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The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Lone Star State for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway on March 31, 2019.
After last weeks STP 500 win by Brad Keselowski, drivers look to secure a spot in the playoffs with the best drivers in the world gather for the seventh race in the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. The race will be contested over 334 laps in the 2.4 KM intermediate quad-oval track in Fort Worth, Texas. Although it is known as a 500-mile race, the total actual race distance is 501 miles. The O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 is part of a bigger event called the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 NASCAR Race Weekend where aside from the big race on March 31st, XFINITY Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series races are also held from March 28-30, 2019.
O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Race Schedule for Sunday, March 31:
- Radio Pre-Race: 2:00 p.m. (PRN)
- TV Pre-Race: 1:30 p.m. (FS1); 2:30 p.m. (FOX)
- Monster Energy Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500: 3:00 p.m. (PRN/FOX)
Who Are The Favorites?
The odds for this race isn’t available yet but we’ve handpicked some names whom we think will be among the favorites to win the race:
As the 2018 winner of this race, Kyle Busch should be the top favorite to win this race this year. Not only is he the 2018 winner, Busch is also having a hot start to his 2019 season as well. Busch finished “only” 3rd in the 2019 STP 500 but that doesn’t erase the fact that he’s won two out of his last three starts and the fact that he’s finished not lower than 6th place in each of his last eight starts. Busch has been hot this season as he is averaging a 2.6 finish in all his races so far. The odds aren’t out yet but no doubt that when they’re released Kyle Busch is going to be on top of the oddsboard.
2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Series Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. placed 8th at the STP 500 and now has finished in the Top 10 in six out of his last 8 races including three Top 5 finishes. Truex hasn’t won a race this year but he has never gone winless this far in a season since 2016 so, that’s gotta change soon. He’s finished 9th or better in five out of his last seven appearances in this race and has finished in the Top 10 in all but one of his previous eight appearances at the Texas Motor Speedway.
The reigning world champion Joey Logano has owned the Texas Motor Speedway. Logano has not finished lower than 7th place in 10 out of his last 10 appearances at the Texas Motor Speedway. In this particular race, Logano is averaging a 3.6 finish in the last six years, winning the event in 2014. Logano has bounced back well after finishing outside the Top 9 recently, winning in Las Vegas after placing 23rd in Atlanta and placing 2nd at the Auto Club 400 after finishing 10th in Phoenix. Logano was 19th last weekend at Martinsville, meaning he is expected to bounce back big in this race.
Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Series Cup winner Jimmie Johnson is an interesting entry in this race because he’s won the event in 2015 and 2017 but has not won a race in two years. Johnson’s also won the “other” Texas race five times in the past and he has finished at least 8th place in 10 out of his last 16 races at the Texas Motor Speedway.
Who Wins?
I know this name sounds like a broken record but yeah, Kyle Busch is the name to consider backing here. The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Series champion has won this particular race three times already-the last of which was last year. Busch has won the race more than any driver has ever had. He’s also placed 5th or higher in eight out of his last 12 appearances at the Texas Motor Speedway. Also, he’s won in this track while racing in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Again, the odds aren’t out yet and we’re expecting him to be the odds-on-favorite to win the race.
