Drivers to watch in NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America

Nine races remain in the regular season and the race for the final playoff spots is intensifying.

Sunday’s Cup race at Road America (3 p.m. ET on USA) is one of three road course events remaining in the regular season. With differing pit strategy, a course that stretches more than 4 miles and plenty of twists and turns where trouble can occur, anything is possible.

Ross Chastain

Chastain had finished in the top 10 in both road course races this year. He won at Circuit of the Americas and placed seventh at Sonoma. He’s one of four drivers to finish in the top 10 in both those events this season — but the only one to have won one of those races.

Chase Elliott

The defending race winner comes into the weekend after his victory at Nashville Superspeedway. Elliott has top 10s in both road course races this year, placing fourth at Circuit of the Americas and eighth at Sonoma.

He’s won seven of the last 16 Cup road course races. Elliott has only three finishes outside the top 10 in the last 17 road course races. His average finish of 7.7 on road courses is the best among active drivers.

Ryan Blaney

Blaney has finished sixth in each of the first two road course races this year. He has top-10 finishes in the last four road course races, the longest active streak in the series.

Martin Truex Jr.

Truex mistakingly came to pit road before the final caution instead of staying out and restarting on the front row with Chase Elliott last weekend at Nashville. Truex got stuck in the middle of the pack and finished 22nd.

He continues to seek his first series win this year. Truex did win both stages last week, so that is a step forward. A concern is how the Toyotas will run this weekend. Toyotas have led three laps in the two road course