Circuit of the Americas 2025 NASCAR Track Profile

[Editor’s note: The following article is from Athlon Sports’ 2025 Racing Annual magazine. Order your copy online today, or buy one at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]

Known more for hosting Formula 1 events, Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, has been on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule since 2021, and is the first road course the series will visit this year. The big news is that 2025 will feature a shorter, 2.3-mile layout at the famed right and left-turn track instead of the 3.4-mile one that was taking NASCAR drivers well over two minutes per lap.

A shorter layout, though, doesn’t change the short list of who’s favored. In four races at COTA, the Cup Series has witnessed four different winners: Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, and William Byron. Three of the four were driving Chevrolets, with Reddick the Toyota outlier.

Reddick, Chastain, and Alex Bowman are tied for the most top 5s (3) in Austin. They’re also the only three drivers to score top 10s in every COTA race so far. Naturally, they also have the three best average finishes, with Chastain leading the way (4.0). Reddick has the best average starting position (2.5), which has played a large hand in his COTA consistency.

Byron, meanwhile, has won half the COTA poles and boasts a track-high 70 laps led. With track position crucial at road courses with the Next Gen, that makes him a top-tier threat.

A brand-new layout could benefit a fresh face like Ty Gibbs. Entering his third full-time Cup season, Gibbs has only raced a Cup car at COTA twice, but he’s already a top contender, ninth in his 2023 debut before an impressive third-place run last year.

Also, keep an eye on SVG. Shane van Gisbergen’s new team, Trackhouse Racing, took the win here in 2022 with Chastain, and with SVG’s road-racing background, he will be an immediate threat.

Circuit of the Americas track info

Site: Austin, Texas

Laps: 2.3-mile, 20-turn road course

Elevation change: 133 feet

2025 Date: March 2

Distance: 68 laps; 231.88 miles

2024 winner

William Byron

Scouting report

One of the biggest surprises of the offseason was the decision to swap out the 3.4-mile layout for the 2.3-mile short course. There has been a lot of skepticism about making the track less technical, but the same reaction was also applied to the new Charlotte Roval layout last year and that change was widely praised. Ultimately, this was a way for NASCAR and track promoter Speedway Motorsports to continue diversifying the schedule without leaving a venue. The shorter course will also keep cars closer, making this something of a short track of road courses.