The NASCAR Cup Series recently held its first of four non-oval races at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in 2026. This event marked a significant point in the season following previous superspeedway races at Daytona International Speedway and EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta. Changes in the 2026 schedule have seen three of the six non-oval tracks from 2025 removed, with COTA continuing to host a race since its inclusion in 2021.
NASCAR Cup Series at COTA: DuraMAX Grand Prix Overview
The COTA race features a condensed layout, as only the 17-turn, 2.4-mile (3.862-kilometer) course was utilized instead of the full 20-turn, 3.41-mile (5.488-kilometer) road course. Tyler Reddick from 23XI Racing earned the pole position, with Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain joining him in the front row.
Stage Results
Stage 1 Results
- 1st: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- 2nd: Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- 3rd: Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- 4th: Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
- 5th: A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- 6th: Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- 7th: Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- 8th: Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- 9th: Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- 10th: Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Stage 2 Results
- 1st: Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- 2nd: A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- 3rd: Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- 4th: Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- 5th: Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
- 6th: Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
- 7th: Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
- 8th: Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet
- 9th: William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- 10th: Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Full DuraMAX Grand Prix Results
| Rank |
Driver |
Team & Car |
| 1 |
Tyler Reddick |
No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 2 |
Bubba Wallace |
No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 3 |
Chase Elliott |
No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 4 |
Ryan Blaney |
No. 12 Team Penske Ford |
| 5 |
Shane van Gisbergen |
No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 6 |
Joey Logano |
No. 22 Team Penske Ford |
| 7 |
Daniel Suarez |
No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 8 |
A.J. Allmendinger |
No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
| 9 |
Michael McDowell |
No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 10 |
Carson Hocevar |
No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
Following this exciting race, the NASCAR Cup Series will proceed to its next event, the Straight Talk Wireless 500. This race will take place at Phoenix Raceway on March 8, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the live action on Fox Sports 1.
