Posted on by Staff Report

The following article is brought to you by BetMGM.

Since 1960, NASCAR has visited Atlanta International Speedway. With no restrictor plates holding cars back, this is one of the fastest venues in NASCAR. For more than 60 years, fans have flocked to this speedway — typically for two races. But in 2011, it was scaled back to just one. In 2021, things changed. We’re back to two visits to The Fastest Track in the South.

RELATED: NASCAR Bet Center | See the betting odds for Sunday’s race from BetMGM

So what is going to happen this weekend? Take a look:

THE FAVORITE

Kevin Harvick (+550)

Sometimes, it seems like we’re stuck on repeat when it comes to Kevin Harvick — but there’s good reason for it. The guy is good. He isn’t competing against the gauntlet of veterans he was for the first 15 years of his career, and the guy has dominated at certain tracks. Hey, what else can we say? He’s good.

This 1.5-mile track is known for its speed, and that will be in play this weekend. Harvick has been the best of the pack at taming the craziness of Atlanta, posting nine top-five finishes to go with his three career wins.

He’s actually been exceptionally good on the track since coming over to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, finishing with six top 10s in seven races with two poles and two wins. Harvick will start No. 7 on the grid based on the NASCAR’s lineup formula for weekend’s without practice or qualifying, but even with this being a standard intermediate 1.5-mile track, that shouldn’t be a problem for him if his car is good enough to push forward.

OTHERS: Brad Keselowski (+700) may be listed with the fourth-best NASCAR odds to win at Atlanta, but he has arguably the second-best resume. In 12 career Cup races at Atlanta, he has eight top-10 finishes, four top-fives, and two wins. Kyle Larson (+650) has one of the top average-finish marks among active drivers in NASCAR Cup and also had four top-five finishes in the Xfinity Series.

THE DARK HORSE THREAT

Kurt Busch (+2500)

Sometimes I get the feeling people are ruling Kurt Busch out as a serious competitor because he’s getting up there in age. But this guy can seriously race, and Atlanta is one of the hotspots. Among active drivers, Busch is tied with Harvick (above) with three career wins at the track.

The same goes for top-ten finishes with 15 apiece for the elder brother Busch and Harvick. Busch is still in good equipment with Chip Ganassi Racing, so don’t count out Kurt. He likes Atlanta, and his track record — pun intended — is pretty strong in the Peach State’s state capital city.

OTHERS: Are Joey Logano (+900) and Kyle Busch (+900) really ever “dark horses” in any race? That’s a good question. But in this race, they’re not considered top threats when it comes to NASCAR racing odds. So there may be an advantage here for a shrewd racing fan.

Logano not only dominated this track in his short time in the Xfinity Series, he has performed well in NASCAR Cup. And Kyle Busch? Come on, he’s Kyle Busch. He’s won twice — one of only four current drivers who’ve won NASCAR Cup races here — and he has one of the top average finishes here. He’s a threat anywhere he goes, but any diehard fan knows that.

THE INTRIGUING LONG SHOT

Christopher Bell (+2500)

Bell won one of his two Xfinity Series races at Atlanta but has only run once with the NASCAR Cup Series. Still, he’s been strong in 2021 and is turning heads. He’s a young talent with three top 10s already this year, a victory at the Daytona Road Course and he will start No. 8 on Sunday in his Joe Gibbs Racing machine.

Bell currently is eighth in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series standings. With his Daytona win, he’s already set up nicely for the postseason, but even if he didn’t have a victory, he’d be off to a great start.

OTHERS: Erik Jones (+15000) has an average finish of 15th in four career starts at Atlanta, and he performed rather well in the lower NASCAR series when he visited Atlanta. He’s an up-and-comer to keep an eye on and seems to enjoy racing at Atlanta.

Posted on by Staff Report

Jimmie Johnson’s debut weekend at Sebring International Raceway got off to a rough start with a crash in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series qualifying.

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion looped the No. 48 Action Express Ally Cadillac in Turn 16 and then made significant contact with the tire barrier at Sunset Bend, the last of the 3.74-mile course’s 17 turns. Johnson was evaluated and released from the track’s care center.

Johnson, 45, retired from full-time NASCAR competition after last season, transitioning to part-time duty in both IndyCar and IMSA this season. Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (10 a.m.-10 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMSA.tv, NBC Sports Gold TrackPass) is the second of four IMSA starts planned for Johnson this season, who competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January and intends to enter endurance events at Watkins Glen (June 27) and Road Atlanta (Nov. 13).

RELATED: Johnson set for Sebring challenge | Full IMSA coverage

“I’m certainly disappointed that I tore up the car for the team, putting them in a difficult position,” Johnson said in a news release. “They seem eager and ready for the challenge to get the Ally Cadillac back together for tomorrow. I spun in Turn 16. I was trying to get up and going to catch another flying lap before the session ended. Sadly, I had some debris on my tires as I entered 17 and tagged the outside wall. I learned a couple of lessons there. Call them rookie lessons.”

Johnson will share driving duties Saturday with Kamui Kobayashi and Simon Pagenaud. Chad Knaus, who was crew chief for Johnson’s seven Cup Series titles, is on hand at Sebring to assist the Action Express team and to plan race strategy.

Fellow Action Express driver Pipo Derani won the pole position for Saturday’s Sebring race in the No. 31 Cadillac. The No. 48 Cadillac was listed last among the seven DPi entries on the qualifying chart after Johnson’s trouble.

Posted on by Marcus DiNitto

Bettors faded Kevin Harvick ahead of last week’s race in Phoenix, but as the NASCAR Cup Series visits Atlanta this week, it’s clear the betting market still has plenty of faith in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. At both BetMGM and Barstool Sportsbook, as of this Friday writing, Harvick is listed as the +550 favorite (bet $100 to win $550) to take the checkers at Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.

Priced at +160 to finish in the top three and -115 (bet $115 to win $100) for the top five, Harvick boasts the shortest odds in those Barstool markets as well.

After a dominant 2020 season, in which he won nine races and logged a 7.3 average finish, Harvick seeks his first victory since last September in Bristol, a span of 12 races. He also has just one top three over that stretch.

MORE: Full Atlanta odds

Several indicators, though, point to Sunday as the day Harvick gets off the schneid, beginning with his stellar history at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54-mile layout on which he has thrived.

Harvick has won two of the last three races in Atlanta and has led 1,111 laps there over the last seven – no other driver is even close. His nine career top fives and 1,348 laps led at the track lead all active drivers, and his 15 top 10s (out of 30 starts) are tied for first with Kurt Busch.

And with the exception of his 20th-place finish in Las Vegas, Harvick hasn’t exactly struggled this season. He’s finished sixth or better in four of the five races, and he ranks third among full-time drivers in average finish (8.2) and fifth in average running position (9.7).

So while Harvick’s early-season woes seem to have been overstated, the betting market is ready for his rebound. Another indicator: He’s listed as the +235 favorite in a group prop against Brad Keselowski (+260), Joey Logano (+260) and Kyle Busch (+340), the shortest price for any driver in the six group props posted at SuperBook USA in Las Vegas.

Lots of ways to get involved Sunday

Earlier this week, we stressed the importance of bettors having multiple “outs,” or sportsbooks where you’re able to make bets, allowing you to shop for the best lines. What may seem like minimal gaps between odds offered at various shops can make major differences in your long-term betting success.

Looking at this week for examples, if your pick to win in Atlanta is Keselowski, Barstool’s +750 offers the fatter payout than BetMGM’s +700. But BetMGM has +225 on Denny Hamlin to be the top Toyota, 10 cents better than the +215 hung at Barstool.

There are also over/under props posted at both books on the number of the winning car. Which shop you should place your bet at depends on which side of the prop you like. If you think the winner’s number will be over 9.5, Barstool’s -143 is the better price; if you like under 9.5, BetMGM’s +110 is the more advantageous number.

Barstool continues to offer lots of creative ways to get involved in Cup races. Among this week’s options: three different over/unders on car of race winner (5.5, 9.5, 18.5), three over/unders on grid position of race winner (4.5, 6.5, 9.5), and odds on any driver winning both Stages 1 and 2 and win the race.

Championship odds update

Kyle Larson, who won the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas and whose only finish outside the Top 10 came at the Daytona Road Course, has made the most significant leap up the championship odds board at the SuperBook since the season began. Opening at 10-to-1 odds at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign last November, Larson has been shortened to 5/1, sharing co-favorite status with Harvick, Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., to lift the trophy this November in Phoenix.

Hamlin, who sits atop the Cup standings heading into Atlanta, and Truex, who secured his spot in the 16-team playoff with a win last week in Phoenix, were both 8/1 when betting opened.

The long-shot winners of the season’s first three races, naturally, have seen their prices trimmed with their playoff spots all but locked up. William Byron has moved from 30/1 to 20/1 and Christopher Bell from 50/1 to 30/1, while Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell is a distant 1,000/1 after being left off the SuperBook’s initial futures offering.

Moving in the wrong direction is Kyle Busch, who’s been lengthened from 12/1 to an 8/1 opener during his less-than-impressive start to the season that sees him in 15th place.  A third-place finish in Vegas is the best result so far for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Toyota, which has finishes of 14th, 35th and 25th through the season’s first five races.

Ryan Blaney’s odds to win the championship, meanwhile, have stretched to 20/1 after opening 14/1.

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on by Staff Report

The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series makes its return next week with a twist, one that parallels the real-life NASCAR Cup Series’ newest schedule addition.

The iRacing circuit — which made its debut last year with Cup Series drivers and other stars in action — opens its 10-race season Wednesday on the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track, four days before the Cup Series races on its real-world counterpart venue. Series organizers announced some details about the race format and schedule Friday afternoon.

RELATED: iRacing Pro Invitational Series set to return

Coverage on FS1 begins at 6 p.m. ET Wednesday, with the first of three 20-lap qualifying heats to start at approximately 8 p.m. ET. Qualifying to set the fields for the qualifying heats will take place at 7:50 p.m. ET, with drivers using the best of two laps. Seven drivers will advance from each heat to make up a 21-car field for the feature.

The nearly two-hour block before the heats will be for open practice, and FOX Sports’ Race Hub will feature live look-ins as drivers get their feel for the half-mile track’s surface. The main event — set for an 8:40 p.m. ET grid — is scheduled for 70 laps.

MORE: Latest eNASCAR news

Caution periods will be set manually, and competitors will be allotted two car resets for damage. Should the race go into overtime, a maximum of three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish will be held.

A full entry list will be released next week. NASCAR Cup Series standouts will be featured, and former driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. has committed to entering the Bristol Dirt event.

RELATED: Dale Jr. to take part in iRacing Pro Series Invitational opener

The iRacing Pro Invitational Series was created last year as NASCAR officials looked for alternative ways to race after the COVID-19 outbreak. Drivers from multiple NASCAR circuits competed in the seven-race simulation series, which began March 22 and concluded May 9.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

Brad Keselowski enjoys giving back, especially to those who have served in the military for the United States of America. This weekend he and his Checkered Flag Foundation are taking it to a new level with a special Tribute 2 Veterans paint scheme and custom-painted helmet.

Originally, starting the Checkered Flag Foundation was a no-brainer for Keselowski. As a privileged person who can live out his childhood dream, he needed another purpose. Thus, the Checkered Flag Foundation was born.

“When I think of those that make our sport possible and that I appreciate, the military and our first responders stand out the most,” Keselowski recently told NASCAR.com. “I wanted to do something to help those that are willing to make that tremendous sacrifice.”

Over the years, Keselowski’s foundation has done tremendous work for the community, raising over $3.8 million to support heroes. Some of the activities have included building a Fisher House in his home state of Michigan, and help fund the Town of Mooresville’s Officer Jordan H. Sheldon Memorial Dog Park which is scheduled to open over the next two months. Now, throughout the month of April, the name of a child whose parent(s) are in the military will ride along the No. 2 car above the passenger side window to raise awareness for Month of the Military Child. The list goes on and on.

That continues this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Atlanta weekend schedule | Paint schemes for Atlanta

Celebrating the foundation’s 10th anniversary, Keselowski’s No. 2 Autotrader Ford will feature more than 200 names on it, spanning from military veterans to active military, military families and their caregivers. The reason is to acknowledge the ongoing commitment to the well being of veterans and those around them.

Similar to years past at Atlanta, Autotrader has allowed Keselowski to use its primary scheme to help promote his foundation, but more importantly, current and past military members.

“There are very few sponsors in NASCAR that have embraced my foundation, or foundations in general like Autotrader has,” Keselowski said. “They’re such a great company for giving back to their team members. They have a number of their team members that are on the car as well, which is really cool.”

For this year’s Tribute 2 Veterans paint scheme, people submitted their hero’s name via the foundation’s social channels. Also, for the first time in eight years, Keselowski will be wearing a custom-painted helmet, which will be auctioned off beginning Sunday, March 21 at 9 a.m. ET on his foundation’s social media pages and the NASCAR Foundation’s pages. The auction will close on March 29.

RELATED: Bookmark this page to bid on Brad Keselowski’s helmet starting Sunday

To wear a painted helmet is different for Keselowski, but an idea through a combination of people: the foundation and the designer at Off Axis Paint, Greg Stumpff. It’s a white layout with the American flag and Ford logo plastered on it. On the side, there’s a logo of CFF and the rear features Keselowski doing a burnout with his signature American flag out the window.

Keselowski Helmet
Photo courtesy of Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation

Plain and simple, Keselowski was happy with the way the helmet turned out.

“I usually don’t ever sell anything helmet related, but my wife (Paige) asked very nicely and I said, ‘Yes, we’ll raise proceeds with the helmet for the foundation after the race,’” Keselowski said. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Keselowski noted he typically wears an unpainted helmet because it sends a message to his team: he cares solely about winning and not the aesthetics of looking glamorous.

When it comes race time, don’t be surprised to see Keselowski running towards the front. Not only is he a two-time Atlanta winner, but he’s on a streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes at the track, tied with Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. for the longest active streak.

“It’s been a good track for us for sure,” he said. “It’s a track that we’ve just taken to, and I’m looking for big things this weekend.”

PHOTOS: See every Atlanta Motor Speedway winner

Since first running the special Autotrader paint scheme to honor the military, Keselowski was victorious in 2019 at Atlanta, leading 33 laps.

“[That] was a huge win,” Keselowski added. “It’s such a tough racetrack. It’s so fast and loses all the grip in the tires and becomes just a complete cardio and arm workout session, trying to keep the car manhandled on the bottom or top of the racetrack as it’s sideways.

“I really like the challenge that track represents, and to win there means a lot to me personally.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Hall of Famer, three-time Cup Series champion and Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart is engaged to drag racer Leah Pruett.

Stewart announced the news on Twitter Thursday evening, and Pruett also tweeted about the happy moment.

Stewart retired from full-time NASCAR competition after the 2016 season. He had 49 wins for his Cup career and won championships in 2002, 2005 and 2011. He was inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Who run the world? Girls.

Because girls have the power to grow into strong, trailblazing women.

And in honor of Women’s History Month, NASCAR.com is recognizing female members of the NASCAR community — as evidenced in the above video profile on nine different women across the sport, both on and off the track.

RELATED: Women in NASCAR, recognizing the sport’s trailblazers

What makes this even better: The project not only featured women on camera but also behind it. The entire production crew was female.

Interviews and footage were gathered last Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, as the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series each hosted a race on the 1-mile Arizona track. Producers then returned to Charlotte and went to work in the edit rooms Monday through Thursday.

Below is a list of the women involved (not including yours truly as the writer of this short piece).

Profiled:

Shannon Bednarek – NASCAR official
Toni Breidinger – ARCA Menards Series driver
Brehanna Daniels – Pit-crew member
Julie Giese – Phoenix Raceway track president
Jamie Little – FOX reporter
Tiffany Myrick – NASCAR official
Dalanda Ouendeno – Pit-crew member
Stephanie Russo – NASCAR official
Gracie Trotter – ARCA Menards Series driver

Production crew:

Aurora Bellard – Producer/Editor
Jaynie Buford – Camera operator/Producer/Editor
Glen Charlton – Camera operator/Producer/Editor
Leslie Clough – Audio
Paula Hermsdorf – Producer/Editor
Mele Mason – Camera operator
Jennifer McCaffery – Field Producer
Autumn Read – Field producer/Production manager

Remember, these women and all of the women within the NASCAR industry deserve to be recognized and supported even outside the month of March.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

John Hunter Nemechek won in his third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start for Kyle Busch Motorsports — holding off team owner Kyle Busch in the process to take the checkered flag March 5 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Even though Nemechek has a victory and playoff spot in the bank, the mission hasn’t changed for the driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, as he heads for Atlanta Motor Speedway and Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200 (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“I don’t think we’re going to change our plan of attack whatsoever,” says Nemechek, who will start from the pole in the first leg of a Saturday doubleheader with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. “We’re here to win races. #Here4Wins is the hashtag we’ve been using since the announcement of myself coming to Kyle Busch Motorsports. 

“(Crew chief) Eric (Phillips) and I are on the same page. Kyle, Toyota and all of our partners want to win, and that’s why we’re here. We are going to go try and win everything we can from poles to stages to practice to races. Anything and everything that we can win, we want to.”

RELATED: Atlanta weekend schedule | Lineup for Saturday’s race

Nemechek, who triumphed at Atlanta in 2016 in family-owned NEMCO Motorsports equipment, is one of five former winners in the field. The list includes Matt Crafton (2015), Brett Moffitt (2018), Busch (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2019) and Grant Enfinger (2020). 

Busch’s presence sets up another potential showdown between the team owner and his marquee driver. And Busch would loath to lose two in a row. 

“At Las Vegas, John Hunter was a little bit better than us at the end of the race, and I hate I finished second, obviously, but it’s nice to see our Tundras getting used to their full potential and running up front,” Busch says. 

“I’m excited to have John Hunter racing at KBM this year and to have Eric Phillips back on board. I felt like, when we were able to make that move over the offseason and pair those two together, it was going to be a winning combination. Three races in, we’ve already reaped the benefits.” 

Posted on by Reid Spencer

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway, AJ Allmendinger is undefeated.

OK, Allmendinger has started only one race in the series at the 1.54-mile track, but the result last year was a milestone win for the driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet — his first in any of NASCAR’s top three series on an oval.

Allmendinger was a part-timer last season. This year he’s full-time with Kaulig Racing, and he already has announced his championship intentions with an oval victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the fourth race of the season.

RELATED: See every 2021 Xfinity Series winner | Atlanta weekend schedule

Once considered a one-trick pony on road courses, Allmendinger relishes a return to Atlanta this weekend for Saturday’s EchoPark 250 (5 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“I have always loved Atlanta,” says Allmendinger, who is fourth in the Xfinity Series standings behind Kaulig Racing teammate Jeb Burton. “It’s such a fun race track to drive because of the worn-out pavement and how much the cars slide around. 

“Atlanta will always be special to me after winning my first oval race there. I can’t wait to get back to it this weekend.”

Kaulig Racing boasts an enviable record entering Saturday’s race. For 38 straight races from the start of the 2020 season, at least one Kaulig driver has finished in the top 10. The organization also has placed at least one of its cars in the top five in all five events this season.

In addition, Allmendinger is the only former Atlanta winner in the field this week. 

To triumph in the second leg of a Saturday doubleheader at Atlanta, however, the Xfinity regulars will have to beat NASCAR Cup Series interloper Martin Truex Jr., fresh from his victory in last Sunday’s Cup event at Phoenix Raceway.

Plus this weekend, the Atlanta Motor Speedway Xfinity race will serve as the qualifier for the first round of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash program. The highest finishing four NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time competitors at Atlanta will qualify for the first round of the Dash 4 Cash at Martinsville Speedway on April 9.

RELATED: Complete Dash 4 Cash schedule for 2021

Posted on by Reid Spencer

It’s unusual for the NASCAR Cup Series to run six races to start a season without seeing a repeat winner.

Not since 2014, when Kevin Harvick became the first multiple winner in the eighth event of the season, has the series produced six different winners in the first six races.

Last year, there were two duplicate winners in the first six races — Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. That was the harbinger of a spectacular season for those two drivers, who combined to win 16 of the 36 points races.

Five different drivers have taken checkered flags to start the 2021 season, and that streak is likely to continue at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Sunday’s Folds of honor QuikTrip 500 (3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

MORE: 2021 Cup Series winners

Harvick and Keselowski have dominated Atlanta in the recent past, each winning two of the last four events. Neither driver has won a race so far this season. Neither has Keselowski’s Team Penske teammate, Joey Logano, who won two of the first four races in 2020.

And though two of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates—William Byron and Kyle Larson—already have tasted victory this year, reigning champion Chase Elliott has not. Current Cup Series leader Hamlin, a seven-time winner in 2020, likewise has yet to visit Victory Lane.

RELATED: First win of season by recent NASCAR champs

In fact, the top three drivers in the point standings —Hamlin, Keselowski and Logano— all have achieved their current ranks without winning.

Atlanta Motor Speedway hasn’t been repaved since 1997, and the old, abrasive asphalt at the 1.54-mile track favors veteran drivers who can manage their equipment and preserve tire life over the course of a fuel run.

“Atlanta is definitely a tough place,” says Elliott, who finished eighth in last year’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. “The race track has a lot of wear to it—the surface is one of the oldest that we go to—so finding grip is a challenge. The track has a lot of character and is very line-sensitive to where you can and can’t run to find that.

“You really have to hit your marks in Atlanta to have success. I think the track conditions this weekend will be pretty similar to last year in a lot of ways. The No. 9 team and I have talked a lot about last year’s event. That’s how we’re going about the setup for Sunday is from last year and taking things away from how we did—what we did good and what we can improve on.”

If form holds, Elliott will have to improve to beat Harvick, who led 151 of the 325 laps last year, including the final 55 circuits during a 108-lap green-flag run to the finish.

Given Harvick’s strength at Atlanta—not to mention the sizable group of as-yet-winless powerhouse drivers who will start Sunday’s race—it’s likely the streak of different winners will reach six this weekend.