AUSTIN, Texas – The NASCAR at COTA Twitter account on Wednesday morning tweeted that auto racing is coming back to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin in 2021.

Fans were encouraged to make a deposit for the NASCAR Cup Series event, which is slated for May 23.

It’s the first time the NASCAR will be featured at the Circuit of the Americas. 

“Our company is proud to have a 60-year history of fabulous firsts in motorsports entertainment, and we are honored to bring America’s premier racing series to one of the world’s most renowned entertainment venues and cities for the very first time,” Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith said in a press release. “I’d like to thank COTA CEO Bobby Epstein as well as NASCAR’s executive leadership for supporting us in an endeavor to do something that we believe will be spectacular for race fans, not only in Texas but around the world.”

The announcement couldn’t come at a better time for the track as much of its 2020 slate was eliminated due to the coronavirus pandemic. That included the Grand Prix of the Americas, the AutoNation IndyCar Challenge, and Formula One’s United States Grand Prix.

A news release stated that information concerning race length, course selection, and a full weekend schedule will be made available at a later date.

Additionally, there was no immediate information concerning social distancing measures or a cap on fan attendance.