Op-Ed: A COTA Renaissance

Circuit of the Americas may be in the midst of a racecourse renaissance according to John Arndt, Staff Writer and Photographer. (Photo: John Arndt | The Podium Finish)

The Circuit of the Americas, a track that sits just outside of Austin, Texas, and the home of a round in the Formula 1 World Championship, MotoGP World Championship, NASCAR, and multiple other series ranging from GT World Challenge to Trans-Am to Ferrari Challenge and a whole host of other events throughout the year has seemingly started to come into its own. 

Opened in 2012, the track has had some moments that you can look fondly on, from Max Verstappen’s aggressive, yet futile, attempt at an overtake in the carousel section of the track (leading us to the track-limits humps), Colton Herta’s first INDYCAR win and a handful of F1 WDC titles being crowned at the circuit.

But to me, there were not many races that genuinely stood out as some of the best. Maybe that is turning around.

I am a native of the Austin area and while I may have grown up as a motorsports fan, it was not until COTA was built that going to races was that easy for me to go to. Sure, tracks like the old Thunderhill Raceway (formerly just down the road in Kyle, Texas) and going up to Texas Motor Speedway were possibilities. It did not become truly easy for me to go to races till F1 came to town.

Now, I have never been to a Grand Prix yet, but I have been to many races at COTA. From the first (and only) Australian V8 Supercar race at COTA, to multiple Pirelli World Challenge/GT World Challenge races, an IMSA race, a World Endurance Championship race, a couple of 24-Hour Series races, Trans-Am, NASCAR and a couple of other different events at the track. But when I would go there, the racing was not at the forefront of my mind. It was spending time with my family doing something we all enjoy. 

2018 and 2019 were the start when I was truly starting to go to more and more races, and 2020 was supposed to be a big year of the number of races I would go to at COTA. The World Endurance Championship made its way to COTA relatively early in the year as a make-up round due to not being able to race in Brazil. In March, in the last weekend before the world practically shut down, I was at GT World Challenge really getting my feet wet as I have gotten more and more comfortable taking photos of motorsports.

But then everything stopped. I was only able to go back for a couple of track drives and the SVRA/Trans Am weekend, but that was it.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton waged in a spirited battle at Circuit of the Americas in 2021. (Photo: Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images / Red Bull)

Little did I know that things were going to be changing for my home track. 

In 2021, NASCAR made their first-ever visit to COTA on the first-ever rain weekend for the Cup Series and also the first-ever NASCAR race that I have been to.

F1 made their triumphant return to COTA later that year in a classic of a race between the epic battle between seven-time WDC Lewis Hamilton and soon-to-be first-time WDC, Max Verstappen that showed what COTA can be as a race track, almost 10 years into its existence (while also setting attendance records for a Grand Prix).

A year later was no slouch. NASCAR returned, earlier in the year, and gave spectators and viewers alike a fantastic finish (and race in general) between Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger, and in November, F1 returned and put on another great show between Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton (in another record-setting attendance weekend for the US Grand Prix). 

NASCAR Cup Series action has picked up at COTA. (Photo: John Arndt | The Podium Finish)

2023 and the future of the track have already started brightly. NASCAR returned once more and provided a great race (albeit in a controversial way how the race ended), a return of GT World Challenge Americas to COTA after a year hiatus.

The track is starting to come into its own a year into its existence and with a rumored return of the World Endurance Championship in the near future, the continued success of COTA looks to be bright. 

And while yes, there are detractors of the track and some dull moments that sometimes occur, the future is bright with what has been going on in the past three years of the track.

I continue to hope for success because as motorsports continue to have a bit of a renaissance, COTA will continue to provide a great venue for fans, motorsports series and drivers alike.