Posted on by Jason Christley

SOUTH BOSTON, VA. — Peyton Sellers had talked last week about how much he was looking forward to getting back to racing at South Boston Speedway, his home track, for the 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season.

His return to South Boston Speedway for Saturday’s season-opening Back On Track Twin 75s Late Model Stock Car Division event was a stellar one.

The Danville, Virginia, resident swept the two 75-lap Late Model Stock Car Division races, giving him a good start toward defending his 2019 South Boston Speedway title and the 2020 NASCAR Virginia state championship.

“It just feels good to be back at South Boston Speedway,” Sellers remarked after completing the sweep.

“To come here and start the season off with two wins is a big feather in our cap. These season-openers are hard to win because everybody works so hard all winter long to build their cars fast. For us to be able to come out here and get two wins was really special for our team.”

Sellers scored a flag-to-flag win in the opening 75-lap race, edging rookie Landon Pembelton of Amelia, Virginia by just under a second. Rookie Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina finished third with Chris Denny of Timberlake, North Carolina and Stuart Crews of Long Island, Virginia completing the top five finishers.

The nightcap was much more difficult. Sellers started ninth by virtue of an inverted start among the top finishers of the opening race and was involved in a mishap with another car that resulted in a caution flag being thrown on lap 18.

After restarting 11th Sellers began picking his way through traffic, taking advantage of three caution periods that followed to put himself in a position to work his way back to the lead. Sellers passed Pembelton for the lead on the 46th circuit and held the lead over the final 29 to earn the win and complete the sweep.

Josh Oakley, the seventh-place finisher in the opening race, took the runner-up spot, finishing .875 second behind Sellers. Pembelton finished third, Mark Wertz of Chesapeake, Virginia took the fourth spot and Crews rounded out the top-five finishers.

There were three lead changes among four drivers in the nightcap, with rookie Zach Lightfoot, Oakley, Pembelton and Sellers all taking turns leading the race.

Moss, Winslow Split Limited Sportsman Division Twinbill

Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia and Eric Winslow of Pelham, North Carolina split wins in Saturday’s twin 25-lap races for the Limited Sportsman Division competitors.

Moss led 23 laps of the opening 25-lap race and pulled away to a 3.404-second win over Ryan Joyner. Joyner was later disqualified following a post-race inspection of his car by track NASCAR officials, elevating J.D. Eversole of North Chesterfield, Virginia to second place. Winslow was awarded third place with Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia and Danny Willis Jr, of South Boston, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

Winslow started on the pole in the second race and scored a flag-to-flag win, with Moss taking the runner-up spot. Dawson finished third with Brent Younger of South Boston, Virginia and Penn Crim Jr, completing the top five.

Crews Captures 30-Lap Budweiser Pure Stock Division Race

Nathan Crews of Long Island, Virginia got a leg up in his quest for a second South Boston Speedway Budweiser Pure Stock Division title by winning Saturday’s 30-lap race.

Crews cruised across the finish line 5.971 seconds ahead of Johnny Layne of Halifax, Virginia. Bruce Mayo of Halifax, Virginia finished third, Randy Hupp of Halifax, Virginia finished fourth and Josh Paynter finished fifth.

Dawson Takes Win In Budweiser Hornets Division

Josh Dawson of Halifax, Virginia started his 2021 season in a big way with a win in the 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division.

Jared Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia was the runner-up with Jason DeCarlo of Chase City, Virginia, Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia and Andrea Ruotolo rounding out the top five finishers.

Next Race At South Boston Speedway

Racing action returns to South Boston Speedway on Saturday, April 3 with the 2 p.m. running the of the NASCAR Late Model 100 racing program.

The four-race card will be headlined by a 100-lap race for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division.

The latest news and updates about South Boston Speedway and its racing events can be found on the new South Boston Speedway website at www.southbostonspeedway.com and on the speedway’s social media channels. Fans can also subscribe for e-mail updates on the speedway’s website.

Sobo Green Flag 032021
The field of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Cars takes the green flag for the start of the first 75-lap race of the season-opening Back On Track Twin 75s at South Boston Speedway. (Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway)

 

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials announced Sunday morning that they will not penalize Noah Gragson for his actions in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, ruling that pit-road contact between his car and Daniel Hemric’s was unintentional.

Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet backed into Hemric’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on pit road at Atlanta Motor Speedway after both drivers overshot their pit boxes. Their dispute erupted in a post-race scuffle after the EchoPark 250, with the two drivers trading shoves and swings before they were separated.

RELATED: Noah Gragson, Daniel Hemric tussle on pit road

Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition, said that the incident was reviewed after a post-race consultation with Gragson at the series officials’ hauler.

“We reviewed the incident which occurred between the 9 and 18 cars on pit road during Saturday night’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and met with Noah Gragson after the event,” Miller said in a statement issued Sunday morning. “A chain reaction of events led to the 18 and 9 both overshooting their pit stalls. The 9 ended up both long and out of his pit box to the outside, and needed to back up as far as possible to have any chance at fully pulling into his box. After reviewing the video, it is our judgment that the contact was not deliberate.”

Posted on by Jason Christley

Jonathan Davenport blasted from a 10th-place starting place to run away with the 40-lap Super Late Model portion of Saturday’s Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Davenport showed exactly why he’s nicknamed “Superman,” blowing by NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson with 15 laps to go and racing away for a 3.5-second win, pocketing $50,000 in the process.

Larson, who won a heat race earlier in the evening, wound up second. Dirt racing legend Scott Bloomquist finished third followed by Bobby Pierce and Frank Ingram.

Davenport, a three-time Lucas Oil Series national champion, said Saturday night’s victory ranked near the top of his racing accomplishments.

“This ranks right up there with anything I’ve done,” said Davenport, who is from Blairsville, Ga. “I just love this place in general. I think it means a lot for us to be here.

“We’ve had this circled on the calendar for a long time. It means a lot to me.”

Chris Ferguson, who started on the pole and had won a $10,000-to-win Super Late Model race in Friday’s Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals, fell out of the lead early and wound up seventh.

Larson dominated a 10-lap heat race early in the evening, racing to a comfortable win. But he said he was no match for Davenport in the feature.

“It was a fun race, even finishing second. The track was really good, we were able to move around,” said Larson, who will be back on track here next weekend for the Food City Dirt Race NASCAR Cup Series race.

“Davenport was just a lot better than me. He blew my doors off and put a straightaway on me and maintained it.”

#49: Jonathan Davenport, #51: Kyle Busch
Jonathan Davenport (#49) drives under Kyle Busch (#51) Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Despite starting deep in the field, Davenport was able to quickly work his way toward the front and by the half-way point he had wrestled the lead from Larson.

“You just never know how things are going to play out. I think it took me maybe 10 laps to get going good. We fired back off on a restart and I could just go by them. I knew then we had a good car,” said the 38-year-old Davenport. “Then we started along Scott (Bloomquist) on a restart, and we fired off so good. I could run wide open through the center. At that point I knew I was going to be really good on the long runs.”

NASCAR Cup star Kyle Busch, who was late arriving at the track after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, advanced to the feature with a second-place finish in the first 10-lap Super Late Model last chance qualifying race.

He started 19th in the feature and wound up 11th, one lap down.

Another NASCAR Cup Series driver, Austin Dillon, started on the pole and led every lap to capture the 20-lap 604 Late Model feature in dominating fashion. Dillon took a half-second win over Ross White with Shan Smith third.

#3: Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon celebrates his win Saturday night at Bristol.

“This was a lot of fun, a blast all weekend long,” said Dillon, who won three events during the week, including a heat race and feature on Tuesday. “It was a good tune up for next weekend.”

Kyle Strickler held off NASCAR Camping World Truck Series star Matt Crafton to claim the 20-lap Modified Open race. Michael Asberry came home third with Curt Spalding fourth and Drake Troutman fifth.

The 20-lap Stock Car race was a family affair with 16-year-old Dallon Murtry beating his father Damon Murty for the win. Derrick Agee wound up third.

In the 18-lap Hornet feature, Jake Benishek was the winner with Jason Ketron second and Kyle Stark third.

AUSTIN DILLON POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

The Food City Dirt Race at the dirt-transformed Bristol Motor Speedway is the first race on a dirt surface for the NASCAR Cup Series in more than 50 years. Richard Petty won the last Cup race on dirt in 1970 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.

The Food City Dirt Race will air on FOX and PRN Radio at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 28. The weekend also will feature Bush’s Beans Practice Day on Friday, March 26 and the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt for the Camping World Truck Series on Saturday, March 27, with the green flag dropping under the lights at 8 p.m. and race coverage by FS1 and MRN Radio.

Super Late Model A-Feature Results

1. Jonathan Davenport; 2. Kyle Larson; 3. Scott Bloomquist; 4. Bobby Pierce; 5. Frank Ingram; 6. Donald McIntosh; 7. Chris Ferguson; 8. Chris Madden; 9. Dakotah Knuckles; 10. Joey Coulter

11. Kyle Busch; 12. Coleby Frye; 13. Jay Scott; 14. GR Smith; 15. Travis Stemler; 16. Michael Rouse; 17. Adam Yarbrough; 18. Michael Chilton; 19. Brian Nuttall Jr.; 20. Kyle Lear

21. Jensen Ford; 22. Jon Hodgkiss; 23. Brandon Overton; 24. David Payne

604 Late Model A Feature Results

1. Austin Dillon; 2. Ross White; 3. Shan Smith; 4. Justin Hobgood; 5. Oscar McCown; 6. Steven Whiteaker; 7. Joseph Joiner; 8. Jackson Hise; 9. Todd Cooney; 10. Clay Harris

11. Michael Duritsky; 12. Tyler Arrington; 13. Jason Fitzgerald; 14. Cory Dumpert; 15. Brock Hall; 16. Kyle Lear; 17. JJ Mazur; 18. Ben Sukup; 19. Kevin Godwin; 20. Michael Combs

21. Corey LaJoie; 22. Anthony White; 23. Joe Sheddan

Open Modified A Feature Results

1. Kyle Strickler; 2. Matt Crafton; 3. Michael Asberry; 4. Curt Spalding; 5. Drake Troutman; 6. Clay Harris; 7. Michael Truscott; 8. Gunner Martin; 9. Steve Arpin; 10. Cory Davis

11. Aaron Branham; 12. Dalton Magers; 13. Andrew Charlson; 14. Victor Lee; 15. Daniel Sanchez; 16. Brad Deyoung; 17. KC Burdette; 18. Rich Michael Jr.; 19. Brayden Berry; 20. Mitch Thomas

21. David Reutimann; 22. Nick Stroupe; 23. Dave Pinkerton; 24. Brianna Robinson

Hornet A Feature Results

1. Jake Benischek; 2. Jason Ketron; 3. Kyle Stark; 4. Travis Brown; 5. Matt Pederson; 6. Dan Benson; 7. Billy Evans; 8. Terry Merritt; 9. Tim Raup; 10. Christopher Meyer

11. Josh Lank; 12. Andy Thompson ;13. Logan Clausen; 14. Phil King; 15. Tanner Earhart; 16. Wayne Risner; 17. Shannon Weaver; 18. Jaedon Erickson; 19. Brad Chandler; 20. Kaleb Hinkley

21. Walker Windham; 22. Chuck Fullenkamp; 23. John Windham; 24. Robert Williams; 25. Brandon Gibson Jr.; 26. Jonathan Sarratt; 27. Cyle Hawkins; 28. Don Rufener III; 29. Brandon Dalton; 30. Joshua Wood

31. Devon Dixon; 32. Hunter Anthony

Posted on by Staff Report

Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson traded swings and shoves in a post-race scrap after Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The two squabbled over pit-road space during a late-race stop, with Gragson’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Hemric in adjacent stalls. That dispute included contact when Gragson backed up and sent the No. 18 crew scrambling, then boiled over into a tussle after the cool-down lap.

RELATED: No penalty for Noah Gragson | Exclusive angle of Gragson, Hemric fight

Hemric exited his car and confronted Gragson as he conducted a post-race interview and the two traded pushes and threw punches before they were separated.

“Pretty simple. He had no idea what was going on out on the race track,” Hemric said later, explaining their battle for pit-road real estate. “We come down pit road and the guy pitted behind us when you accelerate when I was pulling into my box, and it made me have to steer around the guy going to the 9’s (Gragson) box. I backed up and yes, it messed up both of our pit stops.

“I backed up and he decided to put it in reverse and cram into the right-front fender and knock a hole in our Poppy Bank Toyota Supra nose. We had to pit again and fix it. That was completely deliberate and it was absolutely ridiculous. Where I come from, you get your eye dotted when you do stuff like that.”

Asked for further confirmation on whether Gragson’s action was intentional, Hemric confirmed: “Oh yeah, crammed it into reverse and backed up. Punched a hole in the nose of our car. Punched a hole in our car and I got one punched in his eye. We’re even.”

RELATED: Official results | Atlanta weekend schedule

Gragson rallied from a multi-car crash at the end of Stage 1 to finish fourth behind race winner and JRM teammate Justin Allgaier in the EchoPark 250. Hemric took ninth place, his fifth top-10 finish in six races this season.

NASCAR representatives said that Gragson had been ordered to the officials’ hauler for post-race consultation, indicating that the incident would be reviewed. Any potential penalties, officials said, would be addressed later in the week.

Gragson defended his actions in a subsequent interview and with a post-race tweet that included his pit-stop footage.

“I don’t know why he’s mad,” Gragson said. “We were behind him coming onto pit road … Then he was in our pit box and I had to come around him and not really sure why he was there, but had to back up and get there. … I’d be mad if I was in his shoes, too, just based off what he’s done in his career, but it is what it is and we’ll move on and keep on fighting. Man, what a day. Top five, we’ll go celebrate that.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

When Martin Truex Jr. made his only serious mistake on Saturday afternoon, Justin Allgaier took full advantage.

Even so, Allgaier had to hold off Truex during a 26-lap, green-flag run to the finish to win the EchoPark 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Official results | Atlanta weekend schedule

“We didn’t start out the day like we wanted to — these guys persevered behind it,” said Allgaier, who picked up his first win of the season, his first at Atlanta and the 15th of his career. “They pushed and made great adjustments on pit road — (crew chief) Jason Burdett and all the guys on the team did a great job. My wife and daughter are here. They may not be able to come out here (to Victory Lane), but I get to go celebrate with them. Just proud of the effort that we put in today.

“Martin had a great race car. They definitely had the car to beat at the beginning. We made good adjustments, and that’s what it came down to at the end.”

Harrison Burton ran third, followed by Noah Gragson, who recovered from a Lap 40 wreck and ended his day exchanging blows on pit road with Daniel Hemric — the result of an earlier pit road altercation between their two cars.

RELATED: Gragson, Hemric fight on pit road

A pit-road speeding penalty under caution on Lap 114 of 163 spoiled what had been the Truex show up to that point. Truex, who won the first two stages and led 103 laps, restarted at the back of the field on Lap 118 and spent the rest of the race working his way back to the front, aided by two subsequent cautions.

But Truex used up his No. 54 Toyota charging into the runner-up position and had little left for Allgaier in the closing laps.

“We got back up there, but obviously, we were kind of out of tires at that point,” said Truex, a two-time Xfinity champion who was racing in the series for the first time since 2010. “Got close, and then the last 10 (laps), the right rear was completely smoked off. Just had to use too much to get there.

“Thanks to (sponsor) Stanley and everyone else at JGR for letting me go do this. It was fun until I screwed it up. Just came up a little short at the end there.”

Hemric confronted Gragson after the race for backing into the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on pit road. Hemric had to pull into Gragson’s stall to avoid a car blocking his own pit box. After Hemric backed into his own stall, Gragson entered his and backed into the nose of Hemric’s Supra as crew members scattered.

“I got a hole in the nose of my car, and he got popped in the eye, so I’d say we’re in good shape,” Hemric said after the combatants were separated and had a chance to cool down.

RELATED: Gragson reacts to Hermric confronting him on pit road

A multicar wreck on the final lap of Stage 1 ruined the winning chances of a handful of contending cars. Contact from Brett Moffitt’s Chevrolet turned Brandon Jones’ Toyota into the outside wall on the backstretch.

Moffitt fell out of the race in 40th place, and Jones finished 37th, 31 laps down. The No. 22 Ford of series leader Austin Cindric, as well as the Chevrolets of AJ Allmendinger and Gragson, all sustained enough damage in the chain-reaction crash to affect their performance adversely.

Gragson and Allmendinger recovered to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. Cindric came home 13th, as his streak of five straight top-five finishes to start the season came to an end.

Allgaier, Burton, Gragson and Allmendinger qualified to race for the Dash 4 Cash prize when the Xfinity Series resumes at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, April 9 at Martinsville Speedway (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Note: The Nos. 07, 11, 17 and 98 cars each had one lug nut not secure in post-race inspection. There were no other issues.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

Kyle Busch wasn’t about to let two straight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races slip away.

Leading 102 of 130 laps and pulling away in the final stage of Saturday’s Fr8Auctions 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Busch notched his first victory of the season, his sixth at the 1.54-mile track and the 60th of his career — extending his own series record.

Busch beat runner-up Austin Hill to the finish line by 4.133 seconds. Third was John Hunter Nemechek, who had held off Busch, his team owner, to win the last Truck Series outing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Race results | Atlanta weekend schedule

“I thought we had a great truck at the start of the race,” said Busch, who collected his 214th NASCAR national series win. “We just kept working on it all day. We were loose to start, and we got it a lot better there. That final stage, we just took off, and it was super-fast, super-good. Can’t say enough about everybody at Kyle Busch Motorsports.” 

Busch led most of the first two stages, but at the end of each, he surrendered the top spot to Nemechek, who picked up a pair of playoff points for the stage wins. But Busch beat Nemechek off pit road on Lap 63 during the Stage 2 break and held it the rest of the way, save for a cycle of green-flag stops that put Chase Purdy out front from Lap 102 through 105. 

The race featured three cautions, one for a planned competition yellow after Lap 15 and two for the stage breaks. With the race going green for the final 63 circuits, Hill never had a chance to test his No. 16 Toyota against Busch’s No. 51. 

The victory was the first for crew chief Mardy Lindley, who joined Kyle Busch Motorsports this year. The only improvement Busch could have wished for was a 1-2 finish for KBM instead of a 1-3.

“Anytime I’m in my truck, I want to be able to go out there and score the victory,” Busch said. “With good competition and good competitors, it’s not easy. With John Hunter coming on board, at Vegas he was super-fast and did everything right, no mistakes.  

“We’ll go back and regroup and make sure that 4 truck (Nemechek) can stay in front of that 16 truck (Hill) the rest of this year.”

Johnny Sauter ran fourth, followed by GMS Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Zane Smith. Ross Chastain, Matt Crafton, Brett Moffitt and Stewart Friesen completed the top 10. Friesen recovered from a penalty for an uncontrolled tire during a stop under caution on Lap 63.

Bill Lester finished 36th, seven laps down, in his first NASCAR national series start since 2007. 

The Camping World Truck Series’ next race is the Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt, scheduled next Saturday (8 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt surface.

Note: The race-winning No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota of Kyle Busch passed NASCAR’s post-race technical inspection. Busch’s truck did have one lug nut not safe and secure. In addition, the engines from the No. 51, No. 13 (ThorSport Racing Toyota of Johnny Sauter) and No. 44 (Niece Motorsports Chevrolet of Ross Chastain) trucks will be brought back to the NASCAR R&D Center for evaluation.

Contributing: NASCAR.com staff reports

Posted on by Pat DeCola

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta (⏰ 3 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s race, the sixth points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season. 

Where: Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54-mile oval located in Hampton, Georgia
Green flag: 3:19 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61, according to NOAA.gov
National anthem: Breland
Grand marshal: Erin Andrews
Race Distance: 325 laps, 500.5 miles
Stages: 105 | 210 | 325
Pit-road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
Atlanta 101: Tire info, fast facts
Starting lineup: Denny Hamlin on Busch Pole
Cars to the rear: Chase Elliott among those to start from back
Pit stall assignments: See where cars line up | Atlanta can expose pit road weaknesses
Pre-race inspection: Watch Sunday, 8 a.m. ET

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Kevin C. Cox | Getty Images

Five to watch

Here are five big story lines we’ll be following.

1. Kevin Harvick by no means has been a slouch in 2021, but after what we saw out of him a year ago it’s a bit surprising to see the No. 4 seem on even ground with so many teams. That could all change this weekend, however. Atlanta has been his new Phoenix in terms of domination, leading 49% of laps over the last seven races at the track, winning two of the last three. He’s been a stage-points machine, finishing in the top six of every stage run at Atlanta and is riding a series-best six-race top-10 streak there. If he’s unable to put it all together and at least lead laps and emerge with a top five — if not an outright win — the questions will start to crop up.

2. Similarly to Harvick, it’s a bit surprising that 2020 stalwart Denny Hamlin has yet to win this season — but he’s still been 2021’s best driver. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver leads all competitors in points per race, average running position and average finish to sit 39 points in the standings above second-place Brad Keselowski. Hamlin finished in the top five in two of the last three Atlanta races, but there’s still some concern he can keep it rolling this weekend. In addition to no Toyota victories at the track since 2013, Hamlin himself has only led one of the last five Atlanta races and his 17.3 average finish there is lowest of all oval tracks for him.

RELATED: Drivers to earn first Cup win at Atlanta

3. The 2021 season continues to entertain, with our fifth different winner last weekend in five races. The parity is noticeable, and five drivers are currently in playoff position who missed last year’s postseason. Two of the season’s five winners have never made the playoffs, and three drivers who made the 2020 16-driver field are still looking for their first top-10 finish this season. None of the season’s winners has ever won at Atlanta previously, and it’s likely that we’re going to see another first-time ’21 winner on Sunday, further complicating the playoff picture … in March.

4. It feels like Joey Logano has been in the mix for the win late in just about every race so far this year, a trend that feels like it should continue this weekend. Logano also hasn’t capitalized on any of these chances yet this season — a trend that is also likely to continue this weekend, as the No. 22 Team Penske driver was passed for the win with 55 laps or fewer remaining in each of the last three Atlanta races (one of which was at the hands of his teammate). Ford has won the last four races at Atlanta, however, so perhaps it’ll be his turn on Sunday.

5. One thing you’re going to hear a lot this weekend — tire wear. And with heavy tire wear comes four-tire stops, maybe even for every stop of the race. Though his finishes haven’t been there yet this season, Alex Bowman‘s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports crew has the best average four-tire pit stop in 2021. He could use all the help he could get at the moment, as Hendrick’s resurgence hasn’t quite hit the 48 group just yet, and his Atlanta history is checkered at best. Sitting behind both JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolets in the standings, Bowman will need to figure out how to turn things around at the Georgia track, where he’s yet to land a top 10 or earn a stage point in his career.

Race-day staplesBlaney Com Powerrankings Hero

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Power Rankings: Blaney riding pair of top 10s into Atlanta | See the ranks
• Paint Scheme Preview: 2021 Atlanta spring weekend | See the schemes
• Fantasy Fastlane: See which drivers to use, avoid | Full Fantasy advice | Set your roster
• Preview Show: Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver preview the race | Watch the show

Get in on the action

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.
• Betting odds for today’s race | See the odds
• Who’s a dark horse bet to consider? | BetMGM’s preview
• Harvick set to break slump at Atlanta? | Full betting preview
• Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
• Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ

Track historyGettyimages 512867704

Every track has a story to tell. Here’s what we’ve seen go down at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the past.
• Memorable moments at Atlanta | See the moments
• All-time track winners | See the list
• Top 10 lap leaders at Atlanta | See the list
• Throwback: Harvick reflects on 2001 Atlanta win | Watch the video
• Relive Morgan Shepherd’s fourth and final Cup win in 1993 | Watch the race

Fast facts

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Atlanta Motor Speedway is the only intermediate track at which Austin Dillon does not have a top-10 finish.
• Though he’s been close, Atlanta is one of just two intermediate tracks that Martin Truex Jr. has not won on (Texas is the other).
• William Byron is currently riding a three-race top-10 streak — the longest of his career.
• Atlanta is one of three active race tracks where Byron’s teammate, Alex Bowman, does not have a top-10 finish.
• Daniel Suarez is searching for his first top 10 with his new Trackhouse Racing team — and his first since Texas in November 2019.

Catch the pack

Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• Backseat Drivers: Is Kyle Busch or Alex Bowman’s start worse? | Hear the debate
• COVID-detecting dogs to get trial run in screening for Cup Series race at Atlanta | Read more
• Chase Elliott explains key to Hendrick Motorsports resurgence | Read more
• Penalty report: Crew chiefs for Nos. 2, 99 teams suspended after Phoenix | Read more
• Streak of new winners to open 2021 likely to continue at Atlanta | Read more

Say what?

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

“Atlanta has always been a track that I’ve enjoyed. I feel like — we haven’t won there yet — but we’ve been very successful there and led a lot of laps and always seem to be around the front. Very, very fun race track, being able to run all over the track, the tire wear and all of those things are things that I enjoy behind the wheel and been fortunate to have some really good cars there as well. Going there with some momentum this time, and hopefully we can take advantage of that.” – Martin Truex Jr.

“Atlanta is tough. It’s an old surface, for sure, which I think makes it fun for the drivers. I feel like a lot of people enjoy going there because of that. But, overall for us, it’s been super hit or miss and I really don’t know why. We’ve gone there and we’ve had some really good runs; a couple of days that I thought we were capable of winning. And then we’ve been there and just been way out to lunch. So, I’m not exactly sure what that is all the time.” — Chase Elliott

Jones 625x340
Getty Images

“I feel like we’ve made some pretty big gains for us on the 550 (horsepower) package. I think our 750 package needs a lot of work, based off of what I experienced in Phoenix and then a little bit of a combination of the road courses, so what I was fighting with my race car in Phoenix is very similar to what I was fighting with it at the road course in Daytona, as well as some races last year.” — Ryan Newman

“Really, (the cars at RPM are) what I thought they would be. I felt pretty confident going in, to be honest with you, about what the equipment is and what they have with the resources we have at RPM. And it’s been similar to what I thought. Really, the cars are really close. We have opportunities, like I was mentioning a second ago, to really hit it right and have an opportunity to run really well week in and week out.” — Erik Jones

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.