The NASCAR Texas Grand Prix 2026 will take place Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), marking the series’ first road or street course event of the NASCAR Cup Series season. This race, officially known as the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne, is the sixth running at COTA and the second held on the 17-turn, 2.4-mile National Course layout. As the third event in the young season, drivers are eager to make an early impact in this discipline before the next road course race arrives in May.
The weekend schedule begins with practice sessions on Saturday morning, followed by qualifying. The race itself will start at 2:30 p.m. Central Time and will span 95 laps, covering a total of 228 miles. Fans can watch on FOX and HBO Max or listen via PRN and SiriusXM radio broadcasts.
Tyler Reddick Pursues a Milestone Victory at COTA
Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing enters the NASCAR Texas Grand Prix aiming to make history by capturing a third consecutive win in the season’s opening three races, a feat never accomplished before. After victories in both the Daytona 500 and the EchoPark Speedway race to open the year, Reddick has established himself as a leading title contender. His previous outings at Circuit of The Americas underscore this ambition, boasting a remarkable consistency with no finishes outside the top 10 in five starts and a victory in 2023.
Reddick’s average finish at COTA stands at an impressive 4.6, the best among all drivers. He also shines in qualifying, having secured top-four starting positions in every start at the track and earning two pole positions, starting in front in 2021 and again last season. These strong efforts include a third-place finish on his most recent visit after leading laps from the pole.
As the current points leader, Reddick is balancing the historic chase with the pragmatic goal of consolidating strong points. He expressed an awareness of this challenge, stating,
“I mean, am I going to throw away a second place to do that? Probably not,”
and added,
“Certainly if at any point during this week I’m running out of reasons to be motivated to go win, I’ll keep that in my back pocket, for sure. You know, it’s cool to be able – or have the opportunity to potentially do things like that, but for me, with where this season started and what I need to do as a driver, it’s all about just doing everything I can and showing up every week being as prepared as I can. So, yeah, I’ll try and make that a reality.”
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing driver
Shane van Gisbergen’s Road Course Winning Streak and COTA Challenge
One notable exception in Shane van Gisbergen’s otherwise dominant run on road and street courses was the NASCAR at COTA race, where he failed to reach victory lane last season. In 2025, driving for Trackhouse Racing, van Gisbergen qualified sixth, led 23 laps, and finished sixth at COTA. Despite not winning at this venue, he went on to achieve an impressive streak, claiming victories in five consecutive road/street races, including wins at Mexico City, the Chicago Street Race, Sonoma Raceway, Watkins Glen, and the Charlotte ROVAL.
Van Gisbergen’s success on road courses is historic—across 12 starts on such tracks, he has amassed six wins, seven top-five finishes, and ten top-10 results while leading a total of 342 laps. His debut at COTA came in 2024 with Kaulig Racing, where he started 12th and finished 20th, but since joining Trackhouse Racing, he has become a formidable contender in this specialty.
Emergence of Connor Zilisch as a Road Course Contender
Trackhouse Racing has further bolstered its road racing strength by promoting newcomer Connor Zilisch to the Cup Series. The 19-year-old North Carolina native secured second place in the 2025 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship and demonstrated notable prowess on permanent road courses, winning five such events last season. His strong record includes a win from the pole at COTA in the Focused Health 250 and triumphs at Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Portland, and the Charlotte ROVAL.
Zilisch’s dominance on road circuits is reflected in his career winning percentage of .857 in permanent road course starts in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, achieving six victories in seven races since 2024. Though he had a setback at Mexico City where he placed fifth, he still secured the pole and led laps. His Cup Series debut took place at COTA last year, where he qualified 14th but was forced out early due to an accident.
Veteran Road Course Specialists’ Records at COTA
Among active NASCAR Cup drivers specializing in road courses, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Shane van Gisbergen have amassed a combined total of 19 road/street course wins, yet only one of these came at Circuit of The Americas. Elliott captured the inaugural event in 2021, making him the most successful of the trio at this track with additional fourth-place finishes in 2022 and 2025. He aims to secure one more road course victory to match Tony Stewart’s second place all-time mark of eight wins, while Jeff Gordon holds the career lead with nine.
Kyle Larson began his NASCAR at COTA tenure with a runner-up finish in 2021 but has struggled in recent years, failing to finish better than 14th over his last four races at the venue. Van Gisbergen, while slow to adjust with a 20th place in his COTA debut, has recuperated to a sixth-place finish in 2025 after leading laps.
Brad Keselowski’s Uncertain Participation Due to Injury
RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski, a consistent competitor who has not missed a NASCAR Cup Series race since his full-time debut in 2010, faces uncertainty entering the Texas Grand Prix. After sustaining a broken right femur during a fall in December, Keselowski has raced in the first two events of 2026 but may find the physical demands of road-course racing challenging while still recovering.
Should Keselowski be unable to start the race, experienced road racer Joey Hand is anticipated to pilot the No. 6 Ford. Hand brings significant endurance racing success, including two wins each at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Though Hand has limited Cup Series starts, his notable performance last season came during the Chicago Street Race where he began 38th and finished fourth.
One possible approach could see Keselowski starting the race before handing the car to Hand, which would still credit Keselowski with the earned points based on Hand’s finish.
What to Expect Moving Forward from the Texas Grand Prix
The NASCAR Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas promises intense competition among established road-course experts and emerging talents. Tyler Reddick’s pursuit of a historic three-win streak has heightened anticipation, while Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch aim to capitalize on their road racing strengths. Veteran drivers like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson seek to improve their COTA records, and the possible absence of Brad Keselowski adds an element of unpredictability.
How these dynamics unfold will influence driver momentum and playoff positioning early in the 2026 season. As road courses continue to play a crucial role on the NASCAR calendar, performances at venues like COTA will be key indicators of championship aspirations.
