NASCAR COTA Predictions: Order of finish for entire field predicted for EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

This weekend is the first road course race of the season. The NASCAR Cup Series is taking on a new, shorter course at COTA. This should produce more action for fans at the track, shorter caution times, and hopefully, improved racing.

This weekend is a big one for Connor Zilisch. He will make his Cup Series debut at 18 years old, driving for Trackhouse Racing. On top of that, he will be the driver to bring Red Bull back to the NASCAR Cup Series with his No. 87 Chevy paint scheme.

Speaking of Trackhouse, this race also features Shane van Gisbergen. The Kiwi is hoping to score his second career Cup Series win and first of the season. SVG could have an edge on a course configuration that no one has raced on before.

NASCAR’s Racing Insights has made its prediction for this weekend. Using track, track type, performance, and data from the teams and pit crews, Racing Insights predicts the finishing order for the entire field.

Since Zilisch has no experience with a Trackhouse team that is also new, he is rated very low. However, the predictions are fairly strong.

NASCAR Cup Series at COTA FinishDriver1stKyle Larson2ndChase Elliott3rdShane van Gisbergen4thRoss Chastain5thChristopher Bell6thTyler Reddick7thWilliam Byron8thChris Buescher9thAJ Allmendinger10thTy Gibbs11thAlex Bowman12thMichael McDowell13thKyle Busch14thRyan Blaney15thAustin Cindric16thDenny Hamlin17thJoey Logano18thChase Briscoe19thCarson Hocevar20thDaniel Suárez21stTodd Gilliland22ndZane Smith23rdRyan Preece 24thBubba Wallace25thRicky Stenhouse Jr. 26thBrad Keselowski27thAustin Dillon28thNoah Gragson29thJustin Haley30thJohn Hunter Nemechek31stErik Jones32ndJosh Berry 33rdTy Dillon34thCody Ware35thCole Custer36thConnor Zilisch37thRiley Herbst

While the rookies and newcomers like Custer, Zilisch, and Herbst are likely underrated, this is a solid look at how things could shake out. Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are two of the best road course racers among the “traditional” NASCAR drivers.

Then you have guys like SVG and newcomers like Zilisch. Drivers who grew up on road courses, though very different in age. Chastain, another Trackhouse driver, is very good at COTA in his NASCAR career.

Chastain has an average finish of 4.0 at COTA in four NASCAR races. That includes that fantastic and thrilling win he had in 2022.

With the Next Gen car and modern Cup Series racing leaning more into road course racing, it is becoming more competitive. Not just in the middle of the pack, but near the front as well. When you used to think of great road course racers before the Gen 7 car, it was Elliott, Larson, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. You might throw a couple more in.

Now you have Elliott, Larson, Allmendinger, SVG, Ty Gibbs, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, Michael McDowell, and Daniel Suárez – all but Gibbs have a Cup win in the Next Gen era on a road course.

With the competition being more talented than ever, who do you think wins the NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA?

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