NASCAR will head to the American circuits on Sunday for the first Cup race of the season on the road course.
The most lap-leading driver won all three Cup races at Kota in the next generation of cars.
Let’s take a look at the good and bad news of the Cup team heading to Kota.
23xi Race – Good News: Baba Wallace scored 28 stage points in the first two point races, tying second in the series with Joey Rogano. …Tyler Reddick is one of three drivers (Alex Bowman and Ross Chastain are the other two) who will finish in the top 10 in all four COTA races. …Reddick scored most of the drivers last year, with 160 points on the road course. …Rookie Riley Herbst finished 17th in both races this year. Bad news: Wallace failed to finish three of the four races at Kota. …Wallace has three top-10 finishes with 32 road course start.
Corey Heim runs multiple cup races and multiple Xfinity races from Sam Hunt Racing for 23xi racing.
Front row motorsports – Good news: Todd Gilliland entered the top 10 in two of his final four road course events. …Zane Smith won two craftsman track races in three starts at Cota. Bad News: Noah Grugson started season 28 (Daytona 500) and 34th (Atlanta) due to an accident.
Haas Factory Team – Good News: Cole Custer’s best finish on the road course was his ninth, achieving twice in the start of the 16 Career Cup road course. Bad news: Custer hasn’t finished above 23rd in two cup starts at Kota.
Hendrick Motorsports – Good News: Hendrick Motorsports has won five of his last six road course races. …William Byron scored pole in his final two races at Kota. …Byron won last year’s COTA race. …Alex Bowman averages 4.25 finish in Kota, making it the best on all tracks. …Kyle Larson won six road courses and is tied to fourth place in history. …Chase Elliott has won seven road courses in the Cup, ranked third on the best ever list, leading all active drivers. …Eliot has the highest average finish on the road course (9.14) among active cup drivers. Bad News: Elliott is the current Hendrick driver who has never won a road course race with the next generation of cars (2022 and later).
Hyak Motorsports – Good News: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished fifth in Atlanta last weekend. Bad news: Stenhouse finished 22nd or higher in three of his four Cup starts at Cota.
Joe Gibbs Race – Good News: Christopher Bell’s first victory in Atlanta was his first, and the first organization since New Hampshire last June. …Bell has two top three finishes in COTA, including last year’s runner-up. …The appeal for penalties for chasing his team at Brisco and Daytona will be March 5th. …Ty Gibbs has four top-five finishes on his final seven road course start. Bad news: Bell has two finishes above 30 in COTA. …Denny Hamlin has one top-10 finish in his last 17 road course races. …Brisco has one top 10 in his last seven road course starts.
Check out the winners and losers of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kaulig Racing – Good News: All three cup victories by AJ Allmendinger came on the road course. …AllMendinger has two top 10 with four COTA starts. …AllMendinger has five top 10 at the start of his final seven cup road course. Bad news: Ty Dillon never finished better than 15th place on a 25 cup road course start.
Legacy Motor Club – Good News: John Hunter Nemeshek is one of two drivers who will finish in the top 10 in both races this season (Ryan Branny is the other). …Nemechek ranks 7th in points. Bad news: Nemechek has not finished better than 21st at the start of the Seven Career Cup road course. …Eric Jones doesn’t have a top 10 in his final 12 road course start.
Richard Childress Race – Good News: Kyle Busch finished the top 10 in three of four COTA races, including the 2023 runner-up results.
Rick Wear Race – Good News: Kodi Wear’s best finish at COTA was 25th in 2023. Bad news: Ware is one of two drivers (Josh Berry is the other) who failed to finish both races this year.
RFK Racing – Good News: Chris Buescher leads all drivers with 13 top 10 finishes on the road course in the next generation era. …Buscher finished in eighth place in each of his final two races at Kota. …Ryan Place’s best finish was 15th with three starts at Kota. Bad News: Brad Keselowski won’t win at the start of the 48 Career Cup Road Course. …Keselowski will finish 33rd over the weekend after finishing 26th (Daytona 500) and 39th (Atlanta).
Spire Motorsports – Good News: Carson Hocevar finished second in Atlanta last weekend with the Cup career-high. …Michael McDowell is the only driver not listed as having been involved in an accident in the first two races of the season. …McDowell lost six laps to repairs in Atlanta, but recorded six free passes and finished in 13th place. …Justin Haley’s best finish on the road course came in second in Chicago in 2023. Bad News: McDowell has finished 12th or higher in the last three COTA races.
Kyle Bush, Ryan Branny and Ross Chastain were not happy with Carson Josever’s driving in Sunday’s race.
Team Penske – Good News: Austin Cindric is ranked first in the series, with 30 stage points throughout the first two-point event of the season. …Cindric has eight top 10 on road courses in the next generation era, mostly one of Team Pensuke drivers. …Joey Logano led the series High 126 laps this season. …Ryan Branny is one of two drivers who will finish in the top 10 in both races this season (John Hunternemeshek is the other). Bad news: Blaney has one top 10 in four starts at Cota. …Joey Logano won one victory at the start of the 50 Career Cup road course, winning at Watkins Glen in 2015.
The number one driver in February’s rankings has not won this season yet.
Truck House Racing – Good News: Rothshastain, who won the 2022 race at Kota, is the best driver with an average finish of 4.0 on this road course. …18-year-old Connor Gilish makes his debut in the Cup. …Shane Van Gisbergen won three road course races in the Xfinity series last year, and made his Cup debut in 2023 at Chicago Street Race. Bad News: Daniel Suarez isn’t finishing better than 24th in four COTA starts.
Wood Brothers Racing – Good News: Josh Berry led 56 laps in Atlanta. Bad news: Berry finished 35th in COTA last year.
