HAMPTON, Ga. — NASCAR’s Cup Series returns to EchoPark Speedway for the second time this season on Sunday, July 12.
Since being repaved and reconfigured a bit, the race at the formerly named Atlanta Motor Speedway has risen up the rankings and become a favorite amongst fans that always seems to feature entertaining racing. In February, Tyler Reddick won a double-overtime race here.
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It’s the third race to be broadcast by TNT Sports this season, and former crew chief turned color analyst Steve Letarte says Atlanta is “one of the must-find tickets of NASCAR.”
“The racing there is unbelievable,” Letarte told USA TODAY Sports a few weeks ago. “There’s a lot of things that can change when we go down to Atlanta. That new configuration — it looks like fighter jets in a punch bowl.”
AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, says there’s nothing else like Atlanta on the schedule at the moment.
“It’s one of a kind,” Allmendinger told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday, June 11. “If I was sitting in the grandstand, I’d love it. Sitting in the race car, I absolutely hate it.”
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Chase Briscoe, who won last weekend at Chicagoland in the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, explained that the tire wear and handling will be tougher to deal with on Sunday compared to the first Atlanta race of the season in February because of the hot temperatures.
“Handling seems to definitely just get worse every time we come here, just from a natural progression of the racetrack. The track just has so much less grip,” Briscoe said. “It’ll definitely race different. This has a little bit different vibe. At this point of the season, everybody kind of knows what they need to do from a points standpoint. It’s still going to be just as chaotic, I’m sure.”
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Denny Hamlin enters Sunday’s race atop the standings, ahead of Tyler Reddick by 44 points. Briscoe moved up three spots to eighth after his first victory of the season, while Allmendinger is in 19th, three spots below the cut line for the postseason Chase.
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Despite Toyotas running extremely well this season — they had seven cars in the top 10 last weekend and the manufacturer has won 13 of 19 races this year — Sunday’s race will begin with a pair of Team Penske Fords on the front row. Ryan Blaney won the pole and Joey Logano is second, followed by Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon and Daniel Suarez in Chevrolets.
Also on the line in Atlanta is NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, where the winner of the bracket-style competition will take home $1 million. The remaining matchups are Alex Bowman vs. Todd Gilliland, Briscoe vs. Chase Elliott, Hamlin vs. Christopher Bell and Blaney vs. William Byron.
NASCAR is hopeful that it has cooled the flames on a pair of rivalries heading into Sunday’s race. On Sunday, officials held closed-door meetings with Austin Hill and Shane van Gisbergen, plus Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway:
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What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta start?
The Quaker State 400 is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 12, at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta on?
The Quaker State 400 will be broadcast on TNT and truTV. A pre-race show on TNT will begin at 6 p.m. ET, with a post-race show anchored by Marty Smith to follow after the race. Adam Alexander, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be on the call for live race action, while Jamie McMurray and Jeff Burton will join the pre- and post-race shows.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta?
Yes. The Quaker State 400 can be live streamed on HBO Max. The platform also features live streams for individual driver cameras.
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How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta?
The Quaker State 400 is 260 laps around the 1.54-mile oval for a total of 400.4 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 100 laps; Stage 3: 100 laps.
Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Atlanta?
Tyler Reddick took the checkered flag at EchoPark Speedway in the Autotrader 400, the second race of the season on Feb. 22. To win his second consecutive race, Reddick rallied from a multicar wreck and won in double overtime. With a push from 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace, Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota finished 0.164 seconds ahead of Chase Briscoe. Reddick became just the sixth driver to open a NASCAR Cup Series season by winning the first two races. He went on to capture a third straight victory at Circuit of the Americas.
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Dale Earnhardt Sr. is the all-time wins leader at Atlanta with nine Cup Series victories. William Byron, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano each have two wins at the track.
What is the lineup for the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta?
(Car number in parentheses)
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John Hunter Nemechek (42)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR at Atlanta: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Quaker State 400 race
