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COTA hasn't had a great race for the WEC since 2013's speed and strategy duel that Audi Sport and TMG engaged in. That was actually an interesting race. 2014 ended up being a straightforward Audi romp after Porsche and Toyota had their early race challenges blunted by a severe thunderstorm and resulting track flooding. Even one Porsche's outside change at a win faded fast due to hybrid or engine problems with a couple of hours to do.
2015 was an equally straightforward romp by Porsche, and 2016 was an Audi clinic for the first 4 hours, then a Porsche romp for the final 2 after Audi, as at Nurburgring, found themselves on the wrong end of a FCY/green flag pit stop exchange. But without that, or without the #7 Audi getting taken out of contention in an accident shortly after the FCY and the #8 having electrical problems, it would otherwise have been an Audi Sport romp from start to finish.
COTA might be one of Tilke's more interesting and inspired tracks, but outside of that, it hasn't produced a great WEC outside of 2013. Also, I've heard and read that Epstein has been basically neglecting the track. The midway isn't in good shape and has been uninspired/never really been anything special to begin with. Also, part of at least one walkway in the track is an engineering disaster waiting to happen, as it might become a sinkhole with a good enough rainstorm or two.
COTA isn't helped in that there's other tracks in North America that are better or at least just as good and appealing without the dark and negative overtones of what might be going on behind the scenes. Add to that the fact that COTA isn't really popular for track days or teams for private testing. Only Audi Sport on the sportscar end has done any serious testing there from the WEC/IMSA crowd, and that was back in early 2014.
Audi and Porsche might be down with running on NA Grade 2 tracks, but we know that the WEC is highly indifferent to such tracks. Teams also might find it inconvenient to drive cars to the garage area for repairs due to mechanical problems or accident, or to do so during practice just to make set up changes vs having the garage stalls being basically part of the pit box. Also, it'll make things more difficult for teams to use their current procedures for the one wheel gun at a time tire changes rules in the WEC. Yes, Audi did run at Sebring in 2012 and '13, but those races were run as part of the ALMS, which used IMSA's pit rules, which allowed two wheel guns to be used at the same time during tire changes.
It also doesn't help that the ACO/FIA are trying to create an identity for the WEC separate from IMSA, and it's ALMS and Grand Am predecessors. Fact is that though the ACO haven't exactly covered themselves in glory with North American marketing for the WEC (and IMO have relied too heavily on Audi and Porsche doing the work for them, al la the ALMS in 2006-08), you do have to ask if it's mostly a COTA problem. After all, 15 million people live within a three hour driving radius of the Austin metro area. But even allowing for sportscar racing being a niche cult sport in NA, and football being king in Texas this time of year, you almost have to say that COTA's got problems.
And with the scheduling issue, a change of date might help as far as looking for better weather and avoiding the football crowd. But in fairness, other than really shuffling the WEC schedule, where is a good place to put COTA's date? The WEC have staggered their races to have the UK/EU races happen in on part of the season, NA to happen in another part, and Asia-Pacific/Middle East happen in another, with having the races relatively close to each other as far as geography goes.
All I can say is that unless COTA gets bought by someone who gives a damn about the track and fan and series/team experiences, even allowing for September in Austin being hotter than the 4th and 5th circles of hell from Dante's Inferno, or the ACO broker deals with Indy or Montreal, or some owner of a Grade 2 tracks makes certain concessions to the ACO (like updating, even if temporarily, pit and garage facilities to WEC preferences), I'd have to say that unless something changes soon, Mexico City might be the only NA WEC race come 2018.
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