Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Circuit of The Americas… Richard Childress Racing has ten NASCAR Cup Series starts at Circuit of The Americas, earning three top-five and six-top 10 finishes. Kyle Busch holds the organization’s best result of second (2023). Additionally, Tyler Reddick holds RCR’s only pole position at the Austin, Texas road course during the track’s inaugural Cup Series race in 2021. This is the second time that NASCAR will utilize the “National Course” layout, which features a 2.3-mile course and 20 turns.
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Circuit of The Americas… Richard Childress Racing has nine starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, owning a pair of second-place finishes by Austin Hill (2022, 2024). The Welcome, N.C., team has collected three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
Catch Saturday’s Action… The Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas will be televised live on Saturday, February 28 at 3 p.m. ET on The CW. The live radio broadcast can be heard on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Friday afternoon’s practice and qualifying sessions will be shown for free on The CW App beginning at 5 p.m. ET.
Catch Us on FOX… The DuraMAX Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas will be televised on Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. The live radio broadcast can be heard on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Saturday morning’s practice and qualifying sessions will be shown live on Prime Video beginning at 10 a.m. ET. Ride shotgun all season long with live, in-car camera feeds and scanner audio with a paid subscription to Max as part of their NASCAR driver cam experience during the race.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet at Circuit of The Americas… Austin Dillon has made five NASCAR Cup Series starts at Circuit of The Americas, posting a best finish of 10th in 2022.
Turning Left, and Right… Although Dillon did not grow up competing on road courses, the North Carolina native has gained experience at the discipline as the number of road courses on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule have steadily increased over his career. Dillon heads into this weekend with 42 road course starts to his credit and countless laps made on the simulator. The veteran driver had a strong race going at Circuit of The Americas last year when the No. 11 car slid into him near the end of the race, causing Dillon to get stuck in the gravel and ending the No. 3 team’s race early.
Pickle Baller… Dillon picked up the sport of pickleball as a hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic and has developed into a serious pickleball player over the past several years. He relies on the sport as a low-impact way to keep in shape and work on hand-eye coordination, an important skill for a professional racecar driver. With Austin, Texas being a hotbed for professional pickleball players, Dillon plans to spend a significant portion of his time in ATX playing pickleball when he’s not at the track.
Surprise and Delight… Dillon has several surprises planned for race fans at COTA this weekend. Hint: You never know who you will find scanning your ticket into the race on Saturday afternoon or riding the tram around the outskirts of the track on Sunday morning. Follow @austindillon3 on Instagram to see where the driver will pop up this weekend.
BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Teams Up with Dillon… Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team will be supported by BREZTRI AEROSPHERE®, an AstraZeneca product, at Circuit of The Americas. This partnership is about more than just racing. You can learn more about Dillon and his family’s personal connection to the brand at Breztri.com. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and Biopharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.
Meet Dillon… On Sunday, March 1 at 10:20 a.m. Local Time, Dillon is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Grand Plaza at Circuit of The Americas. Stop by to meet Dillon and purchase new No. 3 gear.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What are your thoughts on racing at Circuit of The Americas?
“Racing in Austin, Texas is fun. It’s an exciting and technically challenging road course with lot of havoc created in Turn One. I feel like the key to having a good race will be having solid pit stops and keeping our Breztri Chevrolet clean.”
How tough is it to gain momentum at the start of the season?
“To get going in the first part of the season is tough. You want a fast start for your team and partners, and we didn’t get that the last two weeks with the wrecks. We need to come out of this weekend with a good finish, just to feel confident that we can get back into the swing of things with points. With two drafting tracks and a road course, the meat of the schedule starts in Phoenix. That’s where you feel like more is in your control. There is a lot in your control at road courses as well, and we have put a lot of effort into COTA. I feel like our Breztri Chevrolet should be able to go out there and compete.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Rebel Bourbon Root Beer Whiskey Chevrolet at Circuit of The Americas… Sunday’s 95-lap race at Circuit of The Americas will mark Kyle Busch’s sixth career NASCAR Cup Series start at the Austin, Texas road course. Busch has two top-five and four top-10’s in his previous starts in the Cup Series. Last year’s race saw the Las Vegas native finish top-five in both stages, led a race-high 42 laps and remain in contention for the win before ultimately finishing in fifth place. In his three starts at Circuit of The Americas under the RCR banner, Busch has two top-fives and three top-10 finishes with an average finish of 5.3.
Road Course Prowess… Busch has 61 career road course starts at NASCAR’s highest level and has racked up four wins (two at Sonoma Raceway and two at Watkins Glen International), 20 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes. The veteran racer has additionally earned two poles and led a total of 472 laps.
Previous Winner… In his lone NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start at Circuit of The Americas, Busch started from the pole and led 35 of 46 laps, en route to securing the victory.
Did You Know? Last weekend at EchoPark Speedway, Kyle Busch etched his name in the record books, surpassing Kevin Harvick for the most starts by a driver across NASCAR’s top three national series with 1,300 starts.
Shoot The Root… Rebel Bourbon has announced the return of fan-favorite Rebel Root Beer Whiskey to its award-winning Rebel Bourbon lineup, set to prominently be featured on the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend at Circuit of The Americas. An unconventional twist on Rebel’s time-honored wheated recipe, Rebel Root Beer features Rebel Straight Bourbon Whiskey infused with the bold and creamy flavor of root beer. The Rebel team went through 25 samples of root beer extract to capture the spicy, sharp taste of the root beer barrel candies enjoyed by many. Rebel Root Beer is bottled at 70 proof (35% ABV) and available nationwide this month. Rebel Root Beer features aromas of classic sassafras and vanilla coupled with aged bourbon whiskey. Its taste profile includes classic sharp root beer flavors of sassafras, vanilla, licorice and molasses plus bourbon whiskey and caramel and honey notes, and a lingering sweetness and spicy sassafras finish.
KB108 Gets A New Release… Rebel Bourbon fans have a new reason to get rowdy this season. Earlier this month the official bourbon of Richard Childress Racing announced the release of Rebel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Selected By Kyle Busch. With guidance from Rebel Bourbon Master Distiller John Rempe, Busch hand-picked every barrel for this limited-edition release, which is bottled at 108 proof (54% ABV) in honor of Rebel’s RCR sponsorship.
Getting Rowdy with Rebel… Fans will have several chances to get up-close and personal with the No. 8 Rebel Bourbon Chevrolet and Busch prior to the green flag waving at Circuit of The Americas. The No. 8 Rebel Bourbon Chevrolet will make several stops throughout the greater Austin area from February 25-February 28. Busch is scheduled to sign bottles of Rebel Bourbon at Specs 224 (1500 W 35th St, Austin, Texas 78703) at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, February 27.
About Rebel Bourbon… Distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky, by Lux Row Distillers Master Distiller John Rempe, Rebel Bourbon features a wheated mash bill true to its original recipe dating back to 1849, when it was invented at the Stitzel-Weller distillery. Our defiantly smooth premium wheated bourbon celebrates those who embrace bold originality and a rebellious spirit. Our products have earned top spirits industry honors including Single Barrel American Whiskey of the Year for Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel at the 2025 Bartender Spirits Awards. Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel also won a double platinum medal at the 2025 ASCOT Awards, a double gold medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a double gold medal and Consumer’s Choice Award at the 2025 SIP Awards. To learn more, visit RebelBourbon.com and follow @rebelbourbon on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
About Luxco… Founded in St. Louis in 1958 by the Lux family, Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products with a mission to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners. Luxco operates as MGP Ingredients Inc. (Nasdaq: MGPI) Branded Spirits division since its acquisition in 2021. The company’s extensive and award-winning premium portfolio includes brands from four distilleries: Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where Penelope and Remus bourbon are produced; Bardstown, Kentucky-based Lux Row Distillers, home of Rebel, Ezra Brooks, and Blood Oath bourbons; Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery, maker of Yellowstone Bourbon; and Arandas, Mexico-based Destiladora Gonzalez Lux, producer of 100% agave tequilas including Cortada, El Mayor, Escasa and Exotico. For more information, visit Luxco.com.
Meet Busch… On Sunday, March 1 at 11:35 a.m. Local Time, Busch is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Grand Plaza at Circuit of The Americas. Stop by to meet Busch and purchase new No. 8 gear.
KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
How excited are you coming back to Circuit of The Americas after last season’s performance?
“Looking forward to COTA, I always love going there. We really had a good car last year at COTA. We were on the right side of strategy and coming to pit road when we did. We had a four second gap to the next guy behind us for the last couple laps of the race, and I don’t think they would have caught us. Unfortunately, a yellow came out and I had to try to race it out through a couple of restarts. Our two lap older tires were just enough that Christopher Bell was able to get us, so we gracefully faded to fifth.”
How big of a factor do you expect tire falloff and strategy to be this weekend?
“I think there will be a good amount of tire falloff and more than what we’ve seen in years past. Last year, we saw a good bit of tire falloff. I just mentioned how we only had two lap older tires than Christopher Bell, and he was able to outrace me at the end of the race. Tires are going to be more paramount this weekend. You might see guys, if there’s a late caution with 10 to go, that got three or four lap old tires might come, pit, and try to drive back through the field and hope that the front guys burn their stuff up. Fresher tires more times than not, especially with more horsepower you’re going to want them.”
Jesse Love and the No. 33 C4 Ultimate Energy Chevrolet at Circuit of The Americas… This weekend marks Love’s first NASCAR Cup Series start this season, and his first in a Cup car at the Austin, Texas road course. The 21-year-old has made two prior starts at Circuit of The Americas in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, where he finished sixth on both occasions.
Love in the Cup Series… Last season, Love made his debut in the Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he qualified a career-best 19th. Love also ran Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway. Love’s career-best finish came at Indianapolis Motor Speedway piloting the No. 62 Beard Motorsports entry to a 24th place finish.
Mango Fuego… Love will represent C4 Energy and its newest flavor, Mango Fuego, on his No. 33 car this weekend as part of his partnership with the brand. Mango Fuego is a bold tropical-meets-heat addition to C4’s Performance Energy line, delivering energy, focus and endurance with 200mg of caffeine.
About Nutrabolt… Nutrabolt is a fast-growing, global active health and wellness company with a portfolio of market-leading, performance-driven brands that fuel active lifestyles. Its disruptive products compete in the Functional Beverage and Active Nutrition categories under four consumer-loved brands: C4® (one of the fastest-growing energy drink brands in the U.S. and the #1 global pre-workout brand), XTEND® (America’s #1 BCAA brand), Cellucor® (an award-winning sports nutrition brand founded in 2002), and Bloom® (a leading wellness brand offering approachable, high-quality supplements and functional beverages).
For more than 20 years, Nutrabolt has been committed to serving performance athletes and fitness enthusiasts while empowering a broader global community to live active, healthy lives. Nutrabolt products are distributed in more than 125 countries and available through company-owned DTC platforms, Amazon, leading online marketplaces, and top U.S. retailers including Walmart, Target, 7-Eleven, Walgreens, Kroger, H-E-B, Publix, GNC, and The Vitamin Shoppe. For more information, please visit nutrabolt.com and follow @C4Energy, @Cellucor, @Xtend, and @Bloomsupps on social media.
Meet Love… On Sunday, March 1 at 11 a.m. Local Time, Love is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Grand Plaza at Circuit of The Americas. Stop by to meet Love and purchase new gear before the green flag waves.
JESSE LOVE QUOTE:
What are you looking forward to on the Cup side this weekend, and what will be key for you to have a successful race?
“On the Cup side, I’m looking forward to the challenge of it and continue to learn from racing these Cup races. I’ve learned a lot from the ones I ran last year and I’m just excited for a new challenge and learning new things and aggressively trying to adapt to the things that I learn throughout the weekend. Obviously, it’s going to be really important to do the little things right this weekend as always with the Cup stuff. For me, I just want to control the things I can control, and it would be very cool to be in position to capitalize on some crazy restarts at the end and see what kind of finish we can get out of it.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at Circuit of The Americas… Jesse Love has two career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Circuit of The Americas with the 2025 Champion finishing sixth on both occasions. Love also competed in three endurance racing events at the Austin, Texas road course in 2023.
Did You Know? Love is one of only two drivers who have finished inside the top-10 in both O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races this season. The 21-year-old earned a seventh-place result in the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway and a fifth-place effort last week at EchoPark Speedway, totaling a 7.0 average finish.
Still Streaking… Love currently holds the longest active streak of running at the finish of races, as the Menlo Park, California native has 16 straight events without a DNF. The young gun also has the longest active top-10 streak with three, dating back to his winning performance in the final race of the 2025 campaign.
Points Check… Through two events, Love currently sits in the fourth position in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver championship point standings. The No. 2 driver is 24 points behind leader Austin Hill.
About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, and we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.
JESSE LOVE QUOTES:
How excited are you to be back competing against some of the top road course racers this weekend?
“I’m looking forward to racing this weekend. I’ve learned a lot from Connor (Zilisch) and Shane (van Gisbergen) over the last couple years that I hope to implement. Just to get back racing against them two is going to be a lot of fun. They’re always really good at these races, so trying to come out on top this time would be amazing and I always look forward to having the opportunity to race against those guys.”
Talk about how important these next few weeks in terms of the NOAPS points battle and what’s your mindset heading into this stretch?
“I think if we can have a good solid weekend, especially these next few weeks, we should be in a good spot to be the points leader pretty soon, so that’s one thing I’m thinking about as well. I just want to have a good solid weekend and execute and do all those things right and put ourselves in a position to win and not overthink it too much.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at Circuit of The Americas… Austin Hill has four career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Circuit of The Americas, posting a best finish of second twice (2022, 2024). Last season, Hill started 12th and drove his way into contention, led laps, and finished fourth. The Winston, Georgia native also has one NASCAR Truck Series start at the Austin, Texas facility, earning a ninth-place finish in 2021.
Best Average Finish… With a win in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway and a 12th-place recovery after last lap contact at EchoPark Speedway, Hill currently holds the best average finish (6.5) in the series.
Did You Know? In O’Reilly Auto Parts Series history, Hill is third all-time for the most top-five finishes (15) and fourth all-time for the most top-10 results (19) on road courses.
Chasing a Road Course W… Hill continues the search to securing his first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series road course victory – the only style of track that the veteran racer has not won at thus far into his series career. In seven road course events in 2025, Hill earned five top-five finishes. With scheduling changes, the 2026 campaign will only have four road course races – the fewest since 2020.
Top of the Standings… Through two races, Hill remains the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver championship points leader. The 31-year-old holds a 24-point lead over second-place Rajah Caruth.
About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough, Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its 14 affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. Bennett has 4,625 drivers/owner-operators, over 1,000 employees and 600 agents located across the United States. For more information, visit bennettig.com.
Meet Hill… On Saturday, February 28 at 11:30 a.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Grand Plaza at Circuit of The Americas. Stop by to meet Hill and purchase new No. 21 gear.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
Circuit of The Americas is the first road course on the schedule this season. What is unique about the track?
“Since the configuration has changed, it’s definitely a unique racetrack. It always has been but it’s even more so now. The way that you go up the steep banking, the hill into Turn 1 is unlike any other track we go to throughout the season. You can drive it in so much deeper than anywhere else on the course. You almost have to trick your mind a little to go an extra two or three car lengths deeper because you have the banking to slow you down. There are a ton of elevation changes throughout the entire course as well, with a lot of off-camber areas where the car is falling away from the track. The esses are tough to get through. Overall, there are places to gain a lot of time and places where you can lose a lot of time if you don’t hit your marks perfectly. It’s an extremely technical racetrack.”
How important is it to you to get your first road course win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series?
“Being able to get my first road course win would be huge and take a lot of stress off my back. If I had to pick one thing to do this year, outside of winning the championship, it would be to win on a road course. We have been so close so many times. We have been runner up, third, fourth, or fifth more times than I can count, but coming up first has eluded us for a long time now.”
