DuraMAX Grand Prix

Date
Sun 1st March 2026 (UTC)
Sun 1st March 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-03-01T20:30:00

Time

20:30:00 UTC (14:30:00 Local)

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League
NASCAR Cup Series

Season
2026

Round
3

Status

Location
Circuit of the Americas

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Description

The DuraMAX Grand Prix marks the NASCAR Cup Series' highly anticipated return to road course racing at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). This year, the series continues to utilize the high-speed "National Course" layout, which skips the technical loop in the stadium section, creating a 2.4-mile circuit that promotes aggressive overtaking and drafting.

The weekend narrative is dominated by Tyler Reddick, who enters Austin on a historic tear after winning the first two races of the season at Daytona and Atlanta. Reddick, a previous COTA winner, proved his dominance once again in Saturday's qualifying by leading a historic front-row sweep for 23XI Racing, edging out teammate Bubba Wallace for the pole. However, the road course masters are lurking: defending race winner Christopher Bell and the formidable Shane van Gisbergen—the odds-on favorite—are both starting in the top ten. Keep an eye on the sensational rookie Connor Zilisch, who starts 14th in his Cup debut but arrives with massive momentum after securing the pole for Saturday's Xfinity race.