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AUSTIN, Texas — The NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of The Americas brings a new day on a “new” track.
For Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen, it brings a new and welcome opportunity.
After less than satisfying finishes in drafting track races at Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway (33rd and 23rd, respectively), the road-course ace from New Zealand comes to COTA as the betting favorite for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
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Van Gisbergen surprised drivers and spectators alike when he triumphed in the 2023 Chicago Street Race, his series debut. Now, the three-time Australian Supercars champion is a known quantity.
“I miss that — going there and no one knows who I am; I could kind of fly under the radar and do my own thing,” van Gisbergen said. “Obviously, there are expectations now, but I’m pretty good at keeping that under control myself and focusing on my own thing.”
The Cup Series will race on a shorter COTA circuit this season, with the section from Turn 7 through the Turn 11 hairpin eliminated. That reduces the course from 3.41 miles (the Formula One circuit) to 2.40 miles.
Accordingly, the race will feature 95 laps instead of 68, meaning more trips beyond the main grandstand and more adventures in treacherous Turn 1.
SVG understands the reasoning behind shortening the course and shouldn’t have difficulty adapting to the new layout.
“I did like the long track, but I see why they shortened it,” he said. “More time past the stands and more action. And the cut-through that’s done (from Turn 6), we don’t lose any passing spots. That extra bit (Turns 7 through 11), there’s only one real passing spot, and they’re kept one with the cut-through.
“More laps, too. I think it’s probably a good thing, a shorter track.”
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Sunday’s race also is noteworthy as the Cup debut of Connor Zilisch, who won at Watkins Glen International last year in his first Xfinity Series race. Doing double duty this weekend, Zilisch will drive a fourth entry for Trackhouse Racing, the No. 87 Red Bull Chevrolet, in Sunday’s Cup race.
“Going into my first Cup race at COTA, it’s going to be a big challenge for me,” Zilisch said. “A lot of question marks, but I just want to go in and enjoy it and have fun. You only get to make your debut in the Cup Series once.
“I feel like it’s going to be a good experience for me to go learn and run all the laps. I think that’s what I’m honestly looking forward to the most, just running all the laps and making the most of the experience.”
It’s not as though the road course aficionados won’t have stout competition from the rest of the Cup Series stars. William Byron and Christopher Bell, who won at Daytona and Atlanta, respectively, to start the 2025 season, finished 1-2 at COTA last year.
Byron will also run the Xfinity Series race on Saturday in Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 17 Chevrolet.
MORE: Cup Series entry list for COTA | Xfinity Series entry list for COTA
“I’m more than ready to get to COTA,” said Byron, who escaped a last-lap crash to win the Daytona 500 on Feb. 16. “We’ve always been fast there, and last year really showed what this team is capable of.
“The course will be shorter this time, but that’s where the extra laps in the Xfinity car should help. After the last two weekends of drafting, I’m happy to be going to a road course that takes such technique.”
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