Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is located on approximately 890 acres of land in southeastern Travis County, Austin. It was the first circuit in the United States purpose-built for Formula One, designed by German architect Hermann Tilke — who also designed circuits at Sepang, Shanghai, Yas Marina, Istanbul, Bahrain, and Hockenheim — with input from promoter Tavo Hellmund and 1993 Motorcycle World Champion Kevin Schwantz. The layout draws from several European Formula One circuits: the fast sweepers of turns three through six are modeled on Silverstone's Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex, the arena bends recall Hockenheim, turn eight references Istanbul's legendary corner, and the opening sequence draws from Interlagos.
From the start line, drivers climb an 11 percent gradient to the first corner — "Big Red," named after investor Red McCombs — at the circuit's highest point. The track then descends through a right-hander, climbs again through the Silverstone-inspired sweepers, tightens through turns seven to nine, and passes through a blind corner at turn ten. A hairpin at turn eleven leads to a long straight before a heavy braking zone and a sequence of arena bends, a tightening double-apex corner, and a final pair of left-handers returning to the main straight. The circuit runs counter-clockwise, placing greater stress on driver necks adapted to clockwise-circuit lateral forces.
In November 2024, NASCAR announced that its Cup and Xfinity Series races would move to a shorter 2.356-mile layout starting in 2025.
On September 30, 2020, NASCAR announced that COTA would host a Cup Series event for the first time, scheduled for May 23, 2021. The inaugural weekend was named the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix for the Cup race, with the Xfinity Series running the Pit Boss 250 and the Truck Series the Toyota Tundra 225. Wet conditions complicated the weekend: the Truck race ran in damp conditions on Saturday, and Sunday's Cup race was shortened after weather worsened and reduced driver visibility. Chase Elliott won the rain-shortened inaugural race.
NASCAR returned to COTA in 2022 and 2023, and in March 2022 the promoters announced the circuit had renewed for an additional year. The presence of the Cup Series at an FIA Grade 1 international circuit brought NASCAR to a venue shared with Formula One, MotoGP, and the FIA World Endurance Championship, broadening the series' road-course portfolio significantly.
The circuit complex includes a 251-foot observation tower designed by Austin-based Miró Rivera Architects, visible from around the venue, as well as the Grand Plaza — a 20-acre public space bordered by the track on three sides featuring a large reflecting pool — and the 14,000-capacity Germania Insurance Amphitheater used for concerts during race weekends. Formula One events at the circuit have drawn record international attendance: the 2022 United States Grand Prix attracted roughly 440,000 spectators over the three-day weekend, breaking Formula One's North American attendance record of 400,000 set at the same circuit in 2021. NASCAR races have utilized the full circuit footprint, giving the Austin event an international atmosphere distinct from other stops on the series' schedule.
A karting facility with 15 turns and 0.63 miles of track sits in front of the Main Grandstand. Plans for an on-site amusement park, COTALAND, targeting a 2026 partial opening, include the circuit's first roller coasters on the grounds between turns 19 and 20.
COTA's arrival on the NASCAR calendar was part of the series' expanded road-course strategy in the early 2020s, placing NASCAR on internationally recognized circuits alongside the traditional oval schedule. The circuit's combination of high-speed sweeping corners, heavy braking zones, and dramatic elevation changes produced technically demanding races and rewarded drivers with road-course expertise. Its Formula One pedigree, FIA Grade 1 status, and large-scale facilities made it the most prominent international-grade road circuit on the NASCAR schedule.