The NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Road America this weekend following an eventful doubleheader at Pocono Raceway. Alex Bowman and Kyle Busch picked up their third and second wins of the season, respectively, while Kyle Larson’s three-race winning streak was snapped. Now, the series heads to Elkhart Lake, Wis. for its fourth of seven road course races this season.
Fourth of July weekend traditionally means a visit to Daytona International Speedway for NASCAR, but that all changed beginning in 2020. Daytona was moved to the final race of the regular season in August, while Indianapolis Motor Speedway took over the holiday weekend. One year later, Road America takes center stage on Independence Day as Indy’s race moves to Aug. 15.
Here’s everything you need to know for Road America:
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What is the 2021 Road America schedule?
The race weekend at Road America will resemble a more traditional NASCAR schedule.
Cup Series practice will run from 1 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 3.
Multi-car, two-round qualifying is set for 11:10 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 4.
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The Jockey Made in America 250 at Road America will go green at 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. local time) on Sunday, July 4.
How does NASCAR practice and qualifying work in 2021?
Road America is one of just eight tracks this season that will have practice and qualifying sessions. NASCAR went away from the traditional race weekend schedules, eliminating practice and qualifying, starting in 2020 after returning from the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, NASCAR decided to hold practice and qualifying only at crown jewel events (Daytona, Charlotte, Phoenix) and the five new tracks on the schedule (Bristol Dirt, Circuit of the Americas, Nashville, Road America, Indianapolis Road Course).
What channel is the Road America race on?
The race at Road America is on NBC starting at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday (July 4). NASCAR Countdown to Green will begin before the race at 2 p.m. ET on NBC. Qualifying will be shown live in the NBC Sports app at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, while practice will be broadcasted on Saturday (July 3) at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. All events at Road America can be streamed live in the NBC Sports app.
Has the NASCAR Cup Series ever raced at Road America?
The Cup Series has raced at Road America once in its 73-year history. The event took place on Aug. 12, 1956 when Tim Flock led 17 of 63 laps en route to victory. Now, 65 years later, the series will return to the track. Even though the Cup Series hasn’t visited the track since 1956, NASCAR is still familiar with the course. The NASCAR Xfinity Series has raced at Road America annually since 2010, with Austin Cindric winning the most recent race in 2020.
Who is favored to win at Road America?
While none of the drivers racing have Cup Series experience at Road America, plenty of them raced there in the Xfinity Series over the past several years. Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell, Austin Cindric and A.J. Allmendinger are the drivers scheduled to race Sunday who won at Road America in the Xfinity Series. Other favorites for Road America will be the drivers who are typically strong at road courses, including Chase Elliott (six career road course wins), Martin Truex Jr. (four wins) and Kyle Busch (four wins).
Here are some of the odds for Road America, courtesy of our partner, PointsBet:
Chase Elliott +260
Kyle Larson +360
Martin Truex Jr. +625
Kyle Busch +900
Joey Logano +1300
Denny Hamlin +1500
William Byron +2500
Ryan Blaney +2800
Alex Bowman +2800
A.J. Allmendinger +2800
Kevin Harvick +3300
Brad Keselowski +3500
Kurt Busch +400
Christopher Bell +4000
Austin Cindric +4000
Ross Chastain +4000
Tyler Reddick +8000
Michael McDowell +9000
Chris Buescher +9000
Daniel Suarez +12500
Austin Dillon +20000
Bubba Wallace +35000
Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.
What is the weather for Road America?
The Weather Channel is predicting a partly cloudy afternoon, a high of 92 degrees and just a 4% chance of rain for Sunday. Even if rain does fall on Sunday, the race will go off without a hitch. Cup Series cars have rain tires and windshield wipers available at road courses, so barring lightning or dangerous conditions, weather won’t stop the race.
How to buy tickets for Road America
Tickets for the Cup Series race at Road America are available on the track’s website right here. Fans are encouraged to arrive by 9 a.m. local time to avoid missing out on the action. Parking information, pre-race fan activities and more can also be found on the track’s website.