Tyler Reddick Further Extends Track Record With This Feat at COTA

What’s Happening?

Tyler Reddick won the pole on Saturday’s qualifying session at Circuit of the Americas, his 3rd at the track in just the 6th race there, extending his record of most poles at the road course, as no one else has won more than one, in a pretty straightforward session, in which there were no major incidents, crashes, or huge surprises.

Practice Results

Cup practice results: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/qK2CZX3NMc

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 28, 2026

• Fastest Lap: Michael McDowell [99.023s]
• Best Overall Average: Ryan Blaney [100.156s]
• Best 5-Lap Average: Ryan Blaney [99.456s]
• Best 10-Lap Average: Ryan Blaney [99.926s]
• Best 15-Lap Average: N/A
• Best 20-Lap Average: N/A
• Best 25-Lap Average: N/A
• Best 30-Lap Average: N/A

Starting Lineup

Note

• Tire wear looked like a much bigger factor compared to previous years, and most specialists are attributing that to the horsepower increase

Ones to Watch

• Shane van Gisbergen: Mr. Road Course himself, SVG is looking to tie Jeff Gordon’s record of 6 consecutive road-course wins. His qualifying session was not what most thought it would be, but there’s no doubt he will be a threat for the race win
• Tyler Reddick: Reddick is starting on pole, his 3rd at the track in just 6 races there. Besides, he has the best average finish at the track, with an incredible 4.6. Reddick is also known for being an excellent road racer, and on top of that, he is fresh off 2 consecutive wins at Daytona and Atlanta, two very different track types compared to COTA, but with his pole, he’s proved he can contend too.
• Christopher Bell: You can’t count out the defending winner of a race, and Christopher Bell is just that. His numbers on road courses may not be as convincing as the others’ in this list, but with Toyota’s program improving, and Bell’s most recent road course result being a 3rd place finish, and his starting position inside the top 10, it looks promising.
• Ross Chastain: Chastain starts 2nd, but if you watched qualifying, you know his lap was likely pole-worthy if not for a single mistake. Still, he qualified 2nd, and his 5.6 average finish at the track proves he is a contender in nearly every race.
• Chase Elliott: The dominant name on road courses in the Gen 6 era, Elliott has yet to win one in the Gen 7. Last year, Elliott arguably had the fastest car, but an incident with Chastain forced him to climb the field, and he still finished inside the top 5. Without incidents, it’s very likely he’ll be in contention for the win.

Honorable Mentions:

• Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Michael McDowell, Connor Zilisch, Chris Buescher

Pit Stall Selections

Who is your pick to win the Cup race? Let us know what you think on Discord or X. Remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.