The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series hits the Circuit of the Americas today, Sunday, March 1, and we've got all of the details you need to know ahead of the green flag in Texas.
Sunday's race, titled the DuraMax Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne, marks round three of the 2026 campaign, but crucially, it is the first road course race of the year, with the 2.4-mile layout in Austin throwing up an entirely different challenge to Daytona and Atlanta in recent weeks.
That said, the different layout did not seem to change much out front, with Tyler Reddick taking pole in qualifying on Saturday afternoon, continuing his stunning run of form after winning the opening two races.
Reddick will now be eyeing a three-peat, although there will be stiff competition, including from the Cup Series' road course expert, Shane van Gisbergen, who qualified down in 13th but won Saturday's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race. Last year's COTA race winner, Christopher Bell, will also no doubt be a factor, starting down in eighth.
With that said, let's get into the all-important information for Sunday's 228-mile, 95-lap main event.
NASCAR QUALIFYING RESULTS: Stunning Tyler Reddick run continues at COTA as Ross Chastain denied
What time is the NASCAR Cup Series COTA race?
The NASCAR Cup Series race from Circuit of the Americas takes place on Sunday, March 1, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Here are the race start times converted to your local time zones.
| City (Time Zone) | Start Time |
|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 3:30PM |
| New York, NY | 3:30PM |
| Columbia, SC | 3:30PM |
| Charleston, WV | 3:30PM |
| Augusta, ME | 3:30PM |
| Chicago, IL | 2:30PM |
| Pierre, SD | 2:30PM |
| Nashville, TN | 2:30PM |
| Des Moines, IA | 2:30PM |
| Montgomery, AL | 2:30PM |
| Denver, CO | 1:30PM |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 1:30PM |
| Albuquerque, NM | 1:30PM |
| El Paso, TX | 1:30PM |
| Los Angeles, CA | 12:30PM |
| Las Vegas, NV | 12:30PM |
| Seattle, WA | 12:30PM |
| Portland, OR | 12:30PM |
| San Francisco, CA | 12:30PM |
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup Series COTA race on?
Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series action from COTA will be broadcast live on FOX in the United States.
For those wanting to tune in to the action on the radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and PRN have the call.
Live stream options
Some NASCAR fans may want to live stream today's NASCAR Cup Series action, and there are several options available.
With the race being broadcast on FOX, the FOX Sports App, FOX Sports website, and FOX One are some of the places to go.
As well as being available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the FOX Sports App can also be downloaded in several other places, such as:
- Apple TV
- Roku
- Xbox
- Vizio
- Google Chromecast
- Fire TV
- Android TV
- Samsung Smart TV
Both the FOX Sports App and FOX One are free to download, but you will need to log in with your paid TV provider details to watch.
Other streaming services may also be available.
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NASCAR Cup Series COTA starting lineup
Here is the full starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series action from COTA.
| Starting Pos | Driver | Car No. | Team (Manufacturer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | #45 | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 2 | Ross Chastain | #1 | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 3 | Chase Briscoe | #19 | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | #12 | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 5 | Chase Elliott | #9 | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 6 | Michael McDowell | #71 | Spire Motorsports (Ford) |
| 7 | AJ Allmendinger | #16 | Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 8 | Christopher Bell | #20 | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 9 | Ty Gibbs | #54 | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 10 | William Byron | #24 | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 11 | Zane Smith | #38 | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 12 | Carson Hocevar | #77 | Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 13 | Shane Van Gisbergen | #97 | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 14 | Chris Buescher | #17 | RFK Racing (Ford) |
| 15 | Kyle Larson | #5 | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 16 | Alex Bowman | #48 | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 17 | Todd Gilliland | #34 | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 18 | Cole Custer | #41 | Haas Factory Team (Ford) |
| 19 | Denny Hamlin | #11 | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 20 | Joey Logano | #22 | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 21 | Ty Dillon | #10 | Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 22 | Josh Berry | #21 | Wood Brothers Racing (Ford) |
| 23 | Daniel Suárez | #7 | Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 24 | Bubba Wallace | #23 | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 25 | Connor Zilisch | #88 | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 26 | Brad Keselowski | #6 | RFK Racing (Ford) |
| 27 | Jesse Love | #33 | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 28 | Austin Cindric | #2 | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 29 | Ryan Preece | #60 | RFK Racing (Ford) |
| 30 | Kyle Busch | #8 | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 31 | John Hunter Nemechek | #42 | Legacy Motor Club (Chevrolet) |
| 32 | Riley Herbst | #35 | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 33 | Austin Dillon | #3 | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 34 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | #47 | HYAK Motorsports (Ford) |
| 35 | Noah Gragson | #4 | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 36 | Erik Jones | #43 | Legacy Motor Club (Chevrolet) |
| 37 | Cody Ware | #51 | Rick Ware Racing (Ford) |
NASCAR STANDINGS: 23XI Racing dominate with reigning champion out of the Chase
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA?
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA is 95 laps in length and covers 228 miles.
What are the stage lengths for the NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA?
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA will be broken up into stages of 20 laps, 25 laps, and 50 laps. Therefore, stage 1 ends on lap 20, stage 2 on lap 45, and the race on lap 95.
Who won last year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA?
Joe Gibbs Racing star Christopher Bell won last year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA.
Who is on pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA?
23XI star Tyler Reddick is on pole at COTA after topping qualifying on Saturday.
Where is COTA located?
Circuit of the Americas, or COTA, is located in Austin, Texas.
