DuraMax Grand Prix
Location: Austin, Texas
Course: Circuit of the Americas
Format: 2.40-mile road course
Laps: 95
NASCAR Cup Series Race Preview
After kicking off the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season with a pair of superspeedway races, both won by Tyler Reddick, the schedule now shifts to the twists and turns of Circuit of the Americas. This week's event marks the first of four road and street course races in 2026, and it's the second consecutive year that NASCAR will compete on the Circuit of the America's shorter National Course layout. While the configuration still features 20 turns of action, the National Course trims a mile off the lap distance and shaves about a minute from lap times, and produced a more entertaining show when introduced last year.
In five series races at COTA so far, qualifying and starting position have proven critical, with three winners coming from inside the top 10. That trend is expected to continue this weekend, but it also isn't impossible to come from behind and win by deploying clever pit strategy. Christopher Bell returns as the defending race winner after capturing victory here last season, but with a stacked lineup of road course specialists and Tyler Reddick riding a wave of early-season momentum, the battle for the checkered flag should be intense.
Key Stats at Circuit of the Americas
- Number of races: 5
- Winners from pole: 1
- Winners from top-5 starters: 2
- Winners from top-10 starters: 3
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 85.224 mph
Previous COTA Winners
2025 - Christopher Bell
2024 - William Byron
2023 - Tyler Reddick
2022 - Ross Chastain
2021 - Chase Elliott
The NASCAR Cup Series heads back to Circuit of the Americas for its second race on this new and shorter configuration, promising another exciting battle for fans. The shorter course, introduced last year, still packs 20 turns into a lap, but eliminates the long back straight. These adjustments have made caution periods quicker, ensuring the action stays engaging for fans.
Even with the shorter lap, conquering Circuit of the Americas demands serious road course skill. Drivers must master the natural-terrain road course, which features a variety of turns and elevation changes. Getting the perfect balance in the car is crucial, as the track challenges competitors to maintain speed and exercise precise car control over bumps and through undulating corners.
Track position and pit road strategy remain as important as ever. The long pit road means mistakes still come at a hefty price. Drive-through penalties or losing track position can quickly derail a driver's race. Despite the course's shorter lap, the road course continues to offer teams opportunities to gamble on different pit strategies, giving them a shot at that critical track position heading into the final stages. For the second time on this layout, fans can expect another closely contested battle among the leaders.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the DuraMax Grand Prix
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Shane van Gisbergen - $13,000
William Byron - $10,000
Christopher Bell - $9,800
Tyler Reddick - $9,500
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $9,000
Chris Buescher - $8,300
Ross Chastain - $8,100
Kyle Busch - $8,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Alex Bowman - $7,800
Ty Gibbs - $7,700
Michael McDowell - $7,600
Austin Cindric - $7,200
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Daniel Suarez - $6,900
Carson Hocevar - $6,700
Todd Gilliland - $6,100
Riley Herbst - $4,900
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the DuraMax Grand Prix
Shane van Gisbergen - $13,000
Chris Buescher - $8,300
Ross Chastain - $8,100
Alex Bowman - $7,800
Ty Gibbs - $7,700
Riley Herbst - $4,900
There was no more successful driver on road courses last season than Shane van Gisbergen (DK $13,000, FD $15,000). He won five of six road course stops, and he did so by a wide margin. While he has yet to win at Circuit of the Americas, that is a statistic that is likely to change shortly. Last year, he started and finished the race sixth and led 23 laps while picking up stage points in both segments. In short, fantasy players should continue selecting SVG at road courses until some material change alters the competitive landscape at these course.
Fantasy players also should keep the only driver yet to beat SVG head-to-head in mind this week. Chris Buescher (DK $8,300, FD $9,000) took the fight directly to the reigning road course king at Watkins Glen in 2024 and came out on top. Last season, Buescher scored three top-10 finishes from the six road course visits and never finished outside of the top 20. At COTA specifically, he finished no worse than eighth in his last three tries. Buescher should be a reliable fantasy option for most formats this week.
Momentum from a top finish a week ago should also give Ross Chastain (DK $8,100, FD $9,500) a boost for fantasy players this week. Chastain has a COTA win on his resume and finished in the top 10 four out of five starts at the circuit. Last season's race was the only one that didn't fit the pattern for Chastain, and even that was only so bad as a 12th-place finish. Chastain has proven and consistent success at this track and is offering a relatively inexpensive price to have him included in lineups this weekend.
Another bargain at COTA is Alex Bowman (DK $7,800, FD $9,200). The Hendrick Motorsports driver has been almost forgotten with so much focus on his teammates. However, Bowman has built a quietly successful COTA record through his career. He is one of just two drivers to have finished in the top 10 in all five series races at the track, and his average finish in that span is second among all at 5.2. Consistency is important in this sport, and Bowman has been delivering it at this track.
A driver with some upside potential at this track could be Ty Gibbs (DK $7,700, FD $8,000). Most fans are aware of his road course prowess in his O'Reilly Auto Parts Series days, but we've only seen glimpses of that same potential since he stepped up to Cup competition. Circuit of the Americas is one of those spots, though. Gibbs has three series starts at this track with two top-10 finishes and a best of third in 2024. Look for Gibbs to qualify solidly inside the top 20. If he does, he should be an option worth considering for Sunday's race.
Prior selections leave little salary space to use, but Riley Herbst (DK $4,900, FD $2,000) could also deliver some value for money. The 23XI Racing driver didn't turn any heads in his COTA series debut last season with a 31st-place qualifying outing. However, when the checkered flag waved, he was running 17th. Making it to the finish in such a better running position than where he started was a great accomplishment for him, and that should give him and fantasy players optimism about his chance to do even better in 2026.
NASCAR Best Bets for the DuraMax Grand Prix
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 5:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Shane van Gisbergen +120
Top-Five Finish - Tyler Reddick +210
Top-10 Finish - Alex Bowman +145
We don't typically take short odds for favorites in NASCAR, but Shane van Gisbergen is one to go with right now. He has yet to win at Circuit of the Americas, but that is a statistic that looks likely to fall as soon as this week. The road course has was unstoppable on these tracks in 2025 and has been since his first NASCAR race to be honest. Even without winning this race last season, he started and finished sixth while leading 23 laps on the day. Nothing is a sure thing in NASCAR Cup Series racing, but it makes sense for wagerers to keep going with SVG to win on road courses until such time as his advantage flees.
Should anything happen to Van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick is likely to be there to pick up the pieces. The 23XI Racing driver is seeking his third-straight win to start the season this week, but has a mountain to climb to overcome SVG. However, wagerers can still get decent odds for him to score a top-five finish. That should be a minimum expectation from him this week, too. He is one of just two drivers to have finished in the top 10 in all five COTA series races. Four of those were top-fives and one was a victory. This could be the most confident wager available this week.
One other wager worth considering this week would be Alex Bowman scoring a top-10 finish. Along with Reddick, Bowman is the second of two drivers that have landed top-10 finishes every race at this track. His average COTA result is 5.2 and his worst finish was his ninth-place result last season. Even that came from 21st on the starting grid, though. Bowman will have his eyes set on that first 2026 top-10 this weekend.
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