Overview

This is the third year of the new Atlanta Motor Speedway configuration as it’s considered a superspeedway now.  Seeing as how we just came from Daytona we can expect much of the same style racing.  The Cup drivers are going to handle the 1.54-mile quad-oval which has 28 degrees of banking in the turns and 5 degrees on the straightaways. Last year Joey Logano won the first Atlanta race from the pole leading 140 laps. Byron won the July race leading 19 laps starting from the 18th position. It was Byron’s second time winning Atlanta since the reconfiguration.

Strategy

Pack racing will come into play once again with this race being treated as a super speedway, just like what we see at Daytona and Talladega. The drivers will go 260 laps for 400 miles providing a lot of dominator points but also keeping in mind that typically at these types of tracks we need place differential points with the looming wreck(s) that come with this style of racing.

Most comparable tracks: Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway

*Note: all pricing is DraftKings focused

Top Drivers

Erik Jones ($8,000), Starting 37th

Qualifying did not go well for Jones as he’ll start back in 37th position. However, Jones has been adequate at speedways of late. LAst week Jones started 11th at Daytona and managed an eighth-place finish. Last year in the first Atlanta race qualifying didn’t go well as he started 28th but finished eighth. The second go-around at Atlanta last season proved to be successful as well with an 11th-place finish for Jones after starting 25th. We’re looking at one of, if not the most popular driver on Sunday here in Jones but the safe floor as far a place differential is very appealing.

Chase Elliott ($9,800), Starting 28th

Elliott is one of the best drivers in the sport, no question but his track record (pun intended) on speedways has been shaky. Chase has won twice at Talladega but conversely has been terrible at Daytona. Since the reconfiguration of Atlanta, his home track, Elliott has finished sixth, first, and 13th. Starting back at 28th, after a lackluster showing last weekend, I expect Elliott to come back with a vengeance here.

Brad Keselowski ($9,300), Starting 24th

Brad was running great last week in search of his first Daytona 500 victory before a late wreck took him out to finish 30th. Brad finished second and sixth here last year and led 47 laps in the first Atlanta race. After a rocky 2022, his first year as a team owner, last season was very strong for Brad. He’s looking to continue that momentum and surely looking to rebound after last week.

Corey LaJoie ($6,800), Starting 32nd

The proof is in the results at this point and it’s clear that LaJoie is a productive speedway racers regardless of where he starts in the field. Last week LaJoie started 29th at Daytona and wheeled the seven-car to a fourth-place finish and with a little more aggressiveness at the end could’ve found himself in the top-three. LaJoie was strong in the first Atlanta race last season finishing fourth after starting 31st. At Daytona he finished 10th and 16th last season. There’s great value in the floor that LaJoie provides starting this far back in the field.

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. ($7,500), Starting 27th

Stenhouse is noted as being one of the best speedway drivers in the field. In two races here last season Stenhouse finished 10th and 17th after starting 29th and 27th. Stenhouse continues to be one of the more aggressive drivers out there and that works in his benefit more often than not on these speedways.

Also Consider

Christopher Bell ($9,100), Starting 22nd

John Hunter Nemechek ($6,200), Starting 34th

Tyler Reddick ($8,500), Starting 19th

William Byron ($10,000), Starting 11th

Core Drivers

Chase Elliott

Erik Jones

Corey LaJoie

GOOD LUCK!!