Schedule of Events | Driver Averages
The first 1.5-mile track of the season awaits drivers and teams when they roll into Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.
After a wild week in Daytona that culminated with a thrilling and aggressive Daytona 500, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers now shift their attention the an intermediate track in AMS. The worn out surface of Atlanta, which will create conditions for both tire management and side-by-side racing, is just one of the many variables teams will be faced with in Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
“I just love the abrasiveness of the racetrack,” said Kevin Harvick, who dominated last year’s race leading 292 of the 325 laps only be taken out of contention for the win by a pit road speeding penalty.
“It still has a lot of speed for the first three or four laps, but then it has a lot of fall-off and a lot of bumps that give it character. As a driver, you just love the challenge that comes with racing at Atlanta. This is always one that I circle on my calendar as a favorite and I look forward to racing in Atlanta this weekend.”
Kyle Busch agrees with Harvick and echoes his sentiments about Atlanta’s surface providing an opportunity for great racing.
“The racetrack has aged really nicely, where it’s probably aged too much, and why they will have to pave it at some point soon,” Busch explained. “It’s a place where you can run the bottom all the way from the white line to the wall and anywhere in-between. You have to have a good car there, but it’s a neat racetrack with the way you can race around and move around and not get too comfortable running one lane.”
Last week’s racing at Daytona was completely different than what lies ahead this week at Atlanta. Drivers who fared well in the Daytona 500 are hoping to carry that momentum over to this weekend’s race.
“Daytona is kind of its own animal,” Menard said. “Atlanta is the first normal race of the year on one of the tracks that are the bread and butter of our season.
“Having a good car at Atlanta can be the start to having a good year. It’ll be a good chance to see what these Ford Fusions have for this year.”
Jimmie Johnson leads active drivers with five wins and a 105.4 driver rating in 26 starts at the 1.54-mile track. He also has 14 top fives, 16 top 10s and an 11.0 average finish.
Johnson, who endured a terrible Speedweeks in Daytona capped off by an accident in the Daytona 500, is hoping a return to Atlanta will cure his early season struggles.
“I’ve always loved Atlanta,” Johnson said. “We’d like to keep the streak of Chevy winning alive in the new Camaro ZL1 after Austin’s (Dillon) Daytona 500 win.”
Dillon has been on a whirlwind tour since winning the 500 last week. The Richard Childress Racing driver will no doubt be happy to get to Atlanta and return to work behind the wheel after starting the year on the highest of highs at Daytona.
