After a crash-filled Daytona 500, NASCAR proceeds to Atlanta’s weathered 1.54-mile asphalt trail.
The monitor is favored by most NASCAR drivers since the surface allows for side-by-side racing in grooves. Tires wear out setting a greater significance on rate.
Kevin Harvick won the first two phases at Atlanta This past year, but a punishment allowed Brad Keselowski in for the checkered flag. Keselowski handed Kyle Larson for the lead with six laps to go for his first win of 2017.
All eyes will be on Georgia native Chase Elliott this weekend has he looks to capture his first Cup Series win. Back at the No. 9 car, a number made famous by his Hall of Fame father Bill, Chase does have a fair chance to win according to last year’s figures.
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Elliott listed two second-place finishes, seven top fives, and nine top-10s at 1.5-mile paths in 2017. The Dawsonville, Ga., native also averaged the third-best average finish of Cup drivers (9.82) on 1.5-mile monitors last year.
Before Keselowski’s win Elliott’s teammate Jimmie Johnson was victorious in two Atlanta races. Johnson, who possesses a Cup Series record 28 wins 1.5-mile paths in his profession, has five wins, 14 top fives together with a series-best driver evaluation of 105.4 at Atlanta.
While Johnson has been the older king of 1.5-mile monitors, our choice to win Sunday is reigning champion Martin Truex Jr., who has been nearly unbeatable at intermediate ovals.
Truex won seven of the 11 1.5-mile speedway races last year with nine top fives for an average end of 2.5. He is still searching for his first win in Atlanta but we expect him to have the job done Sunday (if the rain stays off) despite starting out from the back of the field.
Read more: rio-2016-live.com
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