This week NASCAR heads to Texas for the first road course race of the season and another triple header weekend including a doubleheader Saturday.

There are 42 drivers looking to fill 38 spots in the Xfinity Series including five Cup Series regulars – William Byron, Ty Gibbs, AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, and Josh Bilicki for the Pit Boss 250.  Truck Series regulars Carson Hocevar and Parker Retzlaff will also be making an attempt to run the Xfinity Series race.

Changes for this race are there will be stages but there will not be any caution flags between the stages.  In road course racing, it is common for teams to short pit the end of the stage and as a result the end of the stage becomes useless as a break for the teams to come down pit road.

Also this week, NASCAR has ended their “restart zone experiment” and has returned the restart zone to its original length.

Circuit of the Americas is a 20 turn, 3.4 mile track; that also include some elevations.

After a 20 minute practice session, the cars will be divided into two groups and have 15 minutes to make a qualifying run.  The top five drivers from each session will move on to a 10 minute round two to determine who will sit on the pole.

One of the rules particular to road course races, drivers must touch the red and white striped borders when making the S turns.  The rule has been put in place to ensure that drivers do not cut the course.

And for the first time the “choose rule” comes to road course racing.  Previously, only the driver in first place could choose which lane he wanted; now all of the drivers can choose which lane they want to restart the race in.

NASCAR has suspended driver of the 92 car Josh William for one race after he parked his car at the start/finish line last week.  Buddy and road course “specialist” Alex Labbe will take over the driving duties of the number 92 car at COTA.

Austin Hill has won three of the first five races of the season; the only other drivers to achieve such an accomplishment are Mark Martin and Kyle Busch.

The cars will carry the wet weather package this weekend but are not expected to have to use them.

As the practice session was ending, Parker Chase got into the wall and has some damage to his car after “something broke” and water all over the windshield.

The drivers from Group A are on the track and already setting new track records with William Byron breaking the record by over a second at 133.002 seconds.

AJ Allmendinger goes out and makes one lap and posts a time to break William Byron’s record with 132.933 seconds.

The top five drivers from Group A moving on to round two are AJ Allmendinger, William Byron, Sammy Smith, Riley Herbst, and John Hunter Nemechek.

The Group B drivers are now on the track and after setting a new track record last year, Ty Gibbs does it again and posts a time of 132.929 seconds.

Ty Gibbs, Sheldon Creed, Cole Custer, Justin Allgaier, and Parker Kligerman will all move on from Group B to make a run for the pole.

Parker Kligerman is reporting a major vibration and suspension issues in his car.

The 10 drivers have 10 minutes to make their fastest lap for the pole with Sheldon Creed the first driver on the track. 

William Byron ran a 2:12.63 lap but has had his time disqualified after short cutting the track.

Cole Custer chose not to make a qualifying run with a brake issue. 

AJ Allmendinger will bring the field to green after posting a time of 133.184 seconds to earn the pole for the race.  Eighteen year old Sammy Smith will start alongside on the front row.

Garrett Smithley, Parker Chase, Cameron Lawrence, and Balthazar Leguizamon all failed to make the race.

The starting lineup for the Pit Boss 250:
AJ Allmendinger
Sammy Smith
Ty Gibbs
Sheldon Creed
Parker Kligerman
John Hunter Nemechek
Riley Herbst
Justin Allgaier
William Byron
Cole Custer
Daniel Hemric
Austin Hill
Aric Almirola
Sam Mayer
Josh Berry
Sage Karam
Carson Hocevar
Miguel Paludo
Preston Pardus
Kaz Grala
Jeb Burton
Connor Mosack
Alex Labbe
Josh Bilicki
Jeremy Clements
Brandon Jones
Chandler Smith
Brett Moffitt
Anthony Alfredo
Brad Perez
Ryan Sieg
Ryan Ellis
Kyle Weatherman
Parker Retzlaff
Joe Graf Jr
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Brennan Poole
Kyle Sieg

Joey Logano and Brad KeselowskiKesekowskiKesekowski join Adam Alexander in the FOX broadcast booth for today’s race.

Cole Custer, Kyle Weatherman, Brennan Poole, Justin Allgaier, Chandler Smith, Brett Moffitt, Kaz Grala, Kyle Sieg, Joe Graf Jr., Sage Karam, Jeffrey Earnhardt, Anthony Alfredo, and Alex Labbe are all starting the race from the back of the field after the crews made some unapproved adjustments to the cars.

Stage one of the race is 14 laps with stages two and three lasting 16 laps for a total of 46 laps around the 3.4 mile course.

On a hot Texas Saturday afternoon, AJ Allmendinger brings the field down for the green flag start of the race from the inside lane with Sammy Smith on the outside.  Drivers quicky spread out across the track.  Sheldon Creed comes from fourth place to take the lead.

Josh Berry gets turned around and has some damage to his car.

AJ Allmendinger passes Sheldon Creed to take the lead.

Lap two, AJ Allmendinger leads the race with Sheldon Creed in second; Ty Gibbs, Sammy Smith, and austin Hill round out the top five.

Ty Gibbs challenges Sheldon Creed for second.

Lap three, AJ Allmendinger has pulled out to a lead of nearly three seconds on Ty Gibbs; Sheldon Creed, Sammy Smith, and Austin Hill round out the top five.

Lap four, AJ Allmendinger now has a lead of over three seconds on Ty Gibbs;  Sheldon Creed, Sammy Smith, and Austin Hill round out the top five.

Lap five, Brad Perez spins out in turn number eight but the track stays green.

Lap six, Ryan Sieg and Sage Karam were charged with cutting the course and have to serve a pass through penalty.  Going into the S’s, the drivers must have just two of the tires on the red and white rumble strips; if they have all four tires on the rumble strips, NASCAR says that they have “cut the course” and will have to serve a penalty.

Lap five, after starting the race from the back of the field, Cole Custer has moved up 13 spots. Justin Allgaier has moved up nine spots and is now in the top 20.

Lap six, AJ Allmendinger has increased his lead to four seconds on second place driver Ty Gibbs; Sheldon Creed,, Sammy Smith, and Austin Hill continue to round out the top five.

Lap eight, AJ Allmendinger now has a near five second lead on Ty Gibbs; Sheldon Creed, Sammy Smith, and William Byron round out the top five.

Carson Hocevar brings out the first caution flag of the race when he gets stopped at turn one. 

Several of the drivers come down pit road for service but leader AJ Allmendinger is one who stays out on the track.  Drivers who come down pit road can complete the race on one more pit stop.

AJ Allmendinger brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 10 with Parker Kligerman alongside.  Drivers get five wide across the track going into turn one.  Allmendinger takes the lead.

The top five are AJ Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman, Riley Herbst, Brandon Jones, and Jeremy Clements.

Lap eleven, Sheldon Creed moves up to fifth.  AJ Allmendinger has a lead of over a second and a half on Parker Kligerman.

Sheldon Creed passes Brandon Jones for fourth and Riley Herbst for third.

William Byron and Sammy Smith make contact but the track stays green.

Several drivers are complaining that the cars are too loose.

Lap 12, AJ Allmendinger has pulled out to a lead of over three seconds on Parker Kligerman; Sheldon Creed, Riley Herbst, and Brandon Jones round out the top five.

Austin Hill is reporting some shifting issues.

Brennan Poole and Carson Hocevar are off the track.

Lap 12, Sheldon Creed passes Parker Kligerman for second.

Lap 13, AJ Allmendinger holds a three and a half second lead on Sheldon Creed; Parker Kligerman, Riley Herbst, and Ty Gibbs round out the top five.

Crew chief, Chris Rice for AJ Allmendinger says that he is going to let AJ run his own race.

AJ Allmendinger wins stage one by over three seconds.

The top 10 at the end of stage one:
AJ Allmendinger
Sheldon Creed
Parker Kligerman
Ty Gibbs
William Byron
Riley Herbst
Justin Allgaier
Brandon Jones
Sammy Smith
Sam Mayer

Lap 15, AJ Allmendinger comes down pit road for service.  Sheldon Creed takes the lead.

AJ Allmendinger returns to the track 35 seconds behind the leader in 27th.

Carson Hocevar is out of the race.  His debut in the Xfinity Series was short lived.  Hocevar was in the car after Blaine Perkins left the race team earlier in the week.

Lap 16 Sheldon Creed has a lead of over a second and a half on William Byron; Ty Gibbs, Justin Allgaier, and Sam Mayer round out the top five.

Lap 17, Preston Pardus brings out the caution flag when he gets off the track and is stopped on the track in turn one.

Josh Bilicki is stopped on the track and needs a push.

Austin Hill has taken his car to the garage with shifting issues.

Sheldon Creed brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 20 with William Byron on the outside.  Allmendinger and Aric Almirola make contact; spinning out Almirola and Allmendinger gets stopped on the track.  “The Dinger” falls to 28th.

Austin Hill is out of the race.

The top five are Sheldon Creed, Justin Allgaier, William Byron, Sammy Smith, and Cole Custer.

Lap 21, Brandon Jones has a flat tire and brings out the caution flag after dropping debris all over the track.

Daniel Hemric comes down pit road, reporting he thinks a tire is going down.  All other drivers stay out on the track.

Sheldon Creed brings the field down for the green flag restart on lap 23 with William Byron on the outside.  Creed jumps out on front for the lead as drivers get six wide going into turn one.

Sheldon Creed leads the race with William Byron in second; Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, and Sammy Smith round out the top five.  AJ Allmedinger is in the top 20.

Josh Berry and AJ Allmendinger make contact going into the S’s but the track stays green.

Riley Herbst spins out but the track stays green.

Lap 24 Sheldon Creed has a lead of nearly half a second on William Byron; Sammy Smith, Cole Custer, and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.  AJ Allmendinger is inside the top 15 in 14th place.

William Byron battles leader Sheldon Creed; Creed holds him off…for now.

Lap 25, Sammy Smith joins the battle for the lead.  The 18 year old Smith has never driven on the track at COTA.

Sheldon Creed holds on to the lead with William Byron in second; Sammy Smith, Cole Custer, and Justin Allgaier round out the top five.  AJ Allmendinger is just outside the top 10 in eleventh.

Lap 26, William Byron continues to challenge Sheldon Creed for the lead.  AJ Allmendinger is now back in the top 10.

Lap 26, Cole Custer passes Sammy Smith for third.

Lap 27,  William Byron and Sheldon Creed again battle for the lead with Cole Custer right behind them.  William Byron takes the lead.

Lap 28, Brett Moffitt gets stopped on the track in turn one and brings out the caution flag. 

The drivers are within their window to make it to the end of the race on a single load of fuel.

Parker Kligerman, Aric Almirola, Ryan Sieg, Jeb Burton, and Josh Berry stay out on the track; all other come down pit road for service.

Sheldon Creed says that his car lacks lateral grip.  Sheldon Creed wins the race off of pit road. 

Parker Kligerman brings the field down for the green flag restart on the final lap of stage two.  Kligerman had trouble shifting in turn one and Ryan Sieg takes the lead.

Cole Custer spins out in turn four and gets into the gravel trap.

Sam Mayer spins out.

Sheldon Creed comes from third to lead the race and wins stage two.  The caution flag comes out for Cole Custer stuck in the gravel.

The top 10 at the end of stage two:
Sheldon Creed
Ryan Sieg
John Hunter Nemechek
Aric Almirola
Josh Berry
AJ Allmendinger
William Byron
Ty Gibbs
Sammy Smith
Jeb Burton

Ryan Sieg, Parker Kligerman, and Cole Custer come down pit road for service and a final set of tires.  Parker Kligerman is having some shifting issues.

Sheldon Creed brings the field down for the green flag restart with 14 laps remaining in the race with John Hunter Nemechek on the outside.  Drivers spread out five and six wide going into turn number one.  AJ Allmendinger goes from sixth to second on the restart.

The top five are Sheldon Creed, AJ Allmendinger, John Hunter Nemechek, William Byron, and Aric Almirola.

AJ Allmendinger battles with Sheldon Creed for the lead with William Byron right behind.  Sheldon Creed spins out and Allmendinger takes the lead to battle with Byron for the lead.  Byron takes the lead briefly but Allmendinger takes back the lead.

Lap 36, AJ Allmendinger has pulled out to a third of a second lead on William Byron; John Hunter Nemechek, Sammy Smith, and Josh Berry round out the top five.

With 12 laps to go, AJ Allmendinger holds on to the lead with William Byron in second; John Hunter Nemechek, Sammy Smith, and Ty Gibbs round out the top five.

AJ Allmendinger reports that the brakes are going away.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sammy Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, and Ty Gibbs battle with each other for third.

Ten to go, AJ Allmendinger has a half second lead on William Byron; Sammy Smith, Ty Gibbs, and John Hunter Nemechek round out the top five.

Eight to go, AJ Allmendinger holds on to a half second lead on William Byron; Sammy Smith, Ty Gibbs, and John Hunter Nemechek round out the top five.

AJ Allmendinger has a half second lead on William Byron; third place driver Sammy Smith is over seven and a half seconds back.

Six to go, AJ Allmendinger now has a one second lead on William Byron; over eight seconds back is Sammy Smith; Ty Gibbs, and John Hunter Nemechek to round out the top five.

Ty Gibbs and Sammy Smith battle for third with Gibbs taking the spot.

Five to go, Justin Allgaier and John Hunter Nemechek battle for fifth with Allgaier taking the spot.

Four to go, Daniel Hemric and John Hunter Nemechek make contact and sending both drivers spinning.  The track stays green.

Ryan Sieg gets spun around but gets the car going again and the track stays green.

John Hunter Nemechek comes down pit road for a flat tire with two laps to go.

AJ Allmendinger takes the white flag with a lead of half a second on William Byron.

William Byron missed a turn and opened up the gap to leader AJ Allmendinger.

AJ Allmendinger wins the race after sitting on the pole and having to come from the back of the field after an on track incident.

The unofficial results of the Pit Boss 250:
AJ Allmendinger
William Byron
Ty Gibbs
Sammy Smith
Justin Allgaier
Daniel Hemric
Sam Mayer
Josh Berry
Sheldon Creed
Riley Herbst
Josh Berry
Brandon Jones
Chandler Smith
Miguel Paludo
Jeremy Clements
Alex Labbe
Anthony Alfredo
Parker Retzlaff
Kaz Grala
Connor Mosack
Ryan Ellis
Jeb Burton
Kyle Weatherman
Ryan Sieg
Aric Almirola
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Kyle Sieg
John Hunter Nemechek
Josh Bilicki
Brad Perez
Joe Graf Jr
Parker Kligerman
Cole Custer
Brennan Poole
Brett Moffitt
Sage Karam
Preston Pardus
Austin Hill
Carson Hocevar

The Dash-4-Cash returns and the race at COTA set the four qualifying drivers – Sammy Smith, Justin Allgaier, Daniel Hemric, and Sam Mayer – will all compete in the Dash-4-Cash at Richmond.