By Mike Haag, Raceday San Antonio

AUSTIN, Texas – This weekend, Austin, Texas, braces itself for the thunderous roar of engines as the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), Xfinity Series (NXS), and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) converge for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), marking the fourth consecutive season of racing spectacle in the Lone Star State.

Mar 26, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric (2) leads the field during the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. Credit: Michael C. Johnson

After a thrilling stretch of five points races on ovals, the NASCAR Cup Series gears up for a shift in terrain as it heads to one of the nation’s premier road courses, the Circuit of The Americas (COTA), for the highly anticipated EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix this Sunday, March 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The racing weekend kicks off with practice and qualifying on Friday, showcasing the prowess of drivers navigating the demanding 20-turn, 3.41-mile track. Saturday sees a race doubleheader featuring the NCTS XPEL 225 and NXS Focused Health 250, leading up to the main event on Sunday—the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.

Following a nail-biting showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway last Sunday, Denny Hamlin emerged triumphant, etching his name as the fifth distinct winner in as many races this season. William Byron (Daytona), Daniel Suarez (Atlanta), Kyle Larson (Las Vegas) and Christopher Bell (Phoenix) have also won this season and clinched a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs.

As the series heads to COTA, the question looms: will the streak of diverse victors extend further, or will a new contender rise to the occasion amidst the twists and turns of the road course?

Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 Llumar Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on May 23, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The three previous races at COTA have been nothing but stellar.

Reflecting on past encounters at COTA unveils a tapestry of triumphs and tribulations. From Chase Elliott’s inaugural victory in 2021 to Ross Chastian’s memorable watermelon smash in 2022 to Tyler Reddick’s recent dominance, each race has left a mark on NASCAR’s road racing history. However, none of the former COTA winners have won this season, which could help intensify the racing action as they vie for a win and a shot at the NASCAR Playoffs.

Here are some of the top storylines that are worth following and keeping an eye on this weekend.

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Express Oil Change Toyota, drives during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 16, 2024 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Joe Gibbs Racing Dominance: With all four JGR drivers—Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr., and Ty Gibbs—displaying formidable performances in the opening races, anticipation brews over their potential at COTA. The team’s recent streak of top finishes positions them as serious contenders.

Hamlin has 52 career NCS wins and is still looking for his first top-10 finish at COTA. His best effort in his previous three starts was 14th in 2021. Don’t be surprised to see one of four JGR drivers in Victory Lane Sunday.

Chase Elliott’s Redemption: 2020 NCS champion Chase Elliott hopes to end a 39-race winless streak with a victory at COTA. He won this event in 2021, finished fourth in ’22 but missed the race last season due to injury. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is coming off a season-best eighth at Bristol and ss first among active NCS drivers for road-course wins with seven. He ranks third all-time, trailing only Jeff Gordon (9) and Tony Stewart (8).

Elliott who leads all active drivers in road course wins with seven. If he wins this weekend, he will tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart (eight road course wins) for second-most on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series road course wins list.

Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Monster Energy Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on March 26, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Reddick race rewind: Defending EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix race winner Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing has amassed some impressive statistics at COTA. Last year during his first season driving for 23XI Racing, he needed triple overtime to secure his first win of the season at COTA. He has an impressive starting position of 2.3 and finishing position of 5.0 in three career starts here. He has finished among the top 10 in all three starts, including two among the top five. He also leads NCS drivers in laps led at COTA with 43, the majority of those coming in last season’s win when he led 41 of the 68 laps.

“It means the world,” Reddick said. “This whole 23XI team has been working all winter long to make the road course program better. The only thing that was really on my mind today was how to hang on. It was pretty warm in the car. Thankfully we didn’t have one more overtime; I might have been in trouble. I wouldn’t say I was nervous. I didn’t quite get every restart done perfectly, but we got the one that mattered – the last one.”

Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 ONX Homes/iFly Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Echopark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on March 27, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Ross Chastain’s COTA Mastery: Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain has established himself as a force to be reckoned with at COTA, boasting top-five finishes in every appearance since the event’s inception. His consistent performance on the challenging track makes him a major contender for victory once again. He won his first career NASCAR Cup Series race here in 2022 and has a 3.0 average finishing position.

Shane van Gisbergen’s Debut: Australian racing sensation Shane van Gisbergen makes his NCS debut at COTA, aiming to replicate his success from last season’s Chicago street race win. Van Gisbergen’s presence adds an element of intrigue to the competition, with fans eager to witness his transition to NASCAR. It will be the first of seven NCS races for the three-time Australian Supercars champion, who will compete for Trackhouse Racing, along with a full NXS slate for Kaulig Racing.

Kobayashi joins the Cup Series at COTA: Adding an extra layer of excitement to the weekend’s festivities, former Formula 1 driver Kamui Kobayashi of Japan makes his eagerly awaited return to the NASCAR Cup Series. With a wealth of experience under his belt, Kobayashi’s presence promises to inject an additional element of unpredictability into the mix, as he looks to make his mark on the challenging COTA circuit. He will be driving a third entry for 23XI Racing at COTA, alongside Bubba Wallace and Reddick. Kobayashi, who made 75 F1 starts from 2009-14, made his NCS debut last season with 23XI Racing at the Indy Grand Prix, where he started 28th and finished 33rd.