Toyota Owners 400 Preview/Prop Picks
31 March 2022
The next NASCAR Cup Series race takes place in Virginia with this year’s Toyota 400. COTA was a good preview of road courses and the Next Gen cars, which had a few drivers come out of nowhere to hit the top five.
This race will feature the favorite, but some drivers have a legitimate shot to win. Below you can see which drivers have a chance to succeed.
Race Details
Date: Sun, Apr 3, 3:30 PM
Watch on: FOX
Track: Richmond Raceway VA
Betting Overview
Toyota 400 is a .75-mile D-shaped track, which is fairly flat and short. The race that is the best comparison to this event is the one in Phoenix recently.
There are three stages for that race, composed of 70, 160, and 170. This allows for drivers to get an early lead and then pace themselves later in the race. However, history has shown that lap leaders do not always win.
Head to Head Matchup to Watch
Joey Logano (165.903) and Chase Elliott (168.390) are two drivers to keep your eye on. Elliot has moved up to the number one spot in the Cup Series rankings, while Logano is at third.
The two have solid history here and could make for a close race. Elliot has a slight advantage here, so he should be able to place better.
Dunkel Index For This Event
The Dunkel Index is showing these top 10 drivers that could win this event. The following 10 are:
1 Joey Logano 165.903
2 Alex Bowman 167.518
3 Chase Elliott 168.390
4 Martin Truex Jr 168.796
5 Kyle Busch 169.236
6 William Byron 169.304
7 Ryan Blaney 169.489
8 Erik Jones 169.549
9 Kyle Larson 171.382
10 Daniel Suarez 171.472
*index is subject to changes
Drivers That Could Win
Ryan Blaney (169.489) is coming off a sixth-place finish at the EchoPark Automotive. Even though he has been the fastest driver at most tracks, he has not particularly performed well in Richmond. He has an opportunity to get a win with his recent success propelling him into this one.
Ross Chastain (178.323) is another fast driver most of the season. He finally came through with his first career victory in the Cup Series at EchoPark. Having two consecutive race victories would be tough, but he has a shot.
Joey Logano (165.903) has yet to record a win this season and needs something to jump up in the rankings. Despite not having a win, he has earned enough points to sit at third in the Cup Series. In addition, he placed third here a year ago and offered a solid chance to win.
Potential Winning Pick
Chase Elliott (168.390) is currently in the top spot in the Cup Series rankings and has an opportunity to extend his lead. He was favored to win EchoPark, came up short, but still managed to place fourth. He finished 12th here last year, but this year presents a better opportunity.
Prop Picks
Matchup: Ryan Blaney (-105) OVER Christopher Bell
The only race close to another short track thus far was at Phoenix where Blaney led for 143 laps before finishing fourth. The No. 12 car has been competitive all year and looks primed to improve on his last two finishes at Richmond – 10th and 11th.
Bell is coming off a season-best third-place finish at COTA. However, prior to that the No. 20 car had finished 23rd or worse in four of six races this season.
With Blaney rated No. 7 in this week’s Dunkel Index and Keselowski No. 14, take the more consistent Blaney (-105) to have the edge in this matchup.
Matchup: William Byron (-115) OVER Tyler Reddick
Byron finished 12th at COTA following his win in Atlanta. He also had a 5th at Las Vegas and has not finished outside the Top 20 in any of the last four races.
Reddick bounced back nicely from 28th-place finish at Atlanta with a 5th at Atlanta. Like Byron, he’s been near the top all season long with a 7th at Las Vegas and 3rd at Phoenix.
With Byron rated No. 7 in this week’s Dunkel Index and Reddick No. 17, these two should be in the mix on Sunday, but take Bryon (-115) to get the better of Reddick.
