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Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY

Texas Motor Speedway
Laps 267 Distance 400 mi Type intermediate Coverage FS1 · 3:30 PM ET Stages 80 / 165 / 267
1.5
MI
asphalt
Surface
Race Complete
Sunday, May 3, 2026
3:30 PM ET

Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile quad-oval in Fort Worth that has been one of NASCAR's most-studied intermediate puzzles since opening in 1997. The 2017 reconfiguration narrowed the racing surface and added asymmetric banking (20 degrees in turns 1-2, 24 degrees in turns 3-4) that dramatically changed the racing character and put a premium on rear-grip setups that can rotate the car off the corner. Tire wear is significant here, and a high line gradually opens up as rubber lays down on the worn outside groove, creating the kind of two-groove racing that rewards drivers willing to hunt for grip across the width of the track. Recent Texas Cup races have often been decided as much in pit lane as on the track: stage-point strategy, tire compound choices, and pit cycle timing routinely shake the field, and the long frontstretch creates draft windows that can swing two or three positions on a single restart. The Würth 400 sits in the middle of the regular season as one of the truer reads on which intermediate cars have closed the gap to the front, and the 267-lap distance gives long-run patience time to matter while still leaving room for late strategy plays to decide the trophy.

The Hook

Your watchlist, historical context, and race-week curiosities.

The Story

The narrative arc, drivers to watch, and race-weekend color.

The Data

Schedule, predictions, entry list, track history, fantasy, and betting angles.

TV & Start Time

What channel is the Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY on?

The Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY airs on FS1 on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 3:30 PM ET, broadcast from Texas Motor Speedway. The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule splits between FOX, FS1, TNT, NBC, USA, and Amazon Prime Video.

What time does the NASCAR Cup race start this race weekend?

The Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY ran on Sunday, May 3, 2026 with a 3:30 PM ET green flag on FS1.

NR-Rating Track Rankings

NR-Rating Track Rankings
#DriverElo RatingLast Finish
1Denny Hamlin
1679
P2
2Chase Briscoe
1605
P23
3Chris Buescher
1579
P5
4Ryan Blaney
1568
P10
5Chase Elliott
1560
P1
6Christopher Bell
1559
P38
7William Byron
1555
P8
8Tyler Reddick
1544
P4
9Bubba Wallace
1544
P9
10Daniel Suarez
1526
P6
NR-Rating: Elo-based rating from the NR-Rating prediction model. Higher = stronger at this track type. = Previous winner at this track

NR-Rating Predictions

Predictions not yet available for this race.

Predictions powered by NR-Rating model (MAE: 8.5 positions)

Prediction Scorecard

Anduril 250: Model picked Chase Elliott at P1 → Actual P12

(1/5 top-5 hits)

37% top-5 hit rate across 13 races

Track Type Tendencies

intermediate

Intermediate tracks like Texas Motor Speedway reward the complete package: car setup, pit strategy, and driver consistency all factor in. These are the races where elite teams separate themselves.

Track position and tire management are critical, especially in long green-flag runs.

Fantasy

Dominator Plays
Jimmie Johnson 1033 laps led
Martin Truex, Jr. 669 laps led
Brad Keselowski 655 laps led

High laps-led totals at this track

Consistency Plays
Tyler Reddick 10.13 avg
Joey Logano 10.63 avg
Jimmie Johnson 13.06 avg

50%+ top-5 rate at this track

Value Picks
Erik Jones 11.80 avg, 0 wins
Riley Herbst 12.50 avg, 0 wins
Martin Truex, Jr. 13.18 avg, 0 wins

Strong avg finish but no wins: lower ownership

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