The NASCAR Cup Series will return to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second time in 2022 this week. Sunday will be the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart.
Earlier this season was the first time the Cup Series raced on the newly reconfigured track in Atlanta. The higher banking at the track provided for competitive racing with 20 drivers exchanging the lead 46 times. That’s an all-time record at the track. The drivers and teams were only five races in with the new seventh version of the Next Gen car at that race. With more experience in the new car at this point, we can only wonder if that will heighten the competition at Atlanta even more.
Here is the data for the track and race this weekend.
Atlanta Motor Speedway Data
Track Size: 1.54-miles
Banking/Turns: 28 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch & Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,332 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,800 feet
Quaker State 400 Data
Season Race #: 19 of 36 (07-10-22)
Race Length: 260 laps / 400.4 miles
Stage 1: 60 Laps
Stage 2 and Final Stage : 100 Laps (each)
Here are the top 10 active drivers in over-all driver rating at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Kevin Harvick – 98.5
Kurt Busch – 96.8
Martin Truex Jr. – 96.4
Denny Hamlin – 95.0
Kyle Busch – 94.7
Ryan Blaney – 94.0
Kyle Larson – 92.8
Brad Keselowski – 92.5
Chase Elliott – 92.3
Greg Biffle – 86.2
*Based on 2005-present among active drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Here are the active drivers that have won at Atlanta Motor Speedway in NASCAR’s top division.
| Kurt Busch | 4 Wins | 2021, 2010, 2009, 2002 |
| Kevin Harvick | 3 Wins | 2020, 2018, 2001 |
| Brad Keselowski | 2 Wins | 2019, 2017 |
| Kyle Busch | 2 Wins | 2013, 2008 |
| William Byron | 1 Win | 2022 |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 Win | 2021 |
| Denny Hamlin | 1 Win | 2012 |
Last year Kurt Busch was the winner of this race. However, the track was then reconfigured. William Byron was the winner of the spring race at the track. However, more drivers have gotten a better handle on the new car at this point.
There are eight races remaining in the regular season (counting this week’s race in Atlanta). There are 13 drivers that have won at least one race in the 2022 Cup Series season. This is the era of “Win and You’re In” for the Playoffs. However, there are only 16 post-season spots to race for the championship. This could be the year that more than 16 drivers win in the regular season. Should that happen, it would end the “Win and You’re In” idea.
We will have to watch to find out if we get another winner closer to the end of that idea. The Quaker State 400 starts at 2 p.m. central time (3 p.m. eastern time) this Sunday, July 10th at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
By: Buck Stevens
