Beyond the Flag
Fansided

NASCAR: Circuit of the Americas – Racing deep in the heart of Texas

By Justin Jones

AUSTIN, TEXAS - JUNE 18: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (Editors note: This image was computer generated in-game) A general view of the start during the W Series Esport League Round 2 at Circuit of The Americas on June 18, 2020 in Austin, United States. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JUNE 18: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (Editors note: This image was computer generated in-game) A general view of the start during the W Series Esport League Round 2 at Circuit of The Americas on June 18, 2020 in Austin, United States. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Circuit of the Americas will be a welcome addition to the 2021 NASCAR schedule for the Truck Series, Xfinity Series and Cup Series.

The brightest star of the 2021 NASCAR season may wind up being a name you’ve never heard of. It’s not some new flashy driver or a big-name sponsor, but rather a new venue.

Welcome to Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the world-famous Formula 1 track in Austin, Texas and a new addition to the NASCAR schedule.

Already well-known to Formula 1 and IndyCar fans, COTA opened in 2012 primarily to bring the United States to the Formula 1 racing circuit after a five-year hiatus.

COTA replaced the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course as the United States’ Formula 1 venue.

More from NASCAR

It is an absolutely gorgeous facility, and it is the only track in the country designed by a prestigious European firm. It’s something of a hybrid, incorporating certain turns and other elements from various Formula 1 venues.

A few NASCAR Cup Series champions made their debuts at the track on Tuesday, March 2. Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski conducted Goodyear tire testing at COTA and were generally optimistic about this new addition to the schedule.

Keselowski in particular mentioned the unusual turn one. The initial run brings 133 feet of elevation change at 13.5% maximum grade, only to terminate in a super sharp turn, which will slow all that momentum down and be tricky for a 3,400-pound stock car.

That steep elevation going into an almost hairpin turn gives 20 Formula 1 drivers fits in cars that have wider tires and half the body weight of stock cars, so just imagine what this will look like with 40 NASCAR tanks thundering through!

Odds are that this initial turn will be known as “calamity corner” by the end of race weekend.

The recent tire testing was a first for currently active NASCAR drivers and cars. But Tony Stewart is actually the first NASCAR driver to run the track in a stock car. Coming out of retirement for a one-time demonstration in a Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang, Stewart tested it out in October 2019.

In addition to being a new venue, and a road course at that, there are many other surprises which COTA has in store for drivers and fans alike.

There are a total of 20 turns in the 3.427-mile (5.515-kilometer) “long race” configuration which will be used for NASCAR’s race weekend. The two road courses which have long been on the Cup Series schedule, Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International, only have 12 and eight turns, respectively.

There is also a fantastic stars and stripes livery at different sections, which give it a wild and very “American” visual impact. There is no doubt that the designers wanted the global audience to immediately recognize this as the United States’ Formula 1 track.

The main grandstands have a regal look and feel to them, and the overhead covering will be a welcome relief to fans in the main grandstand from the boiling hot Texas sun. Additionally, there is the iconic COTA observation tower, which stands 251 feet high and can be lit up at night. These two things alone will look fantastic in person and on TV.

Next. Top 25 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark

NASCAR’s COTA race weekend is scheduled to take place this upcoming weekend. The Truck Series is scheduled to race at the track on Friday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Xfinity Series on Saturday, May 22 at 4:00 p.m. ET and the Cup Series on Sunday, May 23 at 2:30 p.m. ET. All three races are set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1.

Home/NASCAR