The NASCAR Cup Series is back in Austin, Texas to race at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday.
There will be a few recognizable new (or returning) faces in the garage area this weekend in Austin. F1 legend Jenson Button will be running the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford. Kimi Raikkonen is back after his first cameo in the Cup Series at Watkins Glen last season and is again running the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. IndyCar driver Conor Daly is running the No. 50 TMT Racing Chevrolet.
IMSA driver Jordan Taylor is subbing in for the injured Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy. And Jimmie Johnson is back on the entry list for race No. 2 of his limited 2023 schedule with Legacy Motor Club.
Last week, Joey Logano passed Brad Keselowski on the final lap to win an underwhelming race at Atlanta in year 2 of the pack-racing style on the 1.5-mile track.
With Elliott, the series’ premier road course driver, out again, the jury is out for the favorite on Sunday. And not that it’s time to look at points quite yet, but there have been four different winners in five races.
BUT IT’S BEING APPEALED…NASCAR hammers Hendrick Motorsports with largest combined team fine in series history
LAST WEEK:Joey Logano surges past former teammate Brad Keselowski to win NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta
Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s race:
NASCAR Cup Series at COTA schedule
Green Flag Time: 2:30 p.m. CT Sunday, March 26
Track: Circuit of the Americas (1 mile oval) in Austin, Texas
Qualifying: 10:30 a.m. CT qualifying on Saturday (on FOX Sports 1)
Length: 68 laps, 231.88 miles
Stages: 15 laps, 15 laps, 38 laps
TV coverage: FOX
Radio: PRN
Streaming: FOX Sports app (subscription required); GoPRN.com and SiriusXM for audio (subscription required)
Xfinity Series this week: Pit Boss 250 presented by USA Today (48 laps, 156.86 miles) at COTA, 4 p.m. CT Saturday on FOX Sports 1
Truck Series this week: XPEL 225 (42 laps, 143.22 miles) at COTA, 12:30 p.m. CT Saturday on FOX Sports 1
Echopark Automotive Grand Prix starting lineup
Row 1
1. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Row 2
3. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
4. Jordan Taylor, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Row 3
5. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
6. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Row 4
7. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
8. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Row 5
9. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
10. Noah Gragson, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Row 6
11. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
12. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Row 7
13. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
14. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Row 8
15. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
16. Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Row 9
17. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Row 10
19. Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
20. Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Row 11
21. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
22. Kimi Raikkonen, No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Row 12
23. Justin Haley, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
24. Jenson Button, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Row 13
25. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
26. Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Row 14
27. Corey Lajoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
28. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Row 15
29. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
30. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Row 16
31. Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
32. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Row 17
33. Josh Bilicki, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
34. Ty Dillon, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Row 18
35. Conor Daly, No. 50 TMT Racing Chevrolet
36. Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Row 19
37. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
38. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Row 20
39. Aric Almirola, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
