May 23, 2021; Austin, Texas, USA; The field moves through corner 1 during the Inaugural EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Photo by Michael C. Johnson

By Mike Haag

Raceday San Antonio

AUSTIN, Texas – All three of NASCAR’s premier racing series – Cup Series (NCS), Xfinity Series (NXS) and Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) – will be competing in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

May 23, 2021; Austin, Texas, USA; Joey Logano during the Inaugural EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Photo by Michael C. Johnson

The event will mark the first of six road course races on the schedule. NASCAR Cup Series action begins with practice on Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. ET followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 11 a.m. ET. Both will be televised on FS1. The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will be held Sunday, March 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET and will broadcast live on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Last year NASCAR made its debut at COTA on May 23, 2021. Chase Elliott passed his Hendrick Motorsport’s teammate driver Alex Bowman with five laps remaining in the race before the event was called due to heavy rain and visibility issues. It was Elliott’s seventh career road course victory. There were 10 different leaders and 11 lead changes during the race.

Where rain plagued the weekend of racing at COTA in 2021, this weekend’s weather forecast is calling for temperatures around 85 degrees with sunny skies. There is no rain in the forecast.

May 23, 2021; Austin, Texas, USA; Martin Truex Jr. during the Inaugural EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Photo by Michael C. Johnson

The Circuit of The Americas is considered to be one of the most challenging road courses on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. The 20-turn, 3.41-mile, multi-elevational counterclockwise circuit has a rolling landscape and a 133-foot hill at Turn 1.

This weekend’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at COTA will be the first road course race for the Next Gen Cup car. Other road course races this season include Sonoma, Road America, Indianapolis road course, Watkins Glen and the Charlotte ROVAL.

During the off season, COTA hired consultants to review asphalt designs and figure out what parts of the track needed resurfacing. Engineers used ground penetration radar, laser mapping equipment and software to map the track and identify the different repairs needed. Workers repaved turns 12-16 and built a concrete pad to reinforce the areas at turn two and 10. These improvements should result in an ideal race track for racing this weekend.

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Mix Toyota, Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 Cheddar’s Chevrolet, and Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Toyota, race during the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on May 23, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

“I think it’ll definitely be different,” Chase Briscoe said. “I mean, last year’s race will look way different than this year’s race with the weather.  I think there was really good racing last year.  It’s a different style of racing when it was that wet, but from a driver’s standpoint it’s a lot of fun, just the visibility is obviously tough and then from a fan’s standpoint it’s tough to see what’s going on and a little more miserable than if it was a really nice day.”

Briscoe added, “I think this car on the road courses is where it’s really gonna shine and, truthfully, on the oval stuff it’s been a lot better than what people expected.  I think the road course is probably gonna blow it out of the park.  It’s a really well-built race car, especially for road course racing.  It’s gonna be interesting to see with 40 of us out there going for it versus just a test session – what that difference looks like – but I think COTA is a really good racetrack to unveil this thing on a road course and I’ve been really excited to get there, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Josh Bilicki, driver of the #52 Junction Fuels Ford, leads the field during the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on May 23, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

So far this season there have been five races and five different winners – Austin Cindric (Daytona), Kyle Larson (Auto Club), Alex Bowman (Las Vegas), Chase Briscoe (Phoenix) and William Byron (Atlanta). Cindric and Briscoe are first-time winners. With Briscoe’s victory, he became the 200th different winner in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Elliott enters Sunday’s race with the lead in the NASCAR Series point standings after scoring a sixth-place finish last Sunday at Atlanta.  Joey Logano, who had the points lead, finished ninth at Atlanta and fell to second (-7) and Briscoe is third (-15).

There will be 11 former road course winners entered in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this Sunday and 10 of them are looking for their first win of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.