EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) (⏰ 3:30 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX, FOX Sports App | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race in Texas, the first road-course race of the 2023 Cup Series campaign.
Weekend schedule | TV schedule | Weather tracker | COTA 101
📍 Location: Austin, Texas 📐 Track length: 3.41 miles 🎟️ Buy tickets: Three races this weekend 💰 Cup Series race purse: $9,294,829 📏 Race distance: 68 laps | 231.88 miles 🔢 Stages: 15 | 30 | 68 — No stage cautions, points still awarded -- 🚪 Entry list: Stars are out in Texas 📋 Starting lineup: Where drivers will start on Sunday 🚗 Pit stall assignments: Where drivers will pit on Sunday 📦 Rules package: New rules for short tracks, road courses 🏆 Most recent winner: Ross ChastainKey things to watch 🔑 Top story line Revamped road-course racing. Sunday's race at Circuit of The Americas will be the debut of the new low-downforce package on road courses after Cup Series drivers got a first taste at Phoenix Raceway. Also for the first time, the choose rule will be in effect before each restart and while stage points will still be awarded, there will be zero stage cautions. Strategy will be important throughout the race for teams looking to make up ground on the track or maximize their points day — it will be a fine line and a big test when it comes down to racing for the win during the Final Stage. Need more details? Watch Steve Letarte and Todd Gordon break it down 💰 Xfinity Series: Dash 4 Cash qualifier is Saturday History tells us... Ross Chastain will be in the mix. Chastain is one of just two drivers with a pair of top-five finishes since COTA debuted on the schedule in 2021. His 2022 victory at the track solidified him as the all-time leader in laps led (35) and average finish (2.5). While yes, it is a small sample size, the chaotic finish to last year's Texas showdown showed that the No. 1 driver is willing to do anything to win — even going door-to-door on the final lap with Alex Bowman and AJ Allmendinger. Aside from Tyler Reddick's RCR Chevrolet in 2022, Trackhouse Racing arguably had the best road-course resume, so don't expect any less from them this weekend. 🎙️: Allmendinger has 'no ill feelings' after 2022 finish He may not be the betting favorite to win, but watch out for... Alex Bowman. Bowman doesn't get the road-course credit that some of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates get and that's fair given he's never actually won a left-and-right-circuit race. But his performances at COTA specifically have been exceptional with a pair of top 10s and a dramatic runner-up result a year ago. He has also had a hot start to this season in general, reeling off top 10s in every race this season except for last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With all the other story lines, Bowman will be overlooked this weekend, but that doesn't mean he can't win. 👀 Honorable mention: Road-course ringer, Jordan Taylor Practice and qualifying Tyler Reddick is flying this weekend. The driver of the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing paced the 50-minute practice session on Friday afternoon and backed that up Saturday in qualifying. Reddick laid down a lap at 94.210 mph in the opening round of time trials, setting a new track record. But in the final round, it was William Byron nabbing the pole at 93.882 mph. Byron became the first driver in NASCAR history to score poles at four different road courses. | Recap Friday's practice | Full breakdown of qualifying