Andy’s Frozen Custard 300

The Biggest Losers from the NASCAR Race Weekend at COTA

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

After two wildcards to kick off the 2026 season, NASCAR headed to Circuit of the Americas (COTA) for round 3 on the year. The big headline heading into this weekend was whether or not Tyler Reddick could become the first driver in NASCAR history to win three straight races to start a campaign. Three times before, drivers have won the first two races of the year. Now Reddick, fresh off the heels of a Daytona 500 win and a win at Atlanta makes history as the only driver to go three for three.

The No. 45 23XI team is certainly on a roll with a 70-point points lead. However, not everyone had a weekend to remember. Here are the biggest losers of the 2026 NASCAR race weekend at COTA.

A race into the history books for @TylerReddick. pic.twitter.com/Kbj9NG6GPV

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 2, 2026

Corey Day

Another race weekend, another controversial race for Hendrick Motorsports’ Corey Day. And it is, yet again, a tangle with a JR Motorsports car that lands him on this list. Late into Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA, Corey Day got into his Hendrick teammate, Connor Zilisch, who was driving the No. 1 car for the team, causing Zilisch to spin out. Up to that point, Zilisch had already overcome a lot of adversity. Heading into one of the tight corners of COTA, Day clipped Zilisch, sending him around and effectively ending his contention for the race win.

After the incident, Connor Zilisch came over the radio and called Day a “total hack” and then, after the race, told reporters that he expects and deserves an apology. Day was a good sport about it all, owning up to his mistakes. But it’s just another week of Day barreling through his competitors that makes this a weekend he’d likely rather forget. To his credit, though, despite the issues, he still managed a top 5 finish. So, at least there’s that.

"I'm not going to go find (Corey Day) and tell him he's an idiot because I think he can tell himself that."@ConnorZilisch talks on his recovery from a brake issue and the crash after contact from Day near the end at COTA.#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/73r8MFqHDe

— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) February 28, 2026

Connor Zilisch

Unfortunately, Connor Zilisch makes the list. There was a lot of buzz around Connor Zilisch heading into the weekend, considering his dominance on road courses last year in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. I think that many fans viewed Saturday’s race as a cakewalk for the young phenom, while others thought that the odds were in his favor to capture his first win on Sunday. Unfortunately for him, none of that came to fruition. While Saturday’s race looked like another SVG/Connor Zilisch thriller in the making, mechanical issues put the driver of the No. 1 car behind the 8-ball. Not to mention a late race incident with Corey Day and Saturday could be considered the win that could have been for Zilisch.

Sunday wasn’t much better. He did manage to keep his nose clean, so there was that. But he was more or less a non-factor most of the race. He started in the back and was able to work his way up and contend for a top 10 finish in the closing laps. Unfortunately, all he could manage was a 14th-place finish.

Connor Zilisch battles back to finish 14ᵗʰ at the Circuit of the Americas after being wiped out in turn one from the top 5 five twice.#DuraMAXGP || #ZilischZone pic.twitter.com/SeZoH9ms6B

— Zilisch Zone (@ZilischZone) March 1, 2026

Shane van Gisbergen

Undeniably, the odds-on favorite going into today’s race had to be the one, the only, the NASCAR King of the Road himself, Shane van Gisbergen. Despite win-and-you’re-in being a thing of the past, many fan still expect SVG to make the 16-driver Chase for the Cup later this year based on sheer wins at road course races alone. His first opportunity came early with COTA being the third race of the season. Unfortunately, despite winning handily in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday, he wasn’t able to get the job done on Sunday. He was in prime position to win his seventh career cup win but, unfortunately, the stars didn’t align. He was forced to settle for a runner-up finish.

Stayed in the fight all day.

Shane brings home P2️⃣ and CZ rallies to bring home a top-15. pic.twitter.com/36dzxI36oS

— Trackhouse Racing (@TeamTrackhouse) March 2, 2026

The Entire Cup Series Field (besides Tyler Reddick)

The story going into this weekend’s race at COTA was will Tyler Reddick be able to do the impossible and become the first driver in history to win the first three races of the season. It was a tall order, for sure, but the fact that he scored the pole on Saturday must have put a pep in his step. Early on, he was far from the fastest. As the race wore on, though, he got better and better, ultimately able to outduel the King of the Road, SVG on his own turf.

Because of Reddick’s dominant performance, the last loser on our list this week is the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series field. They just did not rise to the occasion, and Tyler Reddick managed to capitalize to make history. Now, they just need to go to Phoenix next week and prevent him from going four in a row. At this rate, though, Reddick might actually embarrass the field once again.

NEWS: Post-race inspection at @NASCARatCOTA is complete with no issues. @TylerReddick's historic win is official! pic.twitter.com/8mtj2IUzNT

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 2, 2026

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These are the All-Time Lap Leaders and Track Records at Circuit of the Americas

by Bryan Aguiar

What’s Happening?

In this post, we’re breaking down the top 10 all-time lap leaders at Circuit of the Americas, along with key stats, besides reviewing the top 15 active drivers with the most laps led at the track. And that’s not all; we’re also examining some of COTA’s historic track records and the names still holding them, so stick around until the end to check them out

1st. Tyler Reddick – 111 [24.3%]

3rd. Kyle Busch – 54 [11.8%]

4th. Ross Chastain – 49 [10.7%]

5th. Shane van Gisbergen – 25 [9.6%]

6th. Christopher Bell – 18 [4.3%]

T7th. Joey Logano – 17 [3.7%]

T7th. Austin Cindric – 17 [3.7%]

9th. Daniel Suarez – 16 [3.9%]

10th. Ryan Blaney – 12 [2.6%]

Races	Laps Run	Wins	Poles	Avg. Finish	Avg. Start
6	456	0	0	13.8	17.5

Top 10 Active Drivers Rank

• 1st. Tyler Reddick (111)
• 2nd. William Byron (72)
• 2nd. Kyle Busch (54)
• 4th. Ross Chastain (49)
• 5th. Shane van Gisbergen (25)
• 6th. Christopher Bell (18)
• T7th. Joey Logano (17)
• T7h. Austin Cindric (17)
• 9th. Daniel Suarez (16)
• 10th. Ryan Blaney (12)

Track Records

• Most Races: Multiple drivers (6)
• Most Laps Run: Multiple drivers (456)
• Most Laps Led: Tyler Reddick (111)
• Most Wins: Tyler Reddick (2)
• Most Poles: Tyler Reddick (3)
• Most Top 5s: Tyler Reddick (5)
• Most Top 10s: Tyler Reddick (6)
• Most Lead Lap Finishes: Multiple drivers (6)
• Qualifying Lap Record: William Byron | 85.224 MPH | March 24th, 2024
• Worst Starting Position by a Winner: 19th – Christopher Bell in March 2025
• Winners from Pole: 2 in 6 Races – Latest: Tyler Reddick on March 1st, 2026
• Most Lead Changes in a Race: 20 in March 2025
• Fewest Lead Changes in a Race: 11 in May 2021 and March 2024

Let us know your thoughts on this list. Are there any drivers that surprise you? What track record do you think will never be broken? Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.

These are the All-Time Winners in NASCAR (Post COTA)

by Bryan Aguiar

What’s Happening?

Winning in NASCAR is no small feat. Nearly 3,000 drivers have competed in the premier American motorsports series, but only 206 have reached Victory Lane. Of those, just 140 have won multiple races. In this post, we’ll break down every driver who has claimed a win at the top level of stock car racing. In addition, we’re also listing every single champion, crown jewel, and exhibition race winner.

Last Updated on March 1, 2026 [Post COTA]

Rank	Driver Name	Wins	Win Rate	Seasons W/Win	Crown Jewels	All-Star Wins	Clash Wins	Titles	Championship Years
1	Richard Petty	200	16.6%	23	10💎			7 🏆	1964, 67, 71, 72, 74, 75, 79
2	David Pearson	105	18.2%	18	7💎			3 🏆	1966, 68, 69
3	Jeff Gordon	93	11.5%	20	17💎	3⭐	2⚔️	4 🏆	1995, 97, 98, 2001
4	Bobby Allison	85	11.8%	20	10💎		1⚔️	1 🏆	1983
5	Darrell Waltrip	84	10.4%	17	7💎	1⭐	1⚔️	3 🏆	1981, 82, 85
T6	Cale Yarborough	83	14.8%	18	9💎			3 🏆	1976, 77, 78
T6	JIMMIE JOHNSON	83	≈11.8%	16	12💎	4⭐	2⚔️	7 🏆	2006, 07, 08, 09, 10, 13, 16
8	Dale Earnhardt	76	11.2%	20	8💎	3⭐	6⚔️	7 🏆	1980, 86, 87, 90, 91, 93, 94
9	KYLE BUSCH	63	≈8.7%	19	4💎	1⭐	2⚔️	2 🏆	2015, 19
T10	Kevin Harvick	60	7.2%	18	8💎	2⭐	3⚔️	1 🏆	2014
T10	DENNY HAMLIN	60	≈8.0%	19	7💎		4⚔️
12	Rusty Wallace	55	7.7%	17	1💎	1⭐	1⚔️	1 🏆	1989
13	Lee Petty	54	12.6%	13	1💎			3 🏆	1954, 58, 59
T14	Junior Johnson	50	15.9%	9	1💎
T14	Ned Jarrett	50	14.2%	7	1💎			2 🏆	1961, 65
16	Tony Stewart	49	7.9%	16	2💎	1⭐	3⚔️	3 🏆	2002, 05, 11
17	Herb Thomas	48	20.9%	7	3💎			2 🏆	1951, 53
18	Buck Baker	46	7.2%	12	3💎			2 🏆	1956, 57
19	Bill Elliott	44	5.3%	13	6💎	1⭐	1⚔️	1 🏆	1988
20	Mark Martin	40	4.5%	15	3💎	2⭐	1⚔️
T21	Matt Kenseth	39	5.6%	14	4💎	1⭐	1⚔️	1 🏆	2003
T21	Tim Flock	39	20.8%	6				2 🏆	1952, 55
T23	Bobby Isaac	37	12.0%	6				1 🏆	1970
T23	JOEY LOGANO	37	≈6.1%	15	1💎	2⭐	2⚔️	3 🏆	2018, 22, 24
25	BRAD KESELOWSKI	36	≈6.3%	13	3💎		1⚔️	1 🏆	2012
T26	Kurt Busch	34	4.3%	19	2💎	1⭐	1⚔️	1 🏆	2004
T26	Martin Truex Jr	34	4.9%	10	3💎		1⚔️	1 🏆	2017
28	Fireball Roberts	33	16.0%	10	3💎
T29	Dale Jarrett	32	4.7%	13	6💎		3⚔️	1 🏆	1999
T29	KYLE LARSON	32	≈8.0%	8	3💎	3⭐		2 🏆	2021, 2025
T31	Carl Edwards	28	6.2%	9	2💎	1⭐
T31	Rex White	28	12.0%	5				1 🏆	1960
T33	Dale Earnhardt Jr	26	4.1%	11	2💎	1⭐	2⚔️
T33	Fred Lorenzen	26	16.4%	7	3💎
T35	Jim Paschal	25	5.9%	11	2💎
T35	Joe Weatherly	25	10.8%	5				2 🏆	1962, 63
37	Ricky Rudd	23	2.5%	18	1💎
38	Terry Labonte	22	2.4%	15	2💎	2⭐	1⚔️	2 🏆	1984, 96
T39	Benny Parsons	21	3.9%	10	2💎			1 🏆	1973
T39	Bobby Labonte	21	2.8%	9	3💎			1 🏆	2000
T39	Jack Smith	21	7.9%	7
T39	Jeff Burton	21	3.0%	8	3💎
T39	CHASE ELLIOTT	21	≈5.7%	7		1⭐	1⚔️	1 🏆	2020
43	Speedy Thompson	20	10.1%	6	1💎
T44	Buddy Baker	19	2.7%	11	5💎		1⚔️
T44	Davey Allison	19	9.9%	7	2💎	2⭐
T44	Fonty Flock	19	12.3%	6	1💎
T44	Greg Biffle	19	3.6%	9	2💎
T49	Geoffrey Bodine	18	3.1%	10	1💎	1⭐	1⚔️
T49	Harry Gant	18	3.8%	8	2💎
T49	Kasey Kahne	18	3.4%	9	4💎	1⭐
T49	Neil Bonnett	18	4.9%	9	3💎		2⚔️
T49	Ryan Newman	18	2.4%	10	2💎	1⭐
T54	Curtis Turner	17	9.2%	9	1💎
T54	Marvin Panch	17	7.8%	7	2💎
T56	RYAN BLANEY	17	≈3.7%	8	1💎	1⭐		1 🏆	2023
T56	WILLIAM BYRON	16	≈5.6%	6	2💎
T57	Ernie Irvan	15	4.7%	7	1
T58	Dick Hutcherson	14	13.5%	3
T58	LeeRoy Yarbrough	14	7.0%	6	3💎
T60	Dick Rathmann	13	10.0%	3
T60	Tim Richmond	13	7.0%	5	1💎
T60	CHRISTOPHER BELL	13	≈6.4%	5	1💎	1⭐
62	TYLER REDDICK	11	≈4.7%	4	1💎
T64	Clint Bowyer	10	1.8%	6
T64	Donnie Allison	10	4.1%	7	1💎
T64	Sterling Marlin	10	1.3%	5	2💎
T67	Bob Welborn	9	4.9%	3
T67	Cotton Owens	9	5.6%	6
T67	Paul Goldsmith	9	7.0%	4
T70	ALEX BOWMAN	8	≈2.4%	5
T70	Kyle Petty	8	0.9%	7	1💎
T73	A.J. Foyt	7	5.4%	5	1💎
T73	Darel Dieringer	7	3.8%	5	1💎
T73	Jamie McMurray	7	1.2%	5	2💎	1⭐
T73	Jim Reed	7	6.6%	2	1💎
T73	Marshall Teague	7	30.4%	2
T78	AUSTIN DILLON	6	≈1.2	6	2💎
T78	CHRIS BUESCHER	6	≈1.7%	4
T78	ROSS CHASTAIN	6	≈2.1%	4	1💎
T78	SHANE VAN GISBERGEN	6	≈14.0%	2
T79	Alan Kulwicki	5	2.4%	4				1 🏆	1992
T79	CHASE BRISCOE	5	≈1.8%	3	2💎
T79	Dan Gurney	5	0.5%	5
T79	Dave Marcis	5	0.5%	3
T79	Jeremy Mayfield	5	1.1%	4
T79	Ralph Moody	5	10.6%	2
T79	Tiny Lund	5	1.6%	4	1💎
T79	Ward Burton	5	1.3%	4	2💎
T88	Billy Wade	4	5.7%	1
T88	Bob Flock	4	11.1%	3
T88	Bobby Hamilton	4	1.0%	4
T88	Charlie Glotzbach	4	3.2%	3
T88	Eddie Gray	4	18.1%	3
T88	Eddie Pagan	4	6.4%	2
T88	Glen Wood	4	6.4%	2
T88	Hershel McGriff	4	4.5%	1
T88	Joe Nemechek	4	0.5%	4
T88	Ken Schrader	4	0.5%	3			2⚔️
T88	Lloyd Dane	4	7.6%	3
T88	Michael Waltrip	4	0.5%	3	2💎	1⭐
T88	Morgan Shepherd	4	0.7%	4
T88	Nelson Stacy	4	8.8%	2	2💎
T88	Pete Hamilton	4	6.2%	2	1💎
T88	Parnelli Jones	4	11.7%	4
T88	RICKY STENHOUSE JR	4	≈0.9%	3	1💎
T105	AJ ALLMENDINGER	3	≈0.6%	3
T105	Aric Almirola	3	0.6%	3
T105	AUSTIN CINDRIC	3	≈1.6%	3	1💎
T105	Bill Blair	3	2.4%	3
T105	Brian Vickers	3	0.9%	3
T105	BUBBA WALLACE	3	≈0.7%	3	1💎
T105	Dick Linder	3	10.7%	1
T105	Elliott Sadler	3	0.6%	2
T105	ERIK JONES	3	≈1.0%	3	2💎		1⚔️
T105	Frank Mundy	3	5.7%	1
T105	Gwyn Staley	3	4.3%	1
T105	Robby Gordon	3	0.7%	2
T115	Al Keller	2	6.8%	1
T115	Billy Myers	2	2.3%	2
T115	Bobby Johns	2	1.4%	2
T115	DANIEL SUAREZ	2	≈0.6%	2
T115	Danny Letner	2	7.4%	2
T115	David Ragan	2	0.4%	2
T115	David Reutimann	2	0.8%	2	1💎
T115	Derrike Cope	2	0.4%	1	1💎
T115	Elmo Langley	2	0.3%	1
T115	Emanuel Zervakis	2	2.4%	1
T115	Gober Sosebee	2	2.8%	2
T115	James Hylton	2	0.3%	2
T115	Jimmy Pardue	2	0.9%	2
T115	Jimmy Spencer	2	0.4%	1
T115	Joe Lee Johnson	2	3.6%	2	1💎
T115	John Andretti	2	0.5%	2
T115	Johnny Beauchamp	2	8.6%	2
T115	Juan Pablo Montoya	2	0.7%	2
T115	Marcos Ambrose	2	0.8%	2
T115	Marvin Porter	2	5.8%	2
T115	MICHAEL MCDOWELL	2	≈0.3%	2	1💎
T115	Ray Elder	2	6.4%	2
T115	Red Byron	2	13.3%	1				1 🏆	1949
T115	Ricky Craven	2	0.7%	2
T115	Steve Park	2	1.0%	2
T115	Tim Pistone	2	1.5%	1
T144	Art Watts	1	5.2%	1
T144	Bill Amick	1	2.0%	1
T144	Bill Norton	1	25.0%	1
T144	Bill Rexford	1	2.7%	1				1 🏆	1950
T144	Brett Bodine	1	0.2%	1
T144	Bob Burdick	1	6.6%	1
T144	Bobby Hillin	1	0.3%	1
T144	Buddy Shuman	1	3.4%	1
T144	Casey Mears	1	0.2%	1	1💎
T144	Chuck Stevenson	1	50.0%	1
T144	COLE CUSTER	1	≈0.8%	1
T144	Danny Graves	1	11.1%	1
T144	Danny Weinberg	1	5.8%	1
T144	Dick Brooks	1	0.2%	1
T144	Dick Passwater	1	5.0%	1
T144	Donald Thomas	1	1.2%	1
T144	Earl Balmer	1	3.1%	1
T144	Earl Ross	1	3.8%	1
T144	Frankie Schneider	1	3.7%	1
T144	Greg Sacks	1	0.3%	1
T144	Harold Kite	1	11.1%	1
T144	Harrison Burton	1	0.9%	1
T144	Jack White	1	8.3%	1
T144	Jerry Nadeau	1	0.5%	1
T144	Jim Cook	1	2.5%	1
T144	Jim Hurtubise	1	2.7%	1
T144	Jim Roper	1	50.0%	1
T144	Jimmy Florian	1	3.8%	1
T144	John Kieper	1	6.2%	1
T144	John Rostek	1	16.6%	1
T144	John Soares	1	8.3%	1
T144	Johnny Allen	1	0.5%	1
T144	Johnny Benson	1	0.3%	1
T144	Johnny Mantz	1	8.3%	1	1💎
T144	Johnny Rutherford	1	2.8%	1
T144	JOSH BERRY	1	≈1.8%	1
T144	JUSTIN HALEY	1	≈0.6%	1
T144	Lake Speed	1	0.2%	1
T144	Larry Frank	1	0.9%	1	1💎
T144	Lennie Pond	1	0.4%	1
T144	Leon Sales	1	12.5%	1
T144	Lloyd Moore	1	2.0%	1
T144	Lou Figaro	1	5.8%	1
T144	Mario Andretti	1	7.1%	1	1💎
T144	Mark Donohue	1	16.6%	1
T144	Marvin Burke	1	100%	1
T144	Neil Cole	1	5.2%	1
T144	Norm Nelson	1	20.0%	1
T144	Paul Lewis	1	0.8%	1
T144	Paul Menard	1	0.2%	1	1💎
T144	Phil Parsons	1	0.4%	1
T144	Regan Smith	1	0.4%	1	1💎
T144	Richard Brickhouse	1	2.5%	1
T144	Ron Bouchard	1	0.6%	1
T144	Royce Haggerty	1	11.1%	1
T144	Sam McQuagg	1	1.6%	1
T144	Shorty Rollins	1	2.3%	1
T144	Tommy Thompson	1	4.5%	1
T144	Trevor Bayne	1	0.5%	1	1💎
T144	Wendell Scott	1	0.2%	1

What did you think of this list? Where does your favorite driver rank? Let us know by joining the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates!