NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart
The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, July 11
The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400.4 miles (260 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 260)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Credit Karma Money 250
The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, July 10
The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 251.02 miles (163 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 163)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Next Race: Corn Belt 150 Presented by Premier Chevy Dealers
The Place: Knoxville Raceway
The Date: Friday, July 9
The Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 75 miles (150 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 150)
NASCAR Cup Series
NASCAR Cup Series gears up for second stop of 2021 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Slipping and sliding will be what the NASCAR Cup Series drivers will be preparing for as they get set to take on the NASCAR Cup Series’ oldest surface (last repave was in 1997) this Sunday, July 11 at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 3:30 p.m. ET.
This weekend’s Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart will be the 115th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway and the second this season. Atlanta Motor Speedway is a 1.54-mile paved oval located in Hampton, Georgia just south of Atlanta. Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960, won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Robertsfrom the pole position. The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970, and it was renamed to Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990. The track layout was reversed, and the track was re-configured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997.
The previous 114 NASCAR Cup Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway have produced 52 different pole winners and 45 different race winners. NASCAR Hall of Famer Buddy Baker and Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman lead the series in poles at Atlanta Motor Speedway with seven each.
This weekend’s race had the starting lineups determined by Metric Qualifying and as a result the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion and most recent winner (at Road America last weekend) Chase Elliott will start from the pole and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch will join him on the front row.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway with nine victories (1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000). Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick (2001, 2018, 2020) and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch (2002, 2009, 2010) lead all active series winners at Atlanta with three victories each.
Six active former NASCAR Cup Series winners are entered this weekend; including Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney who grabbed his first Atlanta Motor Speedway win of his career earlier this season. Three of the six active Atlanta Cup race winners this weekend, are looking for their first win of the 2021 season – Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.
| Active Atlanta Winners | Wins | Seasons |
| Kevin Harvick | 3 | 2020, 2018, 2001 |
| Kurt Busch | 3 | 2010, 2009, 2002 |
| Brad Keselowski | 2 | 2019, 2017 |
| Kyle Busch | 2 | 2013, 2008 |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 | 2021 |
| Denny Hamlin | 1 | 2012 |
Clinch Scenarios: Time is running out to secure a Playoff spot
With just six races remaining in the regular season in the NASCAR Cup Series time is running out for drivers to secure their spot in the Playoffs. Looking ahead to Atlanta Motor Speedway, five drivers have clinched a spot on wins and points with several others having the opportunity to do the same this weekend.
Already Clinched
The following five drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman.
Can clinch via previous wins
The following drivers could clinch if they build up enough points to ensure they will not be left out of the playoffs due to not all winning drivers having a slot available: William Byron: Could only clinch with help. Joey Logano: Could only clinch with help.
Can clinch via win
The following drivers would clinch on a win alone this weekend: William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell, Denny Hamlin.
Impossible to Clinch this weekend
Even with a win, Kevin Harvick would not clinch a Playoff spot on wins since there still exists the possibility of all winners failing to make the Playoffs. If they can’t clinch with a win, no winless driver below them in the standings could clinch either.
Regular Season Championship battle tightens with six races to go
Following the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway back on May 16, driver standings leader Denny Hamlin had grown his points cushion to a stout 101 points over second place, but since then Kyle Larson has rallied and has closed that points deficit to just three points, tightening up the race for the Regular Season Championship with just six races to go.
Winning the NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship not only garners the prestige of the accomplishment, but it also pays 15 Playoff points. That’s the equivalent to three race wins or 15 stage wins worth of Playoff points, quite the haul.
The NASCAR Cup Series started awarding the Regular Season Championship in 2017. Since then, three different drivers have accomplished the feat – Kevin Harvick (2020), Kyle Busch (2019, 2018) and Martin Truex Jr. (2017). In two of the past four seasons, the regular-season champ has gone on to win the Playoff title — Truex in 2017 and Busch in 2019.
Gazing to this weekend at Atlanta, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin will be working to build on the slim points lead he has left. Hamlin has made 22 series starts at the 1.54-mile track posting one pole, one win (2012), six top fives, nine top 10s and has led 418 laps. He finished fourth at Atlanta earlier this season.
Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson returns to Atlanta not only hunting for the points lead but also looking for redemption from earlier this season, when he dominated the event leading 269 of the 325 scheduled laps (82.7%) only to finish runner-up to Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney by 2.083-seconds. With a pass for the lead with eight laps left in the Atlanta race back in March, Blaney took the air out of an otherwise dominating performance by Kyle Larson. It was Larson’s second top five and fourth top 10 of his seven career starts at the 1.54-mile track. And ironically, Larson has led the exact same number of laps at Atlanta as Hamlin has at 418.
Kevin Harvick is hungry for a win in 2021
After putting up a career best nine-win NASCAR Cup Series season in 2020, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the 21st race of the 2021 season still winless and looking to secure a spot in the Playoffs. Last season’s regular season champion, Harvick, hasn’t visited Victory Lane since Bristol Motor Speedway in September of 2020 – 27 races ago – his longest winless streak since coming to SHR in 2014.
On a positive note, Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of Harvick’s best tracks statically. He is tied with Kurt Busch for the most wins among active drivers with three each. In total he has put up three wins (2001, 2018, 2020), nine top fives, 16 top 10s and two poles. His average finish in 31 series starts at Atlanta is 12.783, third-best. Plus, he is ranked in the top-10 of several key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 11.728 (seventh-best), a Driver Rating of 101.4 (series-best), 606 Fastest Laps Run (series-best), and 5,085 Laps in the Top 15 (third-most).
Keep an eye on Harvick this weekend, in four of his last six starts this season he has posted top-10 finishes.
NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Atlanta Motor Speedway to undergo reprofile before 2022 – Following the July 11 Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart, Atlanta Motor Speedway will break ground on a historic project to create the next generation of Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2022.
Following 10 months of confidential research, development, testing and simulation with engineers and iRacing, the reprofile will increase the current 24-degree banking in Atlanta’s turns to 28-degrees—higher than any other intermediate track on the current NASCAR circuit. Straightaway banking will remain five degrees. In addition to the new high banks, the racing surface will become narrower with an overall decrease in width from 55 feet to 40 feet. New widths will be 52 feet on the front stretch, 42 feet on the back stretch and 40 feet in the turns.
“As Atlanta’s racing surface has aged, we’ve challenged ourselves to reimagine what NASCAR racing at an intermediate track can be,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “With high banks in the turns, narrower width and new pavement technology, Atlanta will be unlike any other mile-and-a-half track on the circuit. It’s all new for ’22 and this will be specifically designed for close, competitive racing.”
Construction is slated to begin the week following the July 11 Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart, with the next generation Atlanta Motor Speedway making its debut in 2022 in conjunction with NASCAR’s Next Gen car.
Honorary dignitaries for this weekend at Atlanta – This weekend will be packed full of great entertainment and racing action and Atlanta Motor Speedway has invited several great dignitaries to join in on the festivities.
As previously announced, breakout star BRELAND will get race fans revved up for the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart with a live concert on the pre-race stage at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 11.
Employees of the College Park, Ga., Walmart store will serve as Grand Marshals for the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart on Sunday, July 11. The team earned the opportunity through a contest between Walmart locations to say the most famous words in motorsports and kick off 400 miles of racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Sunday’s national anthem will be performed by country singer and songwriter Corbette Jackson. Jackson grew up in Newnan, Ga., before moving to Nashville to pursue a career as a country music artist. Currently one of the most played independent artists on country radio, Jackson is currently preparing for the release of a new fundraiser single “Small Town Kid”, with profits from the song going to the Coweta Community Foundation tornado relief fund.
Atlanta Operatic Tenor Timothy Miller will perform “God Bless America” during pre-race festivities for the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart. Miller is well known for his performances before Atlanta Braves home games and brings his powerful and legendary voice to NASCAR for the first time on Sunday.
And streaking across the sky above Atlanta Motor Speedway during the national anthem on Sunday will be a C-130 and two HH60 gunner helicopters piloted from Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Ga.
Ford is looking to keep the wins streak alive – The longest consecutive wins streak by a manufacturer in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway is five victories by Ford (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) and this weekend the manufacturer is looking to keep the streak alive and make it six. Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney is the most recent Ford winner at Atlanta taking home the trophy earlier this season.
In total, nine different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta; led by Chevrolet with 40 victories; followed by Ford (34), Pontiac (11), Dodge (nine), Mercury (eight), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Toyota (three) and Oldsmobile (one).
NASCAR Xfinity Series
NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Xfinity Series heads back to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend for the Credit Karma Money 250 on Saturday, July 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio for the 18th race of the 2021 season.
It was once again the Kyle Busch show last weekend at Road America where Busch won his fourth Xfinity Series race in four starts this season bringing career series total to 101 victories. Busch has won in all three series this season claiming eight NASCAR National Series wins (Cup two wins, Xfinity four wins, Trucks two wins).
Following Busch was his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Daniel Hemric, finishing second, Michael Annett finished third and AJ Allmendinger finished fourth with Harrison Burton rounding out the top five.
This weekend will mark the second time this season that the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway, the 1.54-mile paved track in Hampton, Georgia.
Justin Allgaier won the race earlier this season, leading 47 laps and beating NASCAR Cup Series regular Martin Truex Jr. by 1.449 seconds. Truex led a race-high 103 laps and swept both stages prior to being beat by Allgaier. The race was an eventful one, that saw seven cautions for 37 laps and six lead changes. The average speed was 115.117 mph, and the race was 2 hours, 10 minutes and 50 seconds.
Saturday’s Atlanta Motor Speedway race will be 251.02 miles and 163 laps with Stage 1 ending on Lap 40 and Stage 2 ending on Lap 80. This weekend’s race had the starting lineups determined by Metric Qualifying and as a result Kyle Busch will start on the pole with his JGR teammate Daniel Hemric joining him on the front row.
4 for 4: Kyle Busch keeps winning
Kyle Busch was once again victorious in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, this time at Road America on the 4th of July weekend. He won last Saturday’s Henry 180 claiming his fourth Xfinity Series win in four starts this season. Now the winningest driver in series history (101 victories), is turning his attention to Atlanta Motor Speedway to see he can make it perfect five-for-five.
Last weekend at Road America on Lap 41 of 45, Busch grabbed the lead from road course ace AJ Allmendinger, whose No. 16 was on old tires. The next four laps helped Busch extend his lead over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Daniel Hemric who sped past Allmendinger for the runner-up spot.
Busch won in his Road America debut and for the 101st time in his career, continuing to extend his own series record. With Busch’s win on Saturday, it also marked 12 different winners in as many races at Road America, keeping the streak alive.
This weekend, Busch is back behind the wheel at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Busch has made 13 starts at the 1.54-mile track posting two wins (2016, 2017), nine top fives and 10 top 10s.
The skinny on Atlanta Motor Speedway
This weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Credit Karma Money 250 on Saturday, July 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will be the 31st running of the event at the historic track.
The previous 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway have produced 17 different pole winners and 19 different race winners. Kyle Busch leads the series in poles at Atlanta with six and Kevin Harvick leads the series in wins with five.
Chase Elliott holds the record for the youngest pole winner at 18 years, nine months, two days in 2014 and Dick Trickle holds the record for the oldest pole winner at 57 years, 0 months, 11 days in 1998.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon is the youngest winner in Atlanta Xfinity Series history at 20 years, seven months, 10 days in 1992 and Harry Gant is the oldest winner at 54 years in 1994.
The last race won from the pole was by Kyle Busch in 2017 and only six times in history did the winner start on the pole or first position.
Jeremy Clements and Kyle Busch have the most starts among active drivers in the Xfinity Series. Clements has 12 and Busch as 13.
Busch has two wins at Atlanta and Allgaier and AJ Allmendinger each have one win. They are the only three active drivers in the series with wins at the track this weekend.
Harrison Burton has the third-highest average running position at 5.673 and the highest among active drivers, only behind Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. who have run select races in the series.
Burton also has the fifth-highest driver rating at Atlanta and is the highest ranked full-time Xfinity Series driver at 108.4. Allmendinger is behind him in sixth at 107.1.
Playoff Bubble: NASCAR Xfinity Series chances down to nine
With nine races left in the regular season it is time to take a look at the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff clinch scenarios heading into this weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Credit Karma Money 250 on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. A win gets you in, but drivers must still clinch their spot on points by accumulating enough points that even with a win they do not fall out of the top 30 and become ineligible for the Playoffs.
Already Clinched:
The following three drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver Xfinity postseason field: Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier. Allgaier clinched a spot last weekend at Road America.
Can clinch via points at Atlanta:
Jeb Burton has not yet clinched a top-30 spot but could clinch a Playoff spot with a win this weekend. Burton has one win and is 397 points ahead of 31st.
Clinching for Regular Season Championship:
Austin Cindric cannot clinch the regular season championship this weekend with his four wins and 721 points because second-place has 632 and can still reach 1,172 points.
Outlined below is the current Playoffs standings for the Xfinity Series after Road America and heading to Atlanta this weekend.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Standings Post-Road America:
| Rank | Driver | Points | Starts | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | Pts From Cutoff |
| 1 | Austin Cindric | 558 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 20 | In On Wins |
| 2 | AJ Allmendinger | 462 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 13 | |
| 3 | Justin Allgaier | 395 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 11 | |
| 4 | Jeb Burton | 419 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 5 | Myatt Snider | 321 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 6 | Daniel Hemric | 437 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 128 |
| 7 | Harrison Burton | 437 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 128 |
| 8 | Justin Haley | 401 | 12* | 0 | 3 | 3 | 92 |
| 9 | Brandon Jones | 345 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 36 |
| 10 | Jeremy Clements | 334 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| 11 | Michael Annett | 326 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 12 | Noah Gragson | 324 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
| 13 | Brandon Brown | 309 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -15 |
| 14 | Riley Herbst | 279 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -45 |
| 15 | Ryan Sieg | 244 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -80 |
| 16 | Landon Cassill | 223 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -101 |
Sieg and Jones heading home, again
Two drivers from Georgia entered in this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the Credit Karma Money 250 (3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), are extra revved-up about racing at their home track, Atlanta Motor Speedway and looking to finish better than they did earlier this season – RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg from Tucker and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones from Atlanta.
Jones especially is looking for redemption after finishing 37th at the first Atlanta race. Sieg finished 10th.
