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AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 02: Noah Gragson, driver of the #4 Long John Silver’s Ford, and Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Body Guard Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 02, 2025 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The NASCAR Cup Series 2026 heads to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, with strong payouts across all three national series. NASCAR released the official purse figures for the weekend.
FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass shared the numbers on social media. NASCAR set the COTA purse for the NASCAR Cup Series 2026 race at $11,233,037. That is up from $11,055,250 in 2025. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event will award $1,653,590.
Purses for NASCAR races this weekend (COTA/St Pete). Includes all payouts, all positions plus contingency awards, contribution to year-end points fund, charter payouts, etc.:
Cup (COTA): $11,233,037
OReilly (COTA): $1,653,590
Truck (St. Pete): $789,700
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 25, 2026
The Craftsman Truck Series purse stands at $789,700. NASCAR funds these payouts through its seven-year media rights deal, valued atmmore than $7 billion. That agreement supports race purses, charter payments, and team bonuses.
NASCAR Cup Series 2026 Purse at COTA
The NASCAR Cup Series 2026 event at COTA carries a total purse of $11,233,037. That amount covers payouts for every finishing position. It also includes charter payments and contingency awards. Charter teams receive guaranteed funds under their agreements. Teams also compete for end-of-season bonuses.
NASCAR confirmed the increase from the 2025 COTA race. The 2025 purse totaled $11,055,250. The rise reflects revenue from the current media rights agreement. That deal runs for seven years and exceeds $7 billion.
NASCAR distributes part of that revenue to teams each season. The NASCAR Cup Series 2026 purse structure supports operations across the field. COTA remains one of the key road course stops on the calendar.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Truck Payouts
The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA offers a purse of $1,653,590. That figure includes position payouts and contingency money. The Craftsman Truck Series purse stands at $789,700 for the weekend. That total also includes payouts across the field. Both series race during the same COTA weekend.
Teams in these divisions work with smaller budgets than Cup teams. NASCAR allocates funds to each national series based on its level. The NASCAR Cup Series 2026 remains the top tier of the sport. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series serves as the second division. The Truck Series continues to provide a path for drivers and teams.
Comparison With Atlanta in NASCAR Cup Series 2026 Season
NASCAR also released purse figures for Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this year. The NASCAR Cup Series 2026 race at Atlanta paid $11,233,037. That total closely matches the COTA payout.
Purses for Atlanta weekend. Purses include all payouts for all positions as well as charter payouts and contingency awards and end-of-season fund:
Cup: $11,233,037
OReilly: $1,653,590
Truck: $789,700
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 18, 2026
In 2025, Atlanta paid $11,055,250. Earlier in the NASCAR Cup Series 2026 season, Daytona offered a record purse of $31,045,575.
The Atlanta NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series purse reached $1,653,590. The Truck Series purse was $789,700.
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
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