AUSTIN, Texas – The NASCAR Cup Series season to date has been a curious mix so far for Kyle Busch, who tried to explain those ebbs, flows and undulations Friday afternoon at the Circuit of The Americas. The mostly flat expression said it all.
Five races in, there’s more to the season’s story for the driver of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota, and maybe more to crow about than his explanation might reveal. He has the chance to improve on what’s already there in Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (3:30 p.m. ET, PRN, SiriusXM), just the second Cup Series race at the 3.41-mile circuit and the first road-course event for the Next Gen car.
“I think the car is fine. We are all trying to figure it out and learn what it potentially is and what it is that makes it go fast, what the knobs are that you need to turn at particular places,” Busch said about the adaptation. “I feel like we’ve had decent speed everywhere we’ve been except Phoenix. Phoenix was really bad. Vegas, we were fast – coulda, shoulda, woulda. California, we were OK, worked on it and came back from five laps down. Picked up 10 spots in five laps. Last week was fast. Probably one of the fastest cars in the field and just got caught up in a wreck. We don’t really have anything to show for this year, which is disappointing. No stage points. That’s about it.”
The frank assessment did omit some of the plusses from Busch’s season so far. His stage-point count is actually better than zero, but it’s still just a meager eight – placing him in a tie for 22nd-best in the series. Still, he’s currently the only JGR driver with a top-five finish this year, and that was the fruit of a mammoth rally at Las Vegas to lead a season-best 49 laps and claim fourth.
Last week’s 33rd-place effort at Atlanta Motor Speedway ended in a tangle with Austin Dillon that set him back a piece, knocking him from second place in the Cup Series standings to 11th. Busch was mostly mum in the Atlanta garage after the early exit before the Stage 1 break, but had a more detailed perspective to share five days later.
“I mean, a couple of replay angles I saw looked a little tough to exactly decipher, but from my vantage point in this seat, I think the air changed in front of him and he wasn’t ready for the air change that happened and he got loose, and then I touched him,” Busch said. “Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know. But I certainly wouldn’t push through the corner. I’m smarter than that, better than that. I wasn’t trying to push anybody else any other part of the day through the corner. It wasn’t the time in the day to be pushing. We’re not even in the first stage yet. So I hate it for him. I think he lost it.”
Busch and Co. return to COTA under far different conditions – sunny warmth instead of last year’s rain-sloshed debut in Austin. Busch led 12 of 54 laps, won Stage 2 and ultimately wound up 10th behind race winner Chase Elliott here in 2021. He paced the opening practice session on Saturday morning.
Busch has four road-course wins in the Cup Series – two each at Sonoma and Watkins Glen – and the schedule’s recent influx of more road circuits has forced the field to sharpen skills at this discipline.
“I’ve always enjoyed the road racing,” Busch said. “Back years ago, when we had two on the schedule – Sonoma and Watkins Glen – it was kind of fun because it was like an off-week. You would go and enjoy the experience and try to learn and get better at it each time that you would do it, but now that there is six of them on the schedule, it’s definitely more loaded towards needing to be good at it — not wanting but needing with the amount of road-course races we have. I feel like I’m a decent road racer and would love to have a chance to showcase that here on Sunday.”
Race-day update: NASCAR has announced the final list of cars to the rear.
No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford for driver Joey Hand (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet for driver AJ Allmendinger (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 27 Team Hezeberg Ford for driver Loris Hezemans (Daytona engine change)
No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford for driver Michael McDowell (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 43 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet for driver Erik Jones (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford for driver Boris Said (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet for driver Josh Bilicki (Unapproved adjustments)
No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford for driver Andy Lally (Three inspection failures; will also serve pass-through penalty)
AUSTIN, Texas — NASCAR officials cited five Cup Series teams for multiple failures in Friday’s pre-qualifying inspection at the Circuit of The Americas.
The No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford, driven this week by Andy Lally, failed inspection three times and will not be able to participate in Saturday’s Busch Light Pole Qualifying (11 a.m. ET, FS1). Lally will also have to make a pass-through penalty on pit road after the green flag to Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM) and had a team member (engineer) ejected.
Four teams failed inspection twice before the garage closed Friday evening, and each will be down a crew member for the weekend. Those teams, plus the type of crewmember ejected, are:
• No. 6 RFK Racing Ford for driver Brad Keselowski (car chief) • No. 50 The Money Team Racing Chevrolet for driver Kaz Grala (chassis specialist) • No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford for driver Boris Said (chassis specialist) • No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet for driver Josh Bilicki (race engineer)
The Nos. 6 , 50, 66 and 77 teams each passed inspection on their third attempts. The No. 78 team passed on its fourth try during Saturday morning inspection.
The No. 6 team announced earlier Friday that it would appeal the L2-level penalties that NASCAR officials handed down Thursday after an inspection at its Research & Development Center.
Lally, the 2011 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, is making his second Cup start in the last 11 years. He drove one race — Indianapolis Road Course — for Live Fast last season.
TMT Racing is making just its second start of the year, its first since Grala finished 26th in the season-opening Daytona 500.
AUSTIN, Texas (March 25, 2022) – Circuit of The Americas is “resurrecting” one of WWE’s biggest names for this weekend’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. The Undertaker will descend upon NASCAR at COTA on Sunday to lead the field to the green flag as Honorary Pace Car driver.
Houston, Texas-native Mark Calaway, best known as “The Undertaker,” is one of WWE’s most popular and enduring figures and a pop culture icon. He is a multi-time WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, a six-time tag-team champion and a Royal Rumble Match winner.
Next week, he will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In addition to his larger-than-life persona, The Undertaker is known for his WrestleMania streak of 21 consecutive victories.
“I am honored to be the Honorary Pace Car driver at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix in Austin,” said Calaway. “It’s a big week for Texas with WrestleMania in Dallas on April 2 and April 3, and I am excited to kick it off at Circuit of The Americas.”
Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.
Note: All times are ET.
MORE: How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | Watch on USA Network | Get the NBC Sports App | Watch on Peacock | FloRacing
Monday, March 28
2:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss 250 (re-air), FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series XPEL 225 (re-air), FS2
11 a.m., IMSA Auto Racing: Michelin Pilot Challenge, USA
Noon, NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss 250 (re-air), FS2
1 p.m., ARCA Menards Series East, USA
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (re-air), FS1
Tuesday, March 29
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, Radioactive: Best of Richmond, FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Nalley Cars 250 (re-air), FS2
Wednesday, March 30 1 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (re-air), FS2
4 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss 250 (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Boundless: Betty Skelton, FS1
Thursday, March 31 6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Game Night: Family Edition, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Radioactive: Best of Road Courses, FS1
10 p.m., NASCAR Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400, FS2
Friday, April 1
1 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Best of Radioactive: Road Courses, FS2
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Game Night: Family Edition, FS1
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400, FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Best of Radioactive: Road Courses, FS2
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub — Game Night: Family Edition, FS2
Noon, ARCA Menards Series NAPA Auto Parts 150, USA
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400, FS1
On MRN
6:30 p.m., Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150
Saturday, April 2 6 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1998 Autolite Platinum 250, FS1
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, FS1
9 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, FS1
10 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Weekend Edition Richmond
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Qualifying, FS1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Xfinity, FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS1 (re-air)
10:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series qualifying, FS1 (re-air)
On MRN 10:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Qualifying
1 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250
Sunday, April 3 12:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS2 (re-air)
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS1 (re-air)
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive, FS1
7:30 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1986 Miller High Life 400, FS1
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250, FS1 (re-air)
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Richmond, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: Richmond, FOX
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400, FOX
On MRN
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400
Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing announced Friday afternoon via a statement that the team will appeal the L2-level penalty NASCAR officials issued to its No. 6 NASCAR Cup Series team.
“In connection to the penalties announced yesterday by NASCAR, we have filed a notice of appeal and look forward to the opportunity to work through the process,” the statement read.
NASCAR officials issued an L2-level penalty to the No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing team on Thursday morning, penalizing the team 100 driver points and 100 owner points. The penalty comes under Sections 14.1 and 14.5 in the NASCAR Rule Book, both of which pertain to the modification of a single source supplied part.
In addition to the points penalties, crew chief Matt McCall was fined $100,000 and suspended from the next four NASCAR Cup Series points races. Should the No. 6 team of Brad Keselowski qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, it will be penalized with the loss of 10 NASCAR Playoff points.
Next up: A three-member panel from the National Motorsports Appeals Panel will hear and consider the appeal at a later date.
Like her last name is pronounced, NASCAR.com writer Terrin Waack walks the walk, but she’ll let her achievements do the talking.
In January, Waack won the 2020-21 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year award, a prestigious accomplishment bestowed upon a writer within the motorsports industry. She earned it for various pieces of work, including:
•Saving the season: A five-part series detailing how NASCAR ran its 2020 season amid COVID-19 pandemic •Racing helps soul of NASCAR fan Travis Carpenter •A local lovin’ concessions crawl at Road America •Timing everything: How to consistently nail the perfect pre-race flyover
Waack has worked for NASCAR since July 2019. Prior to her current run in Charlotte, North Carolina, Waack was a beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News with a focus on University of Alabama athletics, which is also where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in journalism. Her work has also been featured for the Associated Press and in The Chicago Tribune.
Waack is the first woman in NASCAR.com history and third woman ever to win the NMPA Writer of the Year award.
“I love supporting females in the industry,” Waack told NASCAR.com. “Don’t get me wrong, you need to earn it. But, I think when you earn it and when you’re doing well, you deserve the support and recognition. So, to get that support and recognition as not only a female, but as a writer, meant so much to me. It was a huge shock.”
The above interview with Waack via Zoom showcased just two of five total awards she earned during the awards ceremony. What is just as telling regarding her accomplishments is the countless lanyards hanging beside them, which contain media credentials from national and international events she has covered throughout her career.
“They are all different,” Waack said. “There’s football, NASCAR, Formula E, boxing, golf and even a gaming championship. I’ve covered so many different things and they all have a special place in my heart. To see them is a reminder of what all I have done and what more I can do.”
Waack’s passion for sports transfers over to her personal life. In her spare time, she loves to run long distance and participate in boxing classes. She completed her first marathon in December 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
The juxtaposition of her personal and professional life exhibits a constant focus in striving for perfection — on the run to improve her physical fitness each day, but never willing to run away in the face of adversity — hitting a challenge head-on and with success in a profession that is continually evolving.
Her biggest piece of advice to other young women looking to break barriers is to work hard, take all the opportunities you can and don’t be scared to accomplish your goals.
“Any fear I have in going toward a situation, it’s like well, if you don’t do it, then you’re out of a job,” Waack said. “If I don’t get the interview, then I don’t get the story and that’s me not completing my job. That squashes any fear or nervousness I have in a situation.
“Knowing I am employed, I do have a job, I have a spot at the table, whether or not someone believes I deserve it, I don’t care. I have it. It’s mine. You’re not going to take it from me unless you do better than me.”
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has a storied history of teams, tracks and fans who have been around the sport for decades. Many who travel to events have been attending for years, and the teams remain committed to racing at the highest level with the goal of becoming a NASCAR champion in mind.
Better yet, the series also attracts specific followings at different tracks, and with a diverse schedule in place for 2022, more new fans than ever before will see NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing at their local short tracks.
Behind the scenes, work continues to produce the best for teams, drivers and fans alike. For 2022, that work is not just coming from NASCAR and the tracks, but also from an outside promotional group that is joining the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for the second straight year.
JDV Productions, led by former Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park general manager Josh Vanada, will bring the Tour to four different venues in 2022. Vanada and his team have leased some of the Northeast’s top venues to bring the rumble and roar of NASCAR’s oldest touring series directly to diverse fan groups — specifically to some tracks the Tour has not visited in years.
JDV will continue to bolster the series through its own channels with some of the top professionals in short-track racing working behind the scenes to make it all possible.
Vanada, who grew up in a racing family, has been through the ranks of the sport. He started as an official at Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway, where he became the Chief Starter. Years later, he operated one of the most historic tracks in the country, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, as General Manager.
“From the first time I saw a Modified, I was hooked,” Vanada told NASCAR.com. “There was something about the wide stance, low-to-the-ground look and noise that just drew me in. It’s important to me that our team produces regional stock car racing events with national quality. I think the Whelen Modified Tour fits in nicely with what we are trying to do with JDV Productions. It’s professional, organized and nationally recognized.”
The JDV season opens May 21 at New Hampshire’s Lee USA Speedway with the Granite State Derby 175, and it will conclude at New Hampshire’s Claremont Motorsports Park on July 29 with the Clash at Claremont. In between, the Tour will visit Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway on Memorial Day weekend (May 28) and Monadnock Speedway in the mountains of New Hampshire on June 18.
All four events will include a full slate of local track house divisions, most under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series sanction.
In 2021, Vanada and his team operated successful events at Jennerstown, New York’s Oswego Speedway and Maine’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. This year, they’re taking the next step.
“I’m very encouraged by the energy and momentum that the NASCAR industry has this year, starting with the (Cup Series’) Clash at the Coliseum,” Vanada said. “The competition has been intense, and the crowds have been spectacular. It was encouraging to see a sellout crowd for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener at New Smyrna. We are looking to build on that momentum in the Northeast.”
JDV will bring the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to Lee for the first time since 1998 and to Claremont for the first time since 2007. The return to Jennerstown will be for the fourth straight year (second under JDV), and Monadnock’s high-banks will host the Tour again after a hiatus in 2021.
Fans look on during the Laurel Highlands 150 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania and wins on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. (Nate Smallwood/NASCAR)
“I’m excited about each of our events for different reasons. The returns to Lee and Claremont, honoring our fallen heroes with a special Memorial Day weekend race at Jennerstown, and dueling it out on Monadnock’s high-banks — they will all provide their own unique flare for a race fan,” he continued. “New England has always been home to me, and while the Modifieds are nationally recognized, New England is Modified country. It’s important that the Whelen Modified Tour competes on the tracks with the fans who are most passionate about them.”
As part of the season, JDV and Whelen Engineering have teamed up to bring the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup into the series. With more than $15,000 as part of the bonus program, the three New Hampshire events — Lee, Monadnock and Claremont — will give teams even more incentive to chase the checkered flag.
“The Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup brings the series to New Hampshire three times and invites local drivers like Steven Dickey to take on three-time champion Justin Bonsignore and the rest of the field,” Vanada said. “Giving the drivers and fans access to that competition is something that we view as important.”
As part of the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup, the team who sees their driver earn the most points over the three events will earn a smooth $5,000 as the champion to be crowned at the Claremont finale. Second place will earn $2,000, with third collecting $1,000.
Other awards involved in the Bonus Program include:
$200 Challenger Bonus per race – offered to the driver who competed in fewer than 50 percent of the races in the past two seasons
$200 Hard Charger Bonus per race – offered to the driver who gains the most positions from their starting to finishing position in each event
$500 Lap Leader Bonus – offered to the driver who leads the most laps over the three events in the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup
$800 Consistency Bonus – offered to the driver who has the worst average finish over the three races
JDV will also offer the JDV Experience at all four races, and it’s something fans won’t want to miss. They can purchase an all-inclusive pass for a special treat of a day at the races.
Available now, the JDV Experience will give fans who purchase special tickets preferred seating at the specific race, but that’s just the start. The JDV Experience will also offer fans a private autograph session with some of the top Whelen Modified Tour drivers, a JDV Experience hat, a tour of the inspection area in the pits and a voucher for track concessions. Fans can purchase the Lee USA Speedway Experience for $150 per person, or the other three events for $125.
“It’s important to us to provide the best entertainment we can. We have many different ways to take races in from purchasing a grandstand ticket, to a pit pass, to the premium JDV Experience,” Vanada said. “Regardless of that ticket a fan purchases, they are going to get the great wheel-to-wheel, door-to-door racing that will showcase a variety of stock cars with New England’s most talented drivers behind the wheel. Meanwhile, we will build events around the racing – that includes unique trophies, appropriate pageantry, autograph sessions and excitement all the way through.”
Above all, Vanada and his team want what is best for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the teams, drivers and fans who support one of the top short-track divisions in the country.
“It’s easy to work with people when you value the same things. Since I’ve started working with Jimmy Wilson (director of the Whelen Modified Tour) 10 years ago, we have often thought similarly about important preparation and execution that go into these events,” Vanada said. “We do most of our work prior to the race, communicate widely, prepare for the unknown and demand that our events are executed with national quality.
“When two teams come together around those ideas, success is a lot easier. We’re grateful for our partnership with NASCAR, and we’re looking forward to some competitive racing for fans to enjoy in 2022.”
During the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend, Brad Perez had to navigate a unique set of emotions.
The 25-year-old from Hollywood, Florida, of course had to complete his job as a tire specialist for the Rackley W.A.R. team and driver Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado. He also had to ask off work ahead of the following weekend at Circuit of The Americas, when the series would head to Austin, Texas.
Perez early that morning had learned that he, himself would be racing against DiBenedetto at COTA.
“I was (in Atlanta) doing my tires and freaking out, trying to keep calm,” Perez told NASCAR.com with a laugh. “I’m like, ‘Sorry, if I see the 25 truck (on the track at COTA), I won’t touch it!’ ”
On March 24, the Monday after the Atlanta race and five days before COTA, Perez and Reaume Brothers Racing announced the driver would make his Truck Series debut in Austin. The announcement came just one week after Perez began searching for partners to help fund his entry for the team.
Perez, who has made a name for himself in the racing community by competing in Go Karts, Spec Miatas, Legend Cars and the ARCA Menards Series as well as on the iRacing platform, first learned of this opportunity on Sunday, March 13. He was in Fredericksburg, Virginia, helping ARCA driver Willie Mullins prepare a car for the East Series race at Florida’s Five Flags Speedway when Perez received a phone call from good friend and current Truck Series driver Will Rodgers.
Rodgers informed Perez that RBR owner Josh Reaume wanted to meet to discuss an opportunity at COTA. Mullins understood when Perez explained why he needed to drive back to North Carolina immediately.
After his meeting with Reaume the next day, Perez went into scramble mode trying to find partners. He did not need to search nearly as hard as he thought he would to get GreenTech Energy, Kimberly Kirven and Apex Coffee, among others, on board.
Perez works as a driving instructor at the BMW Performance Center in Greer, South Carolina. That’s where he met Kirven, a real estate agent who recently rode with Perez on a hot lap at the driving school.
“I didn’t even have her phone number; we knew each other through Instagram,” Perez explained. “I asked her who she knew in Austin, and she goes, ‘No, I’ll do it!’ ”
Rich Lawson of GreenTech knew Perez through an iRacing sponsorship deal and wanted to help with the driver’s COTA efforts. The partnership with Apex Coffee was the result of a connection Perez made when he was trying to fund his ARCA Menards Series entry at Watkins Glen International last year. Victory SIM and The Mohawk Foundation also joined.
Perez said the final “yes” on his partnerships arrived the morning of that Atlanta race.
That so many were quick to jump in and help fund Perez’s Truck Series debut is no surprise given his embedded status in racing. On top of his job at BMW, Perez helps Mullins whenever he can. He also volunteers at fellow South Floridian Josh Williams’ shop in Concord, North Carolina. Josh Williams Motorsports, of course, was the team that gave Perez his first ARCA Menards start last year at The Glen. Perez finished 24th after dealing with a brake issue.
Perez, whose aspirations always revolved around racing even when he was working jobs that had nothing to do with motorsports, was overcome with emotion after that ARCA race.
Driver Brad Perez and car owner Josh Williams work on their No. 60 JWM Chevrolet ahead of the Clean Harbors 100 at The Glen for the ARCA Menards Series at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 6, 2021. (Brett Carlsen/ARCA Racing)
“All the things that went wrong don’t matter, because all my family’s here, all my friends are here,” he told ARCARacing.com at the time. “A lot of people work seriously hard to be able to give me my dream. A lot of people built their businesses up — these are their babies — and they did not have to do this. I just hope I did them proud. I got to do the coolest thing in the world, and I hope I get to do it again.”
He does get to do it again, and he will do it in one of NASCAR’s three national series driving a No. 43 Silverado.
Perez figures his experience at COTA will be similar, at least emotionally.
“At the end of the day I like to sit in bed and reflect on the day,” Perez said, “but I’ve been getting home at midnight or 2 a.m. this whole week, so I haven’t really had time to reflect. I feel like when the national anthem is on, and I’m standing next to the truck, I feel like that’s probably when it’s going to hit me.
“My parents are going to be there. It’s a big event. It’s COTA. It’s the freaking United States Grand Prix track. It’s super cool. I feel like I’m not going to really grasp it until then.”
Before the first road-course challenge of the season Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), try your hand at some props on the race ranging from who will win a featured matchup to where a driver will finish.
The Next Gen car is primed for its road-course debut.
NASCAR heads back to Circuit of The Americas on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. After a downpour of rain shortened the inaugural event in 2021, the Cup Series returns to Austin, Texas, for what’s setting up to be a (dry!) thrilling weekend.
Get set for the weekend with everything you need here:
SHIFTING INTO PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING
The Cup Series will hit the track for practice on Saturday at 10 a.m. ET (FS1), with the 39 entered teams divided into Group A and Group B. Each group will be allotted 20 minutes of practice.
After practice, each group will be given a 15-minute timed qualifying session in which teams can set multiple lap times. The fastest five cars from each group will advance to the second round, in which the 10 remaining drivers will fight for the pole award.
— Twenty minutes southeast from the Texas capital in Austin sits the mammoth, 3.41-mile track. Tavo Hellmund announced plans to build the facility on an 890-acre piece of property in 2010, with billionaire Red McCombs named the most financially significant investor.
— The track’s design was submitted by HKS, Inc. and Tilke Engineers & Architects. The Dallas-based HKS designed AT&T Stadium where the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys play, SoFi Stadium which houses the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, among other stadiums. Hermann Tilke is one of four designers recognized by the FIA and has helped create other Formula One facilities like Bahrain International Circuit, Marina Street Bay Circuit and Yas Marina Circuit.
— Since opening in 2012, the circuit has hosted a number of racing and live sporting events including Formula One (2012-2019, 2021), MotoGP World Championship (2013-2019), American Rallycross (2018-2019), V8 Supercars, American Le Mans Series, Rolex Sports Car Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar series, IndyCar and more.
— The track features 20 turns, the first of which is a hairpin atop an 11% gradient incline at the end of the front straightaway. After a series of esses, a blind corner and a hairpin at Turn 11, drivers attack a 0.62-mile (1 km) straightaway that carries them to the second half of the track.
— Sunday’s race will mark the second for Cup at COTA after last year’s debut.
— COTA is the first of six road courses on this year’s schedule.
Source: Racing Insights
GOODYEAR TIRES
While the sidewalls are thinner and the bead diameter increases from 15 inches to 18 for the Next Gen car, Goodyear returns to Circuit of The Americas with the same tread compound as teams used in 2021. This tread is also scheduled to run at Sonoma Raceway and Road America.
Additionally, Goodyear has entirely redesigned its wet-weather radial tire and will bring it to COTA — although the forecast indicates they will not be necessary. The new tire tread is based on Goodyear’s Eagle Supercar 3 consumer tire.
COTA STORY LINES
— Hendrick Motorsports has won eight of the last 11 races overall as well as nine of the last 11 road courses.
— Each of Chase Elliott’s last two wins came on road courses, including this race one year ago as well as the inaugural race at Road America. After William Byron’s win at Atlanta, Elliott is Hendrick Motorsports’ only winless driver this season.
— The last 11 races have been won by drivers under the age of 30, the longest streak in series history.
— Trackhouse Racing is tied with Hendrick Motorsports for the most top fives this season. Ross Chastain, driver of Trackhouse’s No. 1 Chevrolet, finished fourth in this race one year ago and has finished inside the top three in each of the last three races.
— Kurt Busch leads all drivers with a 9.6 average finish through five races. Busch finished inside the top five at both Phoenix (fifth) and Atlanta (third).
Source: Racing Insights
ROAD COURSE? SAFE BETS AHEAD
The best pick of the weekend is the easiest pick of the weekend: Chase Elliott. Elliott, the 3-1 favorite, has won an absurd 36.8% of all road course starts (seven of 19) and won this race a year ago, even if teammate Kyle Larson (4-1) was chasing him down before rain halted the event.
The bets that will actually make you money, of course, are the more interesting ones. Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric is posted at 16-1 odds according to BetMGM. However, the rookie made one of his seven Cup starts here a season ago and blistered the field through the opening laps on slick tires while his competition opted for wets. Cindric is a road-course veteran and may be a factor Sunday.
The same 16-1 odds are applied to the No. 16 Chevrolet of AJ Allmendinger. Allmendinger is on a part-time schedule for the second straight year but is a two-time Cup winner on road courses and an excellent road racer overall, winning last year’s Indianapolis Motor Speedway road-course event.
Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 2, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.
The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (165 points), Joey Logano (162 points) and William Byron. (150 points).
Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.
NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.
