KEEP AUSTIN WHEELED
NASCAR accelerates toward Austin for second-annual race weekend at COTA
Despite torrential rains dousing fans and making waves (somewhat literally) for the drivers during its inaugural appearance in Austin this spring, NASCAR is speeding back to the Circuit of the Americas next spring.
The stock-car racing organization announced Wednesday, September 15 that NASCAR will return to the COTA March 25-27, 2022, with the three top racing divisions showcased over the course of the three-day event.
The action-fueled triple-header weekend picks up speed with the Camping World Truck Series taking to the track for the Toyota Tundra 225, followed by the Xfinity Series’ Pit Boss 250, and culminating in the main event, the NASCAR Cup Series’ EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix.
Tickets for this fast-moving event are on sale now at NASCARatCOTA.com/Tickets, with three-day packages starting at $79 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and younger.
With race weekend taking place in March versus May, organizers hope the weather will be a bit more pleasant for NASCAR’s 2022 visit to Austin.
Though NASCAR drivers often delight in rain races — and can have their vehicles equipped with rain tires to help navigate — the 2021 NASCAR event may have regeared how some drivers feel about the wet stuff.
Indeed, ahead of this year’s event, Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. told CultureMap he wouldn’t mind racing in the rain, noting it’s a lot of fun. But he likely changed his mind after being involved in a major crash caused by a lack of visibility brought on by the torrents cascading along the 20-turn, 3.41-mile COTA track.
After battling Mother Nature at the 2021 inaugural NASCAR event at the COTA, the winners included current NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, love-him-or-hate-him star Kyle Busch in the Xfinity Series, and Todd Gilliland in the Camping World Truck Series.
In addition to banking on better weather at the 2022 event, Austinites can also look forward to NASCAR’s Next Gen race cars, which will roll out for the 2022 season and promise to level the playing field in terms of cost effectiveness for smaller teams while also offering slick new body packages.
Along with its stop in Austin, NASCAR will also visit Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth during the 2022 season, with races scheduled there for next May and September.
Further details about the 2022 NASCAR weekend in Austin can be found on the NASCAR at COTA website. Full race weekend schedules will be announced soon.
“Our inaugural NASCAR at COTA race weekend was truly an experience like no other,” says Marcus Smith, president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, which will present the 2022 event in Austin. “We’re already planning so much more for fans next season — more fun, more access, and more camping. We look forward to working again with COTA CEO Bobby Epstein and his staff to produce another spectacular NASCAR event weekend in Austin for 2022.”
Keep up with updates and get more info by following NASCAR at COTA on social media.
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Singer Josh Lane snapped a photo of an adoring audience. See you next time, Josh.Photo by Brianna Caleri