NASCAR Preview: EchoPark Speedway 400
- Ashton Hughes
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Track preview
EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, is a 1.54-mile quad-oval located in Hampton, Georgia. After being reconfigured in 2021, the track currently boasts 28 degrees of banking in the corners and 5 degrees on the straightaways. It is one of three superspeedways on the Cup Series calendar, where drafting and pack racing are commonplace.
Built in 1960, the track has hosted the Cup Series every year since. It was the championship race venue from 1987-2000. Today, it hosts two Cup races a season, the most recent being in February.
The race is scheduled to include 260 laps. Stage 1 will be 60 laps and both Stage 2 and Stage 3 will be 100 laps.
Weather forecast
The weather report indicates there is a high likelihood of rain and thunderstorms, particularly in the mid-afternoon and going into the night. The temperatures around race time will hover around 27 degrees Celsius and drop as the sun goes down. The threat of inclement weather has the potential to lead to a race postponement, but even if the green flag waves on Sunday, the forecast will likely be a major factor. If the race is stopped after the halfway mark, whoever is leading at the time of caution will be declared the winner.
The race is scheduled to begin on July 12 at 19:00 ET (16:00 PT, 00:00 BST).
The storylines
After taking the win at Chicagoland Speedway last week, Chase Briscoe looks to capitalise on his recent momentum. He finished second in the February race at EchoPark Speedway and looks to do one better this time around.
Tyler Reddick won the February race at EchoPark Speedway during his historic season-opening win streak. Recently, however, he has been plagued with misfortune. Last week, problems with his radiator and oil cooler took him out of contention and he has finished 25th or worse in four of the last five races. As a result, he lost his lead in the standings and now trails Denny Hamlin by 44 points. He is looking to rebound this weekend.
Hendrick Motorsports has been dominant at EchoPark Speedway since its reconfiguration, having won four of the nine races in that time. Previous track winners William Byron and Chase Elliott have been struggling with consistency, however, with only three top 10s between the two of them in the last six races.
Where consistency can be found is in Ryan Blaney, who sits third in points. He looks to be a strong pick for the win, with an average finish of eighth in the last six races. At EchoPark Speedway specifically, he has finished in the top 10 in seven of the last nine races. Besides being collected in a crash, the only thing that may keep Blaney from storming to the front is his manufacturer - Ford has not won a Cup race since Blaney’s last victory back in early March.
Another driver to keep an eye on will be Carson Hocevar. Hocevar claimed his first victory at the most recent superspeedway race and finished fourth in the February event at EchoPark Speedway. Despite the chaotic nature of superspeedway races, Hocevar has managed to secure top-10 results in six of the last seven. His notoriously aggressive driving style will likely either lead him to a second Cup win or into big trouble.
Being a favourite for a superspeedway race doesn’t mean much, as the races are as much about escaping massive pileups as they are a competition of skill. Nonetheless, it appears that Briscoe, Blaney and Hocevar are the top ones to watch.
Now in its second year, the NASCAR In-Season Challenge is down to eight drivers. Here are the matchups this week:
Alex Bowman vs. Todd Gilliland
Chase Briscoe vs. Chase Elliott
Denny Hamlin vs. Christopher Bell
William Byron vs. Ryan Blaney
To advance to the Semifinals at North Wilkesboro, drivers must finish in a better position than their opponent. Whichever driver finishes highest in the final round at Indianapolis will receive $1,000,000 USD.
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