Richard Petty offered his analysis of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion pointed out that the drivers did not attempt to hit each other and praised their respectful conduct.
Richard Petty Lauds EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Drivers for Their Conduct
NASCAR kicked off its first road course race of the season at COTA last Sunday. Christopher Bell claimed his second straight and second overall win of the NASCAR season by outpacing William Byron and Tyler Reddick.
According to Richard Petty, the drivers at Austin, despite the race’s physicality, maintained a respectful attitude throughout the road course event.
Petty shared his detailed review of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on his YouTube channel. Besides discussing the highs and lows of the race, the King also discussed the new Circuit of the Americas layout.
“When they cut the long loop out on the backstretch there, it really made it a lot better of a race for Cup racing,” he said.
After that, he commented on the drivers’ behavior in the latest EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix:
“The 24, the 45, the 8, and the 20, each one of them had a chance to maybe knock the other one out, but nobody hit anybody; everybody really respected each other.”
Hear what these 2 thought about Sundays race at COTA. Full video here… https://t.co/OS7lAmxjJZ pic.twitter.com/xbMGJwlOuI
— Richard Petty (@therichardpetty) March 4, 2025
Petty talked about Kyle Busch’s incredible driving as well, who had to stay content with a top-five finish regardless of his heroics. He also mentioned several other drivers who impressed him during the race.
“He drove his **** off, I guess I put it that way. And that little boy in that 20 car (Bell), he drove pretty hard too. It was four or five of them that really did. You got to figure, AJ (A. J. Allmendinger), was up there for a while, and then he faded.”
“The ones that really wound up running that front, finishing that front, were the ones that really ran up front all day or ran the fastest. Even though they might have been eighth or 10th, they were still the best cars. So, they kept working their way back to the front.”
NASCAR introduced the Circuit of the Americas to its schedule in 2021. It was the first road course addition to the calendar in the modern era of the series. This year’s event was the fifth edition of the NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA.
