NASCAR rules at COTA are a little different compared to other motorsports and other road courses on the schedule. There are route restrictions only in the eating area. Otherwise, drivers can drive virtually anywhere they want. Turn 8 is the only problem for drivers going in any direction. In this corner, the driver realized that it would be faster to take the right tire off the track and put it in the dirt groove.
This caused problems on the track with dirt and debris clinging to the paved sections. So what can NASCAR do here? Last season, the dirt got so bad in Cup Series races that warnings were issued for dirt problems. There was a lot of dirt in the short truck races and the Xfinity Series race, but not enough to warrant a caution. FOX Sports’ Bob Pokras asked various Cup Series drivers about Turn 8 and what NASCAR should do to improve racing at COTA. Michael McDowell, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric and Corey Lajoie all advocated for implementing track limits or installing curbs in this area to prevent drivers from driving into the dirt. . Brad Keselowski, on the other hand, sees this situation as a choose-your-own-poison situation.
Based on last season, drivers are skeptical that this will be an issue again. NASCAR has to make a difficult decision here. Nothing will be added to this area this season. However, due to yesterday’s race, dirt has returned to the course.
Kyle Larson steals a win at COTA in the NASCAR Xfinity Series
While many Cup Series drivers were preparing for today by watching film and resting, Kyle Larson was racing. Larson, Ty Gibbs, AJ Allmendinger, Shane Van Gisbergen and John Hunter Nemechek will be working double duty this weekend.
They each competed in the Xfinity Series on Saturday. This was another masterclass in Xfinity road course racing. These races are one of my favorite parts of this season. This package creates magic on the road course almost every time. Overall, I’ve had a lot of fun watching NASCAR at COTA these past few years. However, this series stands out.
Allmendinger, Gibbs, SVG and Larson competed all races. When the lineup was announced, it was exactly what fans expected. Four riders of different ages and experience put on a show. The race ended with two restarts in overtime. SVG held his own on the first restart, but was cornered by Austin Hill in Turn 1 in the second overtime. Hill was trying to come back at the final corner, but SVG collided with him. And who was waiting in third place with fresher tires at the time? Kyle Larson. The Cup Series champion passed both leaders and reached the finish line, taking a point from right in front of him.
Larson took pole position, but an unapproved adjustment meant he started from last place. He only led on the last lap. He is the only driver to take pole position and win the race with just one lap lead. The previous record for fewest laps to win a race was led by pole winner Richard Petty. He did it in 1967 with Greenville Pickens. He led for two laps.
