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The NASCAR Cup Series will hold its 115th race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, but for the first time in 11 years it will race in Atlanta twice in the same season.
The track in Hampton, Georgia has hosted two Cup races per season each year since it opened in 1960, when Fireball Roberts won on July 31, until 2010, when Tony Stewart took the checkered flag on September 5. .
Since 2011, Kentucky Speedway has hosted the Quaker State 400 until that race was moved this year. Now, the Cup drivers will compete in a 400-mile race in Atlanta for the first time since 1966.
The riders will also be riding the current oval configuration for the last time. Atlanta’s asphalt surface – paved and last reconfigured in 1997 – is the second oldest in the series behind the concrete of Dover International Speedway. But after Sunday’s race, construction will begin immediately for a makeover for the 2022 season, despite constant pressure from drivers to keep the old surface. So, enjoy it while you can.
Here’s all the information you need to get ready for Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway:
START TIME: 3:30 p.m. ET.
TV: NBCSN. The pre-race broadcast begins at 3 p.m. ET.
RADIO: NASCAR SiriusXM Performance Racing Network and Radio.
DIFFUSION: NBC Sports website (for those who connect with their cable / satellite provider) and NBC Sports app.
RUNNING DISTANCE: 260 laps around the 1.54 mile course for a total of 400 miles.
DURATION OF THE STAGES (laps by stage): Step 1:80, Step 2:80, Step 3: 100.
LAST TIME: Ryan Blaney passed Kyle Larson on lap 317 of 325 before pulling away to win by 2.083 seconds in the 2021 spring race on March 21. Blaney led a total of 25 laps for his fifth career Cup Series victory and the first in Atlanta. And a year ago, Kevin Harvick was dominating, leading 151 of 325 laps in June 2020 for his third career victory in Atlanta. Harvick led the last 55 laps, pulling away from the field and beating Kyle Busch by 3.527 seconds.
QUALIFICATION: There was no on-track qualification for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. Instead, the roster was determined using the new NASCAR competition-based formula:
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Final position of the driver from the previous race
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Finish position of the owner of the previous race car
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Team owner’s point ranking
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Best lap of the previous race
ALIGN: Chase Elliott, who won last weekend’s race at Road America, will start on pole alongside Kyle Busch in the front row. Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell make up the second row, followed by JGR’s Martin Truex Jr..
Here is the lineup of the Quaker State 400 (with the car number in brackets):
1. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
2. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota
3. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
4. (20) Christophe Bell, Toyota
5. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
6. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
7. (8) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet
8. (1) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
9. (42) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
10. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
11. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
12. (21) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford
13. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
14. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford
15. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
16. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
17. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
18. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
19. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
20. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
21. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
22. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
23. (41) Cole Custer, Ford
24. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
25. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
26. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
27. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
28. (77) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
29. (6) Ryan Newman, Ford
30. (52) Josh Bilicki, Ford
31. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet
32. (38) Anthony Alfredo, Ford
33. (15) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet
34. (37) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet
35. (00) Quin Houff, Chevrolet
36. (78) BJ McLeod, Ford
37. (53) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR Cup Atlanta 2021: Start Time, Schedule, TV, Streaming Schedule
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