Posted on by Jason Christley

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The ARCA Menards Series East and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will resume their 2020 seasons and fans can watch the races live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

  • The ARCA Menards Series East will run its second race of the season with the Herr’s Potato Chips 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway on Saturday, June 13 at 6 p.m. ET.
  • The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will open its season with the Wade Cole Memorial 133 presented by Dunleavy’s Truck and Trailer Repair at Jennerstown Speedway on Sunday, June 21 at 2:30 p.m.

Both races will be run without fans, but the live race broadcast on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will be free for both events.

The ARCA Menards Series East race from Toledo will also air on NBCSN on Thursday, June 18 at 3 p.m. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener from Jennerstown will air on NBCSN on Friday, June 26 at 12 a.m.

RELATED: Whelen Modified Tour Reschedules Opener To Jennerstown

In addition, fans can catch up on the ARCA Menards season by watching the first four races free on TrackPass. The service also hosts the 2019 Whelen Modified Tour season and nearly 50 long-form documentaries on NASCAR’s biggest stars, venues and stories.

TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold is available on desktop web browsers and via the NBC Sports app on iOS and Android phones and tablets, Apple TV (Gen 4), Roku, Amazon Fire TV, AndroidTV, Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex and Chromecast devices connected via HDMI.

Posted on by Staff Report

Chase Elliott, take a bow — again.

Late last month Elliott held off a determined Kyle Busch in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, taking the checkered flag and claiming stake in a $100,000 bounty along with it. Then, he performed Busch’s signature victory bow, adding a bit of fuel to their recent spicy relationship.

MORE: Chase Elliott wins Gander Trucks race, earns Kyle Busch bounty

How’d he get the money? After seeing Busch win his previous seven starts in the series, driver Kevin Harvick and Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Camping World, each put up $50,000 for any full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver who could beat Busch in a Gander Trucks race.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver (who drove a No. 24 GMS Racing entry to win this race) announced Friday how he’d be allocating the funds, with an eye toward philanthropy — and giving back toward a cause close to Busch’s heart.

Busch’s cause is the Samantha and Kyle Busch Bundle of Joy Fund, dedicated to advocating for infertility education and awareness and removing financial barriers by granting monetary awards to couples who require fertility treatments to have their own bundle of joy.

Posted on by Staff Report

All Out Motorsports: Korbin Forrister

All Out Motorsports partnered with American Health Care Association, Georgia Health Care Association and Florida Health Care Association to recognize Nursing Home Heroes.

During the Atlanta race week, drivers will be visiting a nursing home in Atlanta delivering “Thank You Hero” packets to staff and residents. With tracks closed to public, drivers are showing appreciation for their fans. Drivers will remain outside the facility due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Front Row Motorsports: Todd Gilliland

Love’s Travel Stops, a partner for Front Row Motorsports, is providing bonuses and meals for employees that continue to work during the COVID-19 outbreak. Love’s is also offering additional paid sick time for employees.

To help the youth who depend on daily school resources, Love’s donated $100,000 to the United Way of Central Oklahoma COVID-19 Response Fund, earmarked for services provided to youth. During March 27 to May 31, the company gave more than 20,000 free drinks to first responders and medical professionals as a small thank you to those battling the virus.

Halmar Friesen Racing: Stewart Friesen

Halmar International, a heavy civil construction management firm and partner in Halmar Friesen Racing, purchased and donated 32,000 pounds of food to four different food banks in the New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. The firm utilized members of the Halmar Friesen Racing team and the team’s hauler to deliver enough food for approximately 27,000 meals for vulnerable regions. Driver Stewart Friesen will run a paint scheme at Atlanta with the outreach name and logo, “Racing to Beat Hunger.”

Hattori Racing Enterprise: Austin Hill

Hattori Racing Enterprise hosted four iRacing charity events between March 28 and May 1 to benefit FeedNC.org, a non-profit organization that provides nourishing meals an encouragement to those in need. Several drivers participated including Austin Hill, Max McLaughlin, Derek Kraus, Ryan Truex, Stewart Friesen, Brett Moffitt and Landon Cassill. Jacob Seelman from Speed Sport News and Hannah Newhouse served as commentators for two of the events. Overall, the events raised $1,114 for FeedNC.

Kyle Busch Motorsports: Christian Eckes

Kyle Busch Motorsports and driver Christian Eckes utilized their team’s 3D printer to build visors, a critical piece for face shields used by workers on the frontlines of COVID-19 response. The team’s 3D printer can produce 10 visors per day.

Niece Motorsports: Jeb Burton

Jeb Burton, driver for Niece Motorsports, partnered with God’s Pit Crew and Carilion Clinic to package 500 meals and 500 backpacks for children in the Roanoke City Public School system. Each meal box contained several meals, snacks and drinks and each backpack was packed with toiletries and blankets for children in need. God’s Pit Crew, based in Danville, Virginia, is a non-profit, faith-based crisis response team of over 700 volunteers who wish to serve others in their time of need. Carilion Clinic is a non-profit integrated healthcare organization that provides care for nearly one million Virginians and West Virginians.

NEMCO Motorsports: Joe Nemechek

NEMCO team owner, Joe Nemechek, was active in the creation of a new testing booth with family-owned Chek Industries, Inc. Mark Chek, owner of Chek Industries, and his brother Joe Nemechek partnered with the Lake Norman Regional Medical Center to build a custom designed and fabricated diagnostic testing booth to help those on the frontlines of COVID-19.

The booth allows a hospital staff member to step inside — no personal protective equipment required, though it can act as a secondary layer of protection — and place their arms into the rubber gloves fixed to the portholes. They can then collect a swab or sample from the patient and place the specimen into a bag. The rubber gloves can quickly be disinfected and ready for the next patient, without the need for the healthcare professional to do a complete change of PPE.

Reaume Brothers Racing: Angela Ruch

Angela Ruch, driver for Reaume Brothers Racing, lost her father-in-law, Robert Carl Ruch, to COVID-19. Ruch honored her father-in-law, an Air Force Veteran, with a special paint scheme at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Angela made history in 2019 by becoming the first female in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series to lead laps at Daytona International Speedway.

Reaume Brothers Racing created RBR Graphics amid the pandemic to keep our employees employed during a time of uncertainty, and having NASCAR put on hold. The team started making social distancing decals and signs to help businesses stay in compliance with CDC guidelines, as well as their respective state procedures. As an effort to help and give back, part of the proceeds are being donated to COVID-19 relief charities/efforts

Levrack, partner for Reaume Brothers Racing, used its pallet racking storage unit (which helps utilize space by using a tracked pallet racking system) to help build a mobile COVID-19 testing center for Bryan Medical Center. They also sold over $1,000 of T-shirts and gave their profits to local relief efforts.

GMS Racing

GMS Racing held a food drive for families of the students at Celeste Henkel Elementary, a Title 1 school in Statesville located near the race shop. During the COVID-19 disruption, many students’ families were affected financially. The school opened a bus where families could pick up breakfast and lunch during the week, but the teachers and staff were concerned that for many of the children, that was their only meals. Many students were only receiving those two meals and were not eating dinner during the week or at all on weekends.

GMS donated to a food pantry opening up at the school where families pick up additional food if needed to stock their pantry and the students are able to have access to a healthy meal during a time of increased financial uncertainty. The donated items will provide snacks and meals for more than 60 families in the community that may have gone hungry otherwise.

Posted on by Staff Report

The starting lineup for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) has been set.

Chase Elliott will start from the pole position, with Aric Almirola joining him on the front row to lead the field to green for the 325-lap, 500.5-mile race.

The lineup for the race was determined by a random draw, with results airing on FS1’s “Race Hub.” The parameters for the draw were as follows:

  • Positions 1-12 determined by a random draw from charter teams in those positions in team owner points
  • Positions 13-24: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40 will be filled out by open, non-chartered teams in order of owner points

RELATED: Entry list for Atlanta

Here is a look at the full lineup:

Starting spot Driver Car # Team
1 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
2 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
3 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
4 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
5 Clint Bowyer 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
6 Brad Keselowski 2 Team Penske
7 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
8 Alex Bowman 88 Hendrick Motorsports
9 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
10 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
11 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
12 Kurt Busch 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
13 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
14 Erik Jones 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
15 Jimmie Johnson 48 Hendrick Motorsports
16 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
17 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
18 John Hunter Nemechek 38 Front Row Motorsports
19 Matt Kenseth 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
20 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
21 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Wood Brothers Racing
22 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
23 Bubba Wallace 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
24 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
25 Corey LaJoie 32 Go Fas Racing
26 Joey Gase 51 Petty Ware Racing
27 Christopher Bell 95 Leavine Family Racing
28 Ty Dillon 13 Germain Racing
29 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
30 JJ Yeley 77 Spire Motorsports
31 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
32 Josh Bilicki 27 Rick Ware Racing
33 Brennan Poole 15 Premium Motorsports
34 Garrett Smithley 53 Rick Ware Racing
35 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
36 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
37 Daniel Suarez 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing
38 Timmy Hill 66 Motorsports Business Management
39 B.J. McLeod 78 B.J. McLeod Motorsports
40 Reed Sorenson 7 Tommy Baldwin Racing

 

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 4, 2020) — NASCAR today announced the next installment of events in its return to racing, featuring races at Pocono Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

FOX will close out its NASCAR Cup Series season with the *NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Wednesday, July 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1), while the NASCAR Xfinity Series season on FOX platforms will conclude at Kentucky Speedway (Friday, July 10 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1).

In turn, NASCAR welcomes back NBC for its sixth consecutive year of coverage when the NASCAR Xfinity Series (Saturday, July 4 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC) and NASCAR Cup Series (Sunday, July 5 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC) return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the Fourth of July weekend.

NBC will carry coverage of the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series through the balance of the season, including the new and highly anticipated playoffs schedule that is currently scheduled to culminate with the crowning of three NASCAR national series champions at Phoenix Raceway in November.

The third installment of the 2020 schedule is as follows: 

DATE TRACK SERIES DISTANCE NETWORK START (ET)
June 26 Pocono ARCA Menards 200 mi FS1 6 p.m.
June 27 Pocono Gander Trucks 150 mi FS1 12:30 p.m.
June 27 Pocono Cup 325 mi FOX 3:30 p.m.
June 28 Pocono Xfinity 225 mi FS1 12:30 p.m.
June 28 Pocono Cup 350 mi FS1 4 p.m.
July 4 Indianapolis Xfinity 151 mi NBC 3 p.m.
July 5 Indianapolis Cup 400 mi NBC 4 p.m.
July 9 #Kentucky Xfinity 200 mi FS1 8 p.m.
July 10 Kentucky Xfinity 300 mi FS1 8 p.m.
July 11 Kentucky Gander Trucks 225 mi FS1 1 p.m.
July 12 Kentucky Cup 400 mi FS1 2:30 p.m.
July 15 Charlotte ARCA Menards 150 mi FS1 4 p.m.
July 15 Charlotte Cup (All-Star Open) TBA FS1 7 p.m.
July 15 Charlotte Cup (All-Star Race) TBA FS1 8:30 p.m.
July 18 Texas Xfinity 300 mi NBCSN 3 p.m.
July 18 Texas Gander Trucks 250 mi FS1 8 p.m.
July 19 Texas Cup 501 mi NBCSN 3 p.m.
July 23 Kansas Cup 400 mi NBCSN 7:30 p.m.
July 24 Kansas Gander Trucks 200 mi FS1 7 p.m.
July 24 #Kansas ARCA Menards 150 mi FS1 10 p.m.
July 25 #Kansas Gander Trucks 200 mi FS1 1:30 p.m.
July 25 #Kansas Xfinity 250 mi NBCSN 5 p.m.
Aug. 2 New Hampshire Cup 318 mi NBCSN 3 p.m.

NASCAR’s modified event procedures and protocols have been finalized in accordance with public health officials, medical experts and local, state and federal officials. Further national series dates will be announced at a later date.

The NASCAR Cup Series will return to racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway this Sunday, June 7, with a 500-mile event scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET, live on FOX, FOX Deportes, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

*  More details on the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race will be announced at a later date.

# NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway (July 9) realigned from New Hampshire Motor Speedway / ARCA Menards Series race at Kansas Speedway (July 24) realigned from Chicagoland Speedway / NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway (July 25) realigned from Chicagoland Speedway / NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway (July 25) has been realigned from Iowa Speedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR announced its third installment of the rebuilt 2020 schedule on Wednesday, a 23-race update that begins at Pocono Raceway on the final weekend in June and ends at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a NASCAR Cup Series race on Aug. 2.

The final breakdown: seven points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races, six NASCAR Xfinity Series races, five NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races and three ARCA Menards Series events. The schedule also includes the annual NASCAR All-Star Race and NASCAR All-Star Open, slated for July 15 (a Wednesday night) at Bristol Motor Speedway with a format to be announced at a later date. The entire schedule is at the bottom of this article.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway will also host events during the homestretch in advance of the NASCAR Playoffs.

FOX will close out its NASCAR Cup Series season broadcasts with the All-Star Race in July. The Xfinity Series season on FOX platforms will conclude at Kentucky (July 10). FOX will continue to broadcast Gander Trucks events for the rest of the season.

NASCAR will welcome back NBC for its sixth consecutive year of coverage during the Fourth of July weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Other notes:

— The anticipated Pocono doubleheader weekend remains as previously scheduled for the final weekend of June, with the Cup Series racing on back-to-back days.

— The Xfinity Series will run races on consecutive days at Kentucky Speedway, the result of which will push the Cup Series race from its previously scheduled Saturday night to Sunday afternoon.

— Kansas Speedway will host five races over a three-day stretch, starting with a Cup Series race under the lights on a Thursday night (July 23). Gander Trucks and ARCA race the next day, with Gander Trucks returning to kick-off a Saturday doubleheader with the Xfinity Series.

— The NASCAR Cup Series is the only national series event to race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kentucky Speedway (July 9) has been realigned from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

— The ARCA Menards Series race at Kansas Speedway (July 24) has been realigned from Chicagoland Speedway.

— The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks Series race at Kansas Speedway (July 25) is realigned from Chicagoland Speedway.

— The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Kansas Speedway (July 25) has been realigned from Iowa Speedway.

DATE TRACK SERIES DISTANCE NETWORK START (ET)
June 26 Pocono ARCA Menards 200 mi FS1 6 p.m.
June 27 Pocono Gander Trucks 150 mi FS1 12:30 p.m.
June 27 Pocono Cup 325 mi FOX 3:30 p.m.
June 28 Pocono Xfinity 225 mi FS1 12:30 p.m.
June 28 Pocono Cup 350 mi FS1 4 p.m.
July 4 Indianapolis Xfinity 151 mi NBC 3 p.m.
July 5 Indianapolis Cup 400 mi NBC 4 p.m.
July 9 Kentucky Xfinity 200 mi FS1 8 p.m.
July 10 Kentucky Xfinity 300 mi FS1 8 p.m.
July 11 Kentucky Gander Trucks 225 mi FS1 1 p.m.
July 12 Kentucky Cup 400 mi FS1 2:30 p.m.
July 15 Bristol Cup (All-Star Open) TBA FS1 7 p.m.
July 15 Bristol Cup (All-Star Race) TBA FS1 8:30 p.m.
July 18 Texas Xfinity 300 mi NBCSN 3 p.m.
July 18 Texas Gander Trucks 250 mi FS1 8 p.m.
July 19 Texas Cup 501 mi NBCSN 3 p.m.
July 23 Kansas Cup 400 mi NBCSN 7:30 p.m.
July 24 Kansas Gander Trucks 200 mi FS1 7 p.m.
July 24 Kansas ARCA Menards 150 mi FS1 10 p.m.
July 25 Kansas Gander Trucks 200 mi FS1 1:30 p.m.
July 25 Kansas Xfinity 250 mi NBCSN 5 p.m.
Aug. 2 New Hampshire Cup 318 mi NBCSN 3 p.m.
Posted on by Terrin Waack

The first Dash 4 Cash race is Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the EchoPark 250 (4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Four NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will be battling it out among the rest the of the 37-car field for not only the overall EchoPark 250 win but an additional $100,000 if they finish the highest among the Dash 4 Cash-eligible contingent. Those competing in the race within a race are Chase Briscoe, Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones and Noah Gragson.

There are four Dash 4 Cash events total, bringing the prize money to $400,000 total.

RELATED: Keep up with Dash 4 Cash results

“If people are able to sweep that, that’s like a brand new sponsor coming on board for nearly half a season,” Briscoe said on a Zoom teleconference Thursday. “It’s a huge deal to win one of them, but if you win four of them, it’ll literally change your entire program. So it’s a huge thing for us. I think everybody financially right now is struggling with everything going on with the COVID stuff, so for a team to be able to have that swing — from no new money coming in to potentially $400,000 — is a huge thing.”

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic paused all of NASCAR’s national-series schedules earlier this season for more than two months. The sport returned racing in late May without fans in attendance and with safety precautions implemented at track. Atlanta will mark the Xfinity Series’ fourth race back.

Drivers eligible for the Dash 4 Cash are determined by the results of the previous race. Briscoe, Burton, Jones and Gragson were the top-four full-time finishers (among drivers that have declared to be running for the Xfinity Series championship) last Monday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Whoever has the best finish of those four at Atlanta will win the $100,000 bonus and qualify for the next Dash 4 Cash event. The next three highest full-time finishers will join the winner in competing for the bonus at Miami. Talladega and a yet to be determined race will serve as the other races in the program.

“You’ve seen in years past guys be really aggressive to win the Dash 4 Cash,” Burton said on another Zoom teleconference Thursday. “It puts on great races. It reminds me of the old Cup (Series) races that were worth a million dollars to win. That always seemed like it put more pressure on everything, right? It was a playoff-like atmosphere. And that’s good. That’s a good little test for us. The guys that are in the Dash 4 Cash along with us are guys, I think, we have to beat to win the championship.”

Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

Anytime you mention Tim Richmond’s name in NASCAR circles almost everyone has a story to tell. Some are true. Some are legendary.

The story of 1986 was legendary. Richmond won seven races that year, more than any other driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. Richmond also walked away from 1986 with eight poles, 13 top fives and 17 top 10s. Despite the numbers, it wasn’t enough to claim the series championship — Dale Earnhardt won that.

The final race of the 1986 season was at Riverside International Raceway — a 2.6-mile road course in Riverside, California, where Richmond often dominated. It was the site of his first win — and his 13th and final win.

In this week’s NASCAR Classic Full Race Replay, go back to the 1986 Winston Western 500 and watch Tim Richmond put on a show to beat a hard-charging Dale Earnhardt on the twists and turns of Riverside.

Posted on by Staff Report

Clint Bowyer revealed his paint scheme for the throwback weekend later this year at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday night and, quite simply, it rocks.

Bowyer teamed with Kyle Petty to make the announcement during a live stream of the latter’s 1990 win at Rockingham Speedway that saw Petty take the No. 42 PEAK Pontiac to Victory Lane from the pole for his third career NASCAR Cup Series win. The win was a first for PEAK Antifreeze.

The No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang will adorn a similar scheme for the Labor Day weekend event.

Peak Tb 3q Back0
Courtesy Stewart-Haas Racing

“I watched that race as a kid and remember dreaming about lapping the field just like Kyle,” Bowyer said during the stream. “That car was always one of my favorites with the PEAK/Petty Blue and the hot pink stripe that was so popular in the early ’90s. I asked the guys at PEAK why they picked that scheme and they said, ‘ … you could always find it on TV because of the hot pink stripe.’

“In honor of his dominating performance, PEAK is bringing back the scheme for this year’s Darlington Throwback event later in the season. I can’t wait to drive this No. 14 PEAK Ford Mustang and maybe we can dominate Darlington like Kyle did that day in Rockingham.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Hampton, Georgia, for the first time since the COVID-19 shutdown halted its visit earlier this season. Atlanta Motor Speedway will play host to Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), an event originally scheduled March 15 before the postponement.

As with other events held since NASCAR returned to action after the coronavirus outbreak, the 325-lap race will take place without fans in attendance, and only a limited amount of essential personnel will be permitted on the track’s grounds. It will mark the sixth Cup Series race in NASCAR’s return and the 10th race overall this season.

Here’s a primer with helpful information for the showdown on the first Sunday of June.

RELATED: How to follow the races | Schedule for Atlanta

TRACK DETAILS

Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.54-mile oval that held its first NASCAR Cup Series event on July 31, 1960. Fireball Roberts was the winner of that day’s Dixie 300. The first race was originally scheduled for late 1959 but was not run because of inclement weather.

With a 2,332-foot frontstretch and an 1,800-foot backstretch, each quarter-mile turn is banked at 24 degrees. The asphalt surface is the third oldest on the circuit, last repaved in 1997. Dover International Speedway (1995) and Auto Club Speedway (1996) are older.

Sunday’s 500-miler will be the 113th race for NASCAR’s top division on the Georgia track.

RELATED: Memorable moments at Atlanta

STAGE LENGTHS

Stage 1 is set to end at Lap 105, Stage 2 at Lap 210, and the final stage is slated to conclude on Lap 325.

STARTING LINEUP

Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 will be held without practice and qualifying as NASCAR tries to limit exposure for on-site personnel to control the spread of coronavirus. The lineup will be determined by a random draw among groups in the team owner standings:

  • Positions 1-12: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 13-24: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40: Open teams in order of owners points

MORE: NASCAR Cup Series entry list for Atlanta

Pit-stall selection will be ordered based on finishing positions from the NASCAR Cup Series’ previous race — last Sunday’s Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway — followed by new entries in order of points.

For more information about starting-lineup procedures for national-series races scheduled without qualifying, click here.

RULES PACKAGE

The NASCAR Cup Series will use its 2020 intermediate track package. Cars will feature a 550-horsepower tapered-spacer engine with aero ducts (an adjustment made after the 2019 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway), an eight- by 61-inch rear spoiler and a front splitter with a two-inch overhang.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Tires are critical: The track surface at Atlanta Motor Speedway may be the most worn and hardest on tires for the NASCAR Cup Series. This leads to teams pitting short of their fuel window to take fresh tires or working tire management to their benefit. Some drivers race hard early, while other conserve their tires to make a later run. Teams will be allowed 13 sets of Goodyear Eagles. Atlanta is also where Goodyear runs its multi-zoned tread right-side tire, which debuted in NASCAR in 2013.

“Tires are always something teams and fans think about when NASCAR makes its annual stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “With the abrasive track surface, tires are an important part of the race. Tire management often comes into play as those drivers that are easier on their tires early in a run will profit from that later on. Teams will opt for four tires on every stop, even after just a handful of laps if the opportunity presents itself. That also draws in the team aspect of our sport as the pit crews will be very busy with 13 sets of tires for the race.”

New setup for all NASCAR teams: All three NASCAR national series will run the same tire setup, and it’ll be the first time teams have run either of the two Goodyear tire codes. For the Xfinity Series and Cup Series, compared to what was run last year at Atlanta Motor Speedway, both of the left-side and right-side tires feature construction updates to align with other speedways run. For the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, the tire setup features the same construction updates but also a compound change on the left-side tire — more grip — compared to last year at Atlanta. The right-side tire is a multi-zone tread tire, with a two-inch inboard compound designed for heat resistance (Endurance Zone) and a 10-inch outboard compound to give more grip (Traction Zone). Like all other NASCAR ovals greater than a mile in length, teams will be required to run liners in all four tire positions. Air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

STATS TO KNOW

— Toyota has not won at Atlanta Motor Speedway since 2013. The manufacturer has made it to Victory Lane at every other active track besides Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval since then. Ford has won the last three Atlanta races.

— Kevin Harvick led the most laps in five consecutive races at Atlanta Motor Speedway from 2014-19, trying him with David Pearson for the longest streak at the Georgia track. The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford won just one of those instances (2018). Harvick also has the most stage wins at Atlanta, with four tallies to his name.

— Bill Elliott is the only Georgia-born driver to win a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and he did so five times.

— Chase Elliott has the best average finish among active driver at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is averaging a 10.5 finish in four starts. Erik Jones has the next-best result, with a 10.67 average finish through three starts in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Everyone else is averaging a finish outside the top 10.

— Hendrick Motorsports has been dominant at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Chevrolet-backed organization has the most wins (14), runner-ups (16), top-five finishes (59) and top-10 runs (90). Its 3,031 laps led is second most of all teams.

— Three drivers won the last five races at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Brad Keselowski (two), Jimmie Johnson (two) and Kevin Harvick (one). There have been nine different winners in the last nine races held at a 1.5-mile track.

Source: NASCAR statistics, Racing Insights 

LIVE COVERAGE

Tune in Sunday at 3 p.m. ET to television coverage from Atlanta Motor Speedway on FOX and the FOX Sports App. For full radio coverage, listen in to PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on-air. 

RELATED: Ways to follow the races

For a more interactive experience, head over to NASCAR.com or the NASCAR app to check out an enhanced Race Center, live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the customizable live leaderboard with Scanner (which is FREE for both races), and the return of Drive (featuring in-car cameras).

Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the NASCAR Finish Line App.

2019 RACE WINNER

Brad Keselowski, who has already won two races in 2020, took his No. 2 Team Penske Ford to Victory Lane in last season’s trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was his second win in the last three races at the Georgia track. Keselowski led 33 laps and finished with a .218-second margin of victory over Martin Truex Jr.

RELATED: 2019 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 recap

ACTIVE ATLANTA WINNERS

Jimmie Johnson (five); Kurt Busch (three); Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch (two); Denny Hamlin (one).