For the first time this season, the NASCAR Cup Series will be heading back to a track they already visited. Atlanta Motor Speedway will host the Cup Series in the Quaker State 400. A Sunday night race on the weekend after the Fourth of July also sees NASCAR return to a superspeedway. Atlanta’s spring race offered limited wrecks and saw Joey Logano make a last lap pass on former teammate Brad Keselowski to collect the win. Will the summer race enjoy the same relative calmness that the spring did? Depending on who is out front late in the race will likely determine that. For the spring, Keselowski decided not to throw a late block to protect his lead. With the playoffs quickly approaching, will a driver on the outside looking in have the same patience?
After the Chicago Street Race, can NASCAR maintain the new audience they had last week? While there will be an obvious drop, the hope is that the Quaker State 400 receives a boost from Chicago. There is solid chance of this happening. For casual viewers, the most watched race is a superspeedway race. Something about wrecks and close racing draws the uninterested in for a weekend. Plus, Georgia is Chase Elliott country. Elliott is racing in Atlanta for the first time this season. Josh Berry drove the 9 car while Elliott was still recovering from his leg injury. Between the two circumstances, this weekend’s race should have more eyes on it than in the spring.
With those extra eyes, who should they be watching in the Quaker State 400? A driver trying to win his way into the playoffs? An underdog who might only have a chance to snag the win at a superspeedway? Or is it going to be William Byron or Kyle Busch? Continue reading to find out who are the five drivers to watch this weekend. If you want a statistical insight heading into Sunday, check out Daniel Smith’s notable starts and statistical outlook articles.
Brad Keselowski
As mentioned above, Brad Keselowski came close to nabbing the victory the first time in Atlanta. He led the 47 of the final 52 laps. Despite his strong end, he was unable to hold off a hard-charging Joey Logano in Turns 3 and 4. Keselowski settled for second, his best finish in a bounce back year. However, Keselowski has hit a bit of cold streak as of late. He has failed to place in the Top-10 since Darlington. He has dropped from eighth in points to twelfth. If the current crop of winners maintain, Keselowski should easily point his way into the playoffs. However, his slip in points puts him in the hot seat if non-playoff drivers start collecting wins.
For this weekend, everyone should expect Brad Keselowski to be a factor. He is a superspeedway ace and usually finds himself running upfront late. The question of whether he can get his first win as owner/driver might be up to his teammate. Chris Buescher wrecked out of the spring race. If Buescher is drafting with his teammate at the end of said race, it is highly likely Logano never makes the pass and Keselowski wins. As long as the RFK drivers can remain linked up, Keselowski (or Buescher) might be collecting the second RFK trophy.
Bubba Wallace
Speaking of drivers on a cold streak, Bubba Wallace has been struggling over the past four races. Some of it is due to bad luck while the other bit is due to Wallace’s poor road course abilities. Despite this, Wallace has maintained his spot inside the Top-16 in points. However, his advantage over seventeenth is only fifteen points. A bad race or two would see Bubba Wallace lose his playoff spot. Plus, with drivers like Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman on the outside looking in, it would not be surprising to see two new winners outside the Top-16 win before Darlington.
Is Bubba Wallace in must win territory? Not yet. However, a win would help secure the second 23XI Racing driver into the playoffs. Without having to worry about points, Wallace might be able to push more during the closing regular season races. After all, there are two superspeedways left before the playoffs begin. Bubba Wallace has not found luck at the newly reconfigured Atlanta. In three starts, Wallace has yet to collect a Top-10. Could that turn around this weekend? Of course. With the pressure starting to build, look for Bubba Wallace to conservatively throw everything he has at winning the Quaker State 400.
Corey LaJoie
No matter how the regular season ends, Corey LaJoie deserves credit for his career season. LaJoie is averaging a Top-20 finish in a Spire Motorsports car. The fact that he is within fifty points of the playoff cutline currently is also a testament to how well he has run. However, Atlanta is an opportunity for LaJoie to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Since the reconfiguration, Atlanta has been kind to LaJoie.
Last summer, LaJoie was leading late in the race when a late block against Chase Elliott sent his car (and playoff hopes) crashing. Even if he won last year, he was battling to be in the Top-30 in points. Though NASCAR eliminated that qualification this year, LaJoie would be safe even if it was still implemented. In the spring, LaJoie nabbed his only Top-5 on the season. At Atlanta, LaJoie runs up front. He is the underdog that many fans will get behind this weekend. LaJoie could be the driver to pull off the major upset in Atlanta.
Austin Dillon
From a driver that everyone is surprised to see run well to a driver that is cratering this season. Austin Dillon’s 2023 has been one to forget. Not only forget, but burn and bury six feet deep. Currently, Dillon sits 28th in points, 130 points behind the cutoff line. For the driver of the 3 car, he has to win to get into the playoffs. Last year, he managed to win at a superspeedway to clinch his way in. Why not do it again this year?
During the spring race, Dillon was a nonfactor. He finished twentieth and managed not to score a stage point. For a driver known for his superspeedway ability, it was surprising to see him riding mid-pack all race. 2022 at Atlanta was no kinder to Dillon either. Both races resulted in DNFs. Between the two races, Dillon only managed to run 191 of the 585 total laps. Despite the tough luck, it would be surprising to see Dillon struggle again at Atlanta. He has proven himself to be too quality of a superspeedway racer to consistently find himself outside the Top-10. Bad luck does play a part, but perhaps Dillon can see a change in fortunes come Sunday.
Erik Jones
Erik Jones has three Top-10s on the season. Two of them have been at superspeedways, with one being in the spring at Atlanta. Much like Austin Dillon, Erik Jones needs 2023 to end in a hurry barring a win. After a promising 2022, Jones has been in the midst of a large regress from the team. Remember, this team won Darlington last year and looked competitive at a variety of tracks. This season, Legacy Motor Club has been the worst team not named Rick Ware or LivFast. It is not down to driver talent (for the 43 at least).
Since the reconfiguration, Erik Jones’s worst finish at Atlanta is fourteenth. He has two straight Top-10s, with a Top-5 in the summer race last year. Jones needs to win a race in order to make the playoffs. The only drivers behind Jones in the points standings are his teammate Noah Gragson, 120-point penalized Chase Briscoe, and Ty Dillon. Maybe Atlanta can salvage something positive out of this dreadful season. If not, then Jones and his team will be hoping Toyota saves them in 2024.
