"A road course outside Austin, Texas, where NASCAR has raced since 2021, first on the full 3.41-mile circuit and now on a shorter 2.4-mile layout."
Location: Austin, Texas Track Type: Paved road course Length: 2.4 miles (NASCAR layout); 3.41 miles (full circuit) Surface: Paved Turns: 17 (NASCAR's 2.4-mile layout) First NASCAR Cup Series Race: May 23, 2021 NASCAR Series: Cup Series and O'Reilly Series (the Truck Series raced there from 2021 through 2024)
Quick Answers
How long is the NASCAR course at COTA? In 2026 NASCAR raced on a 2.4-mile, 17-turn layout. The full circuit is 3.41 miles, and NASCAR used it from 2021 through 2024.
Where is Circuit of the Americas? Just outside Austin, Texas.
When did NASCAR start racing at COTA? In May 2021. The Truck Series and the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series raced there on May 22 and the Cup Series on May 23.
Who won at COTA in 2026? Shane van Gisbergen won the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race (NASCAR's second-tier national series) on February 28, and Tyler Reddick won the Cup Series race on March 1, with van Gisbergen second.
Does the Truck Series race at COTA? Not anymore. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series raced there four times, from 2021 through 2024. It is not on the 2026 or 2027 schedule at COTA.
When does NASCAR race at COTA in 2027? The O'Reilly Series races Saturday, March 6, and the Cup Series races Sunday, March 7.
COTA Schedule: 2027 NASCAR Dates
| Date | Day | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 6 | Saturday | NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series |
| Mar 7 | Sunday | NASCAR Cup Series |
Dates are from NASCAR's 2027 national series schedule. Start times have not been announced. Confirm at circuitoftheamericas.com before you travel.
Overview
Circuit of the Americas, known as COTA, is a road course outside Austin, Texas. NASCAR's national series have raced there every season since 2021.
A road course has left and right turns and hard braking into slow corners, so it rewards different skills than an oval, where cars turn only left. NASCAR's first four years at COTA used the full 3.41-mile circuit. In 2026 the Cup and O'Reilly races ran on a 2.4-mile, 17-turn layout: the Cup race was 95 laps and 228 miles, and the O'Reilly race 65 laps and 156 miles.
COTA is one of the early-season stops. In both 2026 and 2027 it comes the weekend after Atlanta.
History
NASCAR's first weekend at COTA came in May 2021. The Truck Series and the O'Reilly Series raced on May 22, and the Cup Series made its debut on May 23. Kyle Busch won the first O'Reilly Series race there.
The Truck Series ran four races at COTA, the last in March 2024. Zane Smith won two of them, in 2022 and 2023.
The Cup and O'Reilly Series raced on the full 3.41-mile circuit through March 2024. By 2026 both series were using a 2.4-mile layout that skips part of the full circuit.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2021 | NASCAR's first weekend at COTA: Trucks and O'Reilly Series May 22, Cup Series May 23 |
| 2024 | Last Truck Series race at COTA and last NASCAR races on the full 3.41-mile circuit, in March |
| 2025 | Christopher Bell wins the Cup race |
| 2026 | Shane van Gisbergen wins the O'Reilly Series race; Tyler Reddick wins the Cup race on the 2.4-mile layout |
Key Drivers
Tyler Reddick, winner of the 2026 Cup race.
Shane van Gisbergen, winner of the 2026 O'Reilly Series race and runner-up in the 2026 Cup race. All eight of his Cup Series wins through June 2026 came on road courses.
Christopher Bell, winner of the 2025 Cup race.
Zane Smith, two Truck Series wins at COTA (2022 and 2023).
Kyle Busch, winner of the first O'Reilly Series race at COTA in 2021.
Connor Zilisch, third in the 2026 Cup race.
2026 at COTA
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, Focused Health 250 (Saturday, February 28): Shane van Gisbergen started second and beat Austin Hill by 0.780 seconds for his fifth career O'Reilly Series win. Sammy Smith finished third.
NASCAR Cup Series, DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne (Sunday, March 1): Tyler Reddick won the 95-lap race. Shane van Gisbergen finished second and Connor Zilisch third.