The Loop 121 Predictions: Historic Venture in NASCAR Racing

• Xfinity drivers are the guinea pigs for NASCAR’s first street course races.
• With Cup drivers embargoed from racing, The Loop 121 is wide open.
• Because of his recent formidable record, Cole Custer gets our nod this week.

The Loop 121 Betting Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Our Picks for The Loop 121

• Cole Custer to win the race at +450.
• John Hunter Nemechek to beat Parker Kligerman head-to-head at -115

The Loop 121 Predictions

Xfinity Drivers Are Guinea Pigs in NASCAR’s First Street Course Race

This weekend marks a historic venture in NASCAR racing. For the first time, national series drivers will compete on a course comprised of city streets.

Saturday’s The Loop 121 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the prelude to the Cup Series event on Sunday, will be run on a 2.2-mile, 12-turn course under the shadow of Chicago’s skyscrapers.

The Chicago Street Course is narrow and unforgiving. Other than using computer simulations of the course to gain familiarity, the Xfinity Series drivers have no experience dodging the manholes and potholes in the Windy City.

The Absence of NASCAR Cup Series Drivers Makes This a Wide-Open Affair

NASCAR Cup Series drivers are embargoed from racing in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race to prevent them from gaining an edge in seat time for Sunday’s Cup event.

Given the unique circumstances of this race and the absence of moonlighting drivers, we’re reluctant to suggest a long-shot pick for the event. Chances are, our choice would nail one of the concrete walls in the first corner.

That’s a far cry from last week, when our long-shot pick, AJ Allmendinger, prevailed at +1600, and our choice of Riley Herbst to finish in the top three at +800 also paid off.

There are so many unknowns in the Chicago Street Race, however, that the best we can do is to give you John Hunter Nemechek to beat Parker Kligerman heads-up at -115 via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Kligerman is adept at road racing. So is Nemechek, who has the better car.

Based on Recent Performance, Cole Custer Is Our Choice This Week

After a slow start to the 2023 Xfinity Series season, Cole Custer is now in fine form, having finished in the top 10 in his last nine races.

That string included a June 3 victory on the Portland International Raceway road course. Custer has a knack for excelling on circuits that turn right as well as left.

Now that Custer has a victory—and an accompanying spot in the Xfinity Playoffs—he can race without pressure on a difficult course.

“No one has raced this course before, so we really won’t know what to expect until we hit the track for practice on Saturday,” Custer said. The good news is that we’re all on an equal playing field.

“It’s such an unknown on the schedule, but I’m excited for the challenge. We’ve been fast all year, so hopefully that continues this weekend at Chicago.”

We believe Custer will indeed be fast on the streets of the Windy City, and we’re picking him to win at +450 via DraftKings.

How to Watch The Loop 121

• Race: The Loop 121 NASCAR Xfinity Series race
• Location: Chicago Street Course
• Time: Saturday, July 1, 5:30 p.m. ET
• How to Watch: USA