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Tyler Reddick Further Extends Track Record With This Feat at COTA

by Bryan Aguiar

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

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O’Reilly: SVG Wins at COTA

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The checkered flag is out for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competitors at COTA, and it was Shane van Gisbergen who was left standing tall at the end of the race. His 5th career O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory, it was his first at the track.

The King of the Road 👑@shanevg97 earns another road course victory at COTA! pic.twitter.com/6qcyEQJFZn

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) February 28, 2026

• The opening stage was dominated by the JRM duo of Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen with the No. 1 of Zilisch looking to be the stronger of the two early on. Prior to the end of the stage, both short-pitted, making a long-term play for the win. SVG still managed to end the stage in 10th.
• Austin Hill stayed out after a disappointing showing in Atlanta last week to collect some stage points. Also running strong in the first stage were Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, and Jesse Love.
• Despite not being in his usual ride, Carson Kvapil was very competitive in his DGM No. 91 Chevy. Granted, the car was prepared by JR Motorsports ahead of this race, but it was DGM guys running the show. They did an admirable job, bringing the car home in the 19th position after falling off late. He’ll have 5 more starts in the car later this year to fill out the remainder of his schedule.
• The second stage belonged to Sam Mayer. Finishing 2nd in the first stage and winning Stage 2, he had a mighty good points day today. Meanwhile, his former teammate Justin Allgaier also had a strong finish in stage 2. That’s a promising sign, considering his heartbreaks in Daytona and Atlanta, respectively.
• Connor Zilisch had far from a perfect race today. Sure, he led a bulk of the opening stage, but mechanical issues plagued him later in the race. Extra time on pit road making repairs put him behind the 8 ball in Stage 2. This put the race firmly in the hands of SVG. He did manage to battle back to the top 5 before he was dumped by Corey Day and the controversy around that driver continues to build. Zilisch brought it home in 21st with significant damage.
• With Connor Zilisch’s issues, it was more or less a cakewalk for Shane van Gisbergen in the JRM No. 9. He went on to win, scoring his 5th career win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He has an opportunity to sweep the weekend. He starts tomorrow’s Cup race in the 13th position.

Race Results

Connor Zilisch spins off the track during a late push for the front. pic.twitter.com/95ukfAlBaV

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) February 28, 2026

Caution Tracker

• Lap 20: End of Stage 1
• Lap 35: Baltazar Leguizamon spins
• Lap 40: End of Stage 2
• Lap 57: Sage Karam

Points Standings

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O’Reilly: Mid-Race Report, It’s the Zilisch and SVG Show!

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The first two stages are in the books for the stars of tomorrow in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA. Predictably, Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen dominated the first two stages. As they short-pitted at the end of each stage, Austin Hill and Sam Mayer both went to collect stage wins, respectively. Here are the key takeaways from the race so far.

Sam Mayer wins Stage 2 at COTA! pic.twitter.com/k4YbjfI2TA

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) February 28, 2026

• Austin Hill, after a disappointing finish to last week’s race in Atlanta following being sent by Ross Chastain, won the opening stage of the race. This was, of course, after Connor Zilisch and SVG short pitted, playing the long game for the win. Zilisch led a bulk of the opening stage, leading 12 of the opening 20 laps. On pit road, SVG managed to leapfrog Zilisch for the would-be race lead.
• The only incident to note in the opening stage was when Jeremy Clements got off course. The caution did not fly, and he finished the stage in the 30th position.
• Key drivers earning stage points in the opening stage include Austin Hill (10), Sam Mayer (9), Justin Allgaier (8), Brandon Jones (7), Jesse Love (6), Carson Kvapil (5), Corey Day (4), and Rajah Caruth (2).
• The second stage wasn’t quite as cut and dry as the first. While battling for the lead, Connor Zilisch overdrove a corner, making an uncharacteristic mistake. He went over the radio to complain that it felt like his car was pulling to the right, an indication of a possible issue with his left side brakes.
• There was a late caution in the stage as Baltazar Leguizamón suffered a brake failure and plowed hard into the tire barrier. He was okay but this effectively ended his day. SVG and Connor Zilisch both came down pit road during this caution. Zilisch had a slow stop as his No. 1 crew started to check out the right side of the car for potential brake problems. Sam Mayer went on to win the stage.
• Earning stage points in the second stage were Sam Mayer (10), Justin Allgaier (9), Carson Kvapil (8), Jesse Love (7), Austin Hill (5), Sammy Smith (4), Brandon Jones (3), and Ryan Sieg (1).

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