NASCAR: EchoPark 400 Betting Tips & Preview
For those who say NASCAR drivers only turn left, they didn’t witness the last two races. On road courses that actually had right hand turns, Shane van Gisbergen was triumphant in Chicago and Sonoma showing off his skill as a road course driver. Other drivers are glad to be returning to the traditional oval track but have to handle the challenges this week at the Monster Mile of Dover Motor Speedway for the Autotrader Echo Park Automotive 400. Dover is considered one of the most difficult tracks in NASCAR due to its high banked turns and concrete surface.
Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Preview
The NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 is scheduled to be run on Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m. ET at Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware. The race will be televised on TNT. There is a big difference between tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series and it shows in the opening odds for this race. Last week in Sonoma van Gisbergen opened as the favorite and won the race, his second straight with both coming on road/street courses. A return to an oval track and the Monster Mile at Dover has shifted odds significantly. Historically, drivers who can manage the severe angle on the turns and the unique surface have performed well at Dover. A two-time winner on this track and the defending race winner at Dover, Denny Hamlin opened as the favorite. Close behind on the odds board is Kyle Larson, who finished second to Hamlin last year and has a win at Dover in 2019. Meanwhile, van Gisbergen is well down the odds board with higher than 100/1 odds.
Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Betting Odds
Denny Hamlin +500
Kyle Larson +525
Ryan Blaney +725
William Byron +775
Christopher Bell +1100
Chase Elliott +1200
Ross Chastain +1,200
Tyler Reddick +1,325
Chase Briscoe +1,600
Alex Bowman +2,000
Kyle Busch +2,000
Joey Logano +2,400
Chris Buescher +2,550
TY Gibbs +2,800
Carson Hocevar +2,850
Brad Keselowski +3,450
All other drivers +4000 or higher
Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Top Contenders
Christopher Bell +1100
Tied for the most wins this season with three, Bell also has the second-best average finish and is sixth in the NCS points race. He’s had success on intermediate tracks with four wins and 11 top 10s in his last 16 starts but Dover has been an enigma for him; an intermediate course he’s yet to master. He has experience with six starts in the past five years, but he’s placed among the top 10 just twice with a best of fourth in 2022.
William Byron +775
Among the most consistent drivers this season, Byron leads the Cup Series with one win and 11 top 10s on his resume but he’s had difficulty closing out races. He’s led for 769 laps in his 20 starts, second most to Hamlin, and is the highest rated driver according to driveraverages.com. Byron had three fourth-place finishes in four starts at Dover before exiting last year’s race following an accident. In 2023 he led for 193 laps, nearly half the race, before coming in fourth.
Chase Elliott +1200
A strong history at Dover makes Elliott an intriguing pick at his price. In career 12 completed races on the Monster Mile he placed among the top 5 in 10 of them, including wins in 2018 and 2022. Elliott has been in fine form lately with three podium finishes in his last five starts, including a win last month at the Quaker State 400.
Denny Hamlin +500
There’s a good reason why Hamlin is the betting favorite in this race. He’s a two-time Cup Series winner at Dover, including last year when he held off Larson for the win. He has eight top 5 showings among his 16 top 10s along with four pole awards. He also has a pair of wins at Dover in the Xfinity Series to expand his resume.
Kyle Larson +525
It’s been a bumpy ride for Larson since winning the AdventHealth 400 a few months ago. He had a disastrous last two weeks on road courses in Chicago and Sonoma so getting back to familiar oval track could be what snaps him out of his funk. And he’s enjoyed Dover over the years earning 12 top 10s with a win in 2019. He also has four runner-up showings, including in last year’s race.
Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Predictions
Hamlin and Larson will welcome a return to the oval and with their past success at Dover I can see them again battling for the checkered flag. Going down the odds board for a better payday, backing Elliott makes plenty of sense. His history at Dover and recent results put him in a good spot.
