2024 Focused Health 250 (COTA)

The 2024 Focused Health 250 was the 5th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the 4th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, a 3.426 mi permanent asphalt road course. The race was originally scheduled to be contested over 46 laps, but was increased to 50 laps due to a NASCAR overtime finish. In a thrilling race that featured a wild finish, Kyle Larson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would benefit from newer tires and steal the win after Shane van Gisbergen made contact with Austin Hill on the final lap. Van Gisbergen bumped into the back of Hill in turn 16, forcing both drivers up the racetrack and allowing Larson to sneak past both of them. This was Larson's 15th career NASCAR Xfinity Series win, and his first of the season. Van Gisbergen and teammate A. J. Allmendinger were the most consistent drivers of the race, both leading a race-high 20 laps. To fill out the podium, Hill, driving for Richard Childress Racing, and John Hunter Nemechek, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Van Gisbergen, who originally finished in 2nd, was given a 30-second time penalty on the final lap for cutting the course. He was officially credited with a 27th place finish.

Background
Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a grade 1 FIA-specification motorsports facility located within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Austin, Texas. It features a 3.426 mi road racing circuit. The facility is home to the Formula One United States Grand Prix, and the Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas, a round of the FIM Road Racing World Championship. It previously hosted the Supercars Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the IMSA SportsCar Championship, and IndyCar Series.

Entry list

 * (R) denotes rookie driver.
 * (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.

Practice
The first and only practice session was held on Friday, March 22, at 4:30 PM CST, and would last for 20 minutes. Shane van Gisbergen, driving for Kaulig Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 2:14.728, and a speed of 91.117 mph.

Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Friday, March 22, at 5:00 PM CST. Since Circuit of the Americas is a road course, the qualifying system is a two group system, with two rounds. Drivers will be separated into two groups, Group A and Group B. Each driver will have multiple laps to set a time. The fastest 5 drivers from each group will advance to the final round. The fastest driver to set a time in that round will win the pole.

Under a 2021 rule change, the timing line in road course qualifying is "not" the start-finish line. Instead, the timing line for qualifying will be set at the exit of Istanbul 8. Kyle Larson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole after advancing from the preliminary round and setting the fastest time in Round 2, with a track record lap of 2:12.076, and a speed of 92.946 mph.

Two drivers would fail to qualify: Kaz Grala and Preston Pardus.

Race results
Stage 1 Laps: 14 Stage 2 Laps: 16 Stage 3 Laps: 20

Standings after the race

 * Drivers' Championship standings


 * Manufacturers' Championship standings
 * Note: Only the first 12 positions are included for the driver standings.