Kyle Larson and Joey Logano share their takes on NASCAR’s future at COTA

NASCAR Cup Series champions Kyle Larson and Joey Logano offered their take on the Circuit of the Americas potentially going away from the season calendar. The 3.42-mile circuit located in Austin, Texas, is in the final year of its contract, with uncertainty looming over its future in the stock car racing series.

The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a purpose-built track for Formula 1, hosting its first Grand Prix in 2012. NASCAR made its debut at the track in 2021, and since then, the event has become a highly anticipated road course race. This year, the race will take place on the shorter 2.3-mile layout for its fifth edition.

Many NASCAR drivers have praised COTA’s challenging layout and facilities, but opinions are split on its future in the sport. Kyle Larson enjoys racing at the track but remains indifferent about its future on the schedule. Instead, he is curious to see which track might potentially replace it.

In an interview at COTA, the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver told the media (via Kyle Dalton on X):

"I don't really have an opinion currently. If we don't come here, I would just be curious where we would go instead. So that would probably [influence] my decision. If it's a track I like, you would be like 'Yeah, sure great'. But if it's another Texas race or something, then you might be... which we are good at Texas, I would probably be ok with it. I don't know we'll see," Kyle Larson said.

Joey Logano also remained indifferent about its future but expressed excitement at the prospect of going to a new track if COTA loses its spot. The #22 Penske driver said:

"I don't make the choices on that, I don't make any decisions. It's a beautiful facility, it's nice but I'm also a fan of change. I'm a fan of going to new places and doing different things."

According to Jordan Bianchi, NASCAR is expected to continue racing at COTA beyond 2025, with conversations regarding its future to be held over the race weekend. Austin is a huge market for NASCAR, with Tyler Reddick suggesting it would be a "shame" to stop racing at the track, while Chase Elliott also praised the track facility.

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Kyle Larson starts behind teammate Chase Elliott at COTA

Kyle Larson lines up seventh on the grid for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, four spots behind his teammate, Chase Elliott, who starts on the second row. William Byron starts 15th on the grid, while Alex Bowman starts 21st for the 95-lap race scheduled for this Sunday (Mar. 2).

Larson has struggled at COTA in the next-gen era, with a 20th-place average finish in his previous three starts. However, he won the Xfinity race in the #17 Chevy last year. On the other hand, his teammate Bowman has finished inside the top-five on his previous three starts.

Byron won the previous edition of the race, taking the checkered flag ahead of a fast-charging Christopher Bell. The #24 Hendrick Motorsports driver also finished second in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, driving the #17 Chevy.

Catch Kyle Larson and his teammates in action, live on FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM, with the green flag set to drop at 3:49 pm ET.