What’s Happening?

All three NASCAR National Touring Series embark on Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. With three series on the track, there is a lot for NASCAR fans to watch this weekend. Here is the complete TV schedule for NASCAR at Texas.

• Texas Motor Speedway was opened in 1997, during the height of NASCAR’s expansion of the 1990s. The track hosted one race per year from its’ opening until 2004, before hosting two races per year between 2005 and 2022, with one race being the All-Star Race in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, the track lost one of its two dates, and it’s back to one date per year.
• Texas is a 1.5-mile quad-oval, the same shape as Charlotte and Atlanta. Originally a symmetrical track, Texas was reconfigured in 2017 to reduce banking in turns 1 and 2 from 24 to 20 degrees, keeping turns 3 and 4 at 24 degrees.
• Fans are a bit apprehensive about this weekend’s race. The recent reconfiguration at Texas has generally brought lackluster racing to the track, and it is not popular with the fans.

Weekend Schedule (All Times ET)

Friday, April 12th – Truck Series RACE

• 4:00-5:30 PM – Truck Series Practice/Qualifying on FS1
• 6:00-7:30 PM – Xfinity Series Practice/Qualifying on FS1
• 8:30 PM – Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 200 on FS1 (167 Laps/250.5 Miles)

Saturday, April 13th – Xfinity Series RACE

• 10:30 AM-12:30 PM – Cup Series Practice/Qualifying on FS1
• 1:30 PM – Xfinity Series Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 on FS1 (200 Laps/300 Miles)

Sunday, April 14th – Cup Series RACE

• 3:30 PM – Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on FS1 (267 Laps/400.5 Miles)

What to Watch For This Weekend

Truck Series

Nick Sanchez dominated the Truck Series race at Texas last year, leading 168 of 172 laps, but, it was Carson Hocevar who got the last laugh. Hocevar is not in the Truck Series race this weekend, but, Sanchez is. Sanchez is the driver to watch, but, he will have to contend with 2 Cup Series stars, Kyle Busch and Zane Smith.

A total of 34 Trucks are on the entry list for this weekend’s race at Texas, so, no drivers will go home. Notable entrants include Kyle Busch (No. 7), Keith McGee (No. 19), Memphis Villarreal (No. 20) Johnny Sauter (No. 45), Conner Jones (No. 66), and Zane Smith (No. 91).

Xfinity Series

The 2023 Xfinity Series race at Texas was the Justin Allgaier show for most of the day before John Hunter Nemechek showed up late in the race. Allgaier is a driver to watch for this weekend, but, so is JGR with their win earlier this season at Las Vegas. John Hunter Nemechek took home the checkered at Las Vegas in March.

The Xfinity Series will have a full field with no drivers going home on Saturday as 38 drivers are on the entry list. Notable entries include Daniel Dye (No. 10), Taylor Gray (No.19), Ryan Truex (No. 20), Corey Heim (No. 26), Matt DiBenedetto (No. 38), and Josh Bilicki (No. 92).

Cup Series

Last fall’s race at Texas was dominated by Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace before William Byron came out of nowhere to take the win. Larson figures to be a factor again, as he led 175 laps to win the Cup Series first intermediate track race of the year at Las Vegas. Byron and Wallace are both drivers to watch after their performances at Martinsville last weekend.

The entry list includes 38 drivers and cars, which means that every driver on the entry list will race on Sunday. Notable entries include Kaz Grala (No. 15) and Ty Dillon (No. 16) as chartered entries with Austin Hill (No. 33) and Jimmie Johnson (No. 84) as open cars.

This is everything to watch for at Texas this weekend. Who will walk away winners in the Lone Star State?