After five points races on ovals, it’s time for the NASCAR Cup Series to return to one of the country’s premiere road courses, the Circuit of The Americas (COTA), for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this Sunday, March 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This week the NASCAR Cup Series teams are preparing for the first of five road & street courses on the 2024 schedule – Circuit of The Americas (Mar. 24), Sonoma Raceway (June 9), Chicago Street Race (July 7), Watkins Glen International (Sept. 15) and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (Oct. 8).
NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix
The Place: Circuit of The Americas
The Date: Sunday, March 24
The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $9,740,789
TV: FOX, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 231.88 miles (68 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 15),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 30), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 68)
Getting to know COTA
Construction began in 2010 on 1,500 acres of land just outside of Austin, Texas on what is now known as the Circuit of The Americas. The 20-turn, 3.41-mile, multi-elevational counterclockwise circuit takes advantage of the naturally rolling landscape, including a 133-foot hill at Turn 1. The track also has an amphitheater, the largest permanent outdoor amphitheater in Central Texas, and a 251-foot observation tower.
The sprawling Circuit of The Americas road course has hosted three NASCAR Cup Series races (2021-2023) producing three different pole winners and three different race winners.
Circuit of The Americas sets the stage for NASCAR Cup Series’ new road course package
Starting in 2024 the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen cars will run a simplified diffuser at a majority of tracks measuring one-mile or shorter, as well as all road courses. (Note: Los Angeles, Bristol and Dover excluded.) This weekend at Circuit of The Americas will be the first event the new package will be used on a road course.
The details of the components updated:
- 2023 short track/road course splitter stuffers
- No engine panel strakes
- 3-inch spoiler
- Simplified Diffuser
- Simplified Diffuser Strakes
First road course qualifying of the Cup season
It’s time for the drivers to get their elbows up because this weekend the NASCAR Cup Series is taking on the 20-turn Circuit of The Americas this Sunday, March 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The first three Cup races at COTA have produced three different pole winners at the 3.41-mile course. Will we see a fourth?
o Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 91.363 mph, 132.911 seconds, May 23, 2021
o Ryan Blaney, Ford, 92.759 mph, 132.343 seconds, May 26, 2022
o William Byron, Chevrolet, 93.882 mph, 130.760 seconds, March 25, 2023
Interestingly, three different starting positions have led to victories in the NASCAR Cup Series at Circuit of The Americas, but none from the pole or first starting position – the 2021 race was won from the eighth starting position, the 2022 race was won from the 16th starting position and last year’s was won from the outside front row (second).
This weekend’s on-track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series will begin with practice on Saturday, March 23 at 9 a.m. ET followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 10:30 a.m. ET. Both events will be televised on FS2, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Hamlin becomes fifth different winner in first five races, keeps season streak alive
In arguably one of the greatest short track races ever last Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin banked his first win of the 2024 season becoming the fifth different winner in the first five races of the year; joining William Byron (Daytona), Daniel Suarez (Atlanta), Kyle Larson (Las Vegas) and Christopher Bell (Phoenix). Now, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Austin, Texas for a showdown at the Circuit of The Americas, which has produced three different winners in its last three races. All the ingredients are lining up, could the streak of different winners this season keep rolling and we see a sixth?
The Modern Era (1972-2024) record of different winners to start a NASCAR Cup Series season is 10, set back in 2000. That year, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. snapped the different winners streak by winning his second race of the 2000 season at Richmond Raceway (Race No. 11 on the schedule).
None of the former COTA winners have won this season and are looking to get back to Victory Lane. Hendrick Motorsport’s Chase Elliott won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of The Americas on May 23, 2021 after starting from the eighth position. Elliott leads all active drivers in road course wins with seven. If he were to win this weekend, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart (eight road course wins) for second-most on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series road course wins list.
Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain won the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of The Americas on March 27, 2022 after starting from the 16th position. The victory was extra special because it was the first career NASCAR Cup Series win for driver Ross Chastain. Chastain is also the only driver to finish in the top-five in all three previous Cup races at COTA.
Then last season, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick won the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of The Americas on March 26, 2023 after starting from the second position. Interestingly, Reddick has won five career Cup races and three have come on road courses – Road America (2022), Indianapolis Road Course (2022) and COTA (2023).
Next Gen car is smashing records in 2024
It has been a strong start to the season statistically as the Next Gen car continues to put the NASCAR Cup Series at the top of the list in terms of the closest and most competitive racing on the planet. Below are just a few of the highlights the first five races of the 2024 season has delivered.
Record Average Lap Leaders – This season the NASCAR Cup Series has produced an average of 14.2 lap leaders per race in the first five races of the year – the series-most average number of lap leaders through the first five races of a season in the Modern Era (1972-2024).
Record Average Lead Changes – The NASCAR Cup Series is averaging 35.4 lead changes per race through the first five races of the 2024 season, the series-most in the Modern Era (1972-2024). The next highest is the 2011 season with 31.6.
Record Green Flag Passes For The Lead – The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has produced 487 Green Flag Passes for the Lead – the most through the first five races of the year since the inception of the stat in 2005, surpassing the previous record of 348 Green Flag Passes for the Lead through the first five races of a season set in 2022 & 2023 (tied at 348 each).
Record Total Green Flag Passes – The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has produced 29,429 Total Green Flag Passes – the series-most through the first five races of the year since the inception of the stat in 2005, surpassing the previous record of 27,341 Total Green Flag Passes through the first five races set last season.
Five Different Winners In First Five Races – This season is the 17th-time in the Modern Era (1972-2024) the NASCAR Cup Series has opened the year with five different winners in the first five races of the schedule.
NASCAR brings a bevy of road course aces to COTA
At one time in the NASCAR Cup Series being a road course specialist was an anomaly, but not anymore. Heading into this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas, the NASCAR Cup Series has 15 former road course winners entered in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this Sunday, March 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and 10 of them are looking for their first win of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season (all except William Byron, Daniel Suarez, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin).
Active Road Course Winners (15) | Wins | WGI | Sonoma | Charlotte | COTA | Indy | Daytona | Road Am. | Chicago |
Chase Elliott | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Martin Truex Jr | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kyle Busch | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kyle Larson | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
AJ Allmendinger | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tyler Reddick | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Christopher Bell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Daniel Suárez | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Denny Hamlin | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Joey Logano | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ryan Blaney | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ross Chastain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
William Byron | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Michael McDowell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Shane Van Gisbergen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Totals | 36 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Last season’s Sonoma winner, Martin Truex Jr., with five total road course wins in his career – second-most among active drivers – finished runner-up at Bristol last weekend and is looking for his first win of the season.
“We’ve learned so much over the last couple of years about this car and what it likes and what it doesn’t, so hoping we can come with a lot more knowledge than we had this time last year and get the car where we need it to have a shot to win and run up front all day long,” said Truex. “Our new Camry has been strong so far this year and hoping we can continue what we’ve been doing at the road courses, as well. Looking forward to this weekend with our Bass Pro Shops Toyota team.”
Race Rewind: Looking back at the first three Cup races at COTA
The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event at Circuit of The Americas was held on May 23, 2021, but was shortened from its scheduled 68 laps to 54 due to inclement weather. The race produced 11 lead changes among 10 different leaders, but it was Hendrick Motorsports driver and 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott who won the inaugural event under caution.
The series returned to 3.41-mile track in 2022 and this time the race went into overtime (69 laps total) producing 13 lead changes among nine different leaders. The final lead change of the NASCAR Cup Series March 27, 2022 race took place with two laps to go, when Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain passed Tyler Reddick for the lead, and went on to win his first career Cup Series race. The 2022 race was also the premiere of the Next Gen car on a road course, and it didn’t disappoint, producing a NASCAR Cup Series record for green flag passes for the lead on road course tracks with 30 green flag passes for the lead.
Last season was another hard fought race at COTA, that for the second consecutive year went to overtime producing 16 lead changes among seven different leaders. The final lead change of the NASCAR Cup Series March 26, 2023 race took place with 12 laps to go, when Tyler Reddick passed William Byron for the lead, and ultimately the win. It was another action-filled road race with 21 green flag passes for the lead.
Kobayashi joins the Cup Series at Circuit of The Americas
23XI Racing will have a third car in the field this weekend at Circuit of The Americas and piloting the No. 50 Toyota will be former Formula 1 driver Kamui Kobayashi, who will be making his first career start of the season, and the second NASCAR Cup Series start of his career.
“I’m definitely excited for this weekend at COTA,” said Kobayashi. “My first race last year at Indy, I think I was a little bit surprised, but I think the race went quite smooth. I think I dropped back in the early stage, and I didn’t get any caution. It was quite difficult in the back end of the field, but I had great fun.”
Kobayashi made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course last season with 23XI Racing. The driver from Amagasaki, Japan started 28th and finished 33rd in the event.
“I’m definitely looking forward to COTA,” said Kobayashi. “We’ve had more preparation. I’ve raced COTA five times already in Formula 1 and WEC. I think Indy – it was my first time ever racing there, but at COTA I have more experience, so definitely looking forward to the race.”
NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Giancarlo Esposito and Skeet Ulrich land dignitary roles at COTA – Giancarlo Esposito and Skeet Ulrich, stars of the new AMC/AMC+ series “Parish,” share leading roles in what is expected to be a high-octane drama premiering Sunday, March 31. Esposito and Ulrich will also serve in prominent dignitary roles for the latest episode of the NASCAR Cup Series – the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on Sunday, March 24, at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) just outside of downtown Austin, Texas.
Esposito landed the role of Grand Marshal and will provide the traditional “Start Your Engines” command to the NCS drivers for the first permanent road course event of the young season. Ulrich will then take the reins from Esposito as the Honorary Pace Car Driver, where he will be behind the wheel of one of the Toyota Camrys that will pace the 40-car field to the green flag for the start of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at 2:30 p.m. CT.
“I play a driver on TV in ‘Parish,’ but in real life, I am an OLD SCHOOL street racer!” Esposito said. “There are no rules but to GO FAST! I can’t wait to be on the track at NASCAR!”
“As a longtime fan and family member of NASCAR, I am honored to be here representing AMC/AMC+ and ‘Parish’ and all my friends and family who have been at the heart of this great sport for decades!” Ulrich said.
The duo will be celebrating the premiere of “Parish,” the highly anticipated six-episode crime thriller that debuts March 31 on AMC and AMC+. Esposito, an Emmy® and SAG® Award nominee and Critics Choice® Award winner, not only stars in the new series, but also is the executive producer of the project. Esposito is well known by television audiences for his iconic portrayal of drug kingpin ‘Gustavo “Gus” Fring’ in AMC’s critically acclaimed series “Breaking Bad,” for which he won the 2012 Critics Choice® Award and earned an Emmy® nomination the same year.
Multi-Platinum Recording Artist Riley Green to perform pre-race concert at COTA – Multi-platinum country-music superstar Riley Green will get Austin rocking with a Texas-sized pre-race concert before the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
“My grandaddy was a huge fan of NASCAR and passed on his love for it to me,” said Green. ”He inspired my song ‘Numbers On The Cars’, so I’m excited to get out to COTA and play before the big race. I’ll see y’all there!”
Green is scheduled to perform a 60-minute concert, pulling from his wide range of hits like “There Was This Girl,” “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” and “Georgia Time,” in addition to his Top 20-and-climbing single, “Different ‘Round Here” (featuring Luke Combs) and other songs from his recently released second album, Ain’t My Last Rodeo. Following the concert, the green flag will fall on the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix as NASCAR makes a high-profile stop at one of the world’s premier road courses, Circuit of The Americas.
The pre-race concert, which will take place on the frontstretch infield of the 3.41-mile road course, is free for fans with an EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix ticket. Fans can upgrade with a Track Pass for stage-front access to the concert and NASCAR Cup Series driver introductions.
Cup Series driver milestone starts to watch for – Below are a list of the upcoming milestones to watch for in the NASCAR Cup Series:
Starts
- Bubba Wallace will be making his 225th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Circuit of The Americas.
- Christopher Bell will be making his 150th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Circuit of The Americas.
- Joey Logano is expected to make his 550th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Richmond Raceway. He will become the 39th different driver to reach 550 or more Cup Series starts.
- Chris Buescher is expected to make his 300th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Richmond Raceway.
Wins
- If Martin Truex Jr. wins a race this season, he will tie Brad Keselowski for 24th on the all-time Cup Series wins list with 35 wins.
- If Kyle Larson wins another race this season, he will reach 25 career wins, becoming the 36th different driver all-time in the NASCAR Cup Series to reach 25 victories or more.
- If the Wood Brothers Racing organization wins this season, it will be their 100th NASCAR Cup Series victory, they currently have 99 wins in the series.