The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series hits the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) this weekend, and the action kicks off with practice and qualifying today, Saturday, February 28.
With the opening two races of the season having been at Daytona and Atlanta, COTA represents the first time the Cup Series stars will take on a road course this season, with a shortened 2.4-mile layout in Austin, Texas set to throw up an entirely different challenge to the one they have faced in recent weeks.
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It is also the first points-paying race where NASCAR's new 750-horsepower rules are in effect, so it will certainly be interesting to see how that affects things.
Last year at COTA, 23XI star Tyler Reddick was the man to secure pole, and with the driver of the No. 45 having won the opening two races of the season, he'll certainly be full of confidence that he can run well again this weekend as he looks to maintain his spot at the top of the standings.
Of course, he will have stiff competition, particularly from Shane van Gisbergen. COTA was the only road course race that the Kiwi did not win in the Cup Series in 2025, and he will no doubt be keen to put that right this time around.
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What time is NASCAR Cup Series qualifying today?
NASCAR Cup Series qualifying from Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, takes place today, Saturday, February 28, at 11:30 a.m. ET.
This follows immediately after the one and only Cup Series practice session this weekend, which starts today at 10 a.m. ET.
Here are the start times converted to your local time zones.
| City (Time Zone) | Practice Start Time | Qualifying Start Time |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC (ET) | 10:00 A.M. | 11:10 A.M. |
| New York, NY (ET) | 10:00 A.M. | 11:10 A.M. |
| Columbia, SC (ET) | 10:00 A.M. | 11:10 A.M. |
| Charleston, WV (ET) | 10:00 A.M. | 11:10 A.M. |
| Augusta, ME (ET) | 10:00 A.M. | 11:10 A.M. |
| Chicago, IL (CT) | 9:00 A.M. | 10:10 A.M. |
| Pierre, SD (CT) | 9:00 A.M. | 10:10 A.M. |
| Nashville, TN (CT) | 9:00 A.M. | 10:10 A.M. |
| Des Moines, IA (CT) | 9:00 A.M. | 10:10 A.M. |
| Montgomery, AL (CT) | 9:00 A.M. | 10:10 A.M. |
| Denver, CO (MT) | 8:00 A.M. | 9:10 A.M. |
| Salt Lake City, UT (MT) | 8:00 A.M. | 9:10 A.M. |
| Albuquerque, NM (MT) | 8:00 A.M. | 9:10 A.M. |
| El Paso, TX (MT) | 8:00 A.M. | 9:10 A.M. |
| Los Angeles, CA (PT) | 7:00 A.M. | 8:10 A.M. |
| Las Vegas, NV (PT) | 7:00 A.M. | 8:10 A.M. |
| Seattle, WA (PT) | 7:00 A.M. | 8:10 A.M. |
| Portland, OR (PT) | 7:00 A.M. | 8:10 A.M. |
| San Francisco, CA (PT) | 7:00 A.M. | 8:10 A.M. |
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup Series on today?
Today's NASCAR Cup Series qualifying action from COTA will not be broadcast live on traditional TV. Instead, it will be shown live on Prime Video.
You can download the Prime Video app on your handheld device from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store.
You can also download the app on your TV on devices such as the following:
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV
- VIZIO Smart TV
- LG TV
- Chromecast
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Samsung Smart TV
Today's qualifying session will also be broadcast live on the radio, with PRN and SiriusXM having the call.
Live stream options
The best live stream option for today's NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at COTA is Prime Video.
For the first half of the season through San Diego (June 21), Prime Video is set to air Cup Series practice and qualifying, with the exception of the Clash, Daytona 500, and All-Star Race.
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Entry List and Qualifying Order
Here is the full list of Cup Series drivers set to take part in this weekend's event at COTA, listed in the order in which they will qualify.
| Qualifying Pos | Driver | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesse Love | 1 |
| 2 | Ty Gibbs | 1 |
| 3 | Josh Berry | 1 |
| 4 | Connor Zilisch | 1 |
| 5 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 1 |
| 6 | Kyle Busch | 1 |
| 7 | Austin Dillon | 1 |
| 8 | Riley Herbst | 1 |
| 9 | Kyle Larson | 1 |
| 10 | Todd Gilliland | 1 |
| 11 | Cody Ware | 1 |
| 12 | Austin Cindric | 1 |
| 13 | Alex Bowman | 1 |
| 14 | Erik Jones | 1 |
| 15 | Cole Custer | 1 |
| 16 | Christopher Bell | 1 |
| 17 | William Byron | 1 |
| 18 | Michael McDowell | 1 |
| 19 | John Hunter Nemechek | 1 |
| 20 | Denny Hamlin | 2 |
| 21 | Ty Dillon | 2 |
| 22 | Brad Keselowski | 2 |
| 23 | Joey Logano | 2 |
| 24 | AJ Allmendinger | 2 |
| 25 | Chris Buescher | 2 |
| 26 | Noah Gragson | 2 |
| 27 | Ryan Preece | 2 |
| 28 | Ryan Blaney | 2 |
| 29 | Shane Van Gisbergen | 2 |
| 30 | Chase Elliott | 2 |
| 31 | Zane Smith | 2 |
| 32 | Bubba Wallace | 2 |
| 33 | Chase Briscoe | 2 |
| 34 | Daniel Suarez | 2 |
| 35 | Ross Chastain | 2 |
| 36 | Carson Hocevar | 2 |
| 37 | Tyler Reddick | 2 |
