Daytona … Atlanta … Austin. Circuit of the Americas succeeded.
Barely three weeks after the start of the season, the Nascar Echopark Grand Prix of the Grand Prix of Echopark arrives. It will be a big change in pace, because the best stock-car drivers in the world range from the high banks of Daytona to the Atlanta Superspeedway, then going down to the road route to Austin. A new course, to that.
“This is the first route on the road to Nascar,” said race director Bryan Hammond. “We do not generally see them before June or July. You cannot run everywhere in February and March. It was simply logical to come here throughout the season.”
Time should cooperate, with projected peaks of 77, 82 and 79 this weekend, far from a week ago, when the center of Texas was in the 1930s – for the Hauts. Ross Chastain, the winner of the 2022 Cup series here, went to a promotional appearance last Thursday and was, well, freezing.
“Oh, guy, I was starting to ask myself,” Chastain told The American Statesman. “So happy to learn that it will warm up. A really cold weather like that would attenuate everyone’s morale.”
Hammond said the other reason for Austin’s first appearance is to rule out the two state events. Texas Motor Speedway at Fort Worth has its race on May 4.
“We are almost exactly two months apart,” he said. “This helps us both for the sale of tickets, promotions, as well as in recent years, the two Texas races have been as close as two weeks apart. In Cota, we will capture the wave of launch with each season.”
Scott Cooper, director of communications for Speedway Motorsports, said that there will be fans of the 50 states and 14 foreign countries, as far as Brazil, Ireland and Australia.
Although Nascar does not disclose the sale and attendance of tickets, Hammond said that the reaction to Austin’s first race was “extremely positive”. Several campsite are exhausted. “Austin has always been a last -minute market. This week’s time will help our late door.”
The transition from the high speeds of Daytona and Atlanta to the road route to Austin could be shocking for drivers and teams.
“The calendar is almost completely different from what we are used to,” said Ricky Steinhouse Jr., a winner of 2023 Daytona 500. “A big change of track with configurations and a completely different strategy. We are good enough to adapt to the challenges. I like to arrive at Austin and Cota so early. Likes Austin. Good food, good golf, good music, world class track.”
It will also be a different provision. The first four Nascar events in Cota were executed on the design of 3.4 miles of one formula. This will be on a disposition of 2.4 miles at 17 laps which will bring the drivers around the track faster and will shorten the long towers of caution.
Triple cover: The weekend also includes the Nascar Xfinity series and the IMSA Sports Car Challenge, which will be both on the track on Friday for training and qualifications. IMSA takes the place of the Craftsman Truck series.
The Focus Health 250 Xfinity event includes the stars of the William Byron and Chastain Cup. They are both former winners of the Cota Cup, Byron dominating completely last year. Byron began the season with Daytona 500’s victory. Byron will lead No. 17 for Hendrick Motorsports. Chastain will pilot the Chevrolet n ° 9 for JR Motorsports, co -owner by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The IMSA, which has drivers from 26 countries, will organize two races on Saturday after training and qualification on Friday.
Young and restless: Connor Zilisch, 18 years old, will seek to become the youngest driver to start the cup since Joey Logano made his debut in 2008.
Zilisch, from Charlotte, will lead the Chevrolet n ° 78 for the trackhouse races. He is a racing specialist who finished fourth in the truck race here last year. “Connor has more knowledge of the course on the road than me,” said his teammate Chastain. “He has already been exposed to so many things, has run everyone. We rely on him as much as he was based on us. He has only to get the experience. How do you learn to launch football until you launch one?”
Off -track: The event has widened its fan zone activities to include the America’s Got Talent Permanters Boogie Storm and Funkanometry, as well as a large -scale air troop, the Globe of Death Motorcycle Show and Swifty Swing Pig Races (only in Nascar, right?). Country Rising Star Corey Kent will make a one-hour avant-old cup concert on Sunday.
Nascar in Cota
Friday to Sunday, circuit of the Americas, tickets – $ 91 Pass at the end of the weekend, main tribune of $ 241, $ 25 and more Friday only, $ 50 and more Saturday, $ 80 of general admission Sunday, $ 12 and more forum Sunday Sunday Sunday
Friday – VP Sportscar VP IMSA 2-20 h 40; Practice of the Nascar Xfinity series from 4 to 4:50 p.m. (the CW application); XFinity Series Qualification from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. (the CW application); VP Sportscar Challenge qualifier from 6:30 a.m. to 7:05 p.m.; Saturday – VP Sportscar Challenge 8: 40-9: 25 h; The Nascar Cup series trains from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (first -rate video); Nascar Cup Series Qualifying (Video premium); XFINITY FOCUS Health 250 series 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. (CW); VP Sportscar Challenge from 5 to 5 h 45; Sunday – Cory Kent Concert 12:45-10: 45 h; Nascar Echopark Automotive Grand Prix 2:30 p.m. (Fox)
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Nascar Echopark Automotive Grand Prix Race Set for Austin Sunday
