NASCAR is getting ready for its first road course race of the 2025 season at COTA, scheduled for the upcoming weekend. While it will be a show for adept road racers like Chase Elliott, Shane van Gisbergen, and Kyle Larson, there’s going to be an extra incentive on the line this year beyond the winning Cup, as drivers stand to earn increased purses thanks to a new TV deal that has boosted the prize money for each race.
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Last year, the prize pools for the COTA weekend were substantial, totaling $9,740,789 for the Cup race, $1,778,948 for the Xfinity race, and $794,098 for the Truck race.
However, this year brings a shift in the schedule as the Craftsman Truck Series has opted out of racing at COTA, leaving only the Cup and Xfinity series to disclose their updated purse figures.
According to a recent update from Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass, the purse for the upcoming Cup race has seen an increase of $1,314,461, bringing the total to $11,055,250. Conversely, the prize money for the Xfinity race has experienced a reduction of $127,009, now totaling $1,651,939 for the teams.
The prize money encompasses all payouts across positions, the season-ending points fund, and contingency awards. Additionally, for the Cup series — it includes payments for charter teams based on participation and historical performance.
Purses for COTA weekend, all payouts, all positions, season-ending points fund and contingency awards and for Cup, payouts for charter teams for participating and historical performance.
Cup: $11,055,250
Xfinity: $1,651,939
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 26, 2025
In comparison, the prize money for the Daytona 500 event reached $30,331,250, making it the largest to date. Meanwhile, the prize allocations for the Atlanta races in both the Cup and Xfinity series mirrored those at COTA, standing at $11,055,250 for the Cup and $1,651,939 for the Xfinity race, respectively.
Top picks for the upcoming weekend at COTA
Since the Circuit of the Americas was added to the NASCAR schedule in 2021, it has been the topic of discussion — for its length and the quality of racing.
In the first year, Elliott won the trophy in a rain-abridged race, while the ensuing year witnessed a close three-car clash between AJ Allmendinger, Alex Bowman, and Ross Chastain, which culminated in Chastain nudging Allmendinger into Bowman to grab the victory in the race’s dying moments.
The subsequent two years at COTA, while less fraught with drama compared to the opening seasons, introduced two fresh victors to the fold.
In 2023, Tyler Reddick took charge of the race, leading a dominant 41 of the 75 laps to secure the win. The following season saw William Byron, fresh off his Daytona 500 victory, make the most of his second consecutive pole position at the track by leading 42 of the 68 laps, cruising to a winning finish.
With the recent track modifications and the reduction in track length, a new set of challenges awaits the NASCAR Cup drivers. While seasoned drivers like Ross Chastain and Elliott have previously excelled on this circuit, newcomers like Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) are also ready to make their mark, ensuring the competition remains as fierce as ever.
