell’s Spherical of 16 efficiency was practically flawless, and he turned the primary driver to lock into the ultimate 12 after reeling off three top-five finishes. Assume that was only a lucky spherical? The No. 20 workforce heads to Texas with consecutive third-place outcomes below its belt and he completed prime 10 within the All-Star Race earlier this 12 months. It’s not possible to have a championship-favorites dialog with out making a powerful point out of the budding star for Joe Gibbs Racing.
One other younger star, Chase Briscoe, has been trending in the wrong way. Briscoe has 15 consecutive finishes of thirteenth or worse however he did advance by avoiding a number of the catastrophic circumstances that occurred to a couple others within the Spherical of 16. However because the playoffs tighten up, the No. 14 workforce might want to string collectively extra spectacular outcomes. He completed fifteenth at Texas final 12 months and with extra expertise this time round, Sunday is a chance for them to proper the ship.
Driving below the radar
Austin Cindric had a really tame Spherical of 16, however he superior. After getting by way of a couple of quirky tracks, Texas, Talladega and the Charlotte Roval line up fairly effectively for the No. 2 workforce to make some sudden noise. Cindric received the season-opening Daytona 500 in dramatic style, and to some, that may be the excessive level of the 12 months. However don’t be stunned if Cindric and firm grow to be one of many strongest darkish horse contenders transferring ahead. Reaching the Spherical of 8 is actually attainable and would depart another massive names on the sidelines because the rookie begins to make a reputation for himself.
Race-day staples ✅
Our greatest items of the week — get coated for race day from all angles.
• Bubble Watch, offered by Xfinity: The place drivers stand earlier than Texas | Latest driver standing
• Paint Scheme Preview: Shiny new schemes for the Lone Star State | Pick a favorite
• Energy Rankings: Ross Chastain dodges Bristol payback, could also be clear | Updated driver rankings
• NASCAR betting: Odds to win Sunday’s Cup Sequence race at Texas | Underdogs, value bets
• Fantasy Fastlane: Ryan Blaney is a should in your lineup this week | Top plays, sleepers
• Backseat Drivers: Debating if we’re seeing a altering of the guard | Watch the segment
Catch the pack 💨
Learn up on the highest headlines from the week main as much as Sunday’s race.
• Penalty enchantment: No. 12 workforce difficult post-Bristol suspensions | Read more
• Pit crew swap: Nos. 18 and 11 flip pit crews forward of Texas | Read more
• Historic season: 19 winners propels the game into uncharted waters |Read more
• Organizational take a look at: Logano leads remaining day at Homestead-Miami | Recap | Results from Day 1
• JR Motorsports: Earnhardt Jr. publicizes strategic government adjustments | Read more
• Report: McLaren contemplating Kyle Busch for Indy 500 run | Read more
• Tuned in: NASCAR addresses steering points at Bristol | Watch video
• Weekly Sequence champ: Layne Riggs turns into youngest nationwide champion in historical past | Read more
• Hispanic Heritage Month: Nick Sanchez blazing a path by way of ARCA | Read more
• RFK on the rise?: Buescher’s win an enormous step in revitalization of race workforce | Read more
Get in on the motion 💰
Assume you realize NASCAR? Put your mettle to the take a look at with gaming, fantasy.
• BetMGM: Public bettors nonetheless eying Buescher after Bristol win | Read full analysis
• The Motion Community: Why Daniel Suárez could possibly be a key winner Sunday | 20-1 pick to make
• Backseat Bets: Who will win head-to-head at Texas? | Matchup breakdown
• Play it LIVE: Full information to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Reside recreation | New rules for playoffs
• Going all the best way: 2022 Cup Sequence championship odds | See them here
Touring again to Texas 🐴
Texas could also be a very powerful race within the Spherical of 12 — so, see what has occurred right here up to now.
• Do you bear in mind?: Memorable moments at Texas Motor Speedway | Relive them
• Final 12 months: Kyle Larson storms to a different playoff win at Texas | Full race recap
• Race Rewind: Finest moments, highlights from 2021 playoff race | Watch them here
Quick details ⏩
Onerous-hitting, race-relevant statistics, dropped at you by the specialists at Racing Insights.
• Non-playoff drivers received the final three races, the longest stretch in collection historical past.
• The hole between first and 12th in factors getting into the Spherical of 12 is 34 factors, the smallest hole within the historical past of stage successful.
• A stage winner has not gone on to win within the final 10 races.
• Solely three previous champions are nonetheless playoff eligible, the fewest ever within the Spherical of 12.
• Nineteen totally different drivers received this season, tied for essentially the most all time.
Say what? 🎙
Notable quotes from the celebs of the game heading into Sunday’s race.
• “Be clear and let the opposite groups make the errors. Truthfully, in the event you can simply end you don’t must do something loopy within the first couple rounds. Don’t take your self out of stage factors or a very good end and you may advance. When you get to the Spherical of 8, that’s clearly when it’s essential to get some top-five finishes or a win. You simply don’t need to take your self out of any race or get any DNF or something like that the place you place your self in a must-win scenario as a result of successful is absolutely tough to do. You simply need to maintain your self in rivalry each race.” — Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
• “I believe it’s an incredible alternative spherical for a workforce like us to have the ability to get some factors. I believe Texas went effectively for us within the All-Star Race. I’m not saying that’s gonna imply good issues for the second one of many 12 months, however we’ve obtained good notes and a very good alternative to enhance from what was a reasonably dominant race for our workforce between the three of us, so I believe Talladega is clearly with out saying a wild card and the Roval, even in the event you’re not good, you possibly can in all probability strategize some methods to get factors, so I believe this spherical is thrilling for somebody in my place and attempt to maximize it.” — Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Crew Penske Ford
• “The 2 ends of the observe are utterly totally different. We’ve got the All-Star Race below our belt with the Subsequent Gen automotive and Turns 3 and 4 have a number of throttle time, tons of banking, and plenty of grip with the repave and Turns 3 and 4 have a number of grip however they don’t have the banking to carry you. Drastically totally different corners for positive. Lengthy runs are the place we’ve been actually good and I’m excited to kick off the subsequent spherical of the playoffs at my dwelling observe.” — Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
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