In recent times, the Texas state capital has embraced “Hold Austin Bizarre” as a motto. These phrases apply to the metropolis’s auto racing venue, too.
Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, which opened in 2012, incorporates a mix of a high-speed highway course and a extra technical circuit. COTA has hosted Components 1 and IndyCar races, however in 2021, NASCAR raced on the Texas highway course for the primary time.
It returns to the course once more Sunday for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.
Since COTA’s debut on the NASCAR calendar, the monitor has turn out to be one of many wilder occasions on the schedule. In 2021, a downpour pressured drivers to race by visitors on rain tires and with little visibility. The rain finally turned so heavy that the race was known as, with Chase Elliott declared the victor.
In 2022, Ross Chastain scored his first Cup Collection win after a wild last lap through which he performed pinball with A.J. Allmendinger and Alex Bowman within the corners. A 12 months later, Tyler Reddick survived three extra time restarts en path to victory lane.
This 12 months, nonetheless, COTA will look a bit different. Relatively than racing on the normal 3.41-mile course, drivers will race on the two.3-mile Nationwide course, which eliminates the lengthy backstretch and offers followers the chance to see extra motion.
At first look, the transfer could not seem to be an enormous deal. Sonoma Raceway in California has used two layouts since 1989 and Atlanta Motor Speedway underwent a reconfiguration in 2022.
However one other story could also be taking part in out behind the scenes. COTA doesn’t have a deal signed with NASCAR for 2026 — the monitor is leased by Speedway Motorsports for NASCAR occasions — making it appear as if the ability’s future within the sport might be in jeopardy.
That additionally begs the query: Is COTA’s structure change — which locations an emphasis on the viewing expertise — a racing resolution or a enterprise resolution?
Relying on how this weekend’s motion performs out, it might be each. According to The Athletic, talks between NASCAR and COTA relating to the monitor’s future can be held this weekend.
NASCAR isn’t the one racing sequence whose future with COTA isn’t set. Components 1 will race on the venue in 2026, however its future with COTA past that’s unsure. The sequence reportedly wants to sign a new contract with the track beyond next year.
There are many explanation why NASCAR and COTA ought to need to strike a brand new deal. Austin is a rising space that gives a brand new setting for NASCAR racing, and the monitor itself is a world-class facility that’s barely over a decade outdated.
Nevertheless, racing could be a merciless enterprise, and loads of tracks have seen their NASCAR futures wither away. That doesn’t appear to be what’s occurring with COTA, but it surely makes for an attention-grabbing storyline as NASCAR exams a brand new structure to win over followers this weekend.
