How to watch Sunday's Cup race at COTA Austin: Start time, TV info and weather
02/28/2025 04:00 PM
The NASCAR Cup Series will hold its fifth race at the Circuit of The Americas but its first on a shorter layout Sunday.
The 20-turn, 2.4-mile configuration (known as the "National" course) will be about a mile shorter, and lap times should be roughly a minute faster. That also means an increase to 95 laps, up from 68 in last year's distance on the longer layout used by the Formula One series.
As the third race of the 2025 season, this is the earliest date for COTA on the Cup schedule since joining the circuit in 2021.
The Cup winner at COTA has started on the front row of the past two COTA races, including William Byron from the pole position last year.
Connor Zilisch, 18, is slated to make his Cup Series debut in Trackhouse Racing's No. 87 Chevrolet with crew chief Darian Grubb.
The 2025 scheduled started with lead changes on the final lap at Daytona and Atlanta, the first time a winner has won with a last-lap pass in the first two races of a Cup season.
Details for Sunday's Cup race at Circuit of The Americas
(All times Eastern)
START: Actor Jack Quaid is scheduled to give the command to start engines at 3:38 p.m. ... The green flag is scheduled to wave at 3:49 p.m.
PRERACE: The Cup garage opens at 12:30 p.m. ... The drivers meeting will begin at 2:40 p.m. ... Driver introductions will be at 3:05 p.m. ... Riley Gaines, 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, will give the invocation at 3:30 p.m. ... Officer Rebecca Vermeulen of the San Antonio Police Department will perform the anthem at 3:31 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is 95 laps (228 miles) on a 20-turn, 2.4-mile road course.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 20. Stage 2 ends at Lap 45.
ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 37 cars entered
TV/RADIO: Fox will begin its race broadcast at 3:30 p.m. Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage.
FORECAST:Weather Underground — Partly cloudy skies with a high of 80 degrees and a 15% chance of rain at the start of the Cup race.
LAST YEAR:William Byron held off a late charge by Christopher Bell for his first victory at the Circuit of The Americas and his second win of the season.
