What a weekend! The newly overhauled Circuit of the Americas road course surpassed expectations by putting on a great show in the Cup and Xfinity Series. From action, drama, and controversial officiating calls, the 2.4-mile national course in Austin, Texas, had it all. Short tracks and road course racing have been criticized often during the Next-Gen era, but it seems like NASCAR has finally found a solution to its longstanding woes if the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix is anything to go by.

Despite wrecking Austin Dillon and finishing 21st, Hamlin was full of praise for the race at COTA. Could this be the start of a new era for NASCAR, who seem to have finally put their road course and short track woes behind them?

Denny Hamlin praises Goodyear’s new compound

An entertaining road course race was long overdue. However, the expectations were not high going into the race at Circuit of the Americas. After all, the tried and tested 3.41-mile road course was reconfigured to 2.4 miles, featuring 27 more laps as well as many new twists and turns. Turn 6A was hailed as a ‘calamity corner’, promising plenty of wrecks and subsequent talking points after the checkered flag was waved. Call it luck or Goodyear finally finding a solution, but the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix can be considered arguably ‘the best ever’ road course race in the Next-Gen era.

Reflecting on the quality of the race, Denny Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental podcast, “You see it on social media, the four cars battling for the lead with five to go. It just was fantastic. Road course racing was this car’s kryptonite. Short tracks and road courses. But since we have gone to this super super soft tire, we saw the Martinsville race from the playoffs last year, we saw what it did yesterday.” The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran went on to say, “This was just a huge win. I think a lot of credit needs to be spread around for what we saw yesterday.”

For Denny Hamlin, the tire falloff led to unintended consequences. Toward the end of the race, the No. 11 Toyota driver locked out while entering Turn 6A and slammed into Austin Dillon, pushing him into the gravel and resulting in an early retirement. Despite apologizing for the incident, the Florida native blamed his worn-out tires for lack of grip, resulting in not being able to brake on time. However, the super-soft compound also led to one of the most exciting finishes a road course race has seen in years.

Kyle Busch had a comfortable margin before the caution flag was waved after the Dillon-Hamlin wreck. Unfortunately for Rowdy, his worn-out tires struggled to mount a formidable defense with Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick hot on his heels. What followed was a nerve-wracking but entertaining finish, as each of these cars was within touching distance of a triumph with four laps to go. Busch said after the race, “Was just trying to protect my tires… Then when you get a yellow and get bunched up, it’s complete defensive mode.” That’s what road course racing was meant to be, and it seems Goodyear’s soft compound has finally perfected the format after years of criticism.

NASCAR’s COTA gamble has paid off tenfold

The decision to reduce Circuit of The Americas’ length was nothing less than a masterstroke. While the future of the road course on the NASCAR calender remains uncertain, the entertainment provided by the newly overhauled 2.30-mile track was as good as it gets. Even though the shorter course got rid of two prominent passing zones, it also ensured that racers went into Turn 1 and Turn 6A with more frequency to provide more drama for fans.

Eliminating the long straightaway, which was designed keeping Formula 1’s DRS zones in mind, was a thoughtful initiative since it does not apply to NASCAR races. As a result, the race produced 20 green flag passes for the lead, setting a new record. The race was enjoyable for onlookers as well, especially when Kyle Busch desperately tried to keep his lead amidst Christopher Bell’s overtaking attempts as well as William Byron’s late charge.

It looks like NASCAR has finally turned a corner. After three years of minimal progress regarding road courses and short tracks with the Next-Gen car, the new and improved super soft tires seem to be a much-needed solution. ‘The softest road course compound yet’ did everything it was supposed to do at the Circuit of The Americas, a sentiment that was echoed by Denny Hamlin as well. It seems like NASCAR has finally overcome its weakness once and for all, which may lead to another COTA race in 2026 as well.