NASCAR at Circuit of the Americas: How to watch, schedule, predictions for Austin

NASCAR at Circuit of the Americas: How to watch, schedule, predictions for Austin originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It’s time to go road racing.

After two drafting-style events to kick off 2026, the NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Austin, Texas, for its annual race at Circuit of the Americas.

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The track, which has hosted Formula One races since 2012, is a tricky 17-turn course that was modified to better accommodate stock car racing last year. The result was a thrilling battle for the win, which could be replicated in Sunday’s 95-lap race.

So, what’s in store for Austin? What’s the TV schedule for the weekend? And who could contend for the win on Sunday? Here’s everything to know for the DuraMAX Grand Prix.

When is the NASCAR race this weekend at COTA?

Green flag for the DuraMAX Grand Prix is set for Sunday, March 1, at 3:49 p.m. ET/2:49 p.m. CT.

Before the race, there will be practice and qualifying on Saturday. The 37 drivers will be split into two groups, with each group getting 25 minutes of free practice. For qualifying, each group will get 20 minutes to set their fastest lap, with the starting order set based on single-lap speed for the two groups combined.

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NASCAR TV schedule this weekend for COTA

Mike Joy (play-by-play), Kevin Harvick (analyst) and Clint Bowyer (analyst) will be on the call this weekend, including practice and qualifying streaming on Prime Video and the race on FOX.

Here’s the full schedule for Austin:

Saturday, Feb. 28 (Prime Video)

Sunday, March 1 (FOX)

• NASCAR RaceDay: 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX Sports app

• DuraMAX Grand Prix: 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX and FOX Sports app

Who is racing at COTA? Here’s the entry list

Thirty-seven drivers will race at COTA — the 36 full-timers, plus one part-time entry. Reigning O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love, 21, is the outlier as he makes his first start of the season for Richard Childress Racing.

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Here’s the full entry list for Austin:

NASCAR COTA picks and predictions

One driver dominated road courses last season: Shane van Gisbergen.

The New Zealander is riding a streak of five straight road course wins. So, is SVG’s dominance inevitable again in Austin? Not necessarily.

Last season, the only road course that SVG didn’t win was… Circuit of the Americas. He led 23 laps and finished sixth, which most drivers would gladly take on a road course. He’s still the heavy favorite going into COTA.

When looking at history, several drivers have stood out at COTA since NASCAR’s first race there in 2021. Christopher Bell is the defending winner, and William Byron has posted three straight top-fives with a win in 2024. And don’t forget about Tyler Reddick, who has won the first two races of 2026 plus four straight top-fives and a 2023 victory at COTA.

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If you’re looking for a sleeper, rookie phenom Connor Zilisch could be the pick. Oddsmakers have him second behind SVG, but making just his sixth career Cup start. He debuted at COTA last year and wrecked out early, but his road course skills are top-tier. Zilisch, still just 19, won five of seven road races in the O’Reilly Series last year.

Alex Bowman and Ross Chastain, not typically considered road-ringers, have also thrived at COTA. They have the second- and third-best average finish at the track, respectively. Bowman has never finished outside the top-10 and Chastain’s worst result is 12th.

After all that, the winning pick for COTA is still van Gisbergen, who is poised to win at the only road course where he was beatable last year.

NASCAR past winners, race history for COTA

Five of the 37 drivers in the field are past winners at COTA.

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Bell (2025), Byron (2024), Reddick (2023), Chastain (2022) and Elliott (2021) have victories, with no repeat winners since NASCAR’s first race in Austin.