During the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas on March 1, 2026, the air temperature in Austin climbed into the mid-80s, ranging from 81 to 85 degrees. Temperatures on the track reached 109 degrees at the start. The heat, combined with a series of cold suit failures, turned cockpits into pressure cookers and left several drivers rolling due to fumes, with Alex Bowman’s run ending prematurely.
Kyle Larson, AJ AllmendingerRyan Preece and Bowman each reported feeling unwell during the event. But Bowman couldn’t resist it like the others and got out of the #48 car. He was transported to the on-field treatment center, prompting Myatt Snider to ride for the final rounds. Snider was on the track as a media observer.
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But the exchange was not so simple. It took NASCAR about 15 minutes to approve Hendrick Motorsports‘asks to put Snider in the car.
Driver approval often takes a longer route, but with Bowman sidelined mid-race, time is running out. Snider held a license to compete in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026, opening the door for Cup bidding.
His history includes 11 starts and one victory in the ARCA Menards Series, as well as 13 starts in 2019 in the NASCAR Euro Series, which is run on road courses. NASCAR General Manager of Communications Mike Forde addressed the decision regarding the Discussion with the carrier podcast. He noted that some Cup rookies debuted without testing in the Next Gen car and said Snider’s lack of seat time didn’t stop him.
The type of track had great weight in the appeal. Ford said, “If it was anywhere other than COTA or Martinsville or maybe even Phoenix, he probably wouldn’t be qualified to run. If it was Darlington or Homestead, certainly Daytona or Talladega, we probably should have told Hendrick Motorsports they needed to find someone else.”
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Snider is now allowed to compete on road courses and short tracks in the Cup Series. Forde explained that NASCAR’s ladder of approval often starts with road courses, followed by short tracks, intermediates and superspeedways, with each step raising the bar. And since the incident happened at COTA, and Bowman wasn’t doing well, they had to make a quick decision.
Meanwhile, HMS’s other pilot, Larson, I managed to see the checkered flag relying on the fluids inside his car. Allmendinger’s situation was highlighted on the FOX broadcast, where he was placed on a stretcher and moved from pit road to the care center after his cooling system failed and pumped hot air into the cockpit.
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