NASCAR will expand its officiating footprint and the tire-pack infrastructure this weekend at Circuit of The Americas.
Concerns were raised during last year’s race about drivers shortcutting Turn 6 at the Austin, Texas, road course. NASCAR will begin officiating that corner for drivers who exceed track limits — just as rules against cutting the course already were applied last year in the esses section (Turns 3, 4 and 5).
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NASCAR is also adding tire packs in Turns 6 and 19, after they were successfully used to monitor shortcuts through the esses last season.
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“Those were a game changer,” NASCAR managing director of communications Mike Forde said on the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “There’s a rudimentary solve having tire packs. Obviously, you don’t want to hit them, and they’re positioned in an area where if you hit them, you have to shortcut the course. It was pretty black-and-white, which is really the best way to officiate. Gray area is where you can get yourself in trouble.”
Forde said NASCAR will also use AI-generated cameras to help determine whether a car goes out of bounds.
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“If a car crosses those parameters, it sends up an alert to our officiating team that can review it and then make the call if there was a shortcutting of the course,” Forde said. “We plan to speak with the drivers on Friday and go over those with them one more time.”
Tyler Reddick will have a chance at COTA to start the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season with three consecutive wins after the Daytona 500 winner won at Echo Park Speedway despite missing a right-front fender on his No. 45 Toyota from a crash.
Forde said Reddick’s car passed post-race inspection despite the damage, which NASCAR officials believe offered no aerodynamic advantage (or disadvantage).
“We go through all the (inspection) stations but understand that some are going to be impossible to pass because of the damage,” Forde said. “There was some discussion if there was a hole in the firewall, and air got into the cockpit, that would be an advantage. But there was no hole, and if there was, we would not allow (Reddick) to go back onto the race track. We’re not going to let a car go back in with anything that would be deemed unsafe. Also, we wouldn’t let them back on track for anything that would be deemed a competitive advantage.”
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Other topics covered by Forde and senior director of racing communications Amanda Ellis during the 44th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— The call to shorten the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race after weather delays impacted the Saturday schedule at EchoPark Speedway.
— How video was used to determine Bubba Wallace as the winner of Stage 2 after the caution flag on the final lap of the segment.
— Whether Carson Hocevar’s aggressive driving could draw any reaction from NASCAR.
Click on the embed below to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA Today and, for the past 10 years, at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He has also covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
