Critical Path Security 5 Drivers to Watch: COTA & St Petersburg

NASCAR is going road course racing for the first time this season. After back-to-back superspeedways kicked off the 2026 season, all three series will be heading to a road course for the third race. While the Cup and O’Reilly Series head to Circuit of the Americas (COTA), the Craftsman Truck Series goes to streets of St Petersburg. Running a double header with IndyCar, the Truck Series will compete on a street course for the first time in history. How will the trucks handle a street circuit usually used for IndyCars? As for the COTA races, the use of the smaller circuit was a success last year. The calamity that is Turn 1 still exists, but it is not as drastic now. With road course racing on the docket, there were plenty of choices for the Critical Path Security 5 Drivers to Watch for COTA and St Petersburg.

James Hinchcliffe

With the Craftsman Truck Series hitting the streets of St Petersburg for the first, it would be make sense to bring in some former IndyCar stars to drive. Spire Motorsports certainly felt that way, as they tabbed James Hinchcliffe to pilot their 77 entry. Making his NASCAR debut, Hinchcliffe will return to the track of his first career IndyCar win. Plus, the Canadian has picked up 4 other Top-10s. When the majority of the field will be unfamiliar with the track, Hinchcliffe will have the edge. That said, driving a Craftsman Series truck will be the polar opposite of an IndyCar. So maybe the advantages will even out.

Austin Green

If you are looking for an under-the-radar driver to follow this weekend, Austin Green is the one to choose. A road course ringer who gets the most out of his equipment, Green has an impressive 10.8 average finish in his O’Reilly Series career on road courses. These starts usually arrive with Jordan Anderson Racing in their third entry. While not back marker equipment, it is fair to say Jordan Anderson Racing does not usually bring top tiered stuff to compete with the best teams. However, Green finds himself running in the Top-10 more often than not. In his 12 road course starts, he has 7 Top-10s. Outside of a blown engine, Green only has one finish outside the Top-20 as well.

Now driving for Peterson Racing, this will be the first big test of his new team’s equipment. Will the organization be able to provide the speed Green needs to pick up his first Top-10 of the season? That will first be answered on Friday with practice and qualifying. Green has to qualify his way into the race on speed. If he can do that easily, that should be a solid indication of where you can expect him to run on Saturday. As long as he makes the field, Austin Green is a driver to watch.

Alex Bowman

To kick off the Cup Series drivers in this article, time to focus on Alex Bowman. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is off to a rough start in 2026. Getting caught up in wrecks in the first two races sees Bowman with a 31.5 average finish thus far. Obviously, there should be little worry for Bowman. With the equipment he is driving, there should be no issue in turning the season around from here. What many would not immediately consider is how COTA fits perfectly into the start of this turnaround.

Alex Bowman has yet to finish outside the Top-10 at COTA. Through 5 starts, Bowman has an average finish of 5.2. Although he does not get out front very often (only 3 laps led), the 48 driver is a steady hand in Austin, Texas. This weekend should be no different. Even if he does not qualify well (17th and 21st the past 2 races), Bowman manages his race well to put himself in a good position by the time the checkered flag waves.

Connor Zilisch

Connor Zilisch’s fulltime Cup career has gotten off to a rocky start. Sparking two incidents in the first two races, Zilisch has fallen under scrutiny from NASCAR’s finest fans on social media. While his struggles in the draft are now documented, this weekend will mark a return to Zilisch’s home turf. The young road course ace will try to turn his season around at Circuit of the Americas. Last year in a spot start with Trackhouse, Zilisch impressed before being wiped out in a mid-race wreck. An early mistake buried Zilisch deep in the field, but he quickly climbed his way to the mid-pack before wrecking.

The big question for Connor Zilisch will be how does he stack up to his teammate. Shane van Gisbergen and Zilisch had spirited battles in the O’Reilly Series last year. Will that continue in Cup this season? Maybe; but that would be lofty expectations for Zilisch as a rookie. Sure, he brings the road course skill to warrant those expectations. However, the Cup Series is filled with stronger road racers than the O’Reilly Series was last year. While seeing the young phenom compete for a win this weekend would be fun, a Top-10 to steady 2026 should be viewed as a success.

Tyler Reddick

While this article series does wish to highlight some of the unsung drivers in each series, it is impossible not to feature Tyler Reddick this week. More than simply coming off back-to-back wins to start the season, Reddick is in position to set NASCAR history. If he manages to go 3 for 3, he would be the first driver to do so in Cup Series history. To cap that off, COTA might be the best track on the schedule for him to pull this off. Tyler Reddick runs especially strong at COTA, with his worst finish at the track being 9th in 2021. Reddick’s road course pedigree in Cup speaks for itself, but COTA certainly seems to be his best road course.

Heading into the weekend, Shane van Gisbergen might be the betting favorite. He won the last 5 road course races and did it with ease. However, the lone road course he missed last year was COTA. Not only did van Gisbergen miss a win, he was never the dominate force fans expected. COTA seems to be SVG’s kryptonite in terms of road courses. Tyler Reddick could easily be considered the favorite this weekend. His history at this track should bolster those odds. At COTA, there has been no one better than Reddick. It will be a challenging battle, but Tyler Reddick has a real chance at history on Sunday.

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