COTA Race Results: May 23, 2021 (NASCAR Cup Series)

NASCAR race results from Circuit of the Americas

Today, the NASCAR Cup Series unloads in Austin, Texas. It’s the Texas Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

View the 2021 COTA results for the NASCAR Cup Series below.

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The NASCAR Cup Series has never raced at this track. Today, the stock car racing series makes it’s debut on the 3.4-mile road course.

Drivers ran a practice session in the rain on Saturday. That was followed by a qualifying session in the dry, this morning. Now, dark clouds circle the track as we’re set to go racing.

Slick tires are installed as droplets begin to fall. Truex Jr, McDowell, Preece, Wallace and Stenhouse Jr are the only cars using rain tires for the start.

Tyler Reddick and Kyle Larson line up on the front row. 68 laps of road course racing are up next…

COTA Race
Stage 1 – Report

Laps: 15 (1-15 / 68)

Austin Cindric - Circuit of the Americas - COTA - NASCAR Cup Series
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MAY 23: Austin Cindric, driver of the #33 Pirtek Ford, Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 Cheddar’s Chevrolet, and Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, lead the field to start the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on May 23, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Green flag, Reddick gets the jump but Austin Cindric dives to his inside in turn one from row two. Cindric leads the field into turn two as Byron takes over 2nd.

Lap 2, Byron, Elliott Logano and others hit the pit lane for rain tires. The rain continues to get heavier.

Lap 3, Allmendinger, Reddick and others pit for rain tires. Cindric stays out on slicks and leads Kyle Busch by 5 seconds.

Lap 4, Busch, Larson and more pit for rain tires. Cindric now leads Bubba Wallace by 9 seconds. Wallace started the race on rain tires.

Lap 6, Cindric pits from the lead for wet tires. Martin Truex Jr takes over the race lead, with rain tires installed. McDowell, Wallace, Stenhouse Jr and Preece complete the top five. All those cars started with rain tries. Kyle Busch runs 6th. Cindric re-enters the track in 10th.

Lap 7

Lap 7, the caution is out as Dnaiel Suarez has come to a stop with a mechanical issue.

Truex Jr, Allmendinger, Kyle Busch and others hit the pit lane. This could get them to the end of stage two. McDowell, Wallace and Stenhouse stay out.

Green, McDowell leads into turn one as they run four wide for 2nd behind him. Logano takes over 2nd with Cindric on his bumper.

Lap 10, Denny Hamlin spins, no caution.

Lap 11, Logano is all over McDowell in the battle for the lead. Logano looks to his inside in turn 12, clear. Joey Logano leads.

Lap 13, Logano leads McDowell by 1 second. Corey LaJoie spins behind them, no caution.

Lap 14, Matt DiBenedetto wheel hops into turn one and clips the right rear of Byron. Moderate damage to both. Keselowski spins from 11th, no caution. Byron pits with a flat tire.

Joey Logano wins stage one at Circuit of the Americas!

COTA Race Results – Stage 1 : 1. Joey Logano; 2. Michael McDowell; 3. Kurt Busch; 4. Kyle Larson; 5. Austin Cindric; 6. Chris Buescher; 7. Chase Briscoe; 8. Ross Chastain; 9. Kyle Busch; 10. Matt DiBenedetto;

COTA Race
Stage 2 – Report

Laps: 17 (16-32 / 68)

Cindric is the first car to pit from 5th. Logano will lead them to the restart.

Joey Logano leads Kurt BUsch Circuit of the Americas - COTA - NASCAR Cup Series
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MAY 23: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, and Kurt Busch, driver of the #1 Monster Energy Chevrolet, lead the field during the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on May 23, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Green flag on stage two, Logano leads as McDowell gets taken three wide for 2nd. Kurt Busch holds 2nd into turn two. Newman spins, no caution.

Lap 19, the rain is coming down harder. Ryan Blaney slows due to visibility. Christopher Bell drives into the back of him. Kevin Harvick checks up early due to the crash ahead. He gets drilled in the rear by Bubba Wallace. The caution is out. Heavy damage for all four cars.

Green, Ross Chastain looks to the inside of Logano into turn one as Kyle Busch looks to the outside. Three wide for the lead, Chastain takes the position! Ryan Preece takes 2nd away.

Preece has a run on Chastain into turn 10. He looks to the inside and clear, Preece leads.

Red flag

Lap 25, Big crash! McDowell slows early. Truex Jr drives right into the back of him due to visibility! Custer comes along and drives right in the back of the crashed car of Truex Jr. Custer lifts Truex Jr off the ground and scoops the no. 19 car on top of the no. 41. The red flag is out but all drivers have walked away.

NASCAR has released the air titans to remove some of the water from the track. Restarts will now be single file.

Chastain pits from the lead and Logano follows. Preece is handed the lead.

Green, Preece leads and throws a block on Kyle Busch into turn one. BBusch works inside of him out of turn one and takes the lead.

Cindric works to the bumper of Busch. He forces his way to the outside and now has the inside lane in the next corner. Cindric to the lead. Kyle Busch fights back to retake the position.

Penalty: Austin Dillon has been handed the black flag. He’ll serve a penalty for cutting the course.

Lap 30, Cindric pulls even with Busch in the battle for the lead. Busch gets loose out of turn twelve but he still defends into turn 13 and holds the lead.

Final lap in stage two, Elliott takes 2nd away from Cindric. Busch leads by 2.5 seconds.

Kyle Busch wins stage two at Circuit of the Americas!

COTA Race Results – Stage 2 : 1. Kyle Busch; 2. Chase Elliott; 3. Tyler Reddick; 4. Austin Cindric; 5. Corey LaJoie; 6. Kyle Larson; 7. Ryan Preece; 8. AJ Allmendinger; 9. Chase Briscoe; 10. Alex Bowman;

COTA Race
Stage 3 – Report

Laps: 36 (33-68 / 68)

Green flag on stage three, Kyle Busch leads the field into turn one. Austin Cindric takes over 2nd.

Lap 36, Brad Keselowski spins from 12th with help from Ryan Newman back in turn one. The entire field drives by before he can get it going in the right direction again, no caution.

Lap 39, Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain are flying to the front of the field. Larson takes 2nd from Chase Elliott in turn one. Busch leads by 5 seconds.

Pit cycle

Lap 41, Kyle Busch pits under green from the race lead.

25 to go, Chastain takes over 2nd.

24 to go, Larson pits from the race lead. He hands the lead to Chastain.

21 to go, Chastain pits from the race lead.

19 to go, Chase Elliott cycles to the race lead. He leads Larson by 6 seconds. Elliott’s crew thinks he’ll be two laps short.

15 to go, it’s raining heavy in Texas. Kurt Busch hydroplanes, locks up the tires and slides through turn twelve. He splits right between Dillon and Kyle Busch with the front wheels locked. Austin Cindric spins on his own in high water. The caution is back out for standing water.

14 to go, the red flag is out for rain, visibility and standing water. The cars are pulled down the pit lane.

10 minutes later, the race has been called. Chase Elliott wins at Circuit of the Americas!

Chase Elliott - Circuit of the Americas - COTA - NASCAR Cup Series
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MAY 23: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 Llumar Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on May 23, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

COTA Results
May 23, 2021
NASCAR Cup Series

Pos | Driver

1. Chase Elliott
2. Kyle Larson
3. Joey Logano
4. Ross Chastain
5. AJ Allmendinger
6. Chase Briscoe
7. Michael McDowell
8. Alex Bowman
9. Tyler Reddick
10. Kyle Busch
11. William Byron
12. Austin Dillon
13. Chris Buescher
14. Denny Hamlin
15. Ryan Preece
16. Erik Jones
17. Ryan Blaney
18. Anthony Alfredo
19. Brad Keselowski
20. Corey LaJoie
21. Ty Dillon
22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
23. Matt DiBenedetto
24. Ryan Newman
25. Austin Dillon
26. Aric Almirola
27. Kurt Busch
28. Garrett Smithley
29. James Davison
30. Josh Bilicki
31. Kyle Tilley
32. Cody Ware
33. Daniel Suarez
34. Quin Houff
35. Martin Truex Jr
36. Cole Custer
37. Kevin Harvick
38. Christopher Bell
39. Bubba Wallace
40. Justin Haley

Chase Elliott in victory lane at Circuit of the Americas - COTA - NASCAR Cup Series
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MAY 23: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 Llumar Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on May 23, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NASCAR Cup Series
Point Standings

1. Denny Hamlin
597

2. William Byron
499 | 1 Win

3. Kyle Larson
487 | 1 Win

4. Joey Logano
486 | 1 Win

5. Chase Elliott
481 | 1 Win

6. Martin Truex Jr
474 | 3 Win

7. Ryan Blaney
458 | 1 Win

8. Kevin Harvick
428

9. Brad Keselowski
422 | 1 Win

10. Kyle Busch
422 | 1 Win

11. Austin Dillon
366

12. Alex Bowman
362 | 2 Wins

13. Chris Buescher
338

14. Christopher Bell
337 | 1 Win

15. Tyler Reddick
334

16. Michael McDowell
329 | 1 Win

17. Matt DiBenedetto
296

18. Kurt Busch
286

19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
281

20. Ross Chastain
276

21. Ryan Newman
273

22. Ryan Preece
254

23. Bubba Wallace
250

24. Daniel Suarez
246

25. Chase Briscoe
237

26. Erik Jones
224

27. Cole Custer
220

28. Aric Almirola
180

29. Anthony Alfredo
153

30. Corey LaJoie
150

31. Quin Houff
72

32. James Davison
61

33. Josh Bilicki
61

Circuit of the Americas
Video Highlights
May 23, 2021
Links

Circuit of the Americas | NASCAR

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