NASCAR is heading back to Austin, Texas this week to race at the Circuit of the Americas, a.k.a. COTA. With that I want to look back at the previous two races as well as forward to 2023 and see what led up to this track being added to the NASCAR schedule and how this track has in many ways changed the game. This is how COTA flipped the NASCAR script.
Video Credits:
ABC Sports
ESPN
FOX Sports
Greg Engle
localdog44
Motorsports on NBC
NASCAR
NASCAR at COTA
NASCAR on FOX
NASCAR Productions
NascarAllOut
NBC Sports
NWP
TheRacingJungle
Turner Sports
YouTube Audio Library
Thumbnail Credits:
Dylan Buell
Getty Images
NASCAR
NASCAR Images
Outro Song:
Strange Animal (Crowder Remix) by Gowan
Songs:
Heading West from the YouTube Audio Library
Cold Funk – Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod on the YouTube Audio Library
#NASCAR #Motorsports #cota
36 comments
How do you like COTA on the NASCAR schedule?
@81casperflip do they not give you screens to watch when the cars are out of view?
@Jk81 Plays yeah but it’s not the same as actually seeing them. It’s just not a great track in my opinion. Way too long for me. If you disagree that’s fine
I love it. And finally removing the stages is awesome. I never liked stages, and I like that strategy will come back
@Jk81 Plays at Watkins glen, they run the short course, at Sonoma they run the short course. When they ran at Suzuka they ran the short course. It just suits nascar racing better to me.
I like it, glad it’s on the schedule.
I love COTA on the NASCAR schedule. It’s one of my most favorite NASCAR weekends all year. Road America was my favorite road course but since it sadly got dumped in Cup, COTA is now a slight favorite ahead of Watkins Glen.
Hopefully it comes back in the near future.
@Ben Walter I hope it doesn’t. Mid Ohio would be much better on the schedule.
@Run Rafa Run #THEBESTINTHEWORLD I hope you figure out that this thing called “opinions” exist and they can be different from yours.
COTA is awesome, but especially the fact that it makes NASCAR so much more international and available… makes me proud to be a NASCAR fan
I’m excited for this race. In the field we get to see Kimi, Jenson Button, Jordan Taylor, and Conor Daly. Yes, i know Conor won’t be too competitive but still to have a list of ringers like this in the field is awesome
@JB J Don’t discount Kimi there tho.
@Brent Whitehead he has the drincc. He will be fast
@Brent Whitehead bwoah
how could you forget the goat like that
@Carshtime AJ is great, don’t get me wrong. But as a full time cup driver now, can he still be called a ‘ringer’ and placed in the same category as those drivers i mentioned? For me, that’s still up in the air.
i love having circuit of the americas on the nascar schedule, in terms of road course racing, its got a little bit of sonoma in it, a little bit of the glen in it, and maybe even a little bit of the indianapolis and charlotte road courses in it. it challenges the drivers while delivering a good show, while also proving why nascar drivers are some of the best in the world. i think having kimi raikkonen and jenson button race here will help bring popularity to nascar around the world, and more fans is a great thing.
COTA is a technical, challenging course so I’m looking forward to seeing who can shine through especially with this field.
Nope wrong. Slowest road course ever. Can’t be compared to Sonoma or the Glen.
As a person from the DFW area, I now attend COTA instead of TMS so whatever they’re doing is working. I’ve gone every year. This weekend is looking to be the best yet with all the road course ringers and Jimmie!
I love COTA on the schedule! Great racing and a top notch facility.
Ever since they announced they were building it ive wanted NASCAR there. Its my home track. Only an hour or so from my front door. Hope it stays on the schedule for the foreseeable future!
Let’s not forget the talent that’s gonna be on track, two F1 Champions, a IMSA winner, I think Jimmy Johnson will be there too
I’ve always loved watching COTA in F1 so when it came with NASCAR it was one of the few races I actually wanted to go to during the year, especially with the improved racing around road courses
I personally love cota, for years my “home track” was Texas and it was a 3ish hour drive away from me, so having a race at a track that’s basically in my backyard has been awesome
COTA with now no stage breaks is going to make pit strategy more interesting this year. Plus with the additions of Kimi, Jenson, Jordan, Conor and Jimmie in the field will make it exciting and hopefully bring more viewers in
I love the idea in taking away stages at superspeedways, but I do like them for intermediate tracks
What are y’all thoughts on the stage breaks being removed for this race? I think there is a lot to look forward to this race.
It’s a much needed return to more traditional, organic racing from previous seasons, and I hope that NASCAR uses this format for the ovals across all 3 touring series as well.
As someone who watched through the 90s and early 2000s, my interest had begun to wane by around 2011-12. The switch to stage racing killed it. I would follow the sport in general, but I haven’t sat down for a race in years.
NASCAR wouldn’t be fixing every problem, but going back to traditional races would be a great start to get me watching again.
@kpe30gc993 Fox sports and NBC are not going to agree to it
I love COTA. It’s really starting to feel like a can’t-miss event on the schedule.
Love the road courses. Hope they add some tracks they never ran before in the future.
2023 already has been a helluva year with Travis Pastrana in Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson going part time and a list of road course ringers like Kimi, Jenson Button, Connor Daly and Jordan Taylor. COTA in my opinion is the definition of road course cause you got the tight yet flowy S section in the beginning yet fast straight and bigger corners like the Istanbul style corner. Don’t get me I love Sonoma and Watkins Glen even Road America but glad to see COTA making its own history
I’m interested to see what Cota will be like this year. No 10 minute stage cautions, basically a road course all star race. Hopefully, this is the race we get things going forward
This race seems like it will have everything a NASCAR fan could possibly want.
No doubt, I will be watching come Sunday.