HAMPTON, Ga. — Fresh off a huge television audience and a sell-out Daytona 500 grandstands witnessing 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick’s dramatic last-lap victory, the NASCAR Cup Series moves to another of the sport’s thrill-ride venues EchoPark Speedway as part of a tripleheader weekend.
The recently reconfigured 1.54-mile Atlanta oval, hosting Sunday’s AutoTrader 400 races like a superspeedway – similar to the Daytona big track – and is renowned for its own brand of high-excitement and exhilarating finishes.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell earned the headlines in last February’s EchoPark Speedway race, a last lap pass for victory that started a streak of three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series wins for the popular and perpetual championship challenger.
His single lap out front at Atlanta last February wasn’t only dramatic but historic as the last time a race winner at the track led only one lap happened decades ago – 1961 – by NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson.
Reddick’s win last week at Daytona was reminiscent of Bell’s trophy-work and extended a last-lap victory streak by drivers to an amazing seven races at the drafting-style tracks in Daytona, Talladega, Ala., and Atlanta.
Whether by last-lap dramatics or complete race day domination, Bell, would love to right the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team’s ship after being in contention for a DAYTONA 500 victory last Sunday only to be collected in a multi-car accident 12 laps from the end and suffer a 35th-place finish. With his NASCAR Cup Series win last year, Bell now has wins in all three of NASCAR’s national series at Atlanta.
When it comes to the drafting tracks, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing owner-driver Brad Keselowski actually leads all active drivers with seven wins – and is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Daytona 500.
Fellow Ford driver, Team Penske’s Joey Logano is next with six wins. Logano’s teammate Ryan Blaney, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron (Chevrolet) and Bell’s JGR teammate Denny Hamlin all have five wins on the drafting tracks.
Ford drivers have claimed six poles since Atlanta’s reconfiguration, however the make has only two trophies (Logano in 2023 and ’24) to show for it. Hendrick Motorsports drivers William Byron and Chase Elliott each have a pair of wins.
Logano’s 333 laps out front is most in the eight races on the new track. Elliott’s 9.14 average finish is best in that time. And it’s worth noting, Kyle Busch – who is coming off his first Daytona 500 pole – has finished top-10 in five of the six Atlanta races he’s competed in for Richard Childress Racing – his best work in the No. 8 RCR Chevrolet.