4 things to know heading into NASCAR weekend in Atlanta
HAMPTON, Ga. (WSPA) – It’s one of the most thrilling stops on the NASCAR schedule for both Xfinity and Cup Series drivers.
Atlanta is home to some of the tightest finishes in NASCAR history, massive wrecks, and unpredictable outcomes.
The newly named EchoPark Speedway, formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway, is known for its unpredictability. Here are four things to look for this weekend.
Historical Home Track Success
One driver has historically had great success at the track. Look for Xfinity Series driver, and Georgia native, Austin Hill to maintain his home track dominance.
Hill claimed victory in the February race at Atlanta, marking his third straight win and fifth overall at the track. Some other drivers said the 21 car is the one to beat.
Austin Hill climbs out of his car in Victory Lane after winning the Xfinity Series race on February 22, 2025 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. (Courtesy: NASCAR, Chris Graythen with Getty Images)
“We have a pretty good idea of what we’re going to bring to the track and, you know, shout out to Joe Gibbs Racing’s motor department. They’ve helped us here these last couple of weeks making our motor program a little bit better to get closer to battle that 21 car. He’s always the one that we see that’s fast at this style of race tracks,” said Brandon Jones, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver.
The Drafting Dynamics
Wins in Atlanta don’t come easy, which leads us to our second focus of the weekend: the drafting dynamics.
Since its track reconfiguration in 2022, Atlanta features 28-degree banks and narrow superspeedway-style racing. It’s setting up what’s expected to be a weekend of action under the lights.
Recent NASCAR Cup Series races at Atlanta have delivered dramatic finishes, which include Daniel Suarez’s 0.003-second win in 2024 and Christopher Bell’s last-lap overtime pass in 2025.
As the sun goes down, the conditions are expected to change, including the temperature on track, which makes execution and pit stops elements that can make or break a race.
Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Autotrader Ford, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on September 8, 2024 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. (Courtesy: NASCAR, Logan Riely with Getty Images)
Christopher Bell and Atlanta Motor Speedway General Manager Brandon Hutchison bite into peaches after Bell’s victory Sunday, February 22, 2025 at Atlanta. (Courtesy: NASCAR, Jonathan Bachman with Getty Images)
“We continue wanting to bring more to the record books and to our fans, our race team, our sponsors, and all that,” said Logano.
That factors into the importance of Cup qualifying, the first thing to look for.
Competitive Qualifying Session
Expect a fiercely competitive qualifying session Friday afternoon that will determine critical track positioning that will be needed to stay up front and avoid wrecks.
Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney won the spring pole in Atlanta at 170 mph.
Debut of Cup Series In-Season Challenge
It’s a NASCAR-style spin-off of March Madness. The first bracket round kicks off at EchoPark Speedway with 32 drivers battling for a $1 million prize over the next five races.
The field of drivers was set based on points through the Pocono race last week, and drivers were seeded based on performances at Michigan, Mexico City, and Pocono, according to NASCAR.
The race carries dual significance: traditional season points and knock-out tournament elimination. One bad day could eliminate even the top drivers from the million-dollar chase.
The green flag will drop for the Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. EST on CW and the Cup Series Quaker State 400 will follow Saturday night at 7 p.m. Eastern.
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