The NASCAR Cup Series begins the second half of its 36-race schedule this weekend by visiting one of its most unique tracks – Atlanta Motor Speedway – for the Quaker State 400.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the weekend:
Quaker State 400 TV/Broadcast Program
All times Eastern
SATURDAY
5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.: Training and qualifying (US, NBC Sports app)
Sunday
6-7 p.m.: Pre-Race Show (US, NBC Sports app)
7-10 p.m.: Quaker State 400 (US, NBC Sports app)
Quaker State 400 Details
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54 mile, high banked dogleg oval), Hampton, Georgia
Length: 260 laps for 400 miles
Banking: Turns – 28 degrees | Straight – 5 degrees
Last year’s winner: Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
A hybrid superspeedway
Ahead of the 2022 season, speedway management completed a facelift to the 1.54-mile course that narrowed the turns and raised the incline to 28 degrees to encourage racing that is more like the 2.5-mile Daytona and Talladega superspeedways and more.
The results have been mixed. While the organizers put on the exciting races they wanted, between two races there were 22 crash warnings. That’s more than the last four races at Daytona and Talladega combined. This year’s spring race featured just five yellow flags, including the two stage breaks, suggesting teams and drivers have become acclimated to the single track.
Top drivers and best bets for the Quaker State 400
Pack races are inherently unpredictable, as one wrong move can kick you out of the draft and drop the order like a stone. As a result, BetMGM’s chances of winning the race are wide open, with no driver entering the weekend better than 12 to 1.
Better chances of winning
• Ryan Blaney +1200
• Brad Keselowski +1,200
• Kyle Busch +1,300
• Chase Elliott +1,300
• Denny Hamlin +1,300
• Joey Logano +1,300
Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote about the odds earlier in the week, noting that it could be a good weekend for Ford. In terms of middle value, Bromberg recommends Bubba Wallace (+2500) and Alex Bowman (+3000) as both have had most of their success on superspeedways. If you’re looking for a longshot, he recommends 2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell, who enters the weekend at +4000.
Quaker State 400 entry list
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Penske Ford Team
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Penske Ford Team
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Ford of motorsport in the front row
Todd Gilliland (38), Ford of motorsport in the front row
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Cole Custer (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Austin Hill (62), Beard Motorsports Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Weather for the Quaker State 400
The weekend forecast calls for temperatures in the 80s/90s with a 51% chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday. Due to the late start time of qualifying and the race, they can dodge the summer afternoon rain showers that are common in the south in the spring and summer, so the weekend -end looks likely to stay mostly on schedule.