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The Drivers Most SCREWED Over By Track Limits This Weekend

AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 23: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on March 23, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Joshua Lipowski

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Royal T Grafix

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What’s Happening?

The word of the weekend at Circuit of the Americas was “Track Limits”. NASCAR was very strict with drivers corner cutting through the esses, so, plenty of penalties were handed out for “Track Limits violations” over the weekend. These were the drivers that had the biggest price to pay.

  • While NASCAR allowed drivers to every paved surface throughout most of the track, the esses were a different story. If a driver had all 4 wheels below the curbs through that section of the track, they were given a pass-through penalty. Drivers who received the penalty too late in the race to serve the penalty had 30 seconds added to their race time.
  • While NASCAR officially gave out 44 penalties over the weekend, we will look at the most prominent examples. These are the drivers who got screwed over the most by poorly timed penalties.
  • Drivers and fans alike were frustrated with this rule. The track limit rules were different depending on which area of the track drivers were in.

Also Read:

Fans Split on NASCAR’s Track Limits at COTA

Chase Elliott

While the Cup Series race only had 4 track limit violations, Chase Elliott had by far the most controversial. In stage three, Elliott got loose through the esses and shortcut the course. NASCAR gave him a pass-through penalty despite ferocious arguing from Alan Gustafson and Elliott.

Elliott was flirting with the top-5 as the race wore on, but this penalty set him back far. He was eventually relegated to a 16th-place finish.

Brandon Jones

While not a threat for the win on Saturday, Brandon Jones was well on his way toward capturing an important stage win in stage two of the Xfinity race. Unfortunately, he was found to violate track limits on the last lap of the stage, and his stage win was taken away. Riley Herbst was given the stage win.

Jones was sent to the tail end of the field for the ensuing restart. He ended up finishing 16th. While it was not a major dent to his finishing position, taking away a stage win and 10 points along with it is a big hit for Jones.

Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane Van Gisbergen suffered a gutwrenching loss on Saturday in the Xfinity Series race, but, after the race, the knife was twisted even more. He was given a 30-second time penalty for shortcutting the esses. This relegated SVG from 2nd to 27th.

He clearly had this race wrapped up before a caution and an overtime restart, so, the entire finish left SVG with a sour taste in his mouth. The track limits penalty was the cherry on top, and it cost him 25 critical points.

Connor Zilisch

Connor Zilisch had a roller coaster day at COTA in the Truck Series on Saturday. After locking the brakes up, which caused a flat tire on lap one, he ferociously charged through the field. He seemed to have what it took to run down the leaders, but, two-track limits penalties did him in.

While the track limits penalties were far from the only issue he faced, what if those penalties did not happen? Would he have been able to save his car for later in the race, allowing him to compete for the win? In the end, he finished 4th. A remarkable comeback, but, a race where fans were left to wonder, “What might have been?”

Matt Crafton

Matt Crafton was penalized twice for track limits on Saturday. One came on lap 19, and the other came at the end of the race. The latter resulted in a 30-second penalty, which put Crafton in 23rd to finish the race.

Crafton had his moment near the front of the field. He finished 10th in stage two, but, mistakes like this ultimately cost him. Without the penalties, does he end up with a solid top-10 day?

Track limits were tough at COTA on Sunday. These drivers had to pay a higher price.

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #9 Safety Culture Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

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 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

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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AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #9 Safety Culture Chevrolet, Connor Zilisch, driver of the #1 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet, and Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

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.

  • 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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AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #9 Safety Culture Chevrolet, and Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, lead the field during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

What to Keep an Eye on in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at COTA

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The NASCAR Saturday Double-Header continues with O’Reilly Auto Parts Series action from Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Here’s what you need to look out for and what to expect in today’s race.

  • Road course heavy hitters, Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen, are in the field today. You know what that means: another slobber knocker of a race between them as everyone else struggles to keep up. And, you guessed it: they both are starting on the front row with Zilisch claiming the pole in his No. 1 JRM Chevy. SVG is driving the No. 9.
  • Since Zilisch is in the No. 1, Carson Kvapil has been demoted to the No. 91 of DGM Racing. While the car is prepared by JR Motorsports, it won’t be his usual pit crew. Rather, his crew is made up entirely of DGM employees. So, there are a lot of unknowns for him heading into today’s race. He’s starting 6th.
  • Speaking of JRM, Rajah Caruth turned some heads in the first two races of this season. How will he fare on a road course? That No. 88 team is used to winning on these types of tracks. Keep an eye on him. Caruth is rolling off 19th.
  • Austin Hill bounces back after a disappointing finish last week in Atlanta, thanks to the ruthless bumper of Ross Chastain. He’s rolling off in the 3rd position.
  • Coverage for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA begins at 3 PM EST on the CW.

Starting Lineup

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