COTA Race Preview

RACE INFO

DATE: Sunday, March 1, 2026

RACE: DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix

TRACK: Circuit of the Americas (Austin, TX)

TRACK LENGTH: 2.4 miles

TV: FOX (3:30 p.m. ET)

RADIO: PRN Radio / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (3:30 p.m. ET)

JOE GIBBS RACING

JGR AT COTA: Christopher Bell secured Joe Gibbs Racing's first NASCAR Cup Series win at Circuit of the Americas last year. In 20 combined starts at the track, the organization owns four top-five finishes, eight top-10s, and 42 laps led.

ROAD COURSES IN 2025: Joe Gibbs Racing drivers excelled on road courses last season. In 24 combined starts on road courses, the team tallied one win (Bell at Circuit of the Americas), nine top-five finishes, 11 top-10s, and 61 laps led. JGR placed a driver in the top three in each of the season's six road course races, including runner-up finishes at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City (Bell), Sonoma Raceway (Briscoe), the Chicago Street Course (Gibbs), and Watkins Glen International (Bell).

CHASE BRISCOE

No. 19 Columbia Bank Toyota Camry XSE

BRISCOE AT COTA: Chase Briscoe has five starts at Circuit of the Americas with a best finish of sixth in 2021. In last year’s race at the road course, Briscoe started 18th and finished 14th.

BRISCOE ON ROAD COURSES: In his first season with JGR, Briscoe showed strength on road courses. He recorded two top-five finishes, three top-10s, and 21 laps led in six road course races last year.

ATLANTA RECAP: Briscoe earned a runner-up finish last weekend at EchoPark Speedway. The No. 19 driver led 27 laps throughout the race and lined up fifth for the final overtime restart before maneuvering his way up to second.

JAMES SMALL: 2026 is James Small’s seventh season leading the No. 19 team and his second year with Briscoe behind the wheel. The first five years of his tenure as crew chief were spent with Martin Truex Jr. In 219 races atop the pit box, Small has led his drivers to 11 wins, 61 top-five finishes, 107 top-10s, 13 pole awards, and 4,727 laps led.