More high-speed racing is on the agenda this weekend when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Franken track at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ahead of the 2022 season, speedway management completed a facelift of the 1.54-mile track, narrowing the turns and raising the incline to 28 degrees to encourage racing more like the 2.5-mile superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega are similar.
The results were mixed. While organizers got the exciting pack race they wanted, there were 22 crash warnings between races. That’s more than the last four races at Daytona and Talladega combined. Get ready for a long Sunday afternoon.
Here’s what else you should know before the Ambetter Health 400:
‘The Big One(s)’ strikes late
After a mostly green flag run on lap 189, race leader Kevin Harvick broke loose on his rear with an advancing Ross Chastain, spinning and collecting nine other cars with 71 laps to go. Then, a few laps later, race leader Aric Almirola, riding on 76-lap old tyres, blew a right butt and spun coming out of Turn 4, picking up a bunch of other cars.
Ambetter Health 400 schedule
All times ET
Saturday
11:30am-1:00pm: Qualifying (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM)
Sunday
3-6pm: Ambetter Health 400 (Fox, PRN, Sirius XM)
Ambetter Health 400 details
Track: Atlanta Motorspeedway (1.54-mile high-inclined dogleg oval)
Length: 260 laps for 400.4 miles
Lean angle: 28 degrees in the corners, 5 degrees on the straights
Last year’s winner: William Byron (500-mile race last spring)
Ambetter Health 400 starting lineup
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart Haas Racing Ford
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart Haas Racing Ford
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Josh Berry (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Noah Gragson (42), Chevrolet of the Legacy Motor Club
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart Haas Racing Ford
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Martin Truex Jr (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Cody Ware (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Top drivers and best bets for the Ambetter Health 400
Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron has won the last two races of the season and last year’s spring race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, so he’ll be racing this weekend the favorite according to BetMGM. Penske’s Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney are the only non-Chevy drivers with better than 12-to-1 odds to win over the weekend.
Best odds
William Byron (+900)
Ryan Blaney (+1200)
Kyle Bush (+1200)
Ross Chastain (+1200)
Kyle Larson (+1200)
Joey Logano (+1200)
Ambetter Health 400 entry list
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Josh Berry (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Chevrolet of the Legacy Motor Club
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Cody Ware (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ambetter Health 400 weather
However, Friday’s sessions of the Truck and Xfinity series may be affected by possible thunderstorms Conditions are forecast to be cool and cloudy but dry until the Cup Series cars hit the track on Saturday.
Source : sports.yahoo.com