NASCAR to COTA? 'Realistic' and 'very easy', says Tony Stewart

Could NASCAR race at Circuit of the Americas? Following his demonstration run at the track, Tony Stewart hopes to see it happen, calling it “realistic” and “very easy”.

Prior to this last week, Sunday, November 20, 2016 was the last day that Tony Stewart had been behind the wheel of a NASCAR Cup Series car.

That day featured the 2016 season finale, the planned final race of Stewart’s Cup Series career. He confirmed in 2015 that he would be retiring upon the conclusion of the 2016 season.

But last week, Stewart returned behind the wheel of the #14 car, the car he drove from the 2009 season through the 2016 season when he drove a Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing. He co-owns the team along with Haas Formula 1 team owner Gene Haas.

More from NASCAR

Ahead of Sunday afternoon’s Formula 1 race at Circuit of the Americas, the annual United States Grand Prix, Stewart took the #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford for a spin at the track.

The #14 Ford was outfitted with a passenger seat for him to show the two Haas Formula 1 drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, how to wheel a 3,200-pound stock car around the lone purpose-built Formula 1 track in the United States.

After Stewart turned laps around the 20-turn, 3.427-mile (5.515-kilometer) Circuit of the Americas road course in Austin, Texas, he was asked about the potential of NASCAR competing at the track in the near future, a hot topic considering the fact that more road courses could be on the Cup Series schedule in the near future.

Here is what Stewart had to say when asked whether or not NASCAR could not only compete at Circuit of the Americas but put on a solid race at the track, according to RACER.

"“Absolutely. Don’t tell [Texas Motor Speedway president] Eddie Gossage that, he’ll get mad at me. But yeah. I think NASCAR is actually looking to run some more road course races, and after driving it there’s some really good passing opportunities on this track for our cars, and I think it would be a lot of fun to see a race here.“I think it would be very realistic and very easy for NASCAR to come here. The facility is already set up for it, and driving the track, there are definitely five legitimate, solid, passing opportunities on this track. That’s plenty to have a really good race here.”"

Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark

Current road courses on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule include Sonoma Raceway, Watkins Glen International and the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval. Current road courses on the Xfinity Series schedule include Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Road America and the Charlotte roval. The lone road course on the Truck Series schedule is Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Home/NASCAR

NASCAR to COTA? ‘Realistic’ and ‘very easy’, says Tony Stewart

By Asher Fair | Nov 4, 2019

Could NASCAR race at Circuit of the Americas? Following his demonstration run at the track, Tony Stewart hopes to see it happen, calling it “realistic” and “very easy”.