Sun Mar 02 19:50:00 UTC 2025: ## NASCAR Heads to Austin for First Road Course Race of 2025 Season
**Austin, TX** – The NASCAR Cup Series shifts gears this weekend, trading superspeedways for the twists and turns of Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, airing Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, marks the series’ first road course race of the 2025 season.
Drivers will face a significant challenge adapting from the high-speed oval racing of Daytona and Atlanta to the shorter, 2.4-mile COTA road course. A reconfiguration has eliminated a section of the track, increasing the lap count from 68 to 95. Starting position will be crucial, as evidenced by the previous two COTA winners, William Byron (2024) and Tyler Reddick (2023), who both started on the front row.
The race will be divided into three stages: 20, 25, and 50 laps. Fans can watch the action live on FOX, stream it on Max and the Fox Sports app, or utilize a free trial of FuboTV. The race will cover a total of 228 miles. Who will emerge as the first road course victor of the 2025 season remains to be seen, adding excitement to this pivotal race in the NASCAR calendar.
First Piper 