Overview
NASCAR Cup Series heads to Austin, Texas for the second-ever race at Circuit of the Americas in what promises to be an exciting race no NASCAR fan should miss. The 2022 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will mark the sixth race of the 2022 season, succeeding the chaotic Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
The 2022 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will be a 68-lap race at a 3.4-mile long roadcourse, and it will mark the first roadcourse race for the NexGen cars of the 2022 season. So we should pay close attention to the qualifiers and practice runs to get a better idea of who should we bet on.
But since we’re still a bit away from the first practices and qualifiers, this article, like many sports betting guides, will work mostly off what we know about the drivers and their strengths/weaknesses on similar tracks.
Last races records
Since the 2022 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will mark only the second iteration of the race, there was only one previous winner on this track.
2021 – Chase Elliott
Race Information
- Time, day: Sunday, March 27, 3:30 pm EST
- Location of the race: Austin, Texas
- Track: Circuit of the Americas
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Betting Analysis
As many sports betting guides will tell you, the 2022 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will be a road course race, meaning we can expect two things – fewer cautions and drivers who usually do well on road courses to deliver.
One name that should be in everyone’s mind when we talk road courses is Chase Elliott, who is undeniably one of the best road-course drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. He won here last year and placed second in two other road races of 2021.
Another driver that we should watch out for is Austin Cindric. He won at Daytona, and while his performance since have been largely underwhelming, he is – like Elliott – known to do well on road courses. He was the most successful road driver during his Xfinity Series days, and even though we have yet to see this side of him in the Cup Series, it’s only a matter of time before he steps up.
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Betting Trends
- This is only the second NASCAR Cup Series race on this track.
- Chase Elliott won the 2021 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, but that might not mean much due to the introduction of new cars for the 2022 season.
- In 2021, 10 different drivers led a lap, while 31 of the 41 entrants finished on the lead lap.
- Last year we saw only six cautions during the race.
- Four of the top-five finishers last year started the race inside the top-10.
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Betting Preview
Chase Elliott enters this weekend’s race as the overwhelming favourite, which makes a lot of sense, and there are many reasons why you will see his name pop up in many betting guides for this weekend’s race. He is phenomenal on road courses and has won the Texas race last year, which would suggest that he should do well this weekend as well.
As noted, last year’s results should be taken with a grain of salt since the conditions this season are different – due to the introduction of NexGen cars. Still, even with new cars, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Elliot is a road course master, having placed on the podium in three road races in 2021 (win in Texas and a runner-up finish in the other two).
Moreover, he placed inside the top-5 in five of the seven road course events of 2021. And it doesn’t stop here. He has the most road course wins since 2018 (7) and has placed top-5 in 12 of 16 total road races over that stretch. Last weekend, he managed sixth in Atlanta, which further proves that Elliott will be in the mix to win this and most of the upcoming races.
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Betting Prediction
When we talk about drivers who are most likely to win the 2022 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix and who are the best NASCAR picks for this weekend, it’s tough to look past Chase Elliott. As noted above, he is by far the most dominant driver on road courses, and if history has taught us anything, he should do more than fine this weekend.
And even though his success here in 2021 does not guarantee him another checkered flag, Elliott has been performing well in the NextGen cars this season and looks set to claim his first W of 2022.
Another driver we should keep an eye on is the 2022 Daytona 500 winner, Austin Cindric. Admittedly, he hasn’t been too good since winning the season opener, but we have to keep in mind that Daytona is very similar to EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, so if he could deliver there, there is no denying he should be in the mix to show up in Texas as well.
Cindric has been trending downwards since the start of the season, finishing each race since Daytona worse than the previous one. That is concerning, but we can’t simply ignore that most of his poor finishes came due to car problems, so it’s not fair to say that he got worse rather than his car gave up on him more times than he would like to.
Last year, he started this race in the third but ultimately finished 25th after having some issues. Still, he finished top-10 at Indy, and we must remember that Cindric was by far the most dominant driver on road courses during his Xfinity days. So in a way, he is an Xfinity version of Elliott when it comes to road races.
The NASCAR betting odds show Cindric as a +1400 underdog, making him a very solid longshot bet. Admittedly, he isn’t expected to do as well as Elliott, but if Elliott fails to deliver, Cindric will be there to steal the spotlight. So in this sports betting guide, we have two NASCAR picks.
Prediction: Chase Elliott to win
Prediction: Austin Cindric to win
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