NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas: Live updates, highlights, leaderboard for WURTH 400

The NASCAR Cup Series is making its way to Texas for the second and last time this season with the WURTH 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Texas is a benchmark for teams as one of the several 1.5-mile tracks the series runs throughout the season, especially after coming out of the break and following the chaotic race at Talladega.

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Carson Hocevar is on the pole for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career after setting a blazing lap in the May 3 qualifying session.

Austin Cindric won the previous race at Talladega to get Team Penske its first win of the 2025 season.

Follow along with our live updates of the race, which is set to begin after 2:30 p.m. CT in Texas.

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NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas: Live updates, highlights, live leaderboard for the WURTH 400

LIVE LEADERBOARD: Full field leaderboard of NASCAR Cup Series WURTH 400

Lap 132: Todd Gilliland stays out, takes lead of NASCAR Texas race

Todd Gilliland stayed out during the caution and has the lead as we go back to green with 34 laps left in the second stage.

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Kyle Larson quickly took the lead away with Ryan Preece second, Tyler Reddick third and polesitter Carson Hocevar fourth.

Lap 124: Josh Berry spins from lead during NASCAR Texas race

Josh Berry was driving away from the field, but he ran into lapped traffic. He ran toward the high line, hit the bump in turn 4 Briscoe hit earlier, and spun from the lead.

Berry did hit the outside wall but he will be able to continue but is almost certainly out of the running for the win. Berry has damage to the rear bumper.

Pit stops are coming for the entire field.

Lap 93: Christopher Bell has pit road trouble as green flag flies again

Bell had a tough sequence with a safety violation, then had to pull down pit road again and asked to have his air hose reconnected. His team was not able to connect it all the way and had to call him down again to fully fasten it.

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Bell is currently scored 29th at the restart.

Lap 87: Chase Briscoe spins in turn 3, caution out again at NASCAR Texas race

Chase Briscoe went three wide, hit a small bump in turn 4, got loose and spun through the frontstretch to bring out the third caution of the race.

Briscoe tapped Riley Herbst and the outside wall, but will be able to continue.

Lap 87: Green flag is back out for NASCAR Texas race

Josh Berry rockets to the lead on the restart to begin the second stage of the NASCAR Texas race.

Lap 83: Josh Berry wins race off pit road, takes lead of NASCAR Texas race

Josh Berry won the race off pit road and has taken the lead of the NASCAR Texas race heading into the second stage. Berry has a win on a 1.5-mile track this season, the first race of that variety this season, at Las Vegas.

Lap 80: Austin Cindric wins stage 1 of NASCAR Texas race under caution

Austin Cindric, fresh off a win at Talladega, grabbed the lead early in the first stage and held on for the stage win under caution following Denny Hamlin’s car going up in flames.

Lap 74: Denny Hamlin on fire, will drop out of race

Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is on fire. He coasted down the backstretch after spinning through turns 1 and 2. Hamlin lost power in the front stretch then flames shot out of the exhaust of the car.

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Hamlin was able to get out of the car safely, but his 21-race streak of finishing on the lead lap is over.

FS1 analyst Clint Bowyer theorizes that it’s an oil pan failure.

Lap 42: Austin Cindric leads with Josh Berry lurking behind

Austin Cindric leads at Texas with Josh Berry and Chris Buescher closing in to make a run for the lead.

Lap 24: Scratch that, Denny Hamlin made a mistake with code words

Denny Hamlin misheard a code word on whether or not he was going to pit. He ended up coming around and pitting during the caution and has dropped to the back of the field.

On top of it, he picked up a speeding penalty. Tough early setback for the No. 11 team.

Lap 23: Denny Hamlin leads, some drivers take two tires

Tires early in the race are not at a major premium. Fuel, however, is key in this first stage. With the early caution, drivers were able to get enough fuel to make it to the end of the stage. Several drivers, including Austin Cindric, Josh Berry and Chris Buescher, took two tires to gain track position. Austin Dillon did the same and gained 11 spots.

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Denny Hamlin did not pit under the caution and has taken the lead of the race.

Lap 21: Noah Gragson spins, first caution is out at NASCAR Texas race

Noah Gragson spun out through turns 1 and 2 to bring out the first caution of the NASCAR Texas race. No contact, he just got loose through 1 and 2 and he was able to save the car.

Now, we’ll see pit stops which could flip the stage and possibly the race. Denny Hamlin stayed out and will take the lead at the restart.

Lap 1: Green flag is out for NASCAR Texas race

The green flag is out at Texas. Carson Hocevar leads the field to green for the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career. Hocevar leads the first lap of the race.

What to watch for NASCAR Texas race

The fuel window is approximately 70 laps at Texas. With the stages just slightly longer than 70 laps, look for teams to pit halfway between the stages and possibly twice during the final stage, depending on tires.

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Drivers will need to lift off the throttle through turns 1 and 2, which have 20 degrees of banking, and find a way to not lift in turns 3 and 4, which have 24 degrees of banking.

The grooves at Texas appear to go up to the middle lane for the race, but not much higher than two grooves wide. The thought process, if a car goes outside of the gray area, they might be in trouble.

Engines are fired for NASCAR Texas race

It’s just about time to go racing for the WURTH 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. The engines are fired for all 38 NASCAR Cup Series cars, ready for 267 laps around the 1.5-mile speedway.

Carson Hocevar on the pole; full NASCAR Cup Series Texas starting lineup

Carson Hocevar is on the pole at Texas, with William Byron on the other side of the front row.

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The top 10:

1. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

2. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

3. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

4. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

5. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

6. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

7. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brother Racing Ford

8. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

9. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

10. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Find the full starting lineup here.

NASCAR race radio coverage: How to listen to NASCAR Cup race at Texas

The WURTH 400 will be aired on the radio by the Performance Racing Network. PRN has affiliates all across the country, and their feed can also be streamed on NASCAR.com as well as the NASCAR app. The race can also be heard on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

NASCAR Bristol TV schedule, start time for the WURTH 400

• Green Flag Time: Approx. 2:30 p.m. CT on May 4

• Track: Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval) in Fort Worth, Texas

• Length: 267 laps, 400.5 miles

• Stages: 80 laps, 85 laps, 102 laps

• TV coverage: FOX Sports 1

• Streaming: FUBO (free trial available); FOX Sports app (subscription required); MAX app for in-car cameras; NASCAR.com and SiriusXM on Channel 90 for audio (subscription required)

The WURTH 400 will be broadcast nationally on FS1. Streaming options for the race include MAX for in-car cameras, the FOX Sports app and FUBO, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Recent NASCAR Cup Series winners at Texas

• 2022 spring (All-Star): Ryan Blaney

• 2021 spring (All-Star): Kyle Larson

NASCAR Texas news, notes, stories

EXPERT PICKS: NASCAR Texas predictions 2025: Expert picks for Cup Series race

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RACE ODDS: NASCAR Texas odds: Who is Sunday’s Cup Series race favorite

DRIVERS TO WATCH: Chase Elliott and other drivers to watch at NASCAR Texas race

WHEN WILL CHASE ELLIOTT WIN AGAIN?: When was Chase Elliott’s last win in NASCAR Cup points race? Streak began after Texas over a year ago

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas: Live updates, highlights, leaderboard