NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott’s team proved it takes a collective effort to help cease a prolonged winless streak.
Aided by an 8.49-second pit stop and two solid overtime restarts, Elliott claimed Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 checkered flag to end a 42-race winless streak.
The brevity of the pit stop established a record for the fastest four-tire stop in the single-wheel lug era.
Claiming another event trophy, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have claimed five of the opening nine races this season, paced by William Byron’s three wins and one each by points leader Kyle Larson and Elliott.
Below, we’ll preview the top storylines heading into Sunday’s GEICO 500, go over the odds, and give our best bets for the 10th race on the 2024 NASCAR schedule.
ICYDK: The @Hendrick9Team posted the fastest stop in the mono-lug era with a 8.49 four-tire pit stop at @TXMotorSpeedway. 👏 pic.twitter.com/1zihFHy2rl
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) April 15, 2024
GEICO 500 Storylines
- Will a Ford Mustang Dark Horse win this season? In any of the three national series? The manufacturer’s redesigned machine has yet to visit Victory Lane following a Cup, Xfinity or Truck series event.
- Richard Childress Racing celebrated two Top-10s Sunday as Austin Dillon earned a season-best P8 and Kyle Busch, who claimed the Truck Series event last Friday night, followed right behind his teammate.
- Was Sunday the breakthrough Carson Hocevar needed? After enduring a spin, the rookie recovered to record his first Cup top-10.
“Super proud of the adversity we fought” @CarsonHocevar battled back from a spin to finish 10th.
📹 @Critic84 & @WyattGametime pic.twitter.com/rG5Qe8KsUd
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 15, 2024
NASCAR Cup Series Driver Odds
Here is an early look at the drivers’ odds for Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:
| Driver | NASCAR Cup Series’ GEICO 500 Odds | Play |
|---|---|---|
| William Byron | +1000 |  |
| Ryan Blaney | +1000 | |
| Denny Hamlin | +1100 | |
| Joey Logano | +1100 | |
| Brad Keselowski | +1100 | |
| Chase Elliott | +1100 | |
| Bubba Wallace | +1400 | |
| Kyle Busch | +1400 | |
| Christopher Bell | +1600 | |
| Ross Chastain | +1600 | |
| Ty Gibbs | +1800 | |
| Chris Buescher | +1800 | |
| Kyle Larson | +2000 | |
| Tyler Reddick | +2000 | |
| Alex Bowman | +2200 | |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +2500 | |
| Erik Jones | +2500 | |
| Daniel Suarez | +3300 | |
| Austin Dillon | +3300 | |
| Austin Cindric | +3300 | |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +3300 | |
| Chase Briscoe | +4000 | |
| Noah Gragson | +4000 | |
| Michael McDowell | +4000 | |
| Ryan Preece | +5000 | |
| Todd Gilliland | +5000 | |
| Corey LaJoie | +5000 | |
| Josh Berry | +6600 | |
| Carson Hocevar | +6600 | |
| John H. Nemechek | +6600 | |
| Zane Smith | +6600 | |
| Shane van Gisbergen | +6600 | |
| Justin Haley | +8000 | |
| Harrison Burton | +10000 | |
| Daniel Hemric | +10000 | |
| Anthony Alfredo | +15000 | |
| Cody Ware | +25000 | |
| BJ McLeod | +25000 | |
*Odds current at time of publication
GEICO 500 Predictions and Picks
Here are our best NASCAR bets for Sunday’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway:
Ryan Blaney (+1000)
In his previous six Cup outings at Talladega, the reigning circuit champion has compiled one win, four top-10 finishes and led 120 laps. This could be the track Blaney uses to break his mini-slump, low-lighted by just one top-five finish in the five events since departing Phoenix Raceway.
Kyle Larson (+2000)
When is it a bad week to think the No. 5 Chevrolet will not race with the lead pack at some point in a Cup event?
Alex Bowman (+2200)
As the fourth driver of Hendrick Motorsports’ garage, Bowman is the lone pilot without a win. More alarming is the No. 48 Chevrolet has led only six laps. Is it time for Bowman to break his winless skid, which goes back to Las Vegas in March 2022?
For the next generation.❤️#AutotraderEchoPark400 | @Alex_Bowman pic.twitter.com/Y5eAvbtILw
— Texas Motor Speedway (@TXMotorSpeedway) April 14, 2024
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