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The first two NASCAR trips to Circuit of the Americas have featured Chevrolet drivers celebrating wins — Chase Elliott in 2021 and Ross Chastain in 2022. Now, the 2023 odds predict another high-profile battle between Team Chevy teammates.
According to DraftKings, Kyle Larson will have the best odds to keep this streak going. He will enter the weekend at 13-2, which puts him just ahead of Chastain and Kyle Busch at 8-1. Two-time road course winner Tyler Reddick is fourth at 9-1 while William Byron and AJ Allmendinger are in a tie for fifth at 12-1.
Other interesting names to watch entering the weekend will be 2018 Roval winner Ryan Blaney (15-1), defending Sonoma winner Daniel Suarez (15-1), defending Roval winner Christopher Bell (15-1), and 2022 Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric (15-1).
Chastain is the only defending COTA winner (Cup Series) in the lineup for the 2023 race. Elliott will miss the event while continuing to recover from surgery for a fractured tibia. Instead, road course ace Jordan Taylor (40-1) will replace him in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.
Larson Has Numerous Road Course Wins
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GettyKyle Larson (front) has multiple road course wins.
Why is Larson ahead of Chastain entering the COTA weekend? There are multiple potential reasons. First, he has controlled one of the best cars all season, one that could have run multiple races already if not for ill-timed cautions on the West Coast swing and a cut tire on Aric Almirola’s No. 10 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Another potential reason is that Larson has several strong performances on road courses. He was second overall at COTA in 2021 before heavy rainfall forced an early end to the race, and he has eight top-five finishes in 27 Cup Series starts at the various road courses.
Four of these races have resulted in Larson celebrating in Victory Lane. He has won the past two races at Watkins Glen International, the 2021 race at Sonoma Raceway, and the 2021 race at the Charlotte Roval. Larson continues to make himself a factor during these events.
The Second COTA Race Delivered a Wild Ending
GettyRoss Chastain (right) battles AJ Allmendinger (rear).
The inaugural Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas took place during the 2021 season. It was a messy affair in which heavy rainfall led to low visibility and massive wrecks. Cup Series cars can compete in the rain on road courses, but it became dangerous during this particular trip to Texas.
The last time the Cup Series drivers took on COTA, there was a three-way battle for the win late as they competed in sunny conditions. Chastain, Allmendinger, and Alex Bowman (20-1) all led late, but it was the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet that crossed the finish line first after he punted the No. 16 Chevrolet into the side of the No. 48 Chevrolet.
Bowman finished second after sustaining minor damage from the hit. Meanwhile, Allmendinger finished 33rd after getting stuck in the gravel. He ultimately finished one lap down while other drivers rolled past him and crossed the finish line.
These drivers will have another opportunity to contend for the win once again. The Cup Series race will take place on Sunday, March 26 (3:30 p.m. ET). FOX will provide coverage with Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, and Guenther Steiner in the booth.
