Quaker State 400 Preview: Atlanta - The Sequel

With the newly rebooted Chicagoland Speedway race now well in our rearview mirror, we head this week to a much different style intermediate oval for the second time this season. NASCAR pulls into Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second visit of 2026. This event was a new addition to the Cup Series schedule four seasons ago. For much of the previous decade, the sanctioning body only scheduled one event per year at Atlanta, but that changed with the addition of the Quaker State 400 to the 36-race schedule. Last season's twist is that Atlanta has been moved from the playoff schedule and into the regular season schedule. That remains in effect this season. The second Atlanta event is now an early-July affair and is now a lead up race to the NASCAR post-season. EchoPark Speedway will hold the Quaker State 400 this Sunday night and under the lights at Atlanta.

The lightning-fast quad oval will host this 400-mile battle Sunday evening. EchoPark Speedway is similar to the many intermediate ovals we've already raced in the 2026 campaign, with the twist of the recent track reconfiguration of five years ago. We'll need to pay very close attention to who is currently surging in the Cup Series and also who performed well the last few times we raced in Atlanta. To a lesser degree, the historical statistics of Atlanta will also play a part for identifying those teams that will make the transition back to intermediate oval racing the best. EchoPark Speedway has a good group of drivers that dominate each time we visit central Georgia, and the table below illustrates this group well. 

Atlanta's overhaul in 2022 increased the banking to a whopping 28 degrees and narrowed the racing groove to just 40 feet. The racing is pretty unique now and almost resembles the action we normally see on superspeedways like Daytona or Talladega. The track is actually labeled a "hybrid intermediate superspeedway" now. We need to take a quick look at the standard stats from the last nine Atlanta races to get a good feel for who is having success and who is struggling with the new configuration. Here are the standard stats from the last nine EchoPark Speedway events, sorted by average finish.

Given what has happened at EchoPark Speedway in February's Autotrader 400, it's almost certain that it will be another multi-driver, multi-manufacturer brawl this weekend. The first nine Cup Series events on the newly reconfigured Atlanta oval have offered up lots of lead changes, lots of different leaders and tons of excitement. The amazing statistics we've seen show just how transformed EchoPark Speedway is now after the banking and surface changes. Even though Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace dominated most of that event, there were still 14 different leaders and a good bit of shuffling at the front. That radically different racing was all too apparent to the casual observer. No lead was safe and any driver could make a push to the front, much like a typical superspeedway race. We're sure to see similar action again this Sunday evening.

Tyler Reddick won the race in February at Atlanta. Despite leading 53 laps he would have to retake the lead from Bubba Wallace during overtime. Reddick would pass Wallace and hold off Chase Briscoe to the checkered flag. We had 10 caution periods for accidents mostly of the multi-car type, so the racing action was periodically interrupted with a lot of restarts. Due to those multi-car wrecks, we also have to acknowledge the luck and staying out of trouble component that has been introduced to the Atlanta race. We had 13 cars DNF in that February event, so staying out of trouble and keeping the fenders on your car are another factor to consider. We'll give you a run down of the drivers you need this weekend at EchoPark Speedway, and a few who could surprise in the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta.

The Contenders – Drivers in the Hunt for the Win

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:30 PM ET Wednesday

Chase Elliott (+900) – Elliott won this event last year in a strong performance, and he's led 177 laps in his eight starts at Atlanta since the track change. When NASCAR debuted the new configuration of EchoPark Speedway in the spring of 2022, Elliott piloted the No. 9 Chevrolet to 29 laps led and an impressive sixth-place finish in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. He's now a two-time winner at EchoPark Speedway since the new track layout. Elliott has posted a stellar 9.4 average finish across his starts on the new Atlanta and that shows he battles among the leaders here each visit. He led 11 laps and finished a reasonable 11th-place here earlier this season. Elliott will have bigger plans for this Sunday.

Tyler Reddick (+900) – The driver of the No. 45 Toyota had some rough outings at the Atlanta oval when it was first reconfigured, but he's come on strong in recent outings. Reddick led 18 laps and finished a brilliant fourth-place in this event last season. He then returned this spring and put on quite a show. The 23XI Racing star led 53 laps and rallied in overtime to capture his first-career victory at EchoPark Speedway. It was a strong performance from the pole and showed how far this driver and team have progressed in superspeedway racing. The notes from that February performance will come in handy for Reddick and crew chief Billy Scott.  

Ryan Blaney (+900) – Blaney has been one of the top performers on the new Atlanta layout as evidenced by his 113 laps led, four Top-5 and seven Top-10 finishes to power a strong 10.8 average finish across the nine-race span. That dovetails nicely with his history in superspeedway racing. Blaney is a three-time winner at Talladega and understands the momentum swings of drafting and superspeedway racing. The Penske Racing came from 22nd-place on the starting grid to lead 6 laps and finish in the Top 10 earlier this season at EchoPark Speedway. Many will consider him a top contender for Ford to win in Atlanta on Sunday evening.

Christopher Bell (+1400) – He's been coming on strong in his last couple races. Bell has fifth- and second-place finishes the last two weeks and comes to Atlanta seeking trophies. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has three Top 5's since the track layout changed for a strong 33-percent Top-5 rate. One of those was Bell's first-career win at EchoPark Speedway back in 2025. With 32 total laps led and a respectable level of performance on the reconfigured Atlanta oval, Bell would seem to be a stealthy contender candidate for the Quaker State 400. He is often seen battling among the leaders at this track and his current level of performance is very high.    

Solid Plays – Near Locks for Top 10 with an Outside Shot to Win

Chase Briscoe (+1800) – Coming off the big win at Chicagoland Speedway this past Sunday, his first victory of the season and fourth since moving to Joe Gibbs Racing, Briscoe will now set his sights on EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta. The No. 19 Toyota has been fast this season on superspeedway ovals and his performance from back in February at Atlanta teases the potential. Briscoe had not been overly impressive in his prior starts on the new Atlanta configuration. However, he led 27 laps in February's Autotrader 400 and finished a career-best second-place at Atlanta. Coming to EchoPark Speedway this weekend with a lot of momentum, we bet Briscoe will visit the Top 10 in the Quaker State 400.       

William Byron (+1000) – Byron has been turning around his slow season of late. He had a strong third-place finish at Pocono a few weeks ago and this past Sunday grabbed a strong fourth-place finish at the Chicago oval. The Hendrick Motorsports star is only one of two drivers to have racked up two victories on the new Atlanta configuration. Byron wasn't every successful on the old track layout but the new one has been very much to his liking. The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet has two wins and 179 laps led at EchoPark Speedway. Byron's last three starts at the mid-Georgia oval have been forgettable, but we're willing to bet he'll be back in form this Sunday evening.

Ross Chastain (+2500) – Chastain nearly won the first two events at the Atlanta oval since the track reconfiguration. He led 42 laps in the spring 2022 race and finished runner-up to William Byron. Chastain also led 32 laps and finished runner-up in this event four years ago to Chase Elliott. The Trackhouse Racing veteran was a strong third-place finisher in February's Autotrader 400. The average finish across all nine Atlanta starts is a healthy 12.9. Chastain may not qualify the best here, but he seems to have little trouble navigating the field and racing among the leaders in the final laps at EchoPark Speedway. Pre-reconfiguration, this driver had very little success at Atlanta, but Chastain has benefited from the change since 2022.

Carson Hocevar (+1600) – Hocevar has just five starts on the new Atlanta oval, but he's had some pretty good results especially of late. He finished runner-up here in the spring 2025 event and most recently the Spire Motorsports driver finished fourth-place in February's Autotrader 400. This type of oval rewards risk takers and well-placed aggressive driving. That's a trait of Hocevar's and can be a strength as well as weakness. Riding a three-race Atlanta Top-10 streak into this Sunday evening's action is a good endorsement. With a 60-percent Top-10 rate at the new EchoPark Speedway and sporting a strong 10.2 average finish in those five starts, one will want to take a long, hard look at Hocevar this weekend.

Sleepers – Drivers with Good History at Atlanta & Solid Upside

Daniel Suarez (+3500) – Suarez has feasted at this oval since it's redesign a few years ago. The Spire Motorsports veteran won at EchoPark Speedway in 2024 in a surprising performance and in his nine starts since the track's makeover, Suarez has earned five Top-5 (56-percent) and six Top-10 (67-percent) finishes for a sharp 12.9 average finish. While he's not led a lot of laps in those starts, just 31 total, he's found his way to the front in most of those races in the closing laps. In Suarez's start here in February, he raced among the Top 10 all afternoon and brought home a strong fifth-place finish in the Autotrader 400. He'll be a top driver again this Sunday evening under the lights at Atlanta.     

Austin Cindric (+1800) – We've slotted this driver and team in the sleepers list this week because of their swing for the fences nature at Atlanta and the risk that comes with that. However, also you have to consider the potential rewards. Cindric has logged two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes on the track since the banks were raised and the racing groove was narrowed. The 226 laps led are impressive but the 18.2 average finish shows the downside that tempers our expectations a bit. Cindric qualifies well here as his 9.1 average start attests. However, his last two EchoPark Speedway starts have ended in crashes and DNF's. He led 21 laps here in February's Autotrader 400 and battled among the leaders before crashing out late. He's a roll of the dice in fantasy games this weekend.

Bubba Wallace (+2000) – The veteran 23XI Racing driver has been an on-again off-again performer in recent weeks. Wallace has grabbed three Top 10's in the last five races, including his strong sixth-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway this past Sunday. He'll look to carry that momentum into Atlanta this week. The driver of the No. 23 Toyota struggled in his first four starts at the newly-configured EchoPark Speedway but has shown much more consistency and skill in more recent outings. Three of his last five starts at Atlanta have netted Top-10 finishes. Wallace's start here in February is arguably his best at the track with 46 laps led and a strong eighth-place finish in the Autotrader 400.

Alex Bowman (+3500) – Bowman has been trying to get his act together in the midst of a very down season. He's grabbed 10th- and fifth-place finishes the last two weeks at Sonoma and Chicago and showing some hope coming to EchoPark Speedway. Bowman's Atlanta record since the track's reconfiguration isn't that great, but he did achieve a strong fifth-place finish in this event two years ago and a third-place finish in this event one year ago. Those were his second and third Top 10's on the track since it's redo. Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet team have been strong this season on the superspeedways. He did net an impressive third-place at Talladega this spring. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has a nose for this style of racing and it shows in the results.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+2500) – Despite DNF's in his first two starts on the new Atlanta configuration, Stenhouse has rebounded nicely in his last seven starts at the revamped oval. The HYAK Motorsports driver has one Top-5 and four Top-10 finishes in his last seven Atlanta attempts. The Top 5 came in last season's Ambetter Health 400 and he also finished sixth-place in this event one year ago at EchoPark Speedway. The veteran driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet has three-combined victories between Daytona and Talladega so he's always had a knack for pack racing in the draft. It has really translated well to the new Atlanta. We expect Stenhouse to challenge the Top 10 Sunday evening in the Quaker State 400.   

Zane Smith (+6000) – The Front Row Motorsports driver is in the midst of a career-best season to this point in 2026. Smith is on pace to set new best-marks in Top 5's, Top 10's and in the point standings. The superspeedway ovals have been a high point for the No. 38 Ford team this season. Sixth-, seventh- and fifth-place are Smith's body of work at Daytona, Atlanta and Talladega. The pack racing and in the draft have been really rewarding to this driver and team. Smith has five starts on the new configuration of EchoPark Speedway and his last three starts have been great with finishes of 11th-, seventh- and seventh-place. He has also qualified extremely well in those three most recent starts. Smith is a lower tier driver in most fantasy racing games but comes with a lot of upside this weekend.

Slow Down - Drivers to Avoid This Week

Joey Logano (+1400) – Logano's speed and qualifying at this track have been incredible. In the nine starts since EchoPark Speedway's makeover, he has two pole positions, a 4.6 average start and 359 laps led. That's helped Logano to win two victories at Atlanta on the new configuration. However, we've noticed a downward trend in his finishes the last three starts. All of those have been efforts outside the Top 10 with one being a DNF. That's inflated Logano's average finish at the new Atlanta to 16.4. Despite all that speed and laps led, the consistency in finishes at this track has become spotty. Logano carries the most risk of the upper tier drivers in the Quaker State 400.

Noah Gragson (+9000) – Despite some sporadic success that the Front Row Motorsports youngster has had in superspeedway racing, we are recommending the fade for Gragson this weekend. His nine starts on the new Atlanta have met with nothing more that trouble and heartbreak. Gragson has crashed out of five of those nine starts and has just two Top-15 finishes during this span. The average finish stands at a disappointing 28.8 for the driver of the No. 4 Ford. Gragson earned a surprising Top 10 at Talladega earlier this spring but EchoPark Speedway just seems to have a wrinkle that Gragson hasn't yet figured out. That inconsistency and bad luck at Atlanta make him a driver to avoid.  

Kyle Larson (+1000) – Simply put, this style of racing just isn't Larson's cup of tea. He did grab a third-place finish last season in Atlanta. However, that's his only good finish in nine tries on this new configuration. Larson has crashed out of six of the other eight starts and his average finish at EchoPark Speedway over that span stands at 25.7. That mirrors the Hendrick Motorsports star's experience on the other superspeedway ovals. Larson has never won in 47 combined attempts between Daytona and Talladega and his Top-10 rate at those tracks is a disappointing 23-percent. We believe the Top 5 Atlanta finish last February is just an outlier. He's simply too risky to roll at EchoPark Speedway.

Denny Hamlin (+1600) – The Joe Gibbs Racing star has always been a top performer on superspeedway ovals. Hamlin's three Daytona 500 victories and two Talladega wins are a real testament to his abilities. However, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota has never seemed to catch on to the secret to the new Atlanta. Since the reconfiguration, Hamlin has just two Top 10's in nine starts vs. five finishes outside the Top 20. All that despite leading 42 combined laps. It's no secret that Hamlin's superspeedway charm has faded since the launch of the new generation stock car. His 31st- and 15th-place finishes at Daytona and Talladega this season are illustrative of that point.