Hendrick Motorsports is gearing up for a pivotal weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, March 12. With the spotlight on the team’s performance at road courses, expectations run high for Hendrick Motorsports at Circuit of The Americas, as they aim to solidify their standing in the 2026 season and add another chapter to their celebrated road course legacy.
Previewing the Challenge at Circuit of The Americas
The third race of the NASCAR Cup Series calendar takes place at COTA’s complex 3.4-mile road circuit, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET, broadcast on Fox and SiriusXM radio. This high-profile event in Austin draws attention to both emerging talent and veteran experience as teams adapt strategies for one of the most technical tracks on the schedule.
Hendrick Motorsports brings a four-car lineup featuring Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman—each with a proven record of contending at road courses. Over five previous Cup Series events at this Texas venue, the organization boasts two wins, two poles, ten top-five finishes, twelve top-ten results, and a total of 83 laps led, consistently placing at least one driver in the top three and never finishing off the lead lap.
Kyle Larson: Building on Road Course Momentum
Kyle Larson, representing Elk Grove, California, enters the event following a challenging race in Atlanta, where he led eight times for 48 laps but finished 32nd due to a late incident. Despite setbacks, Larson, now 21st in the standings, has demonstrated strong form on road circuits, spending 140 laps inside the top five so far in 2026—fifth-best among all drivers.
Notably, Larson finished second at COTA in 2021 in the Cup Series and scored a victory at the Texas track in the 2024 NASCAR O’Reilly Series. In his time driving the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, he has either won or placed second in more than a quarter of his road course starts, accumulating six career road course victories. Only teammate Chase Elliott has more among active drivers, highlighting Larson’s road course excellence.
“It’ll be good to get to COTA (Circuit of The Americas) this weekend and see where our Chevy stacks up on the road courses. We had some solid runs on the road courses last year, just a few circumstances outside of our control that kept us from a solid finish. Racing on COTA’s shorter layout was fun, especially the bypass section. I thought it created more passing opportunities and gave the fans a chance to see even more of the action.”
– Kyle Larson, Driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet
Chase Elliott: Road Course Specialist Eyes Key Milestones
Dawsonville, Georgia native Chase Elliott holds third place in the season standings as he approaches COTA, a venue where he was victorious during a rain-shortened event in 2021. With an average finish of 6.25 at the track—fifth among his peers—and seven career premier series road course wins, Elliott leads active Cup Series competitors and ranks third on the all-time list behind Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.
His proficiency extends to the latest generation of stock cars, having registered 11 top-five and 14 top-ten finishes on road courses since the start of the Next Gen era. Elliott also boasts 147 laps led and an average finish of 10.45 on these tracks. With only 11 laps to go before reaching 500 led at serpentine circuits, and seven shy of the 6,000-lap landmark in the Cup Series, he stands ready to add to his impressive resume. Last season, Elliott collected the fourth-most road course points with 193.
“I think the short course suits our cars better. And I thought it put on a better show last year than what we had had in the past there. I thought that was one of the best races of the year. It probably was the best road course race, just from an entertainment standpoint. So, hopefully that holds to be true again. I thought we had a good weekend at that event. Had an OK shot at it. An outside chance there on a late run that we chose to get tires on. So that was fun. And got back up in there in the top five.”
– Chase Elliott, Driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet
William Byron: Recent Winner Returns to Form
William Byron, from Charlotte, North Carolina, arrives at COTA after a disappointing finish in Atlanta, taken out with four laps to go despite running strongly and collecting 16 stage points. Even so, his early season stats remain impressive: third-most laps run in the top five (147), fifth-most inside the top ten (257) through two races in 2026, and a history of strong road course performance.
Byron’s last 13 road course starts have yielded a pole, two runner-up finishes, two wins, six top-five results, and nine top-tens—marks that place him among the top Cup Series drivers for consistency and speed on the twisty circuits. Statistically, COTA stands out as his second-best track, given his 2024 Cup Series win there, 71 laps led (best among all drivers), and strong average finish of 6.2.
“The last couple weeks have been promising but not the results we want. It’s also a bit expected when you look at that style of racing. I’m excited though, to get to our first road course of the season. We’ve worked really hard to not only improve that program but to keep getting better at it each year. COTA especially has been a good one for us, so hopefully we can have a better finish and pick up more points.”
– William Byron, Driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet
Alex Bowman: Consistent COTA Performer Aims for Rebound
Tucson, Arizona’s Alex Bowman seeks to ignite his 2026 campaign after placing 23rd in Atlanta, where an on-track incident marred his day. Despite a challenging season start, Bowman stands out at COTA; he is one of two drivers to have finished in the top ten in all five Cup Series events at the Texas circuit. His average finish of 5.2 at this track is the second-best among his contemporaries, and he claimed a runner-up placing in a memorable 2022 overtime battle.
“Our No. 48 team is ready to get to COTA. We’ve had a tough start to the season with two drafting tracks back-to-back and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We’ve put together some really solid races at COTA and we’re preparing to do that again to build confidence in our team early in the season.”
– Alex Bowman, Driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet
Rising Talent: Corey Day Set for COTA Debut
Twenty-year-old Corey Day, hailing from Clovis, California, is preparing for his first-ever Cup Series race at COTA, making his debut in the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. He comes off a career-best fourth-place finish in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series at Atlanta, furthering his reputation as a rising star. This outing will be Day’s third career road course start, following prior experiences at Sonoma Raceway and the Charlotte ROVAL in 2025.
Kyle Larson previously brought victory to Hendrick Motorsports at COTA in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series in 2024, adding local context for Day’s highly anticipated first attempt on the Austin road circuit.
“I’m excited for COTA. It’ll be the first road course of the season so that will be kind of a good gauge to see where I’m at on my road course ability. It will be fun too, it’s a super fun track. F1 goes there so it’ll be cool to see it all and experience it since I’ve never been before.”
– Corey Day, Driver of the No. 17 Chevrolet
Hendrick Motorsports: Chasing Further Cup Series Road Course Excellence
As the series’ pacesetter in almost every major statistical category, Hendrick Motorsports leads all teams with two victories, two poles, ten top-five results, and twelve top-tens at COTA in Cup Series competition—showcasing their all-around dominance. The team is renowned as the standard bearer in the Cup Series, with a legacy of 320 wins, 259 poles, 1,323 top-five finishes, 2,261 top-tens, and 85,376 laps led.
With the combined talents of drivers like Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Alex Bowman, who collectively have five wins in the last 13 road course races, Hendrick Motorsports remains a leading force whenever NASCAR’s best tackle twisting layouts. Larson and Byron have each secured two recent road course victories, while Bowman also boasts a win, confirming the organization’s formidable status at these venues.
What’s at Stake and What Comes Next
Sunday’s race at Circuit of The Americas represents not just a test of skill and adaptability for drivers, but also a critical juncture in the early stages of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series. With Hendrick Motorsports drivers consistently excelling at COTA and road courses historically, the outcome may well shape the trajectory of the season for some of the circuit’s brightest stars.
If past results at Austin are any indicator, fans can expect Hendrick Motorsports at Circuit of The Americas to deliver excitement, drama, and perhaps another entry into the organization’s storied racing history. For established veterans and newcomers alike, the pursuit of COTA glory promises to be one of the season’s most closely watched storylines.
