It's race day once again in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series today, Saturday, February 28, and we've got all of the information you need ahead of the green flag at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).
If that name looks a little bit unfamiliar to you, do not be alarmed. For 2026 and beyond, O'Reilly Auto Parts has taken over the title sponsorship of NASCAR's second division, which was previously titled the Xfinity Series.
Today's race from Austin, Texas, marks round three of the 2026 campaign, with the opening races having been held at drafting tracks in Daytona and Atlanta.
That means that COTA throws up the first road course race of the season, with the 2.4-mile 20-turn layout set to throw up an entirely different challenge to the one they have faced in recent weeks.
Of course, the drivers have already had their first taste of the track in qualifying on Friday, with Cup Series duo Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen locking out the front row.
Zilisch was also the winner of the Xfinity Series race at COTA last season, although van Gisbergen certainly won't be happy letting his younger teammate get one over on him.
CUP SERIES QUALIFYING TODAY: COTA start times, schedule, how to watch live on TV and stream
What time is the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race today?
The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race from Circuit of the Americas today, Saturday, February 28, starts at 3 p.m. ET.
Here are the race start times converted to your local time zones.
| City (Time Zone) | Race Start Time |
|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC (ET) | 3 P.M. |
| New York, NY (ET) | 3 P.M. |
| Columbia, SC (ET) | 3 P.M. |
| Charleston, WV (ET) | 3 P.M. |
| Augusta, ME (ET) | 3 P.M. |
| Chicago, IL (CT) | 2 P.M. |
| Pierre, SD (CT) | 2 P.M. |
| Nashville, TN (CT) | 2 P.M. |
| Des Moines, IA (CT) | 2 P.M. |
| Montgomery, AL (CT) | 2 P.M. |
| Denver, CO (MT) | 1 P.M. |
| Salt Lake City, UT (MT) | 1 P.M. |
| Albuquerque, NM (MT) | 1 P.M. |
| El Paso, TX (MT) | 1 P.M. |
| Los Angeles, CA (PT) | 12 P.M. |
| Las Vegas, NV (PT) | 12 P.M. |
| Seattle, WA (PT) | 12 P.M. |
| Portland, OR (PT) | 12 P.M. |
| San Francisco, CA (PT) | 12 P.M. |
What TV channel is the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series on today?
Today's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series action from COTA will be broadcast live on the CW.
For those who would rather tune in to the action on the radio, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio have the call.
Live stream options
For those NASCAR fans who want to live stream today's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series action, there are options available.
The race is not broadcast on the CW App, but there are still streaming options available for the CW TV channel, which is available on the following platforms:
- DirecTV Stream
- fuboTV
- Hulu + Live TV
- YouTube TV
For those who are unable to watch live, streaming replays of the race will be available for free on the CW App the following day.
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O'Reilly Auto Parts Series COTA starting lineup
Here is the full starting lineup for today's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA.
| Starting Pos | Driver | Car No. | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connor Zilisch | #1 | Chevrolet |
| 2 | Shane Van Gisbergen | #9 | Chevrolet |
| 3 | Austin Hill | #21 | Chevrolet |
| 4 | Brandon Jones | #20 | Toyota |
| 5 | Justin Allgaier | #7 | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Carson Kvapil | #91 | Chevrolet |
| 7 | Brent Crews | #19 | Toyota |
| 8 | Sam Mayer | #41 | Chevrolet |
| 9 | Sheldon Creed | #00 | Chevrolet |
| 10 | Sammy Smith | #8 | Chevrolet |
| 11 | Jesse Love | #2 | Chevrolet |
| 12 | Corey Day | #17 | Chevrolet |
| 13 | Austin Green | #87 | Chevrolet |
| 14 | Taylor Gray | #54 | Toyota |
| 15 | William Sawalich | #18 | Toyota |
| 16 | Anthony Alfredo | #96 | Chevrolet |
| 17 | Preston Pardus | #50 | Chevrolet |
| 18 | Ryan Sieg | #39 | Chevrolet |
| 19 | Rajah Caruth | #88 | Chevrolet |
| 20 | Nick Sanchez | #25 | Ford |
| 21 | Ross Chastain | #32 | Chevrolet |
| 22 | Sage Karam | #55 | Toyota |
| 23 | Harrison Burton | #24 | Toyota |
| 24 | Blaine Perkins | #31 | Chevrolet |
| 25 | Josh Bilicki | #07 | Chevrolet |
| 26 | Brennan Poole | #44 | Chevrolet |
| 27 | Dean Thompson | #26 | Toyota |
| 28 | Alex Labbe | #0 | Chevrolet |
| 29 | Parker Retzlaff | #99 | Chevrolet |
| 30 | Jeremy Clements | #51 | Chevrolet |
| 31 | Lavar Scott | #45 | Chevrolet |
| 32 | Patrick Staropoli | #48 | Chevrolet |
| 33 | Ryan Ellis | #02 | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Jeb Burton | #27 | Chevrolet |
| 35 | Kyle Sieg | #28 | Chevrolet |
| 36 | JJ Yeley | #42 | Chevrolet |
| 37 | Baltazar Leguizamon | #30 | Chevrolet |
| 38 | Austin J Hill | #35 | Chevrolet |
Is there an Xfinity Series race today?
Yes and no. No, there is no Xfinity Series race today. However, that is because NASCAR's second division has been renamed the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series for 2026.
O'Reilly Auto Parts signed a multi-year title sponsorship with NASCAR that was announced in August 2025.
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