Circuit of the America’s 2026 NASCAR Spring Race Weekend: TV Schedule, Entry Lists, Race Info, and More

What’s Happening?

After back-to-back drafting tracks, NASCAR’s three National Series split ways as the O’Reilly Auto Parts and Cup Series head for Circuit of the Americas, and the Truck Series makes its debut at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

• Circuit of the Americas opened in 2012 as a state-of-the-art facility in South Texas. COTA is one of two tracks on the NASCAR schedule in the state of Texas and is the only track that NASCAR actively shares with Formula One.
• Though the track is known for its exports in open wheel, mostly through F1, the track finally welcomed NASCAR’s Cup Series in 2021. Alongside the series was the Craftsman Truck and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, though the Trucks no longer race at the road course.
• After taking the weekend off in 2025, the Trucks will be active this weekend, as they take on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for a joint weekend with the NTT IndyCar Series, before the IndyCars take on Phoenix Raceway with the OAP and Cup Series next weekend.

Weekend TV Schedule (All Times ET) (Truck Series at St. Petersburg)

Friday, February 27: Craftsman Truck Series Practice and Qualifying

• 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM – Craftsman Truck Series Practice on FS2
• 5:05 PM – 6:00 PM – Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying on FS2

Saturday, February 28: Craftsman Truck Series Race

• 12:00 PM – NASCAR O’Reilly Craftsman Truck Series OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 on the FOX (TV) and NRN (Radio)

Weekend TV Schedule (All Times ET) (Cup and OAP Series at COTA)

Friday, February 27: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice and Qualifying

• 5:00 PM – 5:50 PM – O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Practice on the CW App
• 6:05 PM – 7:00 PM – O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Qualifying on the CW App

Saturday, February 28: Cup Series Practice and Qualifying – O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race

• 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Cup Series Practice on Prime Video
• 11:10 AM – 12:00 PM – Cup Series Qualifying on Prime Video
• 3:00 PM – NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 on the CW (TV) and PRN (Radio)

Sunday, March 1: Cup Series Race

• 3:30 PM – NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne on FOX (TV) and PRN (Radio)

Race Facts (Truck Series)

Track Facts: Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

• Length: 1.808 Miles
• Turns: 14
• Surface: Asphalt
• Rain Tires: Yes

OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 on FOX:

• Race Length: 80 Laps (144 Miles)
• Stages: 20 Lap Stage 1, 20 Lap Stage 2, 40 Lap Final Stage

Race Facts (Cup and OAP Series)

Track Facts: Circuit of the Americas

• Year Built: 2012
• Length: 2.3 Miles
• Turns: 20
• Surface: Asphalt
• Rain Tires: Yes

Focused Health 250 on the CW:

• Race Length: 65 Laps (156 Miles)
• Stages: 20 Lap Stage 1, 20 Lap Stage 2, 25 Lap Final Stage
• Most-Recent Race Winner: Connor Zilisch

EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on FOX:

• Race Length: 95 Laps (228 Miles)
• Stages: 20 Lap Stage 1, 25 Lap Stage 2, 50 Lap Final Stage

2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Results:

• First: Christopher Bell – No. 20
• Second: William Byron – No. 24
• Third: Tyler Reddick – No. 45
• Fourth: Chase Elliott – No. 9
• Fifth: Kyle Busch – No. 8

Top Storylines of the Weekend

• With the Truck Series debut at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, many familiar names, both from the world of NASCAR and IndyCar, are getting behind the wheel this weekend. These include James Hinchcliffe, who will make his series debut with Spire Motorsports; former IndyCar Champion Dairo Franchitti, who will make his first Truck Start since 2007 with TRICON Garage; and IMSA standout Colin Braun, who is racing for Kaulig in his first Truck Start since 2007.
• Back west, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will have its share of part-timers as well, as new rules allow Cup Series drivers more seat time in the lower division. This weekend, Shane van Gisbergen, Ross Chastain, and Connor Zilisch will all get back behind the wheel of a NASCAR OAP Series for a shot at victory lane on COTA’s short course.
• Speaking of the short course at COTA, fans are still buzzing about the layout’s 2025 debut, which showed some of the best road course racing of the NASCAR Next Gen car’s lifespan. However, the story this time around is Shane van Gisbergen, who won every road course race last season except at Circuit of the Americas, where he is now winless in two Cup Series tries.

Entry Lists

Cup Series

Open and Notable Entries:

• No. 33 – Jesse Love

O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

Notable Entries:

• No. 0 – Alex Labbe
• No. 1 – Connor Zilisch
• No. 5 – Tyler Gonzalez
• No. 9 – Shane van Gisbergen
• No. 19 – Brent Crews
• No. 30 – Baltazar Leguizamon
• No. 32 – Ross Chastain
• No. 35 – Austin J. Hill
• No. 42 – JJ Yeley
• No. 50 – Preston Pardus
• No. 55 – Sage Karam
• No. 91 – Carson Kvapil

Craftsman Truck Series

Notable Entries:

• No. 1 – Dario Franchitti
• No. 2 – Carter Fartuch
• No. 4 – Ben Maier
• No. 5 – Adam Andretti
• No. 7 – Connor Mosack
• No. 22 – Jackson Lee
• No. 25 – Colin Braun
• No. 42 – Tyler Reif
• No. 45 – Landen Lewis
• No. 56 – Timmy Hill
• No. 62 – Wesley Slimp
• No. 69 – Derek White
• No. 76 – Nathan Nicholson
• No. 77 – James Hinchcliffe

Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.