Focused Health 250 | Circuit of the Americas
Race Update: Today (Saturday, Feb 28, 3:00 PM ET)
Friday Practice Recap: Sam Mayer (#41) led the 50-minute session at 124.369 mph. Notably, Nick Sanchez (#25) went off course in the "Esses" early, causing a brief stoppage. #35-Austin Hill blew an engine halfway through and will start from the rear today.
Goodyear Specification (D-6166): Consistency observed on long-run practice speeds. Inflation: LF: 20 psi | RF: 22 psi | LR: 17 psi | RR: 17 psi. Circumference: 2,240 mm.
Car Updates: Shane van Gisbergen (#9) suffered an alternator issue in practice; the team replaced it prior to the qualifying lockout.
Zilisch captured his 10th career pole with a lap of 88.398 mph (97.74 seconds). This is his second straight COTA pole. He edged out SVG by 0.209 seconds.
DNQs: #92-Josh Williams and #5-Tyler Gonzalez failed to make the 38-car field.
Organization Metrics: JR Motorsports dominated Friday, sweeping the front row and placing 4 cars in the Top 10. Haas Factory Team (Mayer/Creed) showed early practice speed but slipped to 8th/9th on the grid.
Road Course Strategy: With 65 laps / 156 miles and stages at 20/40/65, expect teams to short-pit the stages for track position—a standard JRM tactic at COTA.
Purse: $1,653,590.
| Pos | Car | Driver | Speed (mph) | Organization | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Connor Zilisch | 88.398 | JR Motorsports | Roto-Rooter |
| 2 | 9 | Shane Van Gisbergen | 88.209 | JR Motorsports | Safety Culture |
| 3 | 21 | Austin Hill | 87.841 | RCR | Bennett Trans. |
| 4 | 20 | Brandon Jones | 87.762 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Menards/Fisher |
| 5 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | 87.661 | JR Motorsports | BRANDT |
| 6 | 91 | Carson Kvapil | 87.652 | DGM Racing | Clarience Tech |
| 7 | 19 | Brent Crews | 87.565 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Young Life |
| 8 | 41 | Sam Mayer | 87.523 | Haas Factory | Charbroil |
| 9 | 00 | Sheldon Creed | 87.462 | Haas Factory | Road Ranger |
| 10 | 8 | Sammy Smith | 87.394 | JR Motorsports | Pilot |