Sunday Setup: Strategies aplenty at COTA with first road course of new Chase format

AUSTIN, Texas -- The picturesque scenes of the historic Circuit of The Americas road course make for a beautiful visual leading into Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race there (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). So too do differing in-race strategies, not knowing which is ultimately playing out the best until the closing laps. Since the implementation of stage racing nearly a decade ago, the dominant car at road courses, more often than not, has elected to forego earning maximum stage points and pit late in the opening two stages to be in position for the win come the end of the race. On the flip side, cars that weren't in position to win on that given day tend to chase stage points, pit during the stage break and attempt to drive through the field in the final stint. MORE: COTA starting lineup | At-track photos: COTA, St. Pete With The Chase format returning in 2026, every point matters. Every strategy call is heightened, particularly at road courses where stage points can be more evenly spread throughout the field. "I don't think it's going to be a ton different from what we've had in the past," Stephen Doran, crew chief for Shane van Gisbergen, told NASCAR.com. "I think you will see a few more stay out and collect the stage points. I think your top two or three contenders will play it to win the race." Van Gisbergen and Doran brutalized the competition on road courses in 2025 by winning each of the last five road races, and on Sunday, SVG could match Jeff Gordon's record of six consecutive road-course triumphs. The team was so dominant that despite winning a handful of times as a rookie on road courses, SVG was still able to tally the second-most amount of stage points (62), trailing only Ryan Blaney (64). No other driver in the field eclipsed 40. Being among the top teams in collecting stage points is something that Doran believes could flip in 2026, noting that more teams in the middle of the field will look to pocket points. Those points could come to the detriment of the No. 97 bunch. "I don't think you're going to have that as much anymore because all of those guys in the midpack that see that they can get stage points are going to stay out and get them," Doran said. "I don't think it's going to be as easy to collect seven or eight stage points and short the stage." [caption id="attachment_502476" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]James Gilbert | Getty Images[/caption] In overall points accumulated at road courses last year, van Gisbergen had a 73-point buffer over runner-up Christopher Bell. Even with attention on points in 2026, the goal remains to capture the checkered flag, something Doran hasn't lost sight of, no matter how many stage points the No. 97 team leaves on the table. Those points tend to even out with a victory as the race winner earns 55 points, a 15-point increase per race from 2025. "We come here for one reason, and that's to bring the trophy home," Doran said. "I'm never going to do anything that jeopardizes that." Meanwhile, Jonathan Hassler, Blaney's 2023 championship-winning crew chief, thinks sacrificing points is a tough call "when you're not Shane van Gisbergen." But if a team is far enough back in the running order that stage points seem unlikely -- but far enough ahead of the leader where they won't lose a lap -- it's an easier call to flip the stages. "It's an easy decision when you're back in the pack," Hassler told NASCAR.com. "You are just trying to get through the day, get the most points you can. It's harder for someone who is second, third or fourth." Looking ahead to Sunday, Hassler, who guided Blaney to a fourth-place starting position for Sunday's DuraMax Texas Grand Prix, believes the top three drivers in the running order will battle each other for track position throughout the race, giving up the opportunity to bank points during the stages. Beyond the podium, it could boil down to how long a given run is, since it's easier to flip the stage on a short run, with the margin between the field not as spread out. "You come in with some expectations of the capability of your car and where you should be running and understand the picture of if you're in position to get points now or not," Hassler stated. "If I make a move now, will it set me up to get points in the second stage? "I think if you do your homework and know what kind of speed you have in your car and where you're running, it's fairly straightforward." Van Gisbergen will take the green flag from 13th on Sunday, his worst starting spot in 12 road-course starts. [caption id="attachment_502478" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media[/caption]