COTA in iRacing captures the modern era of motorsport—innovative, challenging, and globally iconic.

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Grand Prix Circuit (5.513 km / 3.426 miles)

• Full F1 layout with 20 turns.
• Mixes high-speed, medium, and low-speed sectors.
• Used for Formula One, WEC, and IMSA.

National Circuit (3.7 km / 2.3 miles)

• A shortened layout removing some technical sections.
• Designed for GT and touring car events, creating more compact racing.

Club Circuit (2.3 km / 1.4 miles)

• The shortest layout, often used for club racing and training.
• Emphasizes tight corners and shorter lap times.

Racing Characteristics

• Versatility: Multiple layouts support everything from Formula One to grassroots racing.
• Overtaking: Numerous heavy braking zones create overtaking opportunities.
• Elevation: 133 feet of elevation change across the lap, most notable on the run to Turn 1.
• Modern facilities: Wide runoff areas make it safer, though limits are strictly enforced.

COTA stands as one of iRacing’s most adaptable tracks—equally at home with high-powered prototypes as it is with grassroots racing machines.

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Track Basics

• Length: 5.513 km / 3.426 miles (Grand Prix layout)
• Turns: 20
• Direction: Counter-clockwise
• Surface: Asphalt
• Major Events: Formula One United States Grand Prix, MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas, IMSA, FIA WEC, NASCAR Cup Series (since 2021).

Key Sections

• Turn 1: The uphill left-hander is one of the most challenging overtaking zones in the world.
• Turns 3–6 (Esses): A high-speed sequence modeled after Silverstone’s Maggotts and Becketts.
• Turn 11 hairpin: Leads onto the circuit’s longest straight, vital for overtaking.
• Back straight: Nearly 1.2 km of full throttle, where slipstream battles thrive.
• Turns 12–15 stadium section: Tight corners built for close-quarters racing.
• Turns 16–18 triple right: Modeled after Istanbul’s Turn 8, it tests car balance and stamina.
• Turn 19 & 20: Critical for exit speed into the main straight and lap completion.

Driving Keys

• Setup compromise: Balance downforce for the Esses while maintaining straight-line speed.
• Braking points: Uphill into Turn 1 and downhill into Turn 12 are lap-defining.
• Track limits: Wide runoff areas make it tempting to overstep boundaries; discipline is key.
• Racecraft: Multiple overtaking zones keep racing dynamic across all series.

COTA in iRacing is both technical and forgiving, offering opportunities for clean racing and wheel-to-wheel battles across its length.

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The ambitious CoTA project was revealed in July of 2010 when Hellmund announced plans to build the track on about 900 acres (3.7 km2) of undeveloped land near Austin, TX. With backing from billionaire Red McCombs, plans quickly proceeded. The circuit’s design was submitted to the FIA for approval in December of 2010 with construction beginning later that month. The FIA issued its final approval of the circuit in September of 2012 some sixty days before the inaugural Formula One race.

The 3.427-mile (5.515 km) Grand Prix Circuit features CoTA’s signature corner – Turn One, a tight hairpin at the crest of a 133 ft rise – followed by a rapid descent into a series of fast, sweeping corners leading to another hairpin. From there the cars follow a .62 mile straight (1.0km) before a complex series of multi-apex corners in a stadium-like setting returns the cars to the pit straightaway. The facility also includes a shorter 2.6-mile (4.184km) National circuit which, like the Grand Prix circuit, runs counter clockwise.

In addition to the state-of-the-art circuit, pit and garage facilities, CoTA features impressive spectator and VIP amenities including a 251 feet (77 m) tall observation tower, several stadium grandstand seating sections and specator mounds for general admission viewing. Along with Formula One, CoTA has hosted the V8 SuperCars Series, MotoGP, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the American LeMans Series and the GRAND-AM Sports Car Series (now combined into the United SportsCar Championship) as well as various club and vintage events.

Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, is the home of world championships and a world-class destination for premium sports and entertainment. COTA has been nominated as the 2014 “Sports Facility of the Year” by SportsBusiness Journal/Daily.  The same

publication named COTA’s annual marquee event, the FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX, “Sports Event of the Year” for 2013.  Additionally, COTA is the new North American home for the summer edition of ESPN’s X Games.  More than one million visitors come to COTA each year for events such as MotoGP, United Sportscar Racing, the FIA World Endurance Championships, business and social functions, and more than 20 performances at the venue’s acclaimed Austin360 Amphitheater, winner of Pollstar’s “Best New Major Concert Venue” award for 2013.  COTA’s 1,500-acre campus includes a variety of permanent structures, including a 44,000-square foot Event Center, an impressive Main Grandstand with hospitality suites and the Velocity Lounge, a 270,000-square foot Paddock Building with 34 garages, and an iconic 25-story Observation Tower at the heart of the facility.

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December 19, 2013

Kevin Bobbit posted on the iRacing forum about several tracks that are planned to be added to the service. In his post he says that Circuit of the Americas is scheduled to be available to iRacers this coming spring.
UPDATE: Tony Gardner says Lucas Oil Raceway and Circuit of the Americas is in full production.

December 11, 2013

Steve Myers tweeted

“@VictorMOSTV: @iRacingMyers What will be the next road track of the @iRacing? Possibly COTA? Silverstone rescan?” COTA

— Steve Myers (@iRacingMyers) December 12, 2013

September 27, 2013

iRacing tweeted

We are busy scanning today. pic.twitter.com/BkBpyPQ4ZY

— iRacing.com (@iRacing) September 27, 2013

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