 | |
 | |
| NASCAR Cup Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Circuit of the Americas |
| Location | Austin, Texas |
| Corporatesponsor | EchoPark Automotive |
| First race | 2021 |
| Laps | 95 Stage 1: 20 Stage 2: 45 Final Stage: 30 |
| Previous names | EchoPark Texas Grand Prix (2021–2022) |
| Most wins (team) | Hendrick Motorsports (2) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chevrolet (3) |
| Circuit information | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.400 mi (3.862 km) |
| Turns | 18 |
TheEchoPark Automotive Grand Prix is aNASCAR Cup Seriesstock car race atCircuit of the Americas inAustin, Texas. Introduced in 2021, the race was one of seven road course dates on the Cup Series schedule that year.[1]Christopher Bell is the defending winner.
There is also aNASCAR Xfinity Series race, theFocused Health 250, that is held on the same weekend as the Cup Series.
Circuit of the Americas, a 3.426 mi (5.514 km) road course in Austin, opened in 2012 with major events beingFormula One'sUnited States Grand Prix andMotoGP'sMotorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas. For its prestige, the track was subject to calls from fans to be added to the NASCAR calendar, but a primary obstacle was the need for other speedways to give up their races which were protected by sanctioning contracts.[2]Texas Motor Speedway, anoval track located three hours away inFort Worth that regularly hosted two Cup Series races, was a large opponent as it maintainedan agreement with NASCAR that prevented the sanctioning body from adding races in the region. TMS president Eddie Gossage also clashed with COTA and F1 in 2014 and 2018 when the latter scheduled the USGP for the same weekend asNASCAR's November races at Texas, a matter that Gossage said in 2014 was "a shot fired by Formula One at NASCAR."[3][4] Gossage had also lowered the sanctioning fee for theIndyCar Series' race at Texas in order for the series to race at COTA.[5]
In 2017, COTA president Bobby Epstein told theAustin American-Statesman he had been in contact with NASCAR officials and that "everyone seems to want to be here, so I see no reason why it couldn't come together."[6] Gossage ridiculed the news, rebutting in theFort Worth Star-Telegram that he "just laughed at it" as "anyone can talk to a NASCAR official."[7]
Although NASCAR did not race at the track in the 2010s, demonstrations involving NASCAR drivers took place during the decade. In 2013, to promote theV8 Supercars'Austin 400 at the track,Kurt Busch participated in a seat swap with Supercar championJames Courtney, with Busch driving Courtney'sHolden Racing Team Supercar and Courtney in Busch'sFurniture Row Racing Chevrolet SS.[8] Six years later,Tony Stewart drove a two-seat version of hisStewart–Haas Racing Ford Mustang around the circuit withHaas F1 Team driversRomain Grosjean andKevin Magnussen riding.[9] Stewart compared COTA to NASCAR road courseWatkins Glen International due to its "very, very technical" nature, and rebuked skepticism about stock car overtaking opportunities by noting there were "five and potentially six passing zones on that race track for Cup cars." Although he added excluding COTA as a potential NASCAR host track would be an "injustice", Stewart also argued the "worst thing [NASCAR] could ever do is take one of the races from Texas Motor Speedway."[5]
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On September 30, 2020, NASCAR revealed the 2021 Cup Series schedule with a COTA race planned for May 23.[10] The Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series, along with theInternational Motor Sports Association'sLamborghini Super Trofeo North America sports car series, joined the weekend as support races;[11][12] the Truck race was part of theTriple Truck Challenge.[13] The race replaced thespring event at Texas, which became theNASCAR All-Star Race.[14]Speedway Motorsports, which operates TMS, assumed organizational responsibilities of the COTA race while company liaison Bryan Hammond was named race executive director in November.[15]
Although the shortened, 2.400 mi (3.862 km) layout was considered, NASCAR announced on December 11 that the weekend's races would utilize the full, 3.426 mi (5.514 km) course. To accommodate stock cars, safety changes to the track included placing tire barriers, extending the pit wall, adding caution lights, and installing curbs andrumble strips.[16]
On February 25, 2021, Speedway Motorsports announcedEchoPark Automotive would assumenaming rights for the race, branding it the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix.[17]
Chase Elliott won the inaugural EchoPark Texas Grand Prix. The race was shortened to 54 laps due to heavy rain. This would giveHendrick Motorsports their 268th win tyingPetty Enterprises andChevrolet their 800th victory inNASCAR.[18]
On November 20, 2024, it was announced that both the Cup and Xfinity Series races would move to the 2.400 mi (3.862 km) layout starting in 2025.[19]
| Year | Date | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race distance | Race time | Average speed (mph) | Report | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | ||||||||||
| Grand Prix Layout: 3.426 miles (5.514 km.) | |||||||||||
| 2021 | May 23 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 54* | 185 (298) | 3:07:11 | 59.024 | Report | [10] |
| 2022 | March 27 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 69* | 236.394 (380.686) | 3:20:57 | 70.253 | Report | [20] |
| 2023 | March 26 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 75* | 255.75 (411.856) | 3:30:32 | 72.886 | Report | [21] |
| 2024 | March 24 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 68 | 232.968 (374.926) | 2:43:15 | 85.224 | Report | [22] |
| NASCAR Layout: 2.400 miles (3.862 km.) | |||||||||||
| 2025 | March 2 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 95 | 232.968 (374.926) | 3:07:20 | 73.025 | Report | [23] |
| 2026 | March 1 | Report | |||||||||
| # Wins | Team | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Hendrick Motorsports | 2021, 2024 |
| # Wins | Manufacturer | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 3 |  Chevrolet | 2021, 2022, 2024 |
| 2 |  Toyota | 2023, 2025 |
| Previous race: Ambetter Health 400 | NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix | Next race: Shriners Children's 500 |