DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 19: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, and Michael McDowell, driver of the #34 Love's Travel Stops Ford, lead the field to start the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2024 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, joined “The Morning Drive” on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, and he talked about how NASCAR is looking into the fuel-saving tactics used at the Daytona 500. He said that NASCAR will take a “deep dive” into the strategy and potential changes. This comes after drivers complained both during and after the race about having to slow down and conserve fuel. Sawyer’s comments are below.
It is something that we’re looking into. Ultimately, we want to drop the green flag on a race and they’re racing as hard as they can until we drop the checkered flag. There’s some strategy in-between there, and we will definitely to take a much deeper dive at this particular situation and the strategy that goes into it.
Elton Sawyer
Sawyer also explained more about what made fuel saving a viable strategy at superspeedways. Ultimately, it comes down to spending less time on pit road. The more fuel that drivers save, the longer they can go and the less fuel they need to finish the stage, which means less time on pit road.
Drivers like Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin all expressed frustration at this situation both during and after the race. Drivers were racing as slow as 175 MPH in the draft in stage one because of how extreme the fuel saving was. That was slower than drivers running by themselves outside of the draft.
Fans were a bit split on the fuel-saving strategy. Some liked the extra strategy element, but, others preferred to see drivers racing throughout the day.
NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell claims that he feels NASCAR “got a little lazy” in its attempts to keep growing the sport during a recent interview.
.@NASCAR prez Steve O'Donnell on trying to grow the series: "When I started at NASCAR, we were chasing IndyCar, and the goal was, 'If we can just kind of surpass IndyCar…' and we did that, and I've told our employees, 'I think we all got a little lazy.'" https://t.co/7TOQgsGJYb
NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell is entering his first full season as NASCAR President, after taking over the post from former President Steve Phelps in March 2025.
O’Donnell took over his post during a turbulent time in sports history, as schedule changes and car generations compounded fans’ growing issues with things such as the 2014 playoff system.
To add to his troubles, NASCAR was in the midst of a heated antitrust lawsuit with two of its teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, that was bound for court in late 2025.
Ultimately, NASCAR would manage to put a bow on most of its troubles before the start of the 2026 season, settling the lawsuit with the two teams, changing its points format, and expressing an openness to explore changes to its NASCAR Next Gen car, such as increased horsepower on short tracks and road courses.
This whirlwind of change is turning gears in the NASCAR fanbase, with many fans saying a lot of the reshuffling is just as good for the sport as putting things such as the lawsuit and playoffs in the rear-view mirror, a sentiment shared by O’Donnell.
During an interview with Sports Business Journal on Monday, the long-time NASCAR executive said, “This is the first year I can remember where we’re going into the season, just talking about racing and what’s great about NASCAR.”
This isn’t the only shared feeling between O’Donnell and NASCAR fans, as prior to that, he said he felt NASCAR had grown “a little lazy” after overtaking IndyCar as the top motorsport in America, something he has even told NASCAR employees.
“When I started at NASCAR, we were chasing IndyCar, and the goal was, if we can just kind of surpass IndyCar, and we did that, and, you know, I’ve told our employees, I think we all got a little lazy.” — Steve O’Donnell
While many fans would agree that NASCAR has turned around for the better, there is still work to be done, and in O’Donnell’s eyes, the sport is in a prime spot to grow.
“My job and all of our jobs is to bring the industry together and talk about, we got a pretty cool thing going here, and we can really grow it,” O’Donnell said.
Can NASCAR’s Early Momentum Continue?
NASCAR isn’t exactly setting lofty goals for itself in 2026, at least in public, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the attention of its fanbase.
While the revived Chase format has drawn back some eyes, things like NASCAR’s “Hell Yeah” advertising campaign were the talk of the NASCAR community entering the 2026 Daytona 500.
That race also produced a finish that saw NBA legend, team owner, and former NASCAR lawsuit plaintiff, Michael Jordan, bring home another major race win on National TV with driver Tyler Reddick.
This race also saw a slight increase in viewership from the 2025 Daytona 500, one hurt by a major rain storm that blew in early in the race’s running.
Though TV ratings may not be skyrocketing, NASCAR has early momentum to make 2026 good enough to set a firm foundation for O’Donnell’s goals of growth, but maintaining that momentum will be another challenge in and of itself.
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The NASCAR Truck Series breaks off from the main touring series schedule this weekend, but that doesn’t mean the O’Reilly Auto Parts and Cup Series aren’t racing. So, whether you are going to be at the track or home, what does the forecast look like for the race weekend in Austin, Texas?
Circuit of the Americas is a state-of-the-art road course facility in South Texas, boasting a stacked schedule of racing from open wheel, motorcycles, and NASCAR. In 2021, inclusion on the schedule marked a turning point for NASCAR, as the series committed to more road course racing into the 2020s.
Though NASCAR has raced at the circuit since 2021, this is the second season the series will race on the track’s “short course.” Of course, this will be without the Truck Series, as they join the NTT IndyCar Series in St. Petersburg, Florida, for a street race.
Despite the state’s reputation for hot and dry temps, much like any race on the spring portion of the NASCAR schedule, COTA’s weather can be somewhat unpredictable.
Saturday, February 28: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 | 2:00 PM on The CW
Before the OAP Series Race (11:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Temperature: High of 83°F at 2:00 PM
Precipitation Chance: 1% Chance at Noon
Wind: 9 to 11 MPH
During the OAP Series Race (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
Temperature: High of 85°F at 4:00 PM
Precipitation Chance: 1% Chance
Wind: 10 to 11 MPH
After the OAP Series Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
Temperature: High of 84°F at 5:00 PM
Precipitation Chance: 2% Chance at 6:00 PM
Wind: 10 MPH
Sunday, March 1: Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne | 2:30 PM on FOX
Before the Cup Series Race (11:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Temperature: High of 82°F at 2:00 PM
Precipitation Chance: 1% Chance
Wind: 11 to 13 MPH
During the Cup Series Race (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
Temperature: High of 84°F at 4:00 PM
Precipitation Chance: 1% Chance
Wind: 11 to 13 MPH
After the Cup Series Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
Temperature: High of 83°F at 5:00 PM
Precipitation Chance: 1% Chance
Wind: 11 MPH
Recent Weather Events at COTA: 2021, Not Technically a Washout
When the three NASCAR National Series rolled into Austin for COTA’s first NASCAR race weekend in 2021, no one could have guessed the chaos that lay in wait. A major rain shower did not prevent the series from racing that day, as, though it was still somewhat foreign at the time, NASCAR sent the Cup Series out in the rain for a chaotic race, ultimately won by Chase Elliott.
Note: This article will be updated with a more accurate and detailed forecast as the race weekend nears.
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
2:00 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
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
Craftsman Truck Series
This information will be available when NASCAR releases it on Monday afternoon.
Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.
