The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series cars will be lapping the Circuit Of The Americas quicker than ever before this year, but not because the cars are faster.
NASCAR has decided to switch the races to a shorter configuration of the Austin, Texas, track to try to spice up the show.
The layout is known as the National Circuit and it is 1.1 miles shorter than the full course, which NASCAR has used since 2021 and is also the one Formula 1 races on
The 2.3-mile circuit essentially cuts off the run from Turn 7 to the Turn 11 hairpin and shortens the long back straight. Lap times are expected to drop by about a minute from the 2:12 record lap of the long course set by Christopher Bell in 2024.
Read Also: WILL DALE EARNHARDT JR. BUY A NASCAR CUP SERIES TEAM? HE FINALLY ANSWERS THE $40 MILLION QUESTION
To make up for the lost distance, the length of the Cup Series race has been extended from 68 laps to 100 laps, which will give fans in attendance more opportunities to see the cars pass by.
Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick and William Byron won the previous four Cup Series races, but road course aces Shane van Gisbergen and 18-year-old Connor Zilisch, who is making his Cup Series debut, are the odds-on favorites to win at +500 odds from BetMGM. Van Gisbergen finished third on the National Circuit when the Australian V8 Supercars series visited in 2013.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FREE AMERICAN CARS AND RACING NEWSLETTER
Along with the overall results, drivers will be racing for a bonus point for the fastest lap during the race, which is a new rule for the full season in 2025.
The Xfinity Series race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and the Cup Series race at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.