This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) heads to Road America for the first time since 1956. This will be race no. 20 for the NCS at the 4.048-mile Multi-Elevational Road Course. Road America will be the fourth road course of seven on the 2021 NCS schedule. So far this season at the three road courses we have visited, we have had three different winners. Christopher Bell won at the Daytona Road Course, Chase Elliott won at the inaugural Circuit of The Americas, and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson won at Sonoma Raceway.
With only seven races remaining in the regular season, winning becomes more crucial each week. Eleven drivers have victories but to retain their spot in the 16-driver post-season field, they cannot fall out of the top 30 in points.
Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. have already clinched a spot in the Playoffs. Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski can ensure their place in the post-season with a win this weekend. Denny Hamlin needs a win and 49 points.
Christopher Bell and Michael McDowell could secure a spot in the playoffs with a win and enough points to put them solidly in the Top-30, but they can only clinch with help.
Hendrick Motorsports drivers Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson are favored to win at Road America this weekend. Fans interesting in playing the odds can place legal NASCAR bets securely and obtain helpful tips. Elliott has made two NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) career starts at Road America with a fourth-place finish in both races and would be a driver to bet on this weekend.
The first and only previous Cup Series race at this venue was held on August 12, 1956, and was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer driver Tim Flock. He led 17 laps and scored his fourth win of the season. Flock passed away in 1998 and was also named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers the same year. In 2014 Flock was enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
The Road America road course is located in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and is 4.048-miles in length with multiple elevations and 14 turns, presenting many unique challenges.
The July 4th Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip race will consist of 62 laps and three stages. Stage 1 will be 14 laps and Stage 2 will be 15 laps with a final stage of 33 laps.
Drivers will have one practice session on Saturday from 12:35 p.m. to 1:25 p.m. ET with qualifying scheduled for Sunday morning at 11:05 a.m. ET.
While no active Cup Series drivers participated in that first race, the Xfinity Series has raced at Road America since 2010. There are 28 drivers entered in the Cup Series race that have competed in Xfinity Series events at the track. Four of those drivers have one Xfinity win at the track including Austin Cindric (2020), Christopher Bell(2019), Michael McDowell (2016) and AJ Allmendinger (2013).
The Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip Cup Series race will air live Sunday on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET with radio coverage by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
