With the anticipation of a new season, and drama of Daytona in the rearview mirror, NASCAR’s premier series’ moved on to Atlanta. Reconfigured a few years ago, Atlanta is now considered a smaller superspeedway with racing similar to Daytona.
Atlanta did not disappoint for the underdogs, as the new version of the track has provided much drama and strokes of luck for many.
Craftsman Trucks / FR8 208
Stewart Friesen (#52 HALMAR-Friesen Racing Toyota): One of the more successful owner-driver combinations in the Truck Series. While 2024 did not have the results the #52 team wanted, results may have swung back in the positive direction in Atlanta. Following an eight place qualifying effort, the HFR driver finished a strong second. This was Friesen’s best finish since Charlotte in 2024.
Jake Garcia (#13 ThorSport Racing Ford): Garcia is entering his second season behind the wheel of ThorSport’s #13 Ford in 2025, after a disappointing 2024. The #13 had a strong run in Atlanta, placing his Quanta Services Ford in ninth for his first top ten of the season. 2024 saw the ThorSport driver collect only two top ten finishes all season.
Bayley Currey (#44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet): A late week decision to place Currey in the #44 Silverado paid dividends for the Niece crew. Currey, running a partial schedule for Niece this season, placed 4th after rolling off 30th in his first 2025 start.
Xfinity Series / Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250
Nick Sanchez (#48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet): A top prospect for rookie of the year honors this season, Sanchez and the #48 team had a strong showing in Atlanta. Sanchez showed speed the entire race in his Chevrolet, and finished an impressive fifth. This is only Sanchez’s tenth career Xfinity start.
Leland Honeyman (#70 Cope Family Racing Chevrolet): Moving to Derrike Cope’s new Xfinity team for this season, Honeyman will be splitting seat time with Thomas Annunziata for 2025. Honeyman got his second Xfinity season off to a strong start in Atlanta, bringing Cope’s #70 entry home in eighth. This was the first of 17 planned starts or Honeyman this year.
Matt DiBenedetto (#99 Viking Motorsports Chevrolet): For 2025, Viking Motorsports’ new #99 team has gotten off to a strong start. The team did not disappoint in Atlanta, as veteran DiBenedetto drove his ReMA Chevrolet to a 12th-place effort after starting 30th. This is Viking’s first season flying solo, as the team ran in partnership with RSS Racing’s #38 entry last season.
Cup Series / Ambetter Health 400
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (#47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet): While Stenhouse returned to the #47 team this season, the team has sold ownership stakes and rebranded to HYAK Motorsports. The newest version of the team has started off surprisingly strong in 2025, with Stenhouse placing his yellow Chevrolet in fifth. This was Stenhouse’s second straight top twenty this season.
John H. Nemechek (#42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota): Nemechek has entered his second season in the #42 with dramatic improvement shown. Collecting his second top ten in as many races, Nemechek’s Dollar Tree Toyota came home tenth. Nemechek struggled mightily in 2024, collecting only four top ten finishes.
B.J. McLeod (#78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet): McLeod and his #78 return in 2025 for another partial season, with Atlanta proving to be a decent day. Making the show and rolling off 38th, the owner-driver drove his Chevrolet to 22nd. McLeod is only scheduled to make a handful of starts in his #78 this season.
