NASCAR has introduced changes to the iconic Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for this weekends Xfinity and Cup Series races. After announcing major modifications to the track layout in late 2024, this weekend is the first time fans will see these changes in action.
Usually hosting everything from Formula 1 to MotoGP, COTA became a part of NASCAR’s schedule in 2021. With the circuit known for an unpredictable mix of technical challenges and sporadic weather, it quickly became a fan-favorite.
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What changes have been made to COTA?
The original 3.41-mile track has been scaled down to 2.3 miles, a change intended to bring more on track action.
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Despite the course shrinking in length by removing Turns 7 to the Turn 11 hairpin, it still boasts 20 turns. The changes aim to create a more intense and engrossing race for viewers, increasing laps in both the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series races.
The NASCAR Cup Series, the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, will bump up from 68 to 95 laps. Similarly, the Xfinity Series will up the number of laps from 50 to 65, adjusting to the shorter track length.
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What have drivers said about the COTA changes?
Some of the drivers have started revealing their thoughts on the changes.
Austin Cindric:
“I think shortening the track definitely changes quite a few things.The lap count, from a fan standpoint, I think that is more than anything else. How much do you prioritize the other corners that still exist on the race track? Past that, there are still plenty of elements to take away. It is a very unique circuit,” Cindric explained.
Chase Elliott:
“It’s kind of one of those things where it’s tough because the only thing you can do is simulator work, right, until you can get some eyes on it. The good news is that we’ve got some practice next week to understand the reconfiguration. I do not have my head wrapped around it completely at this point.
“I mean, I know what it’s supposed to look like, but I think until you really get out there and feel it — for me, it’s always hard to kind of understand exactly how things are going to be. And I kind of hate guessing because I don’t want to guess wrong in that situation, so I just kind of look forward to practice, honestly, more than anything.
“I would have to imagine it will change the racing a little, I would think, just based off the way it’s shaped. So hopefully, it gives more opportunities to get crafty, have some more options, opportunities to pass or just be different. If it does, great. And if it doesn’t, it’ll look like it has for the last few years out there.”
“I like the track. It’s pretty cool. I think the change they’ve done is good with the second cut-through. The one we did in Supercars would be terrible in these cars. They’ve made a good call there, but it’ll probably be a bit of action I think. The tight left-hander.”
“As you come back onto the back straightaway, the corner is kind of a flowy corner, so I don’t think you’ll get much two-wide racing through there.
“Trying to setup something on that little short shoot before Turn 12 is going to be tricky to say the least.
“Because you want to be on the inside for that corner but the next two corners you’re going to want to be on the outside. So I don’t know, I feel like we lost two and didn’t gain any. We’ll see how that transpires and what it looks like.”
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