Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at EchoPark Speedway… In 167 NASCAR Cup Series starts at EchoPark Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned nine wins and three pole awards, including Kevin Harvick’s emotional victory in 2001. Dale Earnhardt won eight times at the Hampton, Ga., track under the RCR banner (1984-fall, 1986-fall, 1988-spring, 1989-fall, 1990-spring, 1995-fall, 1996-spring, 2000-spring). The Welcome, N.C., team has 31 top-five and 64 top-10 finishes at Atlanta and has led a total of 3,045 laps at the 1.54-mile oval.

RCR in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at EchoPark Speedway… RCR has recorded eight NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at the greater Atlanta facility, led by Austin Hill’s five victories (2022-fall, 2023-spring, swept both races in 2024, and won most recently in February 2025). Jeff Burton (2006 and 2007) and Kevin Harvick (2013) also secured victories at Atlanta with RCR. As an organization, RCR has piled up 19 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes over a span of 66 starts at the Peachtree State track.

NASCAR’s $1 Million Showdown: The 2025 In-Season Challenge… The NASCAR In-Season Challenge kicks off this weekend at EchoPark Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series. The challenge is a new, bracket-style tournament. The 32 qualifying drivers are seeded into a single-elimination bracket. Each race in the tournament reduces the field by half: from 32 to 16, then to 8, 4, and finally 2. The driver with the better finish in the final race is crowned the tournament champion. The challenge will end on July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

RCR Drafting Track Success in 2025… In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition on drafting tracks this season, RCR has won all three races and swept all six stages. During those three drafting track races, the organization has led 315 laps (78%), with the next closest team only leading 24 laps.

Did You Know? RCR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program has won seven of the last nine (Hill – five, Jesse Love – two) and 11 of the last 20 drafting track events (all since Hill joined the team in 2022).

Tickets to the 2025 Carolina Cowboys Home Stand Are Available Now… Driven by the same passion for performance that guides his race team, Richard Childress’ latest endeavor brings Professional Bull Riding to the Carolinas. The Carolina Cowboys represent the Carolinas in the PBR Team Series, an elite league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games throughout the country. The team is owned by Richard Childress and Jeff Broin with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Dillon serving as General Manager. Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys 2025 “Cowboy Days” Home Stand September 12-14 at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tickets are on sale at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.

Catch the Action on Friday… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway will be televised live Friday, June 27, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Friday’s qualifying session will be shown for free on The CW App.

Watch Us on TNT Sports… The NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway will be televised live on Saturday, June 28, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on TNT Sports, the first of five consecutive races this season that will air on TNT Sports. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at EchoPark Speedway will be broadcast on truTV and Max. Ride shotgun all season long with live, in-car camera feeds and scanner audio with a paid subscription to Max as part of their NASCAR driver cam experience during the race.
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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet at EchoPark Speedway… In 17 NASCAR Cup Series starts at EchoPark Speedway, Austin Dillon earned a best finish of sixth in March 2021. In four NASCAR Xfinity Series and four NASCAR Truck Series races at the Hampton, Georgia track, Dillon has posted seven top-10 results and never finished worse than the 11th position.

About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations, and more. In 2017, Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations, and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit basspro.com.

Winchester AA® Super Spreader… New for 2025, Winchester AA® Super Spreader™ loads are designed to give target shooters a competitive edge with close range targets. Available in 12 gauge, this new sporting clays shotshell throws 70% larger patterns at 20 yards vs. standard loads. AA® Super Spreader™ shotshells contain a hinged wad and specialized shot column that allows for a rapid and uniform spread that crushes close range, fast targets. Now available at retailers nationwide.

First Round Opponent… NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge begins Saturday night at EchoPark Speedway. The single-elimination tournament makes its debut during the 2025 season. Dillon’s first-round opponent is Chase Elliott. The $1 million-to-win bonus tournament will be contested over the next five weeks, culminating at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Meet Dillon… Dillon is scheduled to make an appearance at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Fan Zone on Saturday, June 28 at 3:40 p.m. Local Time. Stop by to meet the driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet and get new RCR gear.

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:

What are your thoughts heading into EchoPark Speedway?

“I’m excited. The new track surface at EchoPark Speedway, which we have been racing on for a couple of years now, has created a whole new style of racing. You get to see these packs that are moving really fast. It’s probably the closest thing to a video game you will see in NASCAR. I’m excited about it and I’ve been studying hard.”

Does EchoPark Speedway feel as wide as it looks?

“It’s pretty wide. You’re running right up against the wall and all the way at the bottom, so it’s pretty wide and you’ll see guys using every single bit of this track, which makes it fun for fans, and the drivers.”

You have a long history at EchoPark Speedway.

“I have a lot of memories of Atlanta, even from a young age. I used to come up here with my family, I think on Wednesday nights or Thursday nights, and we would run the little quarter mile on the front of the track with the Bandolero. Just learning the craft.”

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 SENIX Tools Chevrolet at Echo Park Speedway… Saturday night’s 400-mile race will mark Kyle Busch’s 32nd career NASCAR Cup Series start at Echo Park Speedway. Busch has two NASCAR Cup Series wins at the 1.5-mile track, finding Victory Lane in March 2008 and September 2013. The 40-year-old driver has 10 top-five finishes and 16 top-10 finishes at the track, has led 623 laps, and has completed 95.4 percent (9,153 of 9,599) of the laps he’s contested there. He holds an average starting position of 11.3 and an average finish of 12.8. In addition to his Cup Series success at Echo Park Speedway, the veteran racer also has eight NASCAR Truck Series and three NASCAR Xfinity Series wins at the 1.54-mile oval.

History Maker… Busch is the youngest winner in Cup Series history at Echo Park Speedway. His 2008 win at the track came at just 22 years, 10 months, and 7 days of age.

Remember When… Busch owns two wins at Echo Park Speedway in the Cup Series. His first win at the track was in 2008. Busch took the lead with 50 laps remaining in the race after Carl Edwards, trying for a third straight victory, retired early with a broken transmission. Busch’s second Cup win at Echo Park Speedway was in 2013. He claimed victory by beating Joey Logano to the finish line by .740 seconds. The win was his fourth of the season and tied him with Rex White for 23rd on the career victory list with 28.

About SENIX Tools… At SENIX, we break barriers and shatter expectations by redefining outdoor power equipment and power tools with cutting-edge innovation and unwavering passion. Whether you’re an arborist, landscaper, or a dedicated DIY enthusiast, SENIX tools have been meticulously crafted with you in mind. Our state-of-the-art technology, top-notch performance, and eco-friendly design options empower you to tackle any task effortlessly. For more information on SENIX Tools and our comprehensive line of outdoor power equipment and power tools, visit senixtools.com.

First Round Opponent… NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge begins Saturday night at Echo Park Speedway. The single-elimination tournament makes its debut during the 2025 season. Busch’s first-round opponent is Brad Keselowski. The $1 million-to-win bonus tournament will be contested over the next five weeks, culminating at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Your Thoughts, Kyle… For the second time this season, Busch will join the CW broadcast booth for Friday night’s Xfinity Series race at Echo Park Speedway as an analyst. Busch made his debut with the network at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:

What are your thoughts overall on racing at EchoPark Speedway at night?

“I enjoy night racing. It’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be an important race. There are so many things that can change in any given lap, let alone a whole race, with superspeedway style racing. Those two dynamics – night racing and speedway racing, are going to make Saturday night’s race at Echo Park Speedway one of the ones to remember.”

Is Echo Park Speedway as exciting for you behind the wheel as it is for the fans?

“Racing at Echo Park Speedway is intense, so I guess that would be exciting for us. The race certainly brings a lot of adrenaline and action. There’s something happening all the time so you’re trying to figure out your next move and seeing what lanes are moving, and what things are happening in order to get yourself further up front. It seems like there’s a lot of maneuvering in the middle of the pack from those ten spots between eighth and 18th, but at the same time it might seem like it’s dull up at the front. Although we’re all trying to get there, it just seems like it gets a little locked up because sometimes the track gets that one lane, that high lane moving in the bottom. It just doesn’t materialize.”

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Roland Chevrolet at EchoPark Speedway… Jesse Love has made three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at EchoPark Speedway, all coming behind the wheel of the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. The 20-year-old has qualified on the pole for each of the races and earned a best finish of sixth in the 2024 summer event. Love has completed 100% of laps competed at the Hampton, Georgia facility.

50 NXS Starts… Friday’s race at EchoPark Speedway marks Love’s 50th career Xfinity Series start. Through 49 events, Love has won two races, captured 11 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes, and claimed seven poles. The defending Sunoco Rookie of the Year has led a total of 505 laps.

Mr. Pole Position… Love has won three straight poles at EchoPark Speedway and four straight poles on drafting tracks.

Did You Know? With Love’s six career drafting track poles in the Xfinity Series, the Menlo Park, California native ranks second all-time behind Joe Nemechek with 10.

Laps Leader… In each of Love’s three starts at EchoPark Speedway, the young gun has led a minimum of 13 laps and paced the field for a total of 193 laps.

Points Check… Through 16 races, Love continues to hold the fourth position in the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings – 16 points behind third-place Sam Mayer.

About Roland DGA… Roland DGA serves North and South America as the marketing, sales, distribution, and service arm for Roland DG Corporation. Founded in 1981, Roland DG of Hamamatsu, Japan is a worldwide leader in wide-format inkjet printers for the sign, apparel, textile, interior design, personalization, and vehicle graphics markets; engravers for awards, giftware and ADA signage; photo impact printers for direct part marking; and 3D printers and CNC milling machines for the dental CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, part manufacturing and medical industries. To learn more about Roland DGA or the complete Roland DGA product line, visit https://www.rolanddga.com.

Meet Love… On Friday, June 27 at 2 p.m. Local Time, Love is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at EchoPark Speedway. Stop by to meet Love and purchase new No. 2 gear.

JESSE LOVE QUOTE:

What is the key to success at EchoPark Speedway?

“I’m not sure, because I haven’t won there yet. I’ve seemed to dominate every time that I’ve gone there, but a huge part of being successful is having a really fast race car. The spring and fall races are two completely different races and not the same in the slightest. One is a speedway race and then the other is basically a high downforce, high drag intermediate race. I don’t think this race is going to be the same as last year’s fall race. We won’t be packed up tight, and we will probably be sliding around which will be super challenging. I think that caught us a little off guard last year and we are better prepared for it this time around.”

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at EchoPark Speedway… Austin Hill has seven career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at EchoPark Speedway, earning five wins and a second-place finish while piloting the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet. Hill has led at least one lap in each of his seven starts, totaling 364 laps pacing the field. In addition, Hill has six NASCAR Truck Series starts at the Hampton, Georgia facility, posting one pole (2019), two top-five (2020, 2021) and three top-10 results (2019-2021).

Defending Race Winner… Hill enters EchoPark Speedway as the defending race winner, with the veteran driver claiming the victory in the last three Xfinity Series events – dating back to the 2024 spring race – and five of the last six.

Record Chasing, Again… Hill is currently tied with Kevin Harvick for the most all-time Xfinity Series wins at EchoPark Speedway. Harvick’s five victories came before the track reconfiguration, while Hill’s five checkered flags have all been on the new surface.

Did You Know? After his dramatic three-wide victory at Talladega Superspeedway in April, Hill is now the all-time Xfinity Series drafting track leader in wins (nine), stage wins (14), and laps led (754). The 31-year-old is the only Xfinity Series driver to win on all three drafting tracks.

Bennett Home Track… Located a short 15 minutes from EchoPark Speedway, Bennett Transportation & Logistics’ headquarters are based in McDonough, Georgia. Bennett Family of Companies will have hundreds of guests on site to watch Hill compete on Friday night.

Celebrating Exceptional Truck Drivers… In conjunction with their home track race, Bennett is celebrating exceptional truck drivers with 20 names featured on the No. 21 Chevrolet. Of the 20 individuals honored, seven are from Bennett’s Women In The Drivers Seat program, while 13 are from Bennett’s Driver of the Year program. At Bennett, Driver of the Year is one of the highest honors a professional driver can receive. Each recipient is handpicked by their business unit leader from a group of standout drivers who’ve demonstrated excellence throughout the year. These individuals represent the very best in their fleet – prioritizing safety, living out Bennett’s core values, and going above and beyond in their work.

Georgia Boy Returns Home… Hill is a native of Winston, Georgia, sited 60 miles from EchoPark Speedway. Hill started his motorsports career racing bandolero and legends cars on the frontstretch quarter-mile oval at Atlanta. Hill’s extended family continues to live in the Peachtree State and will be in attendance for Friday’s race.

About Bennett Family of Companies… McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies provides industry-leading logistics solutions that help businesses thrive. Whether you need specialized trucking, warehousing, 3PL, exporting, importing, or crane services, Bennett has the expertise to handle your most complex and time-sensitive freight. From LTL to over-dimensional truckloads, Bennett ensures safe, reliable, and on-time deliveries around the world. With a legacy of excellence since 1974, their family and woman-owned company is dedicated to providing personalized, flexible solutions that meet your unique business needs. Trust Bennett to deliver when it matters most – discover how we can help your business grow at www.bennettig.com. Together we can move anything.

Meet Hill… On Friday, June 27, fans have two opportunities to meet Hill prior to the green flag. At 1:20 p.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to make an appearance at the Bennett Family of Companies Display in the Fan Zone at EchoPark Speedway. Immediately following at 1:40 p.m. Local Time, the hometown driver is scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler located in the Fan Zone at EchoPark Speedway. Stop by to meet and get an autograph from the defending race winner.

AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:

You’ve had a lot of success at EchoPark Speedway. What is the outlook heading back?

“Our No. 21 team has been so good in Atlanta, but it’s just like any superspeedway race. All it takes is one crash or one guy to make a mistake, and you’re on the hook. When we go there, our team can’t be over confident and think ‘oh, we are going to go win the race.’ We have to do everything right and hope that it works out in the end. We know how to put ourselves in positions to run up front and win. We’ve proven that. But we can’t let our guard down and think it will be easy.”

RCR PR

• Puchyr estimates Cup Series charters should be worth at least US$75m
• He ‘believes in the France family and the direction of the sport’ amid ongoing lawsuit

TJ Puchyr has revealed he is returning to Nascar as part of a deal to purchase Rick Ware Racing.

Puchyr founded the Spire Motorsports outfit in 2018 alongside Jeff Dickerson but sold his shares to Dan Towriss, chief executive of TWG Motorsports, the group behind the Cadillac Formula One entry, last year.

Still seeing value in Nascar’s charter system despite the ongoing lawsuit between the series and 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, Puchyr will take over Rick Ware’s eponymous team from next season.

“I am bullish on wanting to build a three-car team. I believe in the France family and the direction of the sport and I want the rest of the shareholders and industry to know that I believe the charters are worth US$75 million or more,” he told the Associated Press (AP).

One of Puchyr’s last acts while in charge of Spire Motorsports was to purchase a charter for around US$40 million from Live Fast Motorsports in September 2023. He will need to do so again to make good on his promise of wanting a three-car team.

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Rick Ware Racing currently has two charters, although one is being loaned out to RFK Racing for this season. Fellow Cup Series team Legacy Motor Club recently sued Rick Ware Racing over this charter, believing to have a deal in place for the transfer of this charter between the teams for the start of the 2026 season.

A judge did not agree with Legacy’s claim and so Rick Ware Racing’s lease deal will remain in place with RFK Racing for the 2026 season.

Puchyr added: “If anybody deserves a pass it is [Liberty owner] Jimmie [Johnson] and if he wants to sit down and talk about it like men, I’d entertain the conversation. I don’t think Jimmie has all the facts, doesn’t understand the deal we had, and they tried to humiliate Rick publicly. We don’t do business that way.”

Puchyr expects this charter to return to Rick Ware Racing for the 2027 season, at which point he will explore options to add a third charter.

Rick Ware will remain as a partner of the team, while his son Cody will continue in the number 51 Ford. All Rick Ware Racing employees will also be retained.

Puchyr has not revealed how much he has paid for Rick Ware Racing, but the most recently sold charter went for between US$20 million and US$25 million when Front Row Motorsports acquired one from the departing Stewart-Haas Racing outfit in 2024.

For just the third time in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, the series is set to see a full 40-car field this Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400.

There are exactly 40 cars on the entry list for this 260-lap race around the four-turn, 1.54-mile (2.478-kilometer) Hampton, Georgia oval, which is now officially known as EchoPark Speedway for sponsorship purposes.

In total, five changes have been made to the entry list from this past Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway up until now.

We’ll start with the big one. Connor Zilisch is set to make his third career Cup Series start in Trackhouse Racing’s No. 87 Chevrolet, which hasn’t been entered since the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month. Zilisch is considered the hottest young talent in NASCAR, and many believe that he could be competing full-time at the Cup level next year.

The other four changes aren’t as notable, but given the fact that the repaved and reconfigured Atlanta races more like Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, rather than a traditional mile-and-a-half oval, they are all significant, since it’s really anyone’s race when it comes to a drafting track.

NY Racing Team, the only non-chartered (open) team to field at car at Pocono, will not return at Atlanta. Brennan Poole made his first start of the year for the team at the Tricky Triangle.

Three NASCAR teams that did not run at Pocono, however, are set to run at Atlanta.

Corey LaJoie, who just spent five races with Amazon Prime Video as an analyst, is set to be back behind the wheel of the No. 01 Ford for Rick Ware Racing for the fourth time this year and for the first time since the April race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

David Starr is set to make his first start of the year behind the wheel of the No. 66 Ford for Garage 66, which most recently competed in the race at Nashville Superspeedway with Chad Finchum behind the wheel. Starr hasn’t competed since last year’s April race at Martinsville Speedway. He had plans to compete at Iowa Speedway last June, but it didn’t work out.

Then there is B.J. McLeod, who co-owns the Live Fast Motorsports team for which he has not driven since the late April race at Talladega. The team most recently entered the No. 78 Chevrolet at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where Katherine Legge made her second career start.

Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway is set to mark the first time in 2025 that the NASCAR Cup Series has raced twice at the same track, with Atlanta having also hosted the Ambetter Health 400 back in February.

Saturday’s 260-lap race around the four-turn, 1.54-mile (2.478-kilometer) Hampton, Georgia oval is the 18th race on the schedule, so it also marks the halfway point of the season.

With Atlanta, which is now officially known as EchoPark Speedway for sponsorship purposes, set to host its second race of the year, NASCAR’s new qualifying format has already been used there.

The new two-variable metric, which was introduced at the start of the 2025 season, replaced the four-variable metric that had been used to set the qualifying orders from 2020 to 2024.

A full breakdown of that metric can be found here.

Additionally, there are no more qualifying groups, and there is no longer a second round shootout for the pole position. Each driver simply gets one single-lap qualifying attempt, and those speeds determine the full starting lineup.

Here is a full look at the qualifying order.

NASCAR Cup Series qualifying order at Atlanta

1 – David Starr, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford

2 – Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

3 – Corey LaJoie, No. 01 Rick Ware Racing Ford

4 – B.J. McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet

5 – Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota

6 – Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

7 – Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford

8 – Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

9 – Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

10 – Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

11 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

12 – Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

13 – Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford

14 – Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford

15 – Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

16 – Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

17 – Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota

18 – Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

19 – Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

20 – A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

21 – Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

22 – William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

23 – Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

24 – Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

25 – Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

26 – Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford

27 – Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

28 – Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford

29 – Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford

30 – Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

31 – Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

32 – John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

33 – Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

34 – Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford

35 – Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford

36 – Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

37 – Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

38 – Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford

39 – Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

40 – Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

NASCAR splits the racing action between two venues this week, with four races taking place at both the EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta and Lime Rock Park in Salisbury, Connecticut. It all culminates in the Quaker State 400 on Saturday, June 28.

There will be televised practices and qualifying races throughout the weekend leading up to the Quaker State 400, which airs on TNT, and streams live on DirecTV (free trial). The weekend race schedule includes racing events for the ARCA Menards Series (Lime Rock Park 100), the NASCAR Truck Series (LiUNA! 150) and the NASCAR Xfinity Series (Focused Health 250) along with the NASCAR Cup Series.

NASCAR’s 2025 Atlanta, Lime Rock Televised Schedule

All times ET.

Friday, June 27

Truck Series Practice at Lime Rock, 1:05 p.m. on FS2 (STREAM)

Xfinity Series Qualifying at Atlanta, 3 p.m. on The CW (STREAM)

Cup Series Qualifying at Atlanta, 5:05 p.m. on truTV (STREAM)

NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. on The CW (STREAM)

Saturday, June 28

Truck Series Qualifying at Lime Rock, 9:30 a.m. on FS1 (STREAM)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series LiUNA! 150 at Lime Rock, 1 p.m. on FOX (STREAM)

ARCA Menards Series Lime Rock Park 100, 4 p.m. on FS2 (STREAM)

NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at Atlanta, 7 p.m. on TNT (STREAM)

Where to watch the Coca-Cola 600, all Spring Race events

NASCAR is back on cable TV this week following an excursion to Prime Video. While the action takes place across five different TV channels, fans can sign up for DirecTV Stream (free trial) to enjoy every NASCAR event this weekend in one convenient streaming home.

All events are also available on Sling, except for Saturday’s LiUNA! 150, and fuboTV carries all events except for those on truTV and TNT (meaning it does not include the main, Cup Series race).

What to know about the Charlotte Speedway

EchoPark Speedway—formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway—is a 1.54‑mile quad‑oval in Hampton, Georgia. It hosts two annual NASCAR Weekends, including the Ambetter Health 400 (won this year by Chris Bell) in February, and the Quaker State 400, which has Joey Logano as the defending 2024 champion.

This year’s field features four open entry cars, including big-time prospect Connor Zilisch making his third career Cup Series start. Corey LaJoie and BJ McLeod will compete in the Cup Series for the first time since April, joined by 57-year-old David Starr, who makes his return after 14 months away.

Lime Rock Park is an iconic American racing venue, known for its natural, hilly terrain, and notable as the nation’s third oldest continuously operating road racing venue. It also features no bleachers or grandstands, instead inviting fans to bring lawn seating and enjoy the race from the hillside. It does not host Cup or Xfinity Series races, but will play host to the Truck Series and ARCA feeder league.

Can I bet on the race?

Yes, you can bet on the race from your phone in New York State, and we’ve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365 and more.

Ryan Blaney made a statement with his third place finish last week in Pocono, battling through a penalties and starting from the back. That’s given him +800 odds to win out this week in Atlanta. Meanwhile, last week’s winner Briscoe is only +2200 to win, while defending champ Logano is +850.

This week’s NASCAR Cup Series race isn’t just another race: It’s the first leg of the league’s inaugural “In-Season Challenge,” a bracket-style competition with five rounds of eliminations, ending with the championship at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. It’s NASCAR’s take on the in-season tournament model long leveraged by international soccer and recently introduced to the NBA.

Starting this weekend at Atlanta, the next five Cup Series races make up the entire challenge: Atlanta, Chicago, Sonoma, Dover and Indianapolis.

Our motorsports experts Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi are here to explain how it works, who they think could win it and why it’s likely to be wildly unpredictable — nay, chaotic! Plus, they’ll run down their favorites and long shots for Saturday’s race in Atlanta.

Before we get to the Q&A and full explanation of how this all works, here’s a breakdown of the seeding and head-to-head matchups for the Challenge. Scroll to the end for how-to-watch info and odds.

NASCAR In-Season Challenge bracket, matchups

Top half of draw

• No. 1 Denny Hamlin vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon
• No. 16 Kyle Busch vs. No. 17 Brad Keselowski
• No. 8 Alex Bowman vs. No. 25 Joey Logano
• No. 9 Bubba Wallace vs. No. 24 Daniel Suárez
• No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek vs. No. 21 Josh Berry
• No. 5 Chase Elliott vs. No. 28 Austin Dillon
• No. 13 Ross Chastain vs. No. 20 Erik Jones
• No. 4 Christopher Bell vs. No. 29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Bottom half of draw

• No. 2 Chase Briscoe vs. No. 31 Noah Gragson
• No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 18 William Byron
• No. 7 Ryan Blaney vs. No. 26 Carson Hocevar
• No. 10 Kyle Larson vs. No. 23 Tyler Reddick
• No. 11 Michael McDowell vs. No. 22 AJ Allmendinger
• No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 27 Justin Haley
• No. 14 Zane Smith vs. No. 19 Austin Cindric
• No. 3 Chris Buescher vs. No. 30 Todd Gilliland

Q&A for the Challenge and Atlanta race

The time has finally arrived for the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge. Remind us: What exactly is this thing?

Jeff: On his “Actions Detrimental” podcast two years ago, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin proposed an idea: Why doesn’t NASCAR have some sort of head-to-head, in-season tournament that could be overlaid on the regular season races? NASCAR typically has a summer lull before the final push to the playoffs begins, and with few other sports on TV except for baseball after the NBA and NHL championships are decided, NASCAR should have a chance to draw a lot more eyeballs — especially from sports gamblers. So for two years, the driver hosted his “Denny Hamlin Bracket Challenge,” where fans could play along with picks over a stretch of races. It was unofficial, of course, but still made for good fun and conversation. Now, with new TV partner TNT, NASCAR has decided to officially do the bracket challenge as an in-season tournament. Drivers will compete in a March Madness-style bracket for the next five weeks, with the winner receiving a $1 million prize.

How do you think this is going to play out?

Jordan: There is genuine optimism that fans will buy in, creating excitement at a time of the season when NASCAR can hit a lull. And with the uniqueness of the five tracks that make up the challenge, there should be enough unexpected twists and turns to produce upsets and keep things interesting.

As for whether this enhances the on-track competition, there is doubt. Drivers and teams are already doing everything they can each week to run and finish as well as they can, so it’s hard to imagine that this challenge somehow pushes them even further. Nor is it likely that a team would potentially sacrifice a good finish by employing an out-of-the-box strategy in an attempt to advance to the next round, fearing that the call could backfire and potentially cost them valuable points.

When The Athletic has asked teams in recent weeks about how they’ll approach these races, every team said they were giving it no consideration and their focus was simply on running as well as they can each week. That said, let’s see if this changes at all in the later rounds, where winning the $1 million prize becomes more attainable.

The first round is being held at Atlanta, which is now a superspeedway. Considering the head-to-head matchups and the chaos that Atlanta usually brings, who are your favorites to make it to the next round, and who are a few long shots who might beat their rival?

Jeff: If you’re new to NASCAR — hi, first of all. Good news and bad news here. The good news is it’s going to be a wild race. A few years ago, Atlanta was reconfigured to be a “drafting” track like Daytona (if you’ve ever watched the Daytona 500) and Talladega. Big packs of cars and big crashes.

But the bad news is that those big crashes could easily take out some of the huge contenders. This is basically a wild-card round where a lot of top seeds will immediately be gone — and probably not even because they did anything incorrectly, other than be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

That said, some drivers are better than others at positioning themselves toward the front (where they have a better chance of avoiding crashes). I really like Austin Cindric (19 seed) in his matchup over Zane Smith (14) and Ross Chastain (13) over Erik Jones (20). Both of them should be in contention for the win, but the sportsbooks are onto them — both have terrible value and are -200 favorites or longer. In terms of upsets in the actual odds, my picks include John Hunter Nemechek (+150) over Josh Berry, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+150) over Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick (+120) over Kyle Larson and Justin Haley (+145) over Ty Gibbs.

Jordan: Any time NASCAR heads to a drafting track, Joey Logano is automatically considered one of the favorites to win. However, based on seeding alone, the No. 25-ranked Logano is an underdog against No. 8 Alex Bowman. But it would not be a surprise at all if Logano knocks Bowman off and advances. In fact, there is a strong possibility this will happen.

Another matchup to watch for is No. 28 Austin Dillon against No. 5 Chase Elliott. Although Elliott is strong on drafting tracks — he’s won at both Atlanta and Talladega — so too is Dillon. And with Dillon buried in points and needing a win to make the playoffs, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he’s more willing to take chances than Elliott, who’s in the hunt to win the regular season points championship.

What do you think is the most glaring mismatch in the seeding for Round 1? And which matchup is the toughest to call?

Jeff: If you haven’t followed this concept so far, the seeding is totally wacky. Instead of basing the seeding on the point standings (first through 32nd), NASCAR decided to seed the drivers based on their best finish over the last three races. The result is some frankly stupid matchups: Regular-season points leader William Byron is the No. 18 seed against No. 15 seed Ryan Preece — and yet Byron is a -220 favorite. Cindric is a -250 favorite over Smith, despite being a worse seed. Same with Joey Logano (-175), a No. 25 seed matched up against No. 8 seed Alex Bowman. I agree with the oddsmakers on all of those. But in terms of the toughest to call? Dang, that Bubba Wallace vs. Daniel Suárez matchup is a total tossup. Wallace is a great superspeedway racer, and Suárez has been great at Atlanta (including a win last year). Good luck figuring this one out.

Jordan: Sure, the Logano vs. Bowman noted above jumps out, but the fact that this is a drafting track means there are no glaring mismatches because of how unpredictable these types of races usually are. Many, many of the drivers seeded towards the bottom of the bracket are quite capable of winning at Atlanta, and it wouldn’t be at all shocking. It’s going to be fascinating to see what the bracket looks like and who’s left standing after the race.

OK, it’s prediction time: Who are your final four for the in-season tournament and who do you have winning it all?

Jeff: The way this bracket stacks up is absolutely, laughably, bonkers insane. A superspeedway chaos bomb to open it, followed by two road courses before we get to two “normal” tracks to end. By that time, a lot of the favorites (or big names at least) could easily have been eliminated. Picking these three tracks for the first three rounds was certainly a choice.

That said, my picks are probably a bit surprising. I’ve got one semifinal between Trackhouse Racing teammates Suárez (24) and Chastain (13) and the other between Tyler Reddick (23) and Michael McDowell (11). Then I’ve got Chastain and Reddick moving on from Dover into the final at Indianapolis, and Reddick winning it all. Which feels … not great! Reddick isn’t even running very well, and 23XI Racing doesn’t seem to have the same speed or momentum lately. Picking him is a strange choice, except I think the matchups favor him with the road courses, and then he’ll have enough speed on the ovals. I am worried about him immediately getting eliminated by Kyle Larson in Round 1 at Atlanta, of course.

Jordan: The Team Chaos committee welcomes NASCAR scheduling the challenge as it did with three “wildcard” tracks among the five. Bring on the chaos. The only quibble is that Talladega wasn’t included in place of Indianapolis or Dover to really amp up the chaos factor. As for what my bracket looks like: I have Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson in my final four. These four drivers are strong on just about every type of track, particularly road courses, which will go a long way to determining who makes the final four.

Now back to business as usual: Who is your favorite to win outright at Atlanta?

Jeff: As mentioned earlier about Cindric, he’s become known as maybe the best superspeedway racer of late. The three Team Penske drivers are the top three in odds, which makes sense, and Cindric is tied for second. But since superspeedways are so random, he’s still +1000. Could be a nice value there if he pulls through.

Jordan: Any one of Team Penske’s three drivers should be on anyone’s short list of favorites, with Cindric, Logano and Ryan Blaney so strong on these types of tracks. But Blaney has to be the pick. In the seven races at Atlanta since it was reconfigured, Blaney has finished outside the top 10 just once and has finished second, third and fourth in the past three races here.

Who is a long shot you like to win it?

Jeff: “Long shot” is a pretty tough definition this week since the odds are so long for almost everyone. Instead of going extreme, I’ll go somewhat realistic and say Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at +4000. Stenhouse is aggressive, he’s great at superspeedways and he’s in a must-win situation for the playoffs. Pull those belts tight if you’re around the No. 47 car, because he’s going to be going all out.

Jordan: With so many long-shot possibilities this week that could realistically cash in, here’s a few that pop out: Carson Hocevar (+2500), Bubba Wallace (+2800), Daniel Suárez (+2800), Michael McDowell (+4500), Ryan Preece (+5000) and Noah Gragson (+6500). All of these drivers have a reasonable chance of winning Saturday night.

How to watch the Quaker State 400

• Track: EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway) — Hampton, Ga.
  
• Time: Saturday, June 28, 7 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT

Race winner odds for Quaker State 400

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(Photo of Kyle Larson: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)