Pre-Race Predictions: Road America

 

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    Yet again, the NASCAR Cup Series will race at their 3rd new track of 2021, a track never ran by the Cup Series before. This weekend, Road America will host their inaugural Cup race on the 4th of July. 

Some of the current Cup Series drivers have won at Road America in the past, drivers such as:

• AJ Almendinger [1 Xfinity Win]
• Michael McDowell [1 Xfinity Win]
• Christopher Bell [1 Xfinity Win]
• Austin Cindric [1 Xfinity Win]
• Chris Buescher [1 ARCA Win, if that counts!]

Some of the drivers above are pretty good picks, but I have a few others in mind.

Here are a few driver to watch for the win:

• Chase Elliott [No. 9 Chevrolet / Hendrick Motorsports] - With his road course luck, Elliott could win his second race of 2021, but hopefully not due to some sort of rain delay.
• Kyle Busch [No. 18 Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing] - Yes. There is still a race track that Kyle Busch has not yet won at. Does that change this weekend?
• Michael McDowell [No. 34 Ford / Front Row Motorsports] - With an Xfinity win here in 2016, and his road course racing talent, could our 2021 Daytona 500 champion win his second career Cup victory at Road America?
• AJ Almendinger [No. 16 Chevrolet / Kaulig Racing] - AJ has a lone Cup victory, and it came at Watkins Glen, another road course. Five of his seven career Xfinity wins came at a road course. Do you see a common theme here? 
• Denny Hamlin [No. 11 Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing] - Hamlin still has yet to win in 2021, but with some decent finishes at road courses in the past, does his season's luck change this weekend?

Keep an eye on a few of these drivers as well:

• Kyle Larson [No. 5 Chevrolet / Hendrick Motorsports]
• Chase Briscoe [No. 14 Ford / Stewart-Haas Racing]
• Austin Cindric [No. 33 Ford / Team Penske]
• Ross Chastain [No. 42 Chevrolet / Chip Ganassi Racing]