After a thrilling conclusion to the race at Atlanta which saw Joey Logano head to Victory Lane, NASCAR is heading to Texas for the first road course race of the year.
Circuit of the Americas in Austin will play host to Trucks, Xfinity, and Cup cars this weekend as the drivers look to navigate both the left and right turns. of one of the premier facilities in motorsport. The NASCAR EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix preview has a star-studded field in the Lone Star State.
Welcome back to @COTA, y’all. 🤠 #NASCARatCOTA | #XPEL225 | #YALLIN pic.twitter.com/5AnZUz3IY1
— NASCAR at COTA (@NASCARatCOTA) March 24, 2023
There are no shortage of stories going into this race but most exciting for fans has to be the variety of drivers in the field. Former F1 champions Jenson Button and Kimi Raikonnen will both be in the race as well as Seven Time NASCAR Champ Jimmie Johnson and IndyCar driver Conor Daly.
A field with the names listed above is already impressive but Le Mans Winner and SportsCar standout Jordan Taylor will also be in the field at Circuit of the Americas subbing for the injured Chase Elliott. I personally can’t wait to see how these drivers handle the challenge of stock cars at CotA.
The full entry list can be checked out at the link below.
Entry List
In addition to the star-studded field, NASCAR is also implementing some additional changes that they hope will make for exciting racing.
LET’S GET HYPE Y’ALL!😤
— NASCAR at COTA (@NASCARatCOTA) March 23, 2023
Let us know if you’re coming⬇️#YALLIN #EchoParkGP #NASCAR75 pic.twitter.com/VCkvRydKJ5
First, the reduced downforce package we saw at Phoenix will make another appearance here in Austin.
Second, NASCAR is doing away with the stage break cautions in an effort to allow the race to play out more naturally. Points will still be awarded at the end of stages but the race will remain green. What does this mean? We could see several different pit strategies making for the first major fuel mileage race we’ve seen in awhile.
All in all, this weekend is set to be a fantastic one for racing in the Lone Star State. I’ll be in attendance myself at Circuit of the Americas and can’t wait to report back.
Who knows, maybe we’ll end up with another wild finish like in 2022.
Make sure to check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on track action.
Friday 03/24
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying – No TV, airing on Tape Delay 8:00 p.m. CT on FS1
NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – 6:00 p.m CT on FS1
Saturday 03/25
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 10:30 a.m. CT on FS1
XPEL 225 (NASCAR CRaftsman Truck Series) – 12:30 p.m. CT on FS1
Pit Boss 250 (NASCAR Xfinity Series) – 4:00 p.m. CT on FS1
Sunday 03/26
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (NASCAR Cup Series) – 2:30 p.m. CT on FOX
The NASCAR EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix has a star-studded field in the Lone Star State and I, for one, am ready for it.
