Autotrader 400 Fantasy Preview: Mid-Sized Superspeedway

Autotrader 400 Fantasy Preview

This weekend NASCAR pulls into EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta for the first of two visits in the 2026 season. The lightning-fast intermediate oval will host the Autotrader 400 this Sunday afternoon. Racing at the newly reconfigured Atlanta is somewhat similar to the just-completed Daytona 500. 

This track produces high speeds and lots of side-by-side racing action. In addition, the Atlanta oval underwent a big repaving and redesign project during the off-season of 2021. The asphalt at Atlanta had not been repaved since 1997, making it the oldest surface that NASCAR competed on at that time. In addition, the banking was given a radical redesign. The former 24-degree corner banking was increased to a whopping 28-degrees while keeping the banking on the straights at a modest five-degrees. 

The racing groove was also narrowed from 55 to 40 feet, coupling the higher speeds in the turns with less room to move about. Atlanta is now truly like no other intermediate oval on the NASCAR circuit. The racing at Atlanta the last four seasons has resembled more of the action that we see on the larger, superspeedway ovals like Daytona and Talladega. Aerodynamics, drafting and moving through the field with momentum are now the standard characteristics of Atlanta, and all that action packed into a 1.5-mile oval. 

The intermediate oval is the most frequent type of track found on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. This event will likely be a big outlier thanks to the radically new configuration of EchoPark Speedway and what we witnessed here the last four seasons. Rather than dive into years of electronic loop scoring data, we've chosen to focus more on the recent standard statistics at EchoPark Speedway. We feel the drivers who've succeeded here since the reconfiguration are more worthy of the fantasy focus. Here are the standard stats for the last eight races at EchoPark Speedway.

With Chase Elliott's victory at Atlanta last June, Chevrolet charged to its first victory at the "new" Atlanta since Daniel Suarez's win at the oval in February 2024. The performance snapped a two-race Atlanta win streak combined between Ford and Toyota drivers. The NASCAR Cup Series raced earlier last season (this event one year ago) at EchoPark Speedway and Christopher Bell pulled off a thrilling victory over Carson Hocevar in overtime that would end under caution. That performance gave Toyota their only victory on the new configuration of the track. In fact, it was that manufacturer's first Atlanta win since way back in 2013. With the continuing saga of the new configuration, it will be interesting to see if Chevrolet can continue their success at the Georgia speedway or if Ford will prevail. Additionally, with Toyota grabbing the win in the season-opening Daytona 500, can drivers from this manufacturer stay on a roll?  

Bell was our last Atlanta victor for Toyota in this event one year ago. He, Chase Briscoe, and Tyler Reddick would seem best positioned to upset Ford and Chevrolet to put the Toyota brand back in victory lane at EchoPark Speedway. Bell is the defending event winner, Reddick is last week's Daytona 500 victor and Briscoe has been a strong superspeedway performer over the last year. If superspeedway racing has shown us anything, it's that anything can and will happen. 

Ford has a lot to prove after being shut out at Daytona last Sunday. Drivers like Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and Brad Keselowski will be on the hunt for trophies. Since this race will be a bit more challenging to forecast, and historical data is only marginally helpful, we're going to have to examine the last eight races on EchoPark Speedway very closely as well as look back to the Daytona 500. Right now, current hot streaks may play the biggest role in determining who has success on this higher-banked and repaved Atlanta oval. We'll give you a run down of the drivers you need this Sunday afternoon at EchoPark Speedway, and a few who could surprise in the Autotrader 400.

The Contenders – Drivers in the hunt for the win

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 4:30 PM ET Tuesday

Chase Elliott (+1000) – Elliott had a near-brush with winning last Sunday in Daytona and that has our total attention coming to Atlanta this week. He captured the victory from the pole in the summer event of 2022 and he won last June in the Quaker State 400. The Hendrick Motorsports star is one of only three drivers who are two-time winners on the new configuration of EchoPark Speedway. The 166 combined laps led at this oval since the reconfiguration simply cannot be ignored. The 9.1 average finish that Elliott and the No. 9 team boasts since the reconfiguration is another statistic that is difficult to ignore. It's the best mark in the series. He'll be one of the top contenders to win Sunday in Hampton, Georgia.

Ryan Blaney (+1000) – Blaney is one of the most successful superspeedway drivers of the past few seasons, so that makes him a natural selection among the contenders at Atlanta. His eight prior starts since the track was redone have netted four Top-5 and six Top-10 finishes and a total of 107 laps led. The average finish stands at a robust 10.9. The Penske Racing star has been battling among the leaders in all these events since the track was reconfigured. Blaney has also qualified extremely well during this eight-race span, garnering a miniscule 3.1 average start. That excellence in qualifying certainly helps a good bit when it comes to contending for wins here and Top-10 finishes. His pole position and fourth-place finish in this event one year ago are difficult to ignore.  

Joey Logano (+1000) – Logano captured a Top-5 finish in the Daytona 500 and won his Duel race last week, so he's square in our crosshairs coming to Atlanta. While the Penske Racing star hasn't displayed the consistency at new Atlanta that others in this contenders list have, he still brings race-winning potential to the table. Logano is a two-time winner at EchoPark Speedway since the reconfiguration and he boasts a series-best 333 laps led during that time. He won the pole position here last June, which was his second pole at the track in the last four years. Logano crashed out of last June's Quaker State 400, but not before leading 51 laps. The driver of the No. 22 Ford is one to watch closely in this second race of the 2026 season.

Christopher Bell (+1400) – Bell was in the hunt to win at Daytona last Sunday but a late-race crash not of his making would take him out of contention. Still, we believe in the skill of the driver of the No. 20 Toyota. Bell has shown a real improvement in superspeedway racing over the past couple seasons and that also translates well to EchoPark Speedway. He won this event one year ago and has three Top-5 finishes on the new configuration of the track. The 17.1 average finish isn't quite as impressive as some of the other contenders, but make no mistake, Bell will be a dangerous driver in this race. He's flirted with victories at both Daytona and Talladega and his superspeedway racing skills should not be underestimated.  

Solid Plays – Near locks for a Top 10 with an outside shot to win

Tyler Reddick (+1600) – Reddick became a two-time superspeedway winner with his victory at Daytona last weekend. He's beginning to carve out a reputation in this style of NASCAR racing. While he's not been a huge performer at Atlanta since the reconfiguration, he's shown some flashes of ability in recent visits. Two of his last three trips to the Hampton oval have netted fourth- and sixth-place finishes. Reddick's last visit was arguably his best performance at the track. He piloted the No. 45 Toyota to 18 laps led and a strong fourth-place finish in the Quaker State 400. That teases the potential this driver and team have this weekend. Considering the speed that Reddick showed in overtaking Chase Elliott to win unassisted at Daytona last Sunday, we like his chances for a strong Atlanta performance.

William Byron (+1200) – He's one of three two-time Atlanta winners since the track has been redesigned. For that reason alone, the No. 24 Chevrolet team needs to be squarely on our radar this Sunday. Byron has had three DNFs since the track's redesign and that's put a drag on his average finish (19.3), but he clearly brings Top-10 and possibly race-winning potential to every Atlanta start he makes. With 179 laps led at EchoPark Speedway, Byron has spent a lot of time racing up front among the leaders in his eight starts. Superspeedway racing is all about timing, momentum and who you partner with to make your move. Those are all skills that Byron possesses.    

Daniel Suarez (+4000) – Suarez had a tough season at Atlanta last year with two crashes and DNF's but it does little to cool our enthusiasm for him in this race. The Spire Motorsports veteran won this event in 2024 and he's finished runner-up twice at the track since it's remodel. His five Top-10 finishes in the eight starts at EchoPark Speedway are not by accident. Suarez really likes this configuration and races better here than he does on the larger superspeedways of Talladega and Daytona. Speaking of Daytona, Suarez registered a steady Top-15 finish in his debut with his new race team in the Daytona 500 last weekend. That's a great sign heading into Sunday's Autotrader 400.    

Chase Briscoe (+1800) – Briscoe was actually the first driver to capture a pole position on the debut of Atlanta's new configuration back in 2022. He would start from the pole in that event and lead 5 laps before finishing a respectable 15th-place. Fast forward to the current day and Briscoe is with a new race team (Joe Gibbs Racing) and has elevated his game to A tier status. He put it on the outside pole last week at Daytona and led 23 laps. Briscoe would have been a contender for the win in the Daytona 500 but a late-race accident not of his making took him out. The driver of the No. 19 Toyota put it on the outside pole and grabbed the win at Talladega last fall. Briscoe is primed for big things at Atlanta this Sunday.     

Sleepers – Drivers with good history at Atlanta & solid upside

Austin Cindric (+1200) – Superspeedway Racing has always been a big part of Cindric's success. From his Daytona 500 victory to his performance at Daytona this past Sunday, the Penske Racing youngster seems to have a nose for the pack/drafting style of racing. Atlanta has mostly become this style of racing since the reconfiguration. Cindric has nabbed two Top-5 and three Top-10 finishes at AMS along with a strong 205 laps led since the reconfiguration. The driver of the No. 2 Ford qualifies well at EchoPark Speedway with a razor sharp 6.5 average start. That speed is a recipe for success at this fast oval. Cindric should be motivated for a good Atlanta outing in the Autotrader 400.  

Kyle Busch (+2000) – On the old configuration of Atlanta, Busch was a two-time winner and respectable 46-percent Top-10 finisher. When the changes took place prior to the 2022 season, Busch had some trouble adjusting to the new banking and narrow grooves. However, Busch would reap the benefits of that transition three seasons ago. The Richard Childress Racing star would grab 10th- and fifth-place finishes at the track in 2023. The drafting and momentum runs are something that Busch is pretty comfortable with as he showed on superspeedways last season as well. The driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet has five Top 10's in eight starts on the new Atlanta (63-percent) and that's a stellar mark in this high stakes form of racing.

Ross Chastain (+2200) – Chastain is looking to shake off his bad luck and subpar finish at Daytona this past week. EchoPark Speedway is a good oval to get him back on the right track. The first year of the reconfiguration (2022) he scored a pair of runner-up finishes on the new high banks. In this event one year ago the Trackhouse Racing veteran turned in a steady eighth-place finish. The driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet now boasts four Top 10's in the eight starts at this newly configured speedway. That's a solid 50-percent rate. Chastain has led 117 total laps on the new Atlanta which ranks him among the best in the Cup Series and his 14.1 average finish is a reliable statistic to fall back on.      

Brad Keselowski (+2000) – After racking up a strong fifth-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500, we are going to be optimistic about Keselowski's follow up effort at EchoPark Speedway. The mid-Georgia oval has only yielded a 38-percent Top-10 rate to the veteran driver since the track's makeover. However, Keselowski is a two-time runner-up finisher at Atlanta, including the event last June. He led 46 laps in the Quaker State 400 and battled with the leaders all afternoon in that last race at EchoPark Speedway. The driver of the No. 6 Ford has multiple superspeedway wins to his credit and his list of accomplishments are longer than we can list here. The veteran driver is not to be underestimated in the Autotrader 400.     

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+2800) – After scoring a strong runner-up finish in the Great American Race, Stenhouse now comes to Atlanta to see what he can do for an encore. The HYAK Motorsports driver picked up fifth- and sixth-place finishes here last season, so this speedway is very much to his liking. Stenhouse now boasts four Top 10's in the eight starts on the newly configured oval and that works out to a reasonable 15.0 average finish. Laps led are a little on the light side with just 33, but that's not been his game here. Stenhouse waits to make his move and uses good instincts and momentum to get to the front at crunch time. These are characteristics of a good superspeedway driver.

Bubba Wallace (+2500) – For a time, it looked like Wallace would win at Daytona last Sunday. He led a whopping 40 laps in the final stage of the Daytona 500 before cautions and pit stops would shuffle him out of the lead. The 23XI Racing veteran would still forge a bittersweet Top-10 finish in the season-opener for his good efforts. Wallace hasn't been remarkable on the new configuration of Atlanta, but he has been respectable. The 18.0 average finish tells the tale. More recent visits have been better for the No. 23 Toyota team. Wallace has grabbed fifth- and ninth-place finishes in his last four trips to Hampton, Georgia. We believe he'll display the speed and superspeedway racing smarts to challenge for another Top 10 this Sunday afternoon.    

Slow Down – Drivers to Avoid This Week

Denny Hamlin (+1800) – Hamlin is a one-time winner on the old configuration of EchoPark Speedway and he's nabbed 11 Top-10 finishes over the years at the mid-Georgia oval (36-percent). Despite his prowess in superspeedway racing, Hamlin has been a little slow to adapt to the higher banking of Atlanta. His eight starts since the track's makeover have only yielded two Top-10 finishes and five finishes outside the Top 20. The average finish at the new Atlanta is checking in at a subpar 19.8. Hamlin found heartache in the late laps of last Sunday's Daytona 500 and we're afraid he's in for another tough go in the Autotrader 400.

Kyle Larson (+1200) – The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet had his usual superspeedway troubles last weekend and finished a subpar 16th-place in the Daytona 500 last Sunday. Now the series comes to EchoPark Speedway for similar racing action, but on a considerably smaller oval. Larson has never really been that fond of the Atlanta track and especially after the reconfiguration. His eight starts have netted five DNF's and one Top-10 finish. Larson's average finish at Atlanta over the span is a troublesome 24.9. Despite qualifying extremely well on the new Atlanta (10.0 average start) and leading some laps on occasion, he's battled some real struggles here. In weekly lineup and salary cap leagues it's best to pass on this driver and team this week.  

Noah Gragson (+7000) – Gragson has not really had much success in superspeedway racing. He  bucked that trend this past week with a surprising 11th-place finish in the Daytona 500, but much of that was due to some breaks falling his way and not giving up during some adversity. It was a real outlier of a performance in his superspeedway resume. In his eight starts at EchoPark Speedway after the track reconfiguration, he's qualified poorly (22.1) and finished poorly (30.6). Gragson has been involved in a number of accidents here and collected five DNF's in those eight events, including this event one year ago where he crashed and finished 34th-place. It's best to steer clear of Gragson and the No. 4 team this Sunday in Atlanta.

Austin Dillon (+4500) – The driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet would be in the wrong place at the wrong time last Sunday in the Daytona 500. Dillon would get rolled up in a mid-race crash that wasn't of his doing. That's been his luck in this particular style of NASCAR racing and it's a hard reputation to shake once it sets in. Dillon's eight starts on the new Atlanta have been lackluster at best. Four finishes outside the Top 20 with two DNF's are offset by four finishes inside the Top 20, but no Top 10's. Conspicuously, the veteran driver hasn't led a single lap in those eight starts and his average finish checks in at a disappointing 23.6. The Richard Childress Racing driver has little to no fantasy racing appeal in this 400-mile battle at Atlanta.