At the beginning, the track was known as Atlanta International Raceway, and it was the site of the NASCAR Cup Series season finale from 1987-2000. One of the more famous races in track history occurred in 1992. That year in the finale, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty competed in his final race, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Jeff Gordon made his first Cup Series start, and NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott, who is from Dawsonville, won the race but still finished a close second in the Cup Series points standings.

Credit: Photo courtesy of EchoPark Speedway

Credit: Photo courtesy of EchoPark Speedway

This year, the track hosted the Ambetter Health 400 Cup Series race Feb. 23, which was won by Christopher Bell. On June 28, EchoPark Speedway will host the Quaker State 400 Cup Series race.

Along with EchoPark Speedway, Speedway Motorsports owns and operates Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and Texas Motor Speedway.

Credit: Photo courtesy of EchoPark Speedway

Credit: Photo courtesy of EchoPark Speedway

Ryan Blaney will be joining Penske teammates Joey Logano and Austin Cindric in the NASCAR Cup playoffs after his impressive victory at Nashville, becoming the ninth driver to win his way into the post-season discussion. 

But during the final run of the race, Blaney was preparing himself for the worst-case scenario, and who could blame him after the season he’s endured. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion had five DNFs this year with several potential wins slipping through his fingers.

“I was waiting for a yellow,” said Blaney after his victory at Nashville. “I figured this was coming and we were going to have to defend a restart. But you just keep making laps. You just keep doing it. My spotter counts me down laps and everything like that, but yeah, as a driver and you’re leading the race, you’re always expecting something to happen, especially when you have a comfortable lead. But fortunately for us, that didn’t happen and didn’t have to fend off a restart or pit stop or anything like that where things can get wild like they normally do here when you have a bunch of late yellows.”

But instead, the final 101 laps of the race went completely green, which is a very different story from the previous year where there were a total of five overtime restarts in this race. 

All of Team Penske will be fighting for the crown

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford, Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images

Blaney’s win also means that all three Penske cars will be in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. They are the first multi-car team to get every car to Victory Lane in 2025 with fellow ‘super teams’ Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, with two of their four cars locked in via wins. You can also count the Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford (which won at Las Vegas) as an honorary Penske car due to the close relationship between the two organizations, so make it 4/4 for them.

“I’ve been really proud of Team Penske and the Wood Brothers speed this year so far through the first dozen races,” said Blaney of the achievement. “For the last couple years we’ve struggled a little bit kind of getting going before the summer months, and I think we’ve figured it out come the fall and things like that or late summer. But I thought we just fired off this year with tons of speed, and was really proud of their efforts over the winter for that and carrying over what we accomplished at the end of last year and bringing it bigger and better at the start of this year.

“So it’s great to have everybody with a win and everybody locked in there, and hopefully we can just continue to rack it up. It’s nice that we have all the speed and all the teams are working very well together right now. Between myself and the #22, #2, #21, we’re all really in sync right now, and that’s tough to get when all four teams are really communicating great and we’re all playing off each other. That’s a really great thing that we have going on at our race shop.”

It’s always good to have the odds in your favor, especially when Penske is trying to remain undefeated in the Next Gen era come November when the champion is crowned. They have won all three titles since this generation of car was first introduced in 2022 with Logano beating Trackhouse’s Ross Chastain in 2022, Blaney beating Hendrick’s Kyle Larson in 2023, and Logano besting Blaney in a Penske 1-2 just one year ago. 

Ryan Ellis and Tablo TV are extending their partnership with three additional NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season for DGM Racing, the team announced June 4.

Tablo TV will be the primary sponsor for Ellis’ No. 71 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

“For our team, having Tablo on board as our sponsor makes it even more special,” Ellis said in a team release. “They’ve been an incredible partner, and I’m thrilled they’re bringing fans even closer to the action with the Tablo onboard camera. Sharing my first laps live from the driver’s seat on The CW is so cool — it’s my first race with an onboard camera in NASCAR, and I know fans will love seeing the track from my point of view. The perspective that this camera will bring is much like watching our races on Tablo — the next best thing to being in the driver’s seat.”

Eyes on Xfinity: The Corey Day Experiment

Through 14 races this season, Ellis currently is 26th in the driver standings with a best finish this season of 10th at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month.

Tablo previously sponsored Ellis’ No. 71 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.

The 200% American Brand Ramps Up Visibility with Bold New Paint Scheme on the No. 47 Chevy

TAMPA, Fla., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — June 3, 2025 – Real American Beer is back on the NASCAR track this weekend, teaming up with Hyak Motorsports to bring its 200% American energy to Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 8.

The No. 47 Chevrolet, driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr, will debut a refreshed Real American Beer paint scheme-marking the second time this season Hyak Motorsports and the fast-growing beer brand have joined forces.

This latest collaboration builds on Real American Beer’s momentum as a disruptive new name in the premium light beer space. With Real American Beer now in 27 states and growing support across national retail, the brand has quickly become a fan-favorite among beer drinkers who live for race days, tailgates and flag-flying weekends.

“We didn’t get the result we were after in Nashville, and that’s frustrating for sure,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet for Hyak Motorsports. “But this team’s got heart. We’ve put in the work this week, and we’re heading to Michigan with a clean state and a fast Real American Beer Chevy.”

The FireKeepers 400 paint scheme brings Real American Beer’s signature 200% American aesthetic to one of the fastest tracks in the series-giving fans on the ground and watching at home a taste of the brand’s trademark energy.

“Brother, Michigan knows how to go full throttle-and so does Real American Beer,” said Hulk Hogan, WWE Hall of Famer and co-founder of Real American Beer. “We’re back on the track, back in the fight, and there’s no better time to crack one open and let it rip.”

The partnership with Hyak Motorsports underscores Real American Beer’s commitment to the NASCAR community, especially in markets where beer drinkers are seeking alternatives with real identity and American-made values.

“Motorsports fans have been some of our loudest supporters from day one,” said Terri Francis, CEO of Real American Beer. “This partnership is part of our strategy to meet them where they are-on the road, in the stands and in the beer aisle.”

Jimmy Hart, aka The Mouth of the South, will be trackside bringing the heat-and handing out the cold ones. He’ll be repping Real American Beer all weekend long with a megaphone in hand. If you’re in the infield, you’ll hear him before you see him.

Fans can catch the FireKeepers Casino 400 live from Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 8 at 2PM EDT, broadcast on PRIME, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

And now, for fans who want to skip the beer run, Real American Beer is also available online. With just a few clicks, RAB can be delivered straight to your door-just in time for race day. Visit the Real American Beer Finder to order.

ABOUT REAL AMERICAN BEER

Co-founded by WWE legend Hulk Hogan, Real American Beer (RAB) is a premium light beer that’s proudly American-owned and made. At 4.2% ABV with just 110 calories and 4g carbs, RAB is now available in 27 states and counting, with a simple mission: bring people together, one beer at a time. Learn more at therealamerican.com and follow along on Instagram, Facebook and X.

Media Contact:

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ABOUT HYAK MOTORSPORTS

HYAK Motorsports welcomes in a new era of racing for the iconic No. 47 team with a fresh, new rebrand, name and ownership. For the 2025 season, the team has transitioned from JTG Racing to HYAK Motorsports as Gordon Smith, who became the principal owner of the team on November 18, 2023,transitions into the role after owning a large portion of the team since 2016.HYAK Motorsports will continue to carry out Smith’s plan to bring a fresh, new energy to the team and show his commitment in advancing the team’s legacy both on and off the race track. The change starts with the name “HYAK” which means “fast” in Chinook Jargon, which is a trade language of the Pacific Northwest that incorporates terms from Chinook, Chehalis, and many other local languages. The ownership transition promises to fuel HYAK Motorsports with a competitive edge by enhancing its approach to performance, innovation, and fan engagement. Smith is now joined by co-owners Brad Daugherty, Mark Hughes and Ernie Cope, who are also dedicated to maintaining the team’s high standards while introducing updated strategies and resources to help bring the team to a new level.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/412b8cf7-8a2c-4993-9129-e9199972539c