Motorsports
Iconic Track Renamed EchoPark Speedway – Speedway Digest
Email_NewsRelease.jpgFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Editor’s Note: Supporting logos and b-roll available for download here. ICONIC TRACK RENAMED ECHOPARK SPEEDWAY eps-primary-onlight.png HAMPTON, Ga. (June 3, 2025) – Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive introduced the new identity of Georgia’s only NASCAR track today; the iconic, 66-year-old facility in Hampton, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, is now EchoPark […]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Editor’s Note: Supporting logos and b-roll available for download here.
ICONIC TRACK RENAMED ECHOPARK SPEEDWAY
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HAMPTON, Ga. (June 3, 2025) – Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive introduced the new identity of Georgia’s only NASCAR track today; the iconic, 66-year-old facility in Hampton, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, is now EchoPark Speedway.
Through a new partnership, the speedway – which hosts two NASCAR Cup Series races annually, including the upcoming June 28 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart – will carry the EchoPark brand for the duration of a seven-year, multi-million-dollar agreement.
Specializing in pre-owned vehicle sales, EchoPark Automotive is one of three operating segments of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company and one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in the United States. EchoPark Automotive operates 17 locations in 13 markets, including Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, where a majority of Atlanta NASCAR fans travel from each year to visit the historic speedway. From restart zone signage to fan zone activations and race entitlements, the pre-owned car dealership chain has leveraged resources across nine Speedway Motorsports facilities nationwide to activate its brand and reach race fans and potential new customers. Acquiring the naming rights to one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks is the latest and biggest step in this strategy for EchoPark Automotive.
“We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” said David B. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Sonic Automotive. “This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.”
EchoPark Automotive is seen as the number one pre-owned car buying experience, reflected in over 100,000 five-star reviews. Using this iconic sports venue, which is the largest in all of Georgia, will help EchoPark Automotive share the message of the brand to millions locally and nationally through major televised NASCAR events.
EchoPark Speedway’s entire 850-acre facility has undergone a massive facelift in preparation for its upcoming national debut as the opening race for the TNT portion of the NASCAR broadcast schedule and the kickoff event for the new in-season Cup Series tournament. Fans will see the new EchoPark Speedway’s signature green color and the new track logo across track walls, Victory Lane, and throughout the concourse when they attend the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on Saturday night, June 28, or tune in nationally at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.
The winner of the race will also receive a “nearly new” EchoPark Chevy Silverado and a trailer equipped with an 85th Anniversary, Sturgis Motorcyle Rally Limited Edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle. These exclusive motorcycles can be pre-ordered now at SturgisHD.com, but the very first one of only 26 manufactured will go to the winner of the inaugural EchoPark Speedway race. This incredible prize will be presented to the winner in Victory Lane courtesy of EchoPark Automotive.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase the incredible vehicles we sell at EchoPark and share the exposure with another important entity in our Sonic Automotive family,” said Jeff Dyke, President of Sonic Automotive. “The Sturgis Rally is right around the corner, and we know NASCAR fans and drivers will not only love the new presentation of this track, but also the opportunity to see this limited edition Harley-Davidson presented in Victory Lane.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are, and we know that together we’ll elevate our fan experience to a new level unmatched for Southern hospitality. This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.”
EchoPark Speedway has a storied history in NASCAR, hosting races every year since it opened as Atlanta International Raceway in 1960. The speedway hosted NASCAR’s season finale from 1987-2000, including the epic conclusion of the 1992 campaign which saw “The King,” Richard Petty, compete in his last NASCAR race; future legend Jeff Gordon make his first NASCAR Cup Series start; and Georgia’s own Bill Elliott win the race – narrowly losing the title to underdog owner-driver Alan Kulwicki.
Racing enthusiasts have long celebrated EchoPark Speedway’s high-speed, close-quarters racing action and exhilaratingly close finishes. Since its reconfiguration to a 28-degree banked, superspeedway-style track in 2021, that reputation has only been further bolstered. Three- and four-wide racing with abundant lead changes have become the norm when NASCAR visits Atlanta. In February 2024, EchoPark Speedway saw the closest three-wide finish in NASCAR history with race winner Daniel Suárez eclipsing Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by just 0.003 and 0.007 seconds, respectively. Earlier this year, a new record was set for most lead changes at the speedway. This month’s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart is expected to continue that trend of thrilling NASCAR action in Atlanta.
EchoPark Speedway will host two NASCAR national touring series during the spectacular June 26-28 summer event. Schedules, tickets, and camping for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend, can be found online at www.EchoParkSpeedway.com.
EPS PR
Motorsports
Abiteboul plays down wild Hyundai-to-F1 rumors
(GMM) Former F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul (pictured) has played down wild rumors linking Hyundai with Formula 1. Once boss of Renault’s works Formula 1 team, Frenchman Abiteboul now heads Hyundai Motorsport. And the Korean carmaker caused a huge stir in the motorsport world on Friday with a social media post featuring a Formula 1 […]

(GMM) Former F1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul (pictured) has played down wild rumors linking Hyundai with Formula 1.
Once boss of Renault’s works Formula 1 team, Frenchman Abiteboul now heads Hyundai Motorsport.
And the Korean carmaker caused a huge stir in the motorsport world on Friday with a social media post featuring a Formula 1 car with “What If?” on the rear wing.
“Get ready for the ride,” read part of the caption on the post, which was later deleted.
The rumor mill, however, was already in top gear, with some linking the post with recent statements made by Otmar Szafnauer about a potential bid for F1’s vacant twelfth team entry spot.
Speaking at Rally Greece, with Abiteboul overseeing Hyundai’s world rally team, the 47-year-old insisted: “I think there was a clumsy post from the marketing team in Korea.
“They wanted to create a buzz, and it worked,” Abiteboul told France’s Auto Hebdo.
“It has since been removed, which shows there is nothing behind it. There is no F1 project. We already have a lot to do with our two programs. We remain focused on that.”
Indeed, alongside its current world rally project, Hyundai is currently preparing a top-tier ‘hypercar’ prototype to contest the WEC and Le Mans from 2026.
When the Hyundai-to-F1 rumor spread around the Rally Greece paddock, Abiteboul also fielded questions from the international media.
“Perhaps in the long term,” he said when asked if the carmaker really might enter a Formula 1 team. “But not at all in the short term.
“Our only chance would be to enter the market in 2031. Take Audi as an example – they decided in 2021 to enter the market in 2026.
“Formula 1 is a different world,” Abiteboul added. “We can’t come as a sponsor as we have no interest in paying other people’s bills – that’s not our style.
“The other option would be to come in with our own technology.”
Interestingly, with Renault having announced the end of its works F1 engine project, recent rumors suggested that Abiteboul had gone shopping at Viry-Chatillon for motorsport engineers.
Hyundai has also been linked with Formula E.
“The Formula E technological roadmap is interesting,” Abiteboul admits. “However, I observe that it is a championship that is struggling to break through a glass ceiling in terms of audience and popularity among fans.
“We will continue to study this possibility,” he said.
Related Article: F1 Rumor: Hyundai eyes buying F1 team
Motorsports
NASCAR’s Cup Series to debut In-Season Challenge as $1 million backdrop to points race for title
HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — The debut of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge in Saturday night’s Cup Series race in Atlanta generated differing opinions and expectations from drivers. After all, there’s a points race to attend to. Every team’s top priority is qualifying for the playoffs and trying to win the championship. Some drivers acknowledge they simply haven’t […]

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — The debut of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge in Saturday night’s Cup Series race in Atlanta generated differing opinions and expectations from drivers.
After all, there’s a points race to attend to. Every team’s top priority is qualifying for the playoffs and trying to win the championship. Some drivers acknowledge they simply haven’t paid attention to the new race within the race.
Joey Logano says he sees no reason to view the new tournament as a distraction.
“If there’s something to win, you want to go win it,” Logano said Friday before winning the pole for Saturday night’s race in his Team Penske Ford.
Denny Hamlin is the No. 1 seed in the 32-driver In-Season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tournament. Chase Briscoe, who held off Hamlin for his first win for Joe Gibbs Racing last week at Pocono Raceway, is the No. 2 seed. A $1 million prize awaits the winner as part of a new media rights deal that includes TNT.
Briscoe said Friday he felt “definitely a sigh of relief, you know, just a weight off your shoulders” following last week’s win. He said that sense of relief was shortlived.
“I’m expected to win multiple races, not just one,” Briscoe said. “It’s a sense of relief, but also more pressure because now they know you can win.”
NASCAR hopes the tournament generates mid-season interest. The single-elimination format cuts the field to 16 at Chicago, eight at Sonoma, four at Dover and the final two at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Many drivers expect their interest in the tournament will increase after Saturday night’s race.
“I think some of the drivers have been kind of dismissive over the bracket challenge,” said Brad Keselowski, who enters the race No. 30 in the points standings and in need of a win in Atlanta to earn a playoff spot in his RFK Racing Ford.
“I think it’ll become a lot more real, whether it be for the drivers or for the media or the fans, as it progresses into the later rounds over the next few weeks,” Keselowski said.
Added Ricky Stenhouse, who is 24th in the points race, of the new tournament: “It’s cool. I think after this weekend you’ll have a little better idea of what you have. Our main goal in Atlanta is winning and getting into the playoffs.”
Team Penske dominates qualifying
Team Penske claimed four of the top five qualifying positions and Ford claimed all of the top five spots.
Logano was first at 178.960 mph, tying Josh Berry, who drives for Wood Brothers but has a technical alliance with Team Penske. Ryan Blaney qualified third and Austin Cindric was one spot back for Team Penske, while Ryan Preece, in another Ford for RFK Racing, was fifth.
“It definitely helps at the start for sure,” Logano said. “Being at the front and controlling the race is the thing for sure.”
Drawing ‘Uncle’ Noah
Briscoe is facing No. 31 seed Noah Gragson in the first bracket. He says it’s a difficult matchup, in part because “he’s actually probably my best friend on the circuit … and my son’s favorite driver.”
Briscoe said his 3-year-old son, Brooks, thinks of Gragson “like that uncle that just you take your kid to, and he has Pop-Tarts and ice cream and everything else when he’s with them.”
Added Briscoe: “Hopefully I’ll win. If not I’ll never here the end of it from Noah or my son.”
Briscoe posted a photo on his X account of his son’s bracket. The photo shows the smiling Brooks holding a bracket with his father’s No. 19 winning every round of the tournament.
Racing for Rhealynn
Chase Elliott has a special paint scheme on his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that was designed by 11-year-old cancer patient Rhealynn Mills. Elliott chose Mills’ design to highlight his foundation’s efforts to raise money for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Elliott said the “Design to Drive” program has raised $500,000 for the children’s hospital.
“The only bad thing is I feel like we’ve crashed every time we’ve done it,” Elliott said, adding his sponsor, NAPA Auto Parts, deserved credit “for giving up the car” so the paint scheme could instead feature Mills’ design.
New name for Atlanta track
EchoPark Speedway is the new name for the track that was still known as Atlanta Motor Speedway in February when Christopher Bell won while leading only the final lap in overtime. It’s the home track for Elliott, from Dawsonville, Georgia, and he acknowledged seeing the name change and the new green paint “was different for me. I think it’s fine.”
Odds and ends
Ryan Blaney is the favorite (+800) to win the race, per BetMGM Sportsbook. Joey Logano and Austin Cindric, each at +1000, were next.
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Motorsports
NASCAR announce Kyle Larson penalty as Hendrick Motorsports hit with double punishment
NASCAR has announced a double penalty for Kyle Larson and his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team ahead of Saturday’s race at Atlanta. NASCAR released an official report on the matter ahead of the race, with officials penalizing the team after two pre-race inspection failures at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. READ MORE: […]

NASCAR has announced a double penalty for Kyle Larson and his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team ahead of Saturday’s race at Atlanta.
NASCAR released an official report on the matter ahead of the race, with officials penalizing the team after two pre-race inspection failures at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.
READ MORE: NASCAR Race Today: Atlanta start times, schedule and how to watch live on tv
The team eventually passed technical inspection on their third attempt, but have been hit with multiple penalties having failed twice beforehand.
The No. 5 car chief, Jesse Saunders, has been ejected for the remainder of this weekend’s event, for example, whilst Larson and his crew have also forfeited their pit selection for Saturday’s race.
It is the second time in as many days that Hendrick Motorsports have been punished by NASCAR, with the series hitting the team with a huge penalty following a post-race car inspection after last weekend’s action at Pocono.
Kyle Larson is set to start Saturday’s Quaker State 400 in 11th.
READ MORE: NASCAR owner agrees to sell Cup Series team
What is NASCAR tech?
Every weekend, no matter the race, track, or event, NASCAR requires all Cup Series teams to pass inspection before hitting the circuit.
If a team fails tech on the first instance, it must fix the issue and repeat the process all over again until it passes.
If a car fails once, there is no punishment. However, if you fail twice or more, punishments are handed out, such as in Larson and the No. 5’s case above.
According to NASCAR, the point of inspections is to level the sport’s playing field as much as possible.
The website also outlines the five stations of a standard inspection, which are as follows:
Station 1: Car is elevated to visually inspect the nose, under the body and inside.
Stations 2-3: Body is visually inspected using a handheld template to ensure the body conforms to regulations.
Station 4: Optical scanning is used to inspect the chassis and body of car.
Station 5: Holding blocks are removed and final safety inspection is done.
NASCAR HEADLINES: Joey Logano claims $1 MILLION reward as Cup Series team set for sale
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Motorsports
NASCAR Qualifying Results: Atlanta goes down to tie-break as Denny Hamlin suffers disaster run
NASCAR qualifying at Atlanta was heavily impacted by the weather in Georgia, with some parts of the running cancelled. The final round of Xfinity Series qualifying was cancelled on Friday afternoon due to lightning in the area, which also cut into time for Cup Series qualifying – which was limited to one single-lap run. […]

NASCAR qualifying at Atlanta was heavily impacted by the weather in Georgia, with some parts of the running cancelled.
The final round of Xfinity Series qualifying was cancelled on Friday afternoon due to lightning in the area, which also cut into time for Cup Series qualifying – which was limited to one single-lap run.
READ MORE: NASCAR Race Today: Atlanta start times, schedule and how to watch live on tv
Joey Logano took pole with a great time of 30.979sec, but it still took a tie-break for him to place first ahead of Josh Berry, who set the same time down to a thousandth of a second but lost out on owner points.
Denny Hamlin joked on social media during the weather delay that the session should be called early for safety, with a nudge and wink to the fact that he’d start right up front if the session wasn’t completed.
That would’ve been a much better result for the recent father, who predicted a 24th place start but who in fact qualified all the way back in 33rd in a 40-man field.
With that said, let’s take a look at Friday’s qualifying results in full!
NASCAR HEADLINES: Joey Logano claims $1 MILLION reward as Cup Series team set for sale
NASCAR Cup Series: Who is on pole at Atlanta?
After qualifying on Friday, here is the starting lineup for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta, with the leading lap time and gaps included.
Position | Driver | Car No. | Team | Lap Time / Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske Ford | 30.979sec |
1 | Josh Berry | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing Ford | 30.979sec |
3 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske Ford | +0.004 |
4 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske Ford | +0.058 |
5 | Ryan Preece | 60 | RFK Racing Ford | +0.151 |
6 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford | +0.174 |
7 | Cole Custer | 41 | Haas Factory Team Ford | +0.176 |
8 | Zane Smith | 38 | Front Row Motorsports Ford | +0.181 |
9 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | +0.224 |
10 | Chase Briscoe | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | +0.231 |
11 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | +0.258 |
12 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet | +0.263 |
13 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford | +0.268 |
14 | Ty Dillon | 10 | Kaulig Racing Chevrolet | +0.286 |
15 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | +0.305 |
16 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | +0.319 |
17 | Todd Gilliland | 34 | Front Row Motorsports Ford | +0.323 |
18 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | +0.331 |
19 | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | Legacy Motor Club Toyota | +0.336 |
19 | Riley Herbst | 35 | 23XI Racing Toyota | +0.336 |
21 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing Chevrolet | +0.350 |
21 | Justin Haley | 7 | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | +0.350 |
23 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing Toyota | +0.352 |
24 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing Toyota | +0.374 |
25 | Corey Lajoie | 01 | Rick Ware Racing Ford | +0.377 |
26 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club Toyota | +0.379 |
27 | Noah Gragson | 4 | Front Row Motorsports Ford | +0.397 |
28 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | +0.426 |
29 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet | +0.428 |
30 | Carson Hocevar | 77 | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | +0.430 |
31 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet | +0.467 |
32 | Michael McDowell | 71 | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | +0.483 |
33 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | +0.484 |
34 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet | +0.505 |
35 | Shane van Gisbergen | 88 | Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet | +0.506 |
36 | Connor Zilisch | 87 | Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet | +0.521 |
37 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet | +0.558 |
38 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet | +0.571 |
39 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing Ford | +0.585 |
40 | David Starr | 66 | Garage 66 Ford | +3.134 |
READ MORE: NASCAR owner agrees to sell Cup Series team
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Motorsports
Atlanta Starting Lineup: June 2025 (NASCAR Cup Series)
NASCAR starting positions for EchoPark Speedway NASCAR Cup Series drivers are unloaded at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway). The field is rolling to the 1.5-mile track for a round of qualifying to set the lineup for Saturday night’s race. View the Atlanta starting lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series. Atlanta/Lime Rock MenuARCA: Prac/Qual | RaceTruck: Prac | Qual […]

NASCAR starting positions for EchoPark Speedway
NASCAR Cup Series drivers are unloaded at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway). The field is rolling to the 1.5-mile track for a round of qualifying to set the lineup for Saturday night’s race.
View the Atlanta starting lineup for the NASCAR Cup Series.
Atlanta/Lime Rock Menu
ARCA: Prac/Qual | Race
Truck: Prac | Qual | Race
Xfinity: Qual | Race
Cup: Qual | Race
Atlanta / Lime Rock TV Schedule
Due to a 30 minute lightning delay, this qualifying session has been trimmed from two rounds to just a single round. After 14 cars took to the track, another lightning strike has further delayed qualifying by 30 more minutes.
Joey Logano will start from the pole position in Saturday night’s race. He turned a laptime at 30.979 seconds with an average speed of 178.960mph.
EchoPark Speedway
Starting Lineup
June 28, 2025
NASCAR Cup Series
Pos | Driver | Best Time
1. Joey Logano
30.979
2. Josh Berry
30.979
3. Ryan Blaney
30.983
4. Austin Cindric
31.037
5. Ryan Preece
31.130
6. Brad Keselowski
31.153
7. Cole Custer
31.155
8. Zane Smith
31.160
9. Alex Bowman
31.203
10. Chase Briscoe
31.210
11. Kyle Larson
31.237
12. Austin Dillon
31.242
13. Chris Buescher
31.247
14. Ty Dillon
31.265
15. Chase Elliott
31.284
16. Ty Gibbs
31.298
17. Todd Gilliland
31.302
18. William Byron
31.310
19. John Hunter Nemechek
31.315
20. Riley Herbst
31.315
21. AJ Allmendinger
31.329
22. Justin Haley
31.329
23. Tyler Reddick
31.331
24. Bubba Wallace
31.353
25. Corey LaJoie
31.356
26. Erik Jones
31.358
27. Noah Gragson
31.376
28. Christopher Bell
31.405
29. Kyle Busch
31.407
30. Carson Hocevar
31.409
31. Daniel Suarez
31.446
32. Michael McDowell
31.462
33. Denny Hamlin
31.463
34. Ross Chastain
31.484
35. Shane van Gisbergen
31.485
36. Connor Zilisch
31.500
37. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
31.537
38. BJ McLeod
31.550
39. Cody Ware
31.564
40. David Starr
34.113
Links
EchoPark Speedway | NASCAR
Motorsports
Logano powers to Cup pole in Atlanta
Joey Logano (pictured) led an armada of Fords into the top eight starting spot for Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Logano clocked in at 30.979 seconds (178.960 mph) in Friday’s qualifying session to secure his first Busch Light Pole Award of the season, his third at EchoPark and the 32nd of his […]

Joey Logano (pictured) led an armada of Fords into the top eight starting spot for Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway.
Logano clocked in at 30.979 seconds (178.960 mph) in Friday’s qualifying session to secure his first Busch Light Pole Award of the season, his third at EchoPark and the 32nd of his career.
Logano matched the time posted earlier by Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing, but the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford got the nod for the pole on an owner points tiebreaker.
Ryan Blaney posted the third fastest lap at 178.937 mph, followed by Austin Cindric at 178.626 mph, as Team Penske drivers and the Penske affiliate Wood Brothers locked out the first two rows for Sunday’s race, the opening round of the 32-driver In-Season Challenge.
Logano faces ninth-place qualifier Alex Bowman in the first round.
“Being up front and controlling this race is the name of the game,” said Logano, who won last year’s second Atlanta race, which was held in September. “If you can get up there and solidify the top position, I feel like you can stay there. The thing is, there are a lot of ‘What ifs?’ that play out in this race, a lot of cautions that may be timed in a different way, where it can jumble up the field.
“It’s hard to say you’re going to be leading every lap… The good thing is that we controlled what we could today. I’m super proud of Team Penske, Roush Yates (Engines), Ford, obviously to keep our Mustangs up there. It really shows the ability to repeat from car to car, which is really hard to do.
“We tied with the 21 (Berry) and the other cars were within a couple hundredths of a second.”
Ryan Preece, Brad Keselowski, Cole Custer and Zane Smith completed the Ford sweep of the top eight starting spots.
Bowman drove the fastest Chevrolet to ninth on the grid, and Pocono Raceway winner Chase Briscoe was 10th in the quickest Toyota.
Denny Hamlin, top seed in the In-Season Challenge, qualified 33rd but expects his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to fare better in race trim. Nevertheless, Hamlin starts 19 spots behind Ty Dillon, the driver he has to beat to advance to the second round of the tournament.
Briscoe, the second seed, starts 17 positions ahead of close friend Noah Gragson, his first-round opponent.
Qualifying was interrupted by a 30-minute lightning hold, but no rain hit the track despite storms in the area.
Starting Lineup
Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Speed |
1 | 22 | Joey Logano | Autotrader Ford | 30.979 | 178.960 |
2 | 21 | Josh Berry | DEX Imaging Ford | 30.979 | 178.960 |
3 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Advance Auto Parts Ford | 30.983 | 178.937 |
4 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Menards/Quaker State Ford | 31.037 | 178.626 |
5 | 60 | Ryan Preece | Solomon Plumbing Ford | 31.130 | 178.092 |
6 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | Consumer Cellular Ford | 31.153 | 177.960 |
7 | 41 | Cole Custer | HaasTooling.com Ford | 31.155 | 177.949 |
8 | 38 | Zane Smith | Aaron’s Lucky Dog Ford | 31.160 | 177.920 |
9 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Ally Chevrolet | 31.203 | 177.675 |
10 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Bass Pro Shops Toyota | 31.210 | 177.635 |
11 | 5 | Kyle Larson | HendrickCars.com Chevrolet | 31.237 | 177.482 |
12 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet | 31.242 | 177.453 |
13 | 17 | Chris Buescher | Kroger/Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ford | 31.247 | 177.425 |
14 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Mark III Employee Benefits Chevrolet | 31.265 | 177.323 |
15 | 9 | Chase Elliott | NAPA/Children’s Chevrolet | 31.284 | 177.215 |
16 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Sonic/Grillo’s Pickles Toyota | 31.298 | 177.136 |
17 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters Ford | 31.302 | 177.113 |
18 | 24 | William Byron | Axalta Chevrolet | 31.310 | 177.068 |
19 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota | 31.315 | 177.040 |
20 | 35 | Riley Herbst # | Tree Top Toyota | 31.315 | 177.040 |
21 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger | LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet | 31.329 | 176.961 |
22 | 7 | Justin Haley | Gainbridge Chevrolet | 31.329 | 176.961 |
23 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | Upper Deck Toyota | 31.331 | 176.949 |
24 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | Leidos Toyota | 31.353 | 176.825 |
25 | 1 | Corey LaJoie(i) | Schluter Systems Ford | 31.356 | 176.808 |
26 | 43 | Erik Jones | Dollar Tree Toyota | 31.358 | 176.797 |
27 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Zep Ford | 31.376 | 176.696 |
28 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Rheem Toyota | 31.405 | 176.532 |
29 | 8 | Kyle Busch | SENIX Chevrolet | 31.407 | 176.521 |
30 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente Chevrolet | 31.409 | 176.510 |
31 | 99 | Daniel Suarez | Quaker State Chevrolet | 31.446 | 176.302 |
32 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Delaware Life Chevrolet | 31.462 | 176.213 |
33 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | King’s Hawaiian Toyota | 31.463 | 176.207 |
34 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Wendy’s Fresh Way to Frosty Chevrolet | 31.484 | 176.089 |
35 | 88 | Shane Van Gisbergen # | WeatherTech Chevrolet | 31.485 | 176.084 |
36 | 87 | Connor Zilisch(i) | Red Bull Chevrolet | 31.500 | 176.000 |
37 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hungry Jack Chevrolet | 31.537 | 175.794 |
38 | 78 | BJ McLeod(i) | Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster Chevrolet | 31.550 | 175.721 |
39 | 51 | Cody Ware | Jacob Construction Ford | 31.564 | 175.643 |
40 | 66 | David Starr(i) | WNB Factory Ford | 34.113 | 162.519 |
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