Last time out, Carson Hocevar claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series win courtesy of a fantastic drive at Talladega. Hocevar’s post-race celebration lit the world on fire. Now, NASCAR heads west to Texas for the 2026 Wurth 400 from Texas Motorspeedway.
As Hocevar looks to build on the momentum from his first trip to Victory Lane in the Cup Series, the rest of the NASCAR field hopes to capture momentum of their own. Will we see another first-time winner this week, or could Hocevar go back-to-back?
Let’s dive in.
2026 Wurth 400 Entry List
Two non-charter entries will join the regular field of 36 cars this weekend for the Cup Series. Last year’s Truck Series champion, Corey Heim, will be back behind the wheel of the #67 for 23XI Racing. Chad Finchum will also be back behind the wheel of the #66 for Garage 66 after leading his first career laps at Talladega last week.
Don't mess with @TXMotorSpeedway.@ToddGilliland_ talks through some of the unique challenges drivers will face at the next stop on our schedule. pic.twitter.com/VntgMP9dEd
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 30, 2026
Texas Motor Speedway has been at the receiving end of a lot of criticism since the reconfiguration of 2017. Unlike some of the other 1.5-mile circuits on the NASCAR schedule, TMS has struggled to produce multi-groove racing. The bumps in turns three and four, in particular, have limited the options of drivers and led to accidents.
Still, last year’s race saw plenty of chaos in the closing laps, leading to excitement and an eventual Joey Logano win.
2026 Wurth 400 Race Predictions
While Joey Logano claimed victory here at Texas Motor Speedway last year, the #22 simply hasn’t appeared to have the speed to contend for wins on a regular basis. If a member of the Penske Racing stable does end up leading at the checkered flag, it is much more likely to be Ryan Blaney in the #12.
The Hendrick Motorsports cars have all been competitive on the 1.5-mile circuits except Alex Bowman, who continues to recover from missing races due to a medical scratch earlier this season. Among the HMS camp, look for Kyle Larson to give Chevrolet the best chance at the win.
Of course, no breakdown of potential winners in 2026 is complete without Tyler Reddick on the list. The driver of the #45 is batting .500 on wins through the first ten races of the season. However, I believe it will be his teammate, Bubba Wallace, who finds his way to Victory Lane here at Texas. Wallace has had several good runs here in the past and will look to finish the job this Sunday.
Check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on-track action! The weather could easily play a role in the scheduling of events this weekend, so be sure to keep an eye out for updates from NASCAR there as well.
Friday 05/01
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Practice – 1:30 p.m. CT on FS2
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying – 2:35 p.m. CT on FS2
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice – 4:00 p.m. CT on the CW App
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying – 5:05 p.m. CT on the CW App
SpeedyCash.Com 250 (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) – 7:00 p.m. CT on FS1
Saturday 05/02
NASCAR Cup Series Practice – 11:30 a.m. CT on Prime
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 12:40 p.m. CT on Prime
Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 (NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) – 2:30 p.m. CT on the CW
Sunday 05/03
Wurth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY (NASCAR Cup Series) – 2:30 p.m. CT on FS1 and HBO Max
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