The excitement is at an all-time high. Why would it not be? After all, the third race of the Cup and the Xfinity Series season is taking place on a brand-new track. Even though the Circuit of The Americas has been hosting NASCAR races since 2021, the upcoming EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will take place at the venue’s new layout this year. Drivers will be eager to press on the accelerator pedal at the new 2.3-mile, 20-turn national course. Well, it’s not only to secure a playoff spot but to get bragging rights at the iconic venue.

Former Coca-Cola 600 winner Kyle Petty supported the track’s new renovations. The 64-year-old looks forward to witnessing pure stock car racing action at COTA despite concerns about a particular ‘calamity corner.’

Kyle Petty remains excited for the Circuit of The Americas overhaul

The new Circuit of The Americas could be something of a wild card. During the off-season, COTA unveiled its new layout for NASCAR, which will see a drastic shift from its traditional 3.41-mile track. With the venue getting shorter, the upcoming Cup Series race will feature 27 additional laps to make up for the deficit, and the race is expected to be action-packed, featuring sharp turns, some even at almost a 90-degree angle.

Already hailed as a ‘calamity corner,’ Turn 6A could be one to watch out for and could be a hotbed for several wrecks over the weekend. It certainly looks like a Formula 1 hairpin bend.

Sharing his thoughts about COTA’s overhaul, Kyle Petty told PRN Live, “To get to go to a racetrack where they’ve changed the configuration, it changes the way you race. By taking a mile off of it, it changes the strategy. It changes so much of what the race is. So, this is like they’re going to COTA for the very first time in a lot of ways.”

Yet, he understood the drivers’ excitement would have to challenge their skills on a new track. “For a driver, it’s always cool to go to a new racetrack for the first time because we talk about it all the time. We want to be that first guy to win on this.”

With two drafting style tracks already ticked off on the NASCAR calendar, the new and possibly improved COTA offers a different dynamic for drivers compared to Daytona or Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ross Chastain, who previously won at the road course, had an opportunity to practice driving on the new layout in an iRacing simulation. The Trackhouse Racing star couldn’t contain his excitement and said, “It’s going to be like basically going to a new track, a new town, new area.” Sharing his thoughts about the new 2.3-mile national course, the No. 1 Chevy driver concluded, “Gosh, this place is awesome.”

As things stand, the 2025 NASCAR season has surpassed expectations. The opening two races have featured plenty of drama, action, controversy, and surprising twists to keep fans on the edge of their seats. The overhauled COTA promises much of the same and potentially more and could become a new fan-favorite on the calendar, depending on how the Cup and Xfinity Series races go.

While Circuit of Americas is a familiar venue in the motorsports community, the changes made to its layout mean it’s nothing less than a brand-new track going into the weekend.

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Speedway Motorsports president weighs in on COTA changes

A sense of urgency. That’s what NASCAR is trying to create by reducing the length of the Circuit of The Americas going into the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. With dwindling attention spans and an insatiable desire for action-packed races, the sanctioning body has designed COTA in such a way that a mile has been shaved off from the venue’s new look, drastically reducing lap times while the inclusion of sharp turns will add plenty of drama to provide that entertainment value.

It seems like a step in the right direction on paper, but ultimately, the race will be the ultimate decider.

Sharing his thoughts on COTA’s changes, Speedway Motorsports president and CEO Marcus Smith said, “The move to the National Course will make a great race experience even better for our fans with more laps and more action. Fans will have more laps to cheer for their favorite driver from the best seats, and the action will come faster with lap times reduced by roughly a minute.” Fan experience remains the key to building the sport on the masses. Why would fans pay high prices and watch the race if there are no thrills and spills?

He continued, “The National Course and its new pavement will provide the drivers, teams, and crew chiefs with a fresh look and a new challenge after running the Full Course the last four years at COTA.”

It’s a reasoning that Shane van Gisbergen can accept, even though he enjoyed competing at the 3.41-mile iteration of the road course. The Kiwi said, “I did like the long track, but I see why they shortened it. More time past the stands and more action.”

Despite the shortened format, the Trackhouse Racing driver will hope to open his Cup Series account at Circuit of The Americas, a track that plays to the former three-time Supercars Championship winner.

What are your thoughts about COTA’s track overhaul? Let us know in the comments!