COTA Event Info:
Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Location: Austin, Texas
Format: 95 Laps, 228 miles, Stages: 20-45-95
TV: FOX
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90)
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 10 a.m. ET, Practice (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday: 11:10 a.m. ET, Qualifying (Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday: 3:30 p.m. ET, Race (FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Pace Laps:
- Circuit of the Americas (COTA) hosts the first road course race of the 2026 season this weekend as the Cup Series rolls into Austin for just the sixth time ever.
- The course will feature a 17-turn, 2.4-mile layout compared to the 20-turn, 3.41-mile Grand Prix circuit in 2023.
- Jack Roush has 16 wins all-time on road courses in NASCAR with six in the Cup Series, the most recent coming in 2024 (Chris Buescher: Watkins Glen).
6 Team Info:
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins
Partner: Graza
17 Team Info:
Driver: Chris Buescher
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Partner: Trimble
60 Team Info:
Driver: Ryan Preece
Crew Chief: Derrick Finley
Partner: Castrol
Keselowski at COTA
Starts: 5
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —
- Keselowski has made a remarkable return from an off-season injury, contending for the win in each of the first two races. He finished fifth in the Daytona 500 and was very competitive in Atlanta, leading four times for a combined ten laps.
- The physical demand of COTA’s road course configuration presents the season’s biggest challenge with Keselowski’s recovery. As a precautionary measure, Joey Hand will be present and serve as a backup driver only if necessary.
- Keselowski makes his sixth start at COTA this weekend where he finished 15th last season. His best finish at the circuit is 14th, which came four years ago after starting 26th.
- In 51 NASCAR Cup Series races on road courses, Keselowski has 11 top-10s with a 17.7 average finish, and 17.9 average starting position.
Buescher at COTA
Starts: 5
Wins: —
Top-10s: 3
Poles: —
- Buescher returns to his home state of Texas looking to reinforce his sometimes used nick-name as “Road-Course Chris.”
- Buescher has been one of the most consistent drivers on road courses registering 18 top-10 finishes.
- He comes into this weekend’s event at COTA having posted top-10 finishes in his last three COTA races, and has an average finish of 11.4 in four starts at COTA.
- In 40 races on road courses, Buescher has a 12.5 average finish and 18 top-10s, including his first win on a road course at Watkins Glen in 2024.
Preece at COTA
Starts: 4
Wins: —
Top-10s: —
Poles: —
- Following a career best 2025 season, Preece continues to show strength. In addition to his Bowman Gray, Cook Out Clash victory, he scored a top-10 finish last week.
- Preece makes his fifth start at COTA where he finished 33rd last season and has a career-best finish of 15th in 2021.
- Across 26 career races on road courses, Preece has three top-10s and a 21.1 average finish.
RFK Historically on Road Courses
Cup Wins: 6 (Mark Martin, 1993-94-95, Watkins Glen; Mark Martin, 1997, Sonoma; Carl Edwards, 2014, Sonoma, Chris Buescher, 2024, Watkins Glen)
- RFK on the Road: As an organization, RFK has made 278 starts on road courses in the Cup Series with six wins, 97 top-10s and 45 finishes inside the top five with a 17.3 average finish.
- Martin Goes Three-Straight in N.Y.: NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin is responsible for four of Jack Roush’s road course wins all-time, including three-straight at Watkins Glen from 1993-95. Martin dominated the three years, leading a combined 183 laps, and won all three from the pole. He also won once in Sonoma, in 1997, after also starting from the point to lead 69 of the 74 laps.
- Edwards Victorious Four Times, at Four Different Road Courses: Carl Edwards also visited victory lane for Jack Roush at Sonoma, driving to the win in 2014 after starting fourth. In Xfinity action, Edwards was victorious at WGI in 2012, Road America in 2010, and Montreal in 2009. In the 2012 event in New York, current crew chief Scott Graves was atop the box for one of his two Xfinity wins all-time on road courses.
- Buescher, Graves Former Road Course Winners: In Buescher’s first full-time Xfinity season in 2014, he and Graves found victory lane at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August, after leading 25 laps that day in the No. 60 entry for Roush. In 2024, Buescher led 19 laps and fought off Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen to secure the sixth victory under the RFK banner (since 2022) and 143rd overall for Jack Roush in NASCAR Cup Series action.
RFK Road Course Wins
1993-1 Martin WGI-Cup
1994-1 Martin WGI-Cup
1995-1 Martin WGI-Cup
1997-1 Martin Son-Cup
2014-1 Edwards Son-Cup
2024-1 Buescher WGI-Cup
2012-1 Edwards WGI-NXS
2010-1 Edwards RA-NXS
2009-1 Edwards Mon-NXS
2014-1 Buescher Mid-O NXS
1998-1 Ruttman WGI-Truck
2000-1 Biffle WGI-Truck
1997-1 Ruttman Top-Truck
1999-1 Bliss Top-Truck
1997-1 Ruttman Son-Truck
1999-1 Biffle Port-Truck
Last Time Out & Where They Stand
Atlanta: RFK Racing showcased speed and resilience last week at EchoPark Speedway, highlighted by Ryan Preece’s late surge to a ninth-place finish to lead the organization. Chris Buescher fought through traffic, strategy calls and a close call to avoid a crash to finish 15th, continuing his steady start to the season. Brad Keselowski led four times and repeatedly challenged for the top spot before late-race chaos shuffled him to a 17th-place finish. Despite mixed results, all three RFK entries showed competitive speed and spent significant time in contention on the Atlanta superspeedway.
Points Standings: Brad Keselowski & Chris Buescher are tied for 9th, while Ryan Preece sits 14th
