NASCAR News: Reddick stays hot, wins Cup pole at COTA

The NASCAR Cup Series kicked off its first road course event of the 2026 season with qualifying for the DuraMax Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. Under clear skies and mild conditions, drivers navigated the challenging 2.4-mile, 20-turn layout, which has become a staple for showcasing road course specialists and strategic setups in the Next Gen era.

Tyler Reddick (pictured), coming off back-to-back victories to open the season at Daytona and Atlanta, continued his dominant form by securing the Busch Light Pole Award. Reddick’s No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota posted a blistering lap time of 1:37.760 (97.760 seconds), translating to a speed of 88.380 mph. This marks Reddick’s third pole in six starts at COTA and positions him perfectly to chase history—a potential third consecutive win to start the year, a feat no driver has achieved in NASCAR Cup Series history. Ross Chastain, a past COTA winner, will line up alongside Reddick on the front row after a strong run in his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.

Notable performances included Chase Briscoe earning his best starting spot at COTA in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott rounding out the top five—highlighting Chevrolet’s strength despite Toyota’s pole dominance. Michael McDowell led Group 1 in qualifying but ultimately slotted into sixth after the combined results. Rookie Connor Zilisch impressed with the fastest rookie qualifying effort, starting 25th.

The session utilized a group qualifying format, splitting the field into two groups before combining times to set the grid. Track position is crucial at COTA, where passing can be difficult, making this lineup pivotal for Sunday’s 68-lap race (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX). With Reddick’s momentum and a mix of road course aces in the top 10, expect intense battles through the esses and elevation changes.

Qualifying Results