The weather has stubbornly been in the limelight since the start of 2026. Whether it was the Clash, the Daytona 500, or Atlanta, it has not stopped gaining attention. After Atlanta weather spoiled the qualifying for the Cup race, the focus now shifts to the Circuit of the Americas, the third race of the NASCAR 2026 season. However, unlike the past three races, the weather seems to be different this time.

As reported by The Weather Channel, the three-day broadcast from Friday to Sunday is generally sunny. However, cloudy skies linger on Sunday.

On Friday and Saturday, there are very low chances of precipitation at 0% and 7%, respectively. As such, NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts sessions will take place as per their pre-decided schedule.

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Sunday’s precipitation chances stand at 19% according to the latest reports. The temperature will fall to 58 degrees at a minimum. So hopefully, Sunday’s Cup Series should proceed smoothly with partly cloudy skies and without the rain tires.

On the other hand, the audience should expect a lot of trouble when it comes to the Truck Series. Since the Truck race is taking place at St. Petersburg, Florida, with IndyCar’s season debut, it is going to face difficulties due to stormy conditions.

The current weather updates for the same show that both Friday and Saturday will be cold and rainy. Friday will be especially bad due to the thunderstorms. Precipitation chances are predicted at 57% for both days, and the maximum temperature will not go beyond 25 degrees.

Truck Series’ difficulties continue the bad weather streak, which has been plaguing NASCAR since the start of the season. Yesterday’s race was once again disastrous for both drivers and the audience.

The audience was left facing chilly winds throughout the duration of the race. Meanwhile, the drivers were battling handling issues owing to the same winds.

What should fans expect from the Cup Series at COTA?

Circuit of the Americas is a traditional racing track in every sense. It is a far cry from the ovals that the NASCAR audience and drivers generally race on. Dubbed as a road course, COTA brings a unique challenge in itself. Instead of going flat out, drivers need to execute precise throttle control.

COTA’s ‘esses’ are one of the best and most dangerous corners in motorsports. One mistake can fling the drivers off the tarmac. NASCAR cars of the current generation are more suited to road courses. These cars can handle the sharp turns and chicanes much better, giving the drivers good leeway in terms of racecraft.

But there are multiple nuances to racing at a traditional motorsports circuit. First is no more pack racing. Racing in packs is something that NASCAR drivers are very familiar with, due to the long stretches of the ovals. At COTA, racing in a pack means waiting for disaster.

One small mistake causes a chain reaction that creates a ruckus on the track. The next big difference is the absence of a draft. Atlanta, for example, is categorized as a drafting track. Drivers are able to get a good run within a few turns and draft behind their opponents to save fuel and gain a speed boost.

Furthermore, road courses also allow teams to use rain tires. The possibility for the same is quite less this weekend, though. Rain tires allow the cars to displace the water on the track and prevent hydroplaning during races.

These tires feature deep grooves, which serve only one purpose—to dry off the racing line as soon as possible. Once that is done, racing can get underway without any hiccups, and drivers can start pushing their lap times safely. The long ovals are too fast and dangerous for such moves. Hence, road courses are the only tracks besides short tracks to feature wet-weather racing.

At COTA, drafts are mostly absent owing to the prevalence of corners and shorter straightaways. It is a direct contrast to everything the NASCAR drivers are accustomed to. For the veteran drivers, COTA poses a significant challenge since they are used to stock car racing on ovals.

However, drivers who regularly challenge other competitors in different disciplines earn a visible advantage here. Shane van Gisbergen is the first name that comes to mind when we talk about road courses.

Even though he is improving his racing on ovals, like his record sixth-place finish at Atlanta yesterday, Gisbergen’s entire career before NASCAR was all about racing on traditional circuits in the Australian V8 Supercar series. Another name to look out for is Connor Zilisch.

The newest NASCAR rookie for Trackhouse Racing has yet to post a noteworthy result from his two oval races. But his resume is completely in his favor; Zilisch is accustomed to such circuits, having competed in the Trans Am and endurance racing series.

Among the regular names, Chase Elliott is one of the best drivers on road courses. He has the most wins on road courses among all other NASCAR drivers. Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick are the other successful drivers on road courses. Thus, fans should expect a lot of competition this Sunday.