The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Lone Star State for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500. This track is one of the most controversial on the schedule, as it’s incredibly hard to pass. Many are speculating that the track is on its way to a complete reconfiguration in the near future, which could make Texas way more competitive. This is the first race of the Round of 12 and it starts off at a relatively tame racetrack. But with the way these playoffs have been going, we can expect to see more attrition this week. As I mentioned earlier, passing here is next to impossible, so qualifying will be extra important.

Last week, Chris Buescher went on to capture his second career victory and first since 2015 back when he won a rain-shortened race at Pocono. This continues the theme of non-playoff drivers winning in the playoffs. This is a huge win for Roush Fenway Keselowski racing, as their season has been one to forget. It would seem like this team is turning in the right direction going forward into 2023.

The race however was dominated by numerous mechanical failures that would take out some of the front-runners including Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and Martin Truex Jr. Because of an engine failure, Kyle was one of the four drivers that were eliminated from the playoffs, the other three were Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick, and Kevin Harvick. Naturally, because Kyle is leaving Gibbs next season, many fans of his believed that there was a conspiracy to keep him out of the next round. These claims are completely bogus and unfounded, as Martin Truex Jr and Denny Hamlin also had issues during the race. The real issue is NASCAR rushing this new car and making parts that are not quality. There have been many drivers who have criticized the direction that NASCAR is going. This car seems to race well and there are a lot of positives, but this is an issue that needs to be fixed.

The driver that I have winning this weekend is Christopher Bell. It has been a career-year for the Oklahoma native, after winning at New Hampshire this summer he’s been on quite a run. He currently holds the highest average finish among all active drivers. He has done a great job at keeping out of trouble and most importantly running up front while doing it. If a Joe Gibbs car is going to win the title, Bell has to be the favorite, as he’s been much more consistent than Denny Hamlin. They have been taking advantage of stage points as well as he’s scored 31 over the last round including a stage victory at Bristol last week.

Texas Motor Speedway is a racetrack that has been good to Bell, considering he’s from Norman, Oklahoma. It’s the closest race to his home track. He will have plenty of people there who will be supporting him. His numbers here are pretty solid, regardless of the fact that he has yet to win. He’s currently the third-highest average finisher since 2019 with two top fives. One thing that might be a deterrent for Bell is his 19.7th average starting position. With this track being next to impossible to pass on, it will be challenging to get through the field if he’s starting mid-pack, but with all the speed this team has, I don’t see that being too much of an issue. Look for Bell to punch his ticket to the Round of 8 with a win at Texas.