Atlanta 101: Odds, Goodyear tire info, facts and more

Posted on July 9, 2021July 9, 2021 by Zach Sturniolo

The NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second time this season for Sunday’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Ryan Blaney netted the win down in Georgia when the series made its first visit of the season back in March. Will the No. 12 team find a way to repeat or will someone else make the trip to Victory Lane in Hotlanta?

GEORGIAN ROOTS EARN TOP STARTING SPOT

Chase Elliott, a native of Dawsonville, Georgia, will start from the pole on Sunday via the performance formula after claiming the win last weekend at Road America.

Starting directly behind Elliott is the entirety of Joe Gibbs Racing, as Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Martin Truex Jr. round out the top five. Check out the whole starting lineup here.

FAN ATTENDANCE

After a limited 35% capacity crowd was permitted in March, Atlanta Motor Speedway will be completely open to fans this weekend.

Fans will also be permitted to bring one clear bag and one soft-sided cooler no larger than 14” X 14” X 14” to bring food and beverages into the grandstands, although glass is prohibited.

More fan information for Atlanta Motor Speedway can be found here.

RULES PACKAGE

Because Atlanta Motor Speedway sits at 1.54 miles, the NASCAR Cup Series will utilize the 550-horsepower, high-downforce package this weekend. This package features taller spoilers and longer splitters to increase drag and downforce.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Atlanta’s surface is one of if not the most abrasive on the Cup Series circuit. Its rough, aggregate asphalt tears tires to shreds, wearing tires as much as three seconds per lap, according to Goodyear.

Teams will have 10 sets of tires to use this weekend, made of the same compounds used during the March race weekend, and it’s fair to expect them to utilize a new set every chance they get.

“It is well known that Atlanta’s abrasive surface really wears tires very aggressively,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “It’s also a track where the pit crews play almost as big a part in the race as the drivers. For the drivers, ‘tire management’ will be the phrase of the day. Those that are smoother on and off the throttle and don’t slide their tires will be able to save more of their tires’ performance for the end of a run.

“As a result, some guys will be able to run several tenths of a second quicker over the second half of a run and make up a lot of positions over those that were aggressive early.”

NASCAR HISTORY AT ATLANTA

— NASCAR has been visiting Atlanta Motor Speedway since 1960, one year after its scheduled debut was delayed due to inclement weather delaying construction.

— This season marks the first since 2010 that Atlanta will host two Cup Series races as it did since 1960. The Hampton, Georgia, track hosted just one race yearly between 2011-2020.

— Last paved and reconfigured in 1997, Atlanta’s surface is the second-oldest in the series, only behind the concrete at Dover International Speedway.

— On Tuesday, Atlanta announced it would again be resurfacing and reconfiguring the mile-and-a-half track, this time creating 28 degrees of banking in the corners while also narrowing the racing surface.

— Ryan Blaney’s March victory was Ford’s fifth in a row, the longest manufacturer streak in track history.

Source: Racing Insights

MONEY ON THE LINE

Despite finishing outside the top 10 last week at Road America for the first time in nine races, Kyle Larson is Las Vegas’ No. 1 man. BetMGM lists Larson at 9-4 odds entering Sunday’s contest at Atlanta, a fitting estimation considering the No. 5 car dominated the day at the same track in March, leading 269 laps and winning both stages before getting passed by Ryan Blaney with nine laps to go.

Larson is the favorite by a lot. The next best odds go to Kyle Busch at 15-2 and Chase Elliott at 8-1.

If you’re looking to gain some cash, though, perhaps consider William Byron at 12-1. Byron finished eighth at Atlanta in the spring and finished in the top 10 in both stages, plus he’s yet to finish outside the top 10 in any of the five 1.5-mile races this season.

HOTLANTA STORY LINES

– Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in track history with 14, led 271 of 325 laps in March, with Kyle Larson finishing second, Alex Bowman third and William Byron eighth.

– Kyle Larson holds the best average finish among average drivers at Atlanta, averaging 12.14 in seven starts, bettering Kyle Busch’s 13.48 in 23 starts.

– Bill Elliott is the only Georgia-born driver to win at Atlanta and did so five times.

– Kyle Larson led the most laps in the last four races on 1.5-mile tracks, tying the Cup record held by Richard Petty and David Pearson. No one has ever led the most laps in five straight races on 1.5-mile tracks.

– Kyle Busch and William Byron are the only two drivers who have finished inside the top 10 in each of the five races held at mile-and-a-half facilities this season.

– Toyota’s last Atlanta win came from Kyle Busch in August 2013. Since that victory, Toyotas have gone to Victory Lane 98 times on 23 tracks, including eight triumphs at Pocono Raceway alone.

– The last seven Atlanta races have only produced four total winners: Brad Keselowski (2), Jimmie Johnson (2), Kevin Harvick (2) and Ryan Blaney (1).

– Kevin Harvick has led the most laps in six of the last eight Atlanta races, including 151 laps in 2020. The March race marked the first Atlanta event in which Harvick didn’t lead a lap since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

Source: Racing Insights

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts. It’s not too late to join in on the competition.

The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (794), Kyle Larson (781) and William Byron (704).

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on July 9, 2021July 9, 2021 by Pat DeCola

Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace are used to hanging around a G.O.A.T. these days, but how about a “rockstar?”

The 23XI Racing co-owner Hamlin and driver Wallace had face time in the latest video from American rapper and singer/songwriter Post Malone, a track called “Motley Crew,” which also features former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. The longtime rock mainstay Lee was also the 2019 Auto Club grand marshal and hyped up Cole Custer for last year’s playoffs.

Shot at Auto Club Speedway, the video features the pair of Cup Series stars along with four NASCAR Racing Experience cars: Wallace’s Root Insurance car, a 23XI wrap representing Hamlin, the traditional NRE No. 43 and a Raising Cane’s Chicken wrap. The video story line involves Malone racing against other NASCAR stock cars and winning the race before ultimately celebrating in Victory Lane with his “Motley Crew.”

“Had an incredible time shooting at Auto Club Speedway with Denny, Bubba and everyone else that came out to party,” Malone said. “Thank you to my NASCAR family.”

The new track, which dropped Friday, is the first fresh music from Malone since releasing his Hollywood’s Bleeding album in 2019. Malone’s accolades include 10 Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards and an MTV Video Music Award. He also has received six Grammy nominations during his career.

“The Post Malone video was a good time,” Hamlin said. “I’m a fan of Post Malone and to be able to represent NASCAR and 23XI Racing in his latest music video was great. We experienced their side of things, now I’d love to get those guys to a race and show them around our team and the ins and outs of NASCAR, take them around the track in one of our Camrys and let them get the true feel of our cars. It was a good day overall. Looking forward to seeing the finished video this week with everyone else.”

#MotleyCrew out now. https://t.co/KHUX4GOq2e

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) July 9, 2021

Notable guest appearances in the video, which was directed by Cole Bennett and co-produced by DreVision Media, include Lee, Wallace, Hamlin, Big Sean, French Montana, Kerwin Frost, LoveLeo, SAINt JHN, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyga, Pressa, Trinidad James and Tyla Yaweh, who performed the bespoke version of “All the Smoke” for this year’s Daytona 500 before attending the race.

“It was a really cool experience,” Wallace said. “The whole thing came together pretty quick, but great opportunity and a lot of fun. These are the things that we need to continue to do to bring new eyes and fans to our sport. From meeting Post Malone, everyone involved, being in the video, seeing it all come together, whirlwind 24 hours, but awesome time.”

This isn’t the first time Wallace and Malone have crossed paths. Back in 2018 during the height of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the avid gamer recruited Malone and fellow rapper Drake to “squad up” with him in the survival game.

u have good taste in video games my friend. I'm in🎸🎸🎸💕💕🍻🍻🍷

— Post Malone (@PostMalone) August 16, 2018

Posted on July 8, 2021July 8, 2021 by Holly Cain

NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series will debut at a new venue — and this Friday, it’s the famed Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway half-mile dirt, short track. The Corn Belt 150 Presented by Premier Chevy Dealers at Knoxville (9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Racing on dirt isn’t necessarily new to the Truck Series, which competed at Bristol this spring and held seven races on the famed Eldora (Ohio) Raceway from 2013-19. This week’s new venue — renowned as the “Sprint Car Capital of the World” and host of the summer’s Knoxville Nationals — creates a fresh challenge for the Truck Series drivers and has definitely become a popular venture as far as fans are concerned.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. won the Bristol Truck race on dirt earlier this season with full-time series championship competitors Ben Rhodes finishing runner-up and Todd Gilliland finishing fourth. Current championship leader, five-race winner John Hunter Nemechek finished 39th on the Bristol dirt track, crashing out after completing only 48 laps.

Nemechek, 24, arrives in Knoxville riding a career year in NASCAR competition. He won the last truck race – two weeks ago in Pocono – to extend his series-best victory total to five. He’s won three of the last four races (at Charlotte, Texas and Pocono), has led laps in 11 of the season’s 13 races and his 485 total laps out front is more than double that of any other full-time series competitor. Nemechek has a series-high eight top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota.

As Rhodes, 24, showed at Bristol this spring, he is up for the dirt challenge. The driver of the No. 99 ThorSport Toyota has kept Nemechek honest in the championship standings all season – winning the opening two races and adding that runner-up at Bristol. Interestingly, he’s earned 10 top-10 finishes, but led only 74 total laps in 13 races – only 11 laps in the last five races. Certainly, Rhodes would like to re-establish some consistency heading into the playoffs. In the last four races, he has two top-10 finishes and two finishes 17th or worse.

Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford is another driver to watch at Knoxville. He didn’t lead a lap the first seven races of the season, but the team has obviously switched into gear and he’s led laps in five of the last six. In fact, Gilliland has been particularly effective on the new venues to this year’s schedule – winning at Circuit of The Americas, finishing fourth on the Bristol dirt and finishing runner-up at Nashville. He’s third in the championship and one of only four full-time drivers with a victory to ensure his place in the Truck Series Playoffs.

With two races remaining in the regular season, Chandler Smith holds a 31-point advantage over former series champion Johnny Sauter for that final playoff transfer position. Tyler Ankrum is 33 points behind Smith.

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Holly Cain

The NASCAR Xfinity Series makes its first “return” trip of the season, racing for the second time in 2021 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Saturday’s Credit Karma Money 250 (3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Justin Allgaier is hoping for an Atlanta season sweep. He beat NASCAR Cup Series regular Martin Truex Jr. in March for the Atlanta victory and has been among the hottest full-time Xfinity Series drivers of late, finishing in the top five in three of the last four races – including runner-up work at both Texas Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway. The 1.5-mile Atlanta track has been particularly good for the driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. He has seven top-10 finishes in 11 career starts, including the last four races there.

Allgaier’s JRM teammate, Noah Gragson, is another driver with a good history at Atlanta. He has had an inconsistent year with a series-high six DNFs, but Gragson has never finished outside the top 10 in three Atlanta starts, including a runner-up finish in 2020 and a fourth-place finish this March.

The driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet has yet to win a race this season but has answered an uncharacteristic streak of three DNFs with four top-10 finishes in the last four races. He sits 10th in the championship standings with nine races remaining to set the 12-driver playoff field.

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric leads all full-time series drivers with four wins in 2021 but has two finishes outside the top 10 in the last five races. Although Cindric has not won previously at Atlanta – his best finish is seventh in 2018 – he has been particularly strong at 1.5-mile tracks, where he has four top-five finishes this season. The driver of the No. 22 Ford has led laps in 16 of the 17 races to date. His 534 laps out front nearly 200 more than the next best total (Daniel Hemric’s 345).

These drivers expect good competition this weekend from Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger, who sits second to Cindric in the championship hunt. Allmendinger earned his first career NASCAR oval victory at Atlanta last year and shows up this week with seven top-six finishes in the last eight races, including a win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. In two Atlanta starts, he has a win (2020) and a fifth place (2021).

Similarly, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Daniel Hemric has continued to turn in the top-10 results. He was runner-up to Kyle Busch at Road America last week. In four Atlanta starts, he has never finished worse than 11th.

Of course, the biggest challenge on the grid for full-time series drivers this weekend is Busch, who has literally been perfect this season in the Xfinity Series, winning all four races he has competed in. This weekend marks the last Xfinity start for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, and he’d love to tie up his 2021 work with a victory circle ending. He won his last two Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta – in 2016 and 2017 – and has five more runner-up showings in 13 career Xfinity races at the track. Three times he has led at least 100 laps.

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Press Release

NEW YORK — USA Network announced Thursday it has given the green light for “Race for the Championship (WT),” an exhilarating new eight-part docuseries about the elite drivers and teams competing in this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. It is set to premiere in 2022.

With the backdrop and high stakes of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and Championship, “Race for the Championship” will take viewers inside the lives of NASCAR’s top drivers and teams on and off the track. Across eight thrilling episodes, the all-access series will chronicle the sport’s best as they balance their personal lives with the passion, pressure and perils of racing, all for a chance to make history.

The 10-week NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begin at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. For playoffs results and schedule, click HERE.

“Race for the Championship” is produced by NASCAR Productions with NASCAR’s Tim Clark, Matt Summers and Amy Anderson serving as executive producers.

Posted on July 8, 2021July 8, 2021 by Alex Weaver

NASCAR.com will preview the NASCAR Cup Series racing action at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 11, live at 1:30 p.m. ET before the running of the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart. NASCAR.com’s Alex Weaver will host the live show from Atlanta Motor Speedway, joined by reporter Alan Cavanna.

The pre-race show will feature exclusive interviews with NASCAR Cup Series drivers, a sitdown with NASCAR on FOX’s Larry McReynolds, top moments in Atlanta Motor Speedway history, debates, fantasy start/sit thoughts and an on-site look at the track.

The race is set to air at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App and will feature NASCAR’s biggest names in the second Cup Series race at Atlanta this season.

Fans can catch the live pre-race show Sunday at 1:30 pm ET on NASCAR’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

Posted on July 8, 2021July 8, 2021 by Terrin Waack

A lot of talk in recent weeks has been centered around Hendrick Motorsports, and understandably so. The Chevrolet organization has won seven of the last eight points-paying events.

The outlier in that stretch was a win by Joe Gibbs Racing, and with that came chatter about whether the Toyota-backed team is catching up to its competitor.

ATLANTA: Weekend schedule | Betting odds | Paint schemes

Remember, there is still a third manufacturer in the field. Ford just hasn’t visited Victory Lane since April 25. Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, though, could be the end of that 10-race drought.

Ford has won the last five races at Atlanta, making it the only make to win five consecutive times in track history.

Chevrolet’s last Atlanta win was in 2016 with Jimmie Johnson, who is now retired from the series. Toyota’s goes back to 2013 with Kyle Busch.

Those details paint a different picture than the current 2021 landscape in which Chevrolet claims 10 of the 20 races so far, Toyota has six and Ford has four.

Atlanta’s winningest active drivers are Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, with three victories apiece. Two of Harvick’s wins were in a Ford, the other a Chevrolet. Busch had one win in a Ford, the others in a Dodge, which no longer runs in the sport. Neither the elder Busch nor Harvick has won this season, and they both won in 2020. Busch had one win, but Harvick had a series-best and career-high nine wins. Harvick still drives a Ford, and Busch is now in a Chevrolet.

BetMGM put Harvick at 9-1 odds for Sunday, making him for the highest-favored Ford driver and putting him fourth overall. Busch is further down on the list at 33-1.

Chase Elliott is then 8-1 from the pole position, Kyle Busch represents the highest Toyota at 15-2 and Kyle Larson is 9-4 to put Chevrolet atop the board.

Ryan Blaney, who won the Atlanta race earlier this season, is an 10-1 favorite. He actually took the lead from Larson with nine laps remaining in the 325-lap event. Compared to Larson’s race-high 269 laps led, Blaney was out for just 25 – including the most important one. There were three Fords in the top 10, three Toyotas and four Chevys.

Chevrolet has been dominant in 2021, with Toyota trailing, but Ford has dominated at Atlanta in recent years – and Atlanta is up next.

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Staff Report

Dirt-track qualifying procedures that were washed away with barely a trial run at Bristol Motor Speedway are back. The format, which includes qualifying heats with incentives for passing, will return for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ debut at Knoxville Raceway.

The procedures will set the starting lineup for Friday night’s Corn Belt 150 at the Iowa half-mile. The first of four heats is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET with the 150-lap main event set for 9 p.m. ET — all broadcast on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Torrential rain and flooding nixed qualifying for both the Cup Series and Trucks at Bristol’s dirt layout in March, mothballing the revised race structure until this weekend. Here’s how that system is laid out, with qualifying, pit-road procedures and race format:

Starting lineup format

Four qualifying heats of 15 laps each will be held, with only green-flag laps counting. No overtime rule will be in effect, but free-pass and wave-around procedures will remain.
Qualifying heat assignments and starting positions will be determined by a random draw, conducted in order of team owner points standings. A total of 40 trucks are on the Knoxville entry list, which would mean 10-truck fields for each heat. The main event’s field is capped at 40 trucks, so barring a late entry, all trucks will qualify for the feature.
The starting lineup will be determined by a formula that weighs finishing position plus the number of positions gained during each heat. Drivers finishing first in their heats earn 10 points, second place earns nine, third place collects eight and so forth. Additionally, drivers earn one passing point for each position gained in their heat; there are no point deductions or “negative points” for drivers who lose positions in their heats. The points totals determine starting positions. Also, these points are only used to determine the starting lineup and do not count toward the season-long championship standings.
Ties in these combined points totals will be broken by current team owner points.

Pit-stop format

Teams will not be allowed to change tires or add fuel except during the breaks between stages.
Teams are required to pit during at least one of the stage breaks. There will be no race onto or off pit road, using a controlled pit-stop procedure similar to the format in previous dirt-track events. The non-competitive pit stops must be completed within a designated time limit (to be determined).

Stages and schedule

Stages for Friday’s main event will end at Lap 40 and Lap 90, with 150 laps the scheduled full distance.
The series will hold an 80-minute practice session Thursday, starting at 7:05 p.m. ET (FS1).

Posted on July 8, 2021July 10, 2021 by Staff Report

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, will go head-to-head with three other nominees for the Best Driver honor at the 2021 ESPYS on July 10.

In 2020, Elliott won the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and grabbed his first Cup championship at Phoenix Raceway, becoming the third-youngest Cup Series champion in NASCAR history.

The 25-year-old first-time nominee will be up against IndyCar’s Scott Dixon, NHRA’s Erica Enders and Formula 1’s Lewis Hamilton.

“I’m super grateful for the consideration,” Elliott said. ” … Those are some great race car drivers, obviously different disciplines than what we do on the NASCAR side, but I feel like anybody who’s involved in motorsports, you have an appreciation for other types (of racing) and I’ve always respected those names. It’s crazy. I’m honored and very grateful for the consideration.”

RELATED: Vote for Best Driver of 2020

Elliott has had eight top-five finishes this season and was named the Most Popular Driver in the Cup Series in 2018, ’19 and ’20.

Hendrick Motorsports is having a historic run in 2021, having become the winningest Cup Series team in NASCAR history in May, surpassing Petty Enterprises, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The ESPYS were held remotely last year and a best driver was not awarded, but NASCAR’S Kyle Busch was the last driver to get the honor at the 2019 ceremony.

Fans can vote here and watch the live ceremony at 8 p.m. ET on July 10 on ABC.

Driver	ESPY Wins	Years honored
Jeff Gordon	4	1996, 1998, 1999, 2007
Jimmie Johnson	4	2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Tony Stewart	3	2003, 2006, 2012
Kyle Busch	2	2016, 2019
Dale Earnhardt Jr.	1	2004
Kevin Harvick	1	2015
Dale Jarrett	1	2000
Bobby Labonte	1	2001
Martin Truex Jr.	1	2018

Posted on July 8, 2021July 8, 2021 by Official NASCAR Release

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR and United Rentals, the largest equipment rental company in the world, announced a multiyear partnership Thursday that will designate United Rentals as the “Official Rental Equipment Partner of NASCAR” beginning in 2022. The wide-ranging agreement will span across the sanctioning body and NASCAR-owned facilities.

“United Rentals is the premier equipment rental company around the globe, so their expanded presence in NASCAR will further enhance support for both the race and the event experience at our facilities,” said Jeff Wohlschlaeger, NASCAR’s vice president and chief sales officer. “As we build on our new partnership with United Rentals, we will feel the strength of the organization’s support behind the scenes and showcase our collaborative partnership through race entitlements at three of our NASCAR-owned tracks.”

“Our customers count on us to provide high-quality equipment, service and expertise, and we are excited to bring those resources to our partnership with NASCAR,” said Dale Asplund, United Rentals’ executive vice president and chief operating officer. “With a shared focus on exceeding customer expectations and delivering exceptional results, we see NASCAR as a natural partner. We look forward to working together.”

The multiyear United Rentals partnership includes race entitlements for 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events at Watkins Glen International and Martinsville Speedway and future spring NASCAR Xfinity Series events. The United Rentals 176 at The Glen on Aug. 7 will be the last regular-season race for the Camping World Truck Series and the United Rentals 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 30 will be the penultimate race of the series’ season.

United Rentals, a preferred partner this season, will become an official partner of NASCAR beginning with the 2022 season. The brand will also be the “Official Heavy Power Rental Equipment Company of NASCAR” and the “Official Port-O-Let Partner of NASCAR.”

As part of the partnership, NASCAR-owned facilities will work collaboratively with United Rentals for access to rental construction and industrial equipment, supplies and tools and additional items for ongoing facility maintenance and race preparations and support. The partnership will also extend to non-race events hosted at NASCAR-owned facilities.

To learn more about United Rentals, visit unitedrentals.com.