NASCAR Wurth 400 preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines

On Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series tackle the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, for the running of the Wurth 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Here's what you need to know ahead of the 11th race of the 2026 Cup Series season.

Favorite: Denny Hamlin (+500, per BetMGM)

Hamlin and five-race 2026 winner Tyler Reddick are co-favorites for Sunday's race, but the driver of the No. 11 Toyota gets the nod based on his consistency on the 1.5-mile tracks so far.

Hamlin won at Las Vegas after leading a race-high 134 laps before backing that up with 131 laps out front at Kansas, only to come home fourth after a wild overtime finish. As a three-time winner at Texas and one of nine drivers with top-10 finishes in both 1.5-mile races this season, expect Hamlin to be in contention again.

Underdog: Daniel Suarez (+3500, per BetMGM)

Suarez has not been as stout as his Spire Motorsports teammate and Texas pole winner Carson Hocevar this season, but he has overachieved through his first 10 races with the organization.

After qualifying second, Suarez clearly has the speed to be among the front-runners. With five straight finishes of 12th or better at Texas, including a pair of fifth-place finishes, Suarez should not be overlooked on Sunday.

Spire Motorsports makes history in qualifying

After picking up his first career Cup Series win at Talladega, Hocevar followed that up with his second consecutive pole at Texas on Saturday, edging out Suarez by 0.003 seconds for the top starting spot in Sunday's race.

According to NASCAR Insights, Hocevar is the first driver since Stacy Compton in 2001 to win his first two Cup Series poles at the same track. It is also the first time that Spire Motorsports has swept the front row for a Cup race.