She’s not your parents’ Atlanta Motor Speedway. (Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
If the NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams thought they’d get an easy Sunday afternoon drive at Atlanta Motor Speedway after the West Coast Swing, those unlikely thoughts are likely eliminated for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
The track may still be 1.54 miles in length and the race length is still 325 laps pending at least one Overtime restart. However, the banking’s increased to 28 degrees in the corners and being a lone wolf at Atlanta won’t pay dividends for a potential win.
Immediately, this track gives a vibe of a mini Daytona or Talladega. Yes, that’s quite true, but it’s still an intermediate track in terms of handling and balance with performance. As Landon Cassill, who placed fifth in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Atlanta, attests, it’s a bit of a mix of Daytona and Texas.
David Ragan, a two-time Cup race winner, considered the changes in further detail.
“I think that the cars are gonna be wide-open all the way around the racetrack,” Ragan shared. I think the preferred groove will be the bottom lane, but then once you get multiple cars on the track and you get that draft effect, where the speeds are picked up, I think handling is going to come into play some. I do think you’re gonna be in the throttle a lot and you’re gonna have some pack racing to some extent throughout 500 miles.
“Obviously, the corners are a little tighter radius. The straightaways aren’t as long, so that’s going to damping some of that drafting effect where you see the two and three-wide racing like we see at some of the superspeedways, but I think it’s gonna be a little bit of a mixture.”
Essentially, look for crew chiefs and spotters to broker deals with teammates or those who’ll work with their drivers until the final lap. By then, all bets are off the table and it’s like Sonic trying to find a bubble in an underwater level.
This weekend, Ashley Hobbs, Cody Shoppe, Kobe Lambeth, Luis Torres, Matt Sisoler, Michelle Raynor, Molly Gastineau, Nathan Solomon, Sean Folsom, Stephen Conley, Taylor Kitchen and yours truly ponder about the prospects of a fifth different Cup winner this year and those competition cautions.
Podium Preview: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Trending Topics
Question 1
Will Ryan Blaney defend his Atlanta spring win? (Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
With four different race winners in as many races to start this season, will this trend continue at the refit and repaved Atlanta Motor Speedway?
Kitchen : As we have seen with the Gen 7 car so far, experience may not be on the side of the veteran drivers. That being said, I believe those who had “old Atlanta” figured out will not do well this weekend, paving the way for a new race winner this season.
Tiongson : I think this could be the first season to truly push the 16 different winners mark that’s been considered since 2014, the first year of the 16 driver Playoff format. In 2014, it was quite close with only a few spots open for the regular season finale at Richmond.
This year, we’ve easily got at least 16 different drivers and teams who are capable of winning races at the ready. Sure, Larson is the most likely driver who’ll reel off multiple wins first of this year’s different victors in 2022.
However, if we’re looking at the likes of Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe, I would not be comfortable with a single win unless it’s obvious that there’s multiple race winners and enough breathing room by the time that the series heads to Indianapolis.
This is what this current format was designed to do. It should be a bit stressful and exciting for the drivers and teams if they want to compete in this year’s Playoff races. I’d look for some of the leading midfield efforts of Richard Childress Racing and Trackhouse Racing to figure into this intriguing scenario during the regular season. And who says the regular season races don’t matter?
Solomon : I think it likely will. We’ve seen so much parity with this new car, and with a track that should race like a superspeedway, it’s very likely we see a new winner on Sunday. Ryan Blaney ran well at old Atlanta and is a great superspeedway racer, but it’s possible we see other superspeedway threats like Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. contend for a victory.
Lambeth : So far, the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season has been an unpredictable one. It’s refreshing to see new names running at the front of the field and watching how some drivers have grown. With a brand new Atlanta on the horizon and everyone on a level playing field, I think the potential for another different race winner is quite high. Maybe we’ll get another first time winner after Chase Briscoe got the job done at Phoenix last Sunday.
Raynor : I believe we will see a different winner for Atlanta. We still have Toyota who have not won yet this year along with some other veteran drivers. With the repavement, I still feel like the guys with experience will be up front and content for the win. I expect Hendrick and Penske to be up front. I don’t think we will get another first time winner, but I think it will be a different winner.
Sisoler: There is a definite potential of another different winner at Atlanta. Given the Trucks and Xfinity races from Saturday were interesting, I think it’s a very strong possibility that someone does. Whether or not it’s a team that we haven’t seen win at all (Trackhouse) or in a while (Petty-GMS), or a team like Hendrick, Penske or Gibbs that have a storied history in NASCAR, that remains to be seen.
Question 2
To caution or competition caution. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
NASCAR has waved a competition caution in the past few weeks despite the return of an abbreviated but existing practice session. Has the time come to allow the drivers and teams to tackle the great unknowns of the Next Gen car in anger sans these breaks?
Shoppe : I certainly see the point some people have when they say there’s no longer the need for the competition caution now that practice has returned. However, with all the unknown variables this new car brings, I would at least like to see them until they’ve taken the next gen car to each track. Further, I think NASCAR should keep competition cautions in the event of weather overnight as was the old reasoning for them!
Gastineau : I am among the lines of thinking that if you have a practice session, then there’s not a whole lot of reason to include a competition caution. From the drivers’ perspectives, I can see why they might like it. After 20 or so laps, you have a good feel for how the car is and you probably want to fix it up for your liking. We already have stages, so I personally don’t think we need the competition caution.
Folsom : I don’t know if it’s kind of an up and down thing. To me, I think the competition caution is good. I mean, I know practice and qualifying is good warm up and stuff to fix any pre race issues with the car, but being a racer myself, things might run great during practice and qualifying and then break either at the start or during the race.
Conley : I think it’s still a good idea to have the competition caution on an occasional basis. It’s still a new car, tire wear can’t truly be based off of a 10 lap run in a 30 minute practice. Just for safety purposes, yes it should be done, but I don’t think for much longer, unless it’s a rainout, green track or other situations like that. Use it when appropriate. Not every week.
Two laps around the newly refit Atlanta Motor Speedway was white knuckle indeed! Now, let’s pause for a moment by reflecting on last Sunday’s Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway with our points and race reports!
Blaney nearly rewarded some panelists with a win.
Meanwhile, we are now above the yellow line.
Next, Ashley Hobbs considers the statistics for Round 5 of 2022 by Crunching the Numbers: Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta style!
First, consider how your favorite team fares in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta.
Since 2004, the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta winner has an average starting spot of 9.3, led an average of 93.7 laps, started within the top 10 38.89% of the time and started within the top 10 77.78% of the time.
Quite close between Larson and Busch.
Here, we consider the trends for the past 10 editions of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta since 2012.
Next, consider the trends for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta since 2017.
It’s still wanting a Rowdy time.
Let’s consider the top 10 starters for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta!
Row 1
Chase Briscoe and Ryan Blaney (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
Row 2
Joey Logano and Kyle Busch (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
Row 3
Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott (Photo: Jonathan Huff and Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
Row 4
Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
Row 5
Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)
Last but not least, here’s our picks for Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta!
It’s like throwing darts. (Photo: Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images)
Tiongson : We’ve been waiting on the first defending race winner to make some magic this year. After four different race winners, let’s see if Ryan Blaney can change things up with his savvy superspeedway skills.
Solomon : Blaney is always really strong at superspeedways and is a former winner at Atlanta. Obviously, the track has a new surface, but expect Blaney to snag his first victory of the season on Sunday.
TPF Stats : The number machine is really banking Kyle Busch early this season. This is the third pick and Rowdy hasn’t sealed the deal; maybe this will be the weekend.
Raynor : Kyle Busch was fast in practice and can win here.
Conley : Busch was down after practice even though he ran in the front with some of the faster cars. Sure, he was pissed and doesn’t like the track. It’s a perfect storm to keep a Toyota train rollin’.
Hobbs : With the best average finish this season and a solid performance at LVMS, I think Aric Almirola will have something to say on the high speed track of AMS.
Shoppe : As much as I hate to jinx this guy, I have to go with Tyler Reddick to get his first win Sunday! The No. 8 RCR team has been so strong each week this year and Reddick is a superstar in the making! I think this new car as well as the challenges of the new Atlanta surface will fit right in the hands of Tyler Reddick!
Lambeth : Ross Chastain and Trackhouse are on a hot streak. Why not go down to “Hotlanta” and finally seal the deal? It feels like both driver and team could breakthrough for their first Cup win soon.
Folsom : With the way Chastain has been running this season so far for Trackhouse Racing, I see and hope for him to get a win this weekend.
Kitchen : After viewing practice, Joey Logano seemed to have consistent speed. We also know Logano has a good history of winning at new tracks. With the great speed the Fords have had this year as well, I feel like picking Logano to win this weekend is a safe bet.
Gastineau : Chase Elliott has done well at the track in the past but he’s also pretty good at the superspeedways.
Sisoler : Atlanta is a wild-card race, just like Daytona. The reconfigured “hybrid” variant of Atlanta, a combination of a 1.5-miler and a superspeedway, will be a complete unknown for these teams and drivers, doubly so with the NextGen. However, I think Denny Hamlin, who has a knack for staying out of danger on superspeedways, will not only get his first top 10 of 2022, but will also grab the checkered flag on Sunday.
We’re ready for some racing. How about you? What do you think are the biggest storylines heading into the race? Who are your favorites to win? Tweet us now @ThePodiumFinish and tell us now!
Thanks as always to the TPF team for their amazing efforts this week! Stay safe and wash your hands often. Help yourself, your family and friends by getting the COVID-19 vaccine!
The opinions and thoughts expressed in Podium Preview are solely of the authors. They do not reflect any organizations affiliated with the participants and author outside of TPF. This weekly feature is strictly for entertainment purposes. Ultimately, they are not indicative of TPF, the organization and its staff.
Also, if you are shopping for NASCAR or racing die-casts, be sure to check out our friends at Circle B Diecast! If your order is $20 or more, use coupon code TPF2022 for free shipping! Tell them we sent you and buy some new die-casts now!
