We’ve talked about some of the best road course drivers in NASCAR, but, what about race teams? Due to great drivers and good equipment, certain race teams are ones to watch for on road courses every year. Here are the best race teams on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series.
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Kaulig Racing has put together a road racing All-Star Team. With 14-time National Touring Series road course winner A.J. Allmendinger and 2024 Chicago Street Race winner Shane Van Gisbergen, Kaulig Racing is tough to match in terms of overall talent.
That talent has translated to wins on the track as well. Both of Kaulig’s Cup Series wins came on road courses (Indianapolis 2021 and Charlotte Roval 2023), so, that talent has been put to good use. Every time a road course race comes, Kaulig will be a factor.
Hendrick Motorsports has multi-time road course winners Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson in their stable. William Byron recorded his first road course win in 2023 at Watkins Glen, and Alex Bowman nearly won at COTA in 2022. Everyone at HMS has had their moments on road courses.
HMS has historically been a good road course racing organization. Jeff Gordon won a NASCAR record 9 road course races in the iconic #24 car, and Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson have taken up the mantle since. The road racing success will continue for the team.
Trackhouse Racing bringing SVG to NASCAR was a part of why they are on this list, but, Trackhouse in general is a solid road course organization. The team took home two wins on road courses in 2022 with Ross Chastain at COTA and Daniel Suarez at Sonoma. Trackhouse always pops up. onroad courses here and there.
Trackhouse is not quite as consistent as the top two teams on this list, but, they’re still a solid road course team. If a team brings home three trophies in two seasons, they’re doing something right.
Joe Gibbs Racing has some stellar road course racers up and down their lineup. Martin Truex Jr. has 5 wins on road courses, including 4 at Sonoma, and Christopher Bell has a pair of road course trophies. Denny Hamlin has not been historically strong on road courses, but, he does have one win. Ty Gibbs also won an Xfinity Series race at the Indianapolis Road Course in 2023.
Joe Gibbs Racing has also had great road course racers drive for them. The most prominent was Tony Stewart, who won 6 times.
23XI Racing has arguably the best road course racer in the Cup Series currently in Tyler Reddick. He has 9 finishes of 8th or better in the last 12 road course races including 4 wins. The team also brings in Kamui Kobayashi at COTA, which makes them that much more scary.
Bubba Wallace only has 2 top-10s on road courses, so, he holds the team down a bit. However, he showed some improvement in 2023, so, 23XI could be on the verge of a superteam on road courses if that improvement continues.
Michael McDowell has been renowned for his road racing skills, and that was fully on display in 2023. A top-10 finish at Sonoma, a win at Indianapolis, and a torrid start before a mechanical failure at Watkins Glen showed that McDowell finally has the equipment to match his talent. He’s now a genuine threat to win on road courses.
Front Row Motorsports is still relatively new to the front of the field. That win in 2023 was only the 4th in their team’s history, but, they are now a Tier One Ford race team. Can they continue this trend in 2024?
Certain race teams are interesting to watch on road courses. Each of these looks to be near the front on race day.
