In recent years, the Texas state capital has embraced “Keep Austin Weird” as a motto. Those words apply to the city’s auto racing venue, too.   

Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, which opened in 2012, features a blend of a high-speed road course and a more technical circuit. COTA has hosted Formula 1 and IndyCar races, but in 2021, NASCAR raced at the Texas road course for the first time.  

It returns to the course again Sunday for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.

Since COTA’s debut on the NASCAR calendar, the track has become one of the wilder events on the schedule. In 2021, a downpour forced drivers to race through traffic on rain tires and with little visibility. The rain eventually became so heavy that the race was called, with Chase Elliott declared the victor. 

In 2022, Ross Chastain scored his first Cup Series win after a wild final lap in which he played pinball with A.J. Allmendinger and Alex Bowman in the corners. A year later, Tyler Reddick survived three overtime restarts en route to victory lane.  

This year, however, COTA will look a bit different. Rather than racing on the traditional 3.41-mile course, drivers will race on the 2.3-mile National course, which eliminates the long backstretch and gives fans the opportunity to see more action. 

At first glance, the move may not seem like a big deal. Sonoma Raceway in California has used two layouts since 1989 and Atlanta Motor Speedway underwent a reconfiguration in 2022. 

But another story may be playing out behind the scenes. COTA doesn’t have a deal signed with NASCAR for 2026 — the track is leased by Speedway Motorsports for NASCAR events — making it seem as though the facility’s future in the sport could be in jeopardy. 

That also begs the question: Is COTA’s layout change — which places an emphasis on the viewing experience — a racing decision or a business decision?  

Depending on how this weekend’s action plays out, it could be both. According to The Athletic, talks between NASCAR and COTA regarding the track’s future will be held this weekend. 

NASCAR isn’t the only racing series whose future with COTA isn’t set. Formula 1 will race at the venue in 2026, but its future with COTA beyond that is uncertain. The series reportedly wants to sign a new contract with the track beyond next year. 

There are plenty of reasons why NASCAR and COTA should want to strike a new deal. Austin is a growing area that offers a new environment for NASCAR racing, and the track itself is a world-class facility that’s barely over a decade old. 

However, racing can be a cruel business, and plenty of tracks have seen their NASCAR futures wither away. That doesn’t seem to be what’s going on with COTA, but it makes for an interesting storyline as NASCAR tests a new layout to win over fans this weekend.