Consistency is key in NASCAR. Those who can navigate the twists and turns of different track types will have a much better shot at playoff glory. We saw Ryan Blaney balance this act with decent enough finishes on tracks like COTA, Sonoma Raceway and Charlotte Roval. He might not be a road course specialist like Chase Elliott or Michael McDowell, but he gets the job done.

The first three races have already thrown some serious curveballs; Blaney is currently leading the pack after a stellar performance at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but don’t count out the rest just yet. As Kevin Harvick sat down for the Happy Hour Podcast, he issued a warning to seasoned drivers hinting at the staggering standings. 

Harvick’s hinted caution comes at a critical moment when the NASCAR season is already showing signs of intense competition and unpredictable outcomes. What we saw in Atlanta was one example. Even a single point matters, ask Kyle Larson about it. He not only lost the regular season championship but also those precious bonus points that could’ve seen him race for the trophy in Phoenix.

And Harvick wasn’t playing around when he showed the mirror to some of the seasoned drivers like Brad Keselowski and Chase Briscoe. Discussing the same with Mamba Smith, he said, Can you imagine? I as a driver, I can’t imagine going to two superspeedway races and a road course to start this. The first three The point. Points of the point races of the season. I made some notes here, guys. Okay. When you look, I’m gonna get right off the track. There you go. Alright.  just to spin cut it out.”

Stating Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s example Harvick further added, “Can you read these? Ryan Blaney’s first into points. Let me read it again…Ricky Stenhouse is eighth. And then you look at the back of this point standing. You’ve got Brad Keselowski, thirty-third. Wow. Chase Briscoe, forty-fifth with his penalty. SVG, thirty-fourth. Noah Gragson, thirty-sixth. Josh Berry, thirty-first. Ty Gibbs, twenty-ninth. Wow.”

What Kevin Harvick means by this is that the current standings illustrate challenges for veteran drivers and the dynamics of the track with the ongoing changes. Making it essential to adapt fast to the dynamism of the competition, veterans like Keselowski, now 41, is one of the older drivers in the field, and he’s no road course specialist by any means. In the Next Gen era, Keselowski has failed to register a single top 10 result at COTA, Watkins Glen is a similar story. So, you see there’s a huge possibility that the veteran driver might be playing catch-up against the rest of the pack after just three race weekends.

Also, when Keselowski was asked about his Ambetter Health 400 performance, he said, “I got up to the top 10 and the restart there, it looked like someone got into (Chase Elliott) and put him in the fence…I had nowhere to go and broke the radiator. Hate it for everybody on our team. Part of racing. Excited about some of the speed and promise we’ve shown. We’ve just got to get the result. The racing is definitely intense. It is actually phenomenal racing. Just wish we would have gotten up front.”

“That’ll get worse as we go to the racetrack this week because there are gonna be some of those guys that just don’t run good at COTA as well. I mean, there’s gonna be some guys, you know, we expect Ty Gibbs to be good at the road course. He’s been good there in the past, but it’s, you can dig a hole.” Kevin Harvick stated further, “And when we get to race number four, the new season points start. And there is not a worse feeling in the world than unloading your car and having to push it all the way to the back of the back of the garage.”

Ty Gibbs is proving to be a prudent road racer. In his two full-time seasons, he has bagged four top 5 finishes at the road course races and he will look to add this good with Austin-based track lined up next on the schedule. Kevin Harvick’s insights reveal that the complexity of COTA is amplified by the different types of corners and huge elevation changes. The track demands utmost precision in braking and throttle input through the difficult sections. 

On the one hand, Kevin Harvick has alluded to the challenges drivers face in gearing up for a win at COTA. Whereas, some seasoned individuals stand a good chance to add to their good start of the 2025 campaign.

The best of the ‘Circuit of The Americas’ 

NASCAR drivers find COTA to be a difficult yet entertaining venue where several competitors have earned some respect over the years. Ross Chastain is one of the drivers really frenetic in their attacking style for driving down the technical corners of COTA, and he also bugged the race for the win in 2022 by making a dramatic last-lap pass there. This victory highlighted his skill and adaptability on road courses.

Tyler Reddick is another driver sporting heavy form on the track Reddick scored his first win for the 23XI Racing team at the same circuit in 2023, surviving an overtime finish to take the victory. His performance accentuated his growing experience on the road course, which is increasingly needed in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Chase Elliott, the veteran road course specialist, also has a memorable win on the track. He scored the first-ever win in 2021, proving he can handle the tricky layout and ever-changing conditions. The top 5 finishes last year at tracks like Sonoma and Charlotte Roval have seen Elliott get back into contention for a road course win. So keep an eye out for him as he is going to be among the front runners this weekend.

Likewise, William Byron and Alex Bowman are among the top raiders performing at COTA. In the 2024 event, William Byron made quite an entrance with his second win of the year and first on the track. While the teammate, Alex Bowman is yet to find victory lane, he has been finishing strong and still contending since he has adaptive and technical skills. 

These driving performances, thus underline how much experience and strategy matter on this tough track. The past performance makes them favorites in future races on this circuit.

Who do you think will take the COTA tag this year?