NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup Series heads to the Lone Star State for the seventh race of the season, visiting Texas Motor Speedway for the 2019 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.
39 cars will attempt qualifying with 40 spots available, meaning all will make the race.
Many of the teams look the same this week. The top-tier chartered teams for each manufacturer are led by Stewart-Haas Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports who will field their usual drivers. Kyle Busch will pull triple duty, with Sunday’s Cup race being the third race of the Texas trifecta.
Premium Motorsports will field two entries this week while keeping familiar face Ross Chastain in the No. 15. Reed Sorenson will make his third start of 2019, and his second with Premium, in the Soloman Plumbing-backed No. 27.
Carl Long’s No. 66 is also entered, but the team has yet to announce a driver. Joey Gase has driven the car thus far during a limited schedule in 2019.
Parker Kligerman is back in Gaunt Brothers Racing’s No. 96, making his fourth start of 2019. Meanwhile, Garrett Smithley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 another time (his third start for the team in 2019).
Rick Ware Racing has the No. 51 and No. 52 slated to start. Cody Ware will be behind the wheel of the former and B.J. McLeod in the latter car.
O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 500 ENTRY LIST
About the author
Adam Cheek joined Frontstretch as a contributing writer in January 2019. A 2020 graduate of VCU, he covered sports there and later spent a year and a half as a sports host on 910 the Fan in Richmond, VA. He's freelanced for Richmond Magazine and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and also hosts the "Adam Cheek's Sports Week" podcast. Adam has followed racing since the age of three, inheriting the passion from his grandfather, who raced in amateur events up and down the East Coast in the 1950s.
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