For all the hype that swirled around last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta, thanks to its wild 2024 finish, the road course showdown at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) proved to be a much better race, in our opinion. It delivered flag-to-flag action, with drama unfolding as cars shuffled positions nonstop. NASCAR is known for pulling some gimmicky stunts to spice things up, but they hit a home run here by shortening the track from 3.4 miles to a tighter 2.3-mile layout. The new tweak shaved off a full mile and gave drivers a fresh challenge that kept the racing tight and unpredictable.
The new configuration tested drivers’ nerves due to new run-off areas and track limits, as well as a new area to serve penalties rather than returning to pit road. While trying to get all the speed they could in the turns, a few drivers such as Wallace, Bowman, Hamlin and others danced over the line, exceeding limits and incurring penalties.
Despite all eyes on Shane van Gisbergen for this race, Kyle Busch seemingly was the guy to beat most of the afternoon as he remained near the front of the field and assumed the lead for a total of 42 laps. He was deserving of the win with his #8 Chevy dialed in far better than fans witnessed almost all of last season. Unfortunately, a late-race caution put Bell on newer tires and able to run Busch down. Still, his run was the kind of performance that had fans buzzing with renewed hope that the Busch will park the car in Victory Lane soon.
Then there’s Chase Elliott, who turned in one of the gutsiest drives of the day. Right out of the gate, he got wrecked in Turn 1—aka Calamity Corner—when Trackhouse’s Ross Chastain inexplicably dive-bombed the corner, smashed into Elliott, and sent him spinning. The mayhem collected Michael McDowell and saw Denny Hamlin and Connor Zilisch slam into each other. Hamlin’s #11 Toyota lost its front left fender, while Zilisch’s ride took a beating too. Elliott’s car suffered a broken toe link and put him at the tail end of the field after the repair. The situation left him mired at the back throughout Stages 1 and 2 but determined to claw his way back. With pit stop strategy and road course experience, Elliott did exactly that over the course of Stage 3 and miraculously rallied to an unreal 4th place. “It was a crazy day,” Elliott said after the race. “We had to dig out of a hole, but the team never gave up.”
Teammate Kyle Larson, on the other hand, couldn’t catch a break. Bad luck stuck to him like glue—contact mid-race and a lost wheel and subsequent penalty late race that put him down a few laps and knocked him out of contention. Meanwhile, Noah Gragson quietly put on a clinic, staying clean and fast to snag a solid 8th-place finish—a huge day for the FRM #4 team. Alex Bowman wasn’t so lucky. He got slapped with a track limits penalty early, then spun out later, scrambling his race. He still muscled his way to a 9th place finish, but it was a grind.
Race favorite Shane van Gisbergen came in with big expectations, but the field wasn’t feeling generous. Drivers dove into turns with no mercy, boxing him out and forcing him back. He still salvaged a respectable 6th, but his Trackhouse teammates didn’t fare as well. Daniel Suarez and Connor Zilisch both ended their day early after Suarez spun and kicked up a cloud of dirt and smoke. Unable to see through it, Zilisch slammed into Suarez and tore up the car. Zilisch also incurred damage and combined with his earlier run-in with Hamlin, the car was too mangled to keep going.
The finish? Pure fire. Christopher Bell, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Kyle Busch went at it tooth and nail in the final laps. As Busch’s tire began to fade, it became clear Bell had the faster car. However, given his prior dustups with Busch at COTA, Bell was determined to race clean and refrained from putting the bumper to the #8. Consequently, the pass took a little longer to complete. But when it finally happened, it put Busch back 2 spots with William Byron passing him as well. Elliott was charging hard from behind, gaining ground fast. And though he was able to pass Busch, he ran out of laps to crack the top three. Bell took the lead and battled with Byron, but when the dust settled, Bell grabbed win. Byron placed 2nd, Reddick 3rd, Elliott 4th, and Busch 5th. “That was intense,” Bell said post-race. “Those guys didn’t make it easy.”
COTA delivered a banger of a race—short track chaos on a road course canvas. NASCAR got this one right, and the fans walked away pumped. Now the question remains as to whether NASCAR will return to COTA next year, given that the contrac to return has not yet been signed.
Credit: AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 02: Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 DEWALT Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on March 02, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)