It’s NASCAR’s first road race of the season at Circuit of the Americas in the Lone Star State this Sunday. Live coverage of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
While some racing fans prefer the high-speed action of a superspeedway battle, it’ll be fun to see how some of the more aggressive drivers handle a track that rewards tactical driving.
Fans and bookmakers tout Shane van Gisbergen as the favorite, but I think Chase Elliott deserves some more love than he's been getting. Here are my free betting picks for Week 3 of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix prop picks
- Top 5 finish: Chase Elliott (+180 at bet365)
- Top 3 finish: Shane van Gisbergen (+180 at bet365)
- Top Toyota driver: Tyler Reddick (+130 at bet365)
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix props and best bets
Top 5 finish: Chase Elliott (+180 at bet365)
Chase Elliott hasn’t been doing himself any good over the past few weeks as he couldn’t pick the right lane to draft in if his life depended on it. However, Elliott is a changed man when he’s racing on road courses.
The No. 9 driver has achieved seven road course wins in his career, which is good for the most among active drivers,
Elliott’s dominance was on full display between 2018 and 2021, during which he won six of 10 road course races, including a streak of four consecutive victories on tracks like Watkins Glen, the Charlotte Roval, and Daytona’s road course.
Now, I know the haters will say since 2022 and the advent of the NextGen car that Elliott has been “trash” by his standards. However, he remains competitive with several Top-5 finishes at all seven road/street courses on the schedule.
At +180 at bet365, we’re not asking for a miracle for Elliott to finish in the Top 5. He’s shown moments of brilliance this season, and has everything he needs to succeed.
A good qualifying session and some superb tactical driving should get Elliott where he needs to be.
Top 3 finish: Shane van Gisbergen (+180 at bet365)
Shane van Gisbergen has all the stats and skills to make him a top contender for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. At a +180 price to finish in the Top 3, take my money!
Think about it: He’s already proven himself as a road course ace, racking up four NASCAR road course wins in 2024 alone between the Cup and Xfinity Series. These performances included dominant showings at Portland, Sonoma, and Chicago.
And let’s not forget about his historic Cup Series debut in 2023. By winning the Grant Park 220 in Chicago, he did something no driver had done in over 60 years.
His aggressive yet calculated driving style thrives on technical circuits like Circuit of the Americas, where overtaking opportunities reward precision and bold moves.
Much like Elliott, his 2025 season on ovals hasn’t been stellar so far, but COTA plays right into his strengths. I have this priced closer to even money or -110, so you best know we are hammering +180!
Top Toyota driver: Tyler Reddick (+130 at bet365)
Call it a premonition or sheer cockiness, but while everyone seems to be big on Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell, I think Reddick is a dark horse to win this race outright.
Reddick’s precision, racecraft, and ability to adapt to changing conditions such as late-race cautions make him a standout.
On top of that, he has consistently performed well under the NextGen car format, being one of the only drivers to win multiple road course races in this era.
Reddick should probably be priced closer to -125, so getting +130 for him to beat the rest of the Toyotas is easier than betting on Reddick’s boss Michael Jordan and the Bulls in their prime.
Lock it in, baby!
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