The NASCAR Cup Series will race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, this weekend, as Kaulig Racing seeks to capitalize on momentum and make a statement early in the regular season. This Kaulig Racing COTA race preview explores the team’s prospects, recent form, and how both AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon are preparing to challenge on the demanding road course.
Kaulig Racing’s Start to the Season
Kaulig Racing is coming off a determined showing at EchoPark Speedway, with AJ Allmendinger finishing twelfth and Ty Dillon securing sixteenth place. These results position Dillon at seventeenth and Allmendinger at eighteenth in the driver standings, placing both in striking distance of the top ranks as the season progresses. For both drivers and their team, the focus is on building consistency and attacking weaknesses while setting a standard for performance.
Spotlight on AJ Allmendinger’s Road Course Strengths
As the NASCAR schedule turns to a road course, AJ Allmendinger is widely regarded as a favorite given his expertise on tracks that demand both sharp handling and technical ability. Allmendinger’s previous results at COTA and his broader road course reputation bolster the team’s optimism for a strong Sunday run. Allmendinger expressed his thoughts about the Austin circuit:
“It’s a unique racetrack with a unique blend of high-speed elevation changes and slow-speed corners. You’ve got to get the balance right around all of them. It lends itself to a lot of passing opportunities. It’s put on great racing every time we’ve been there. We want to have a strong showing for CELSIUS and all of our partners on Sunday.”
— AJ Allmendinger, Driver
Reflecting on the previous year, Allmendinger acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly regarding tire management and pace at various events:
“You know, for us last year, we struggled generally on the road courses. I’ll put a lot of that on me—when Goodyear keeps bringing a soft tire, trying to make it last. You know, I do think there were certain road courses where we didn’t have a lot of speed. Watkins Glen (International) stood out to me. I thought we were tapped out, and we were kind of running on the edge of the top 10. We know we’ve got to get better, and I’ve got to get better in the car to get back to kind of where we were. I think, you know, for me, I’ve studied everything that I can study car-wise, and I’ll continually do it going into the weekend.”
— AJ Allmendinger, Driver
With renewed effort toward preparation, Allmendinger and the team aim to address last year’s challenges and take full advantage of passing zones and the venue’s layout.
Facing New Challenges and Team Dynamics
This year brings changes for Kaulig Racing, with the drivers adjusting to operating more independently compared to previous partnerships and setups. Allmendinger described the adjustment process as both demanding and motivating as the team relies on its own experience and data:
“The new situation is that we’re kind of on our own. There’s going to be weeks, I think, we show up and we nail it, and we’ve got a lot of speed, and we’re very competitive, and I think there are weekends when we show up and maybe we miss it, and there’s nothing to lean on except for your old notes. We’re going to make the best of every weekend. We’re getting up to speed, kind of on our own. It’s a new challenge. We’re always going to have internal pressure that we put on ourselves, but I think externally people know the situation. For the first two races, we were just trying to survive to have a shot. Then the season kind of really starts at COTA, where we will see what we’ve got.”
— AJ Allmendinger, Driver
With the support of sponsors like CELSIUS, the team remains focused on maximizing performance each week, hoping the real breakthrough happens at COTA as the full season rhythm begins.
Ty Dillon’s Steady Growth and Strategy
Ty Dillon, who recently joined Kaulig Racing, has emphasized the advantages of increased familiarity within the team, especially as compared to previous seasons when he faced frequent changes in his working environment. Going back to Daytona without learning a new system has offered him stability and the opportunity to develop better synergy with his crew chief and teammates. Dillon shared his enthusiasm for the current team setup:
“I think for one thing, it’s not our first year working together, and for me, that’s a big thing. It’s probably been seven years since I showed up to Daytona and didn’t have to learn a new crew chief, a new team, and a whole new system. This year, we’re able to work on notes and improve on last year’s work. Our whole team’s pretty much the same, other than maybe one or two people. So that’s exciting for me. I think we will improve a lot just based on our knowledge of each other, and going back to the places we now have notebooks on. So we know our weaknesses, we’ve talked about them, and we’re going to work on them this year. If we improve those, we believe we’ll see a massive jump in points there. And just minimizing mistakes as a team, on pit road, as a driver, penalties, and things that we know we are better than. I think if we manage that this year, we’re going to do a lot of great things. We showed a lot in that in-season challenge when we’re performing at our best, where we should be, and the teams that we should be beating. I think that’s going to be our standard this year, and hopefully we carry it all through the year.”
— Ty Dillon, Driver
When it comes to the specifics of racing at COTA, Dillon plans to lean on Allmendinger’s extensive experience on road courses, aiming to learn from his teammate and strengthen his own approach:
“I have one of the greatest road course racers in NASCAR history as a teammate in AJ Allmendinger, so my plan is to just follow and learn from him, and we will be fine.”
— Ty Dillon, Driver
CELSIUS Partnership Powers Kaulig Racing
A key partner supporting Kaulig Racing at COTA is CELSIUS, a leading energy drink brand known for its focus on fitness and active lifestyles. With its energizing products, CELSIUS helps fuel the team’s push for performance, aligning well with the team’s drive and ambition. CELSIUS, owned by Celsius Holdings, Inc. and traded as NASDAQ: CELH, continues to be a visible part of Kaulig Racing’s efforts during the NASCAR Cup Series.
COTA’s Race Day Schedule and Expectations
The green flag for the NASCAR Cup Series at Circuit of the Americas falls at 3:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, with FOX handling the broadcast. As the field tackles COTA’s intricate blend of high-speed straights and tight corners, both Kaulig Racing drivers will be attempting to capitalize on recent lessons and enhance their standing among tough competition like Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing. Every lap will present chances to shine or stumble, especially with the unpredictability that comes with a track as dynamic as COTA.
What’s at Stake for Kaulig Racing
Kaulig Racing enters this pivotal weekend aiming to prove that adjustments made since last season can yield early success. With AJ Allmendinger’s road course prowess and Ty Dillon’s renewed confidence in team stability, success at Austin could set a positive trajectory for the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The team’s quest for consistency, teamwork, and taking advantage of every passing opportunity may well define their season—beginning with the challenge and promise of COTA.
