Auto Racing Glance

[February 22, 2018]  MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500 (325 laps, 500.5 miles around a 1.54-mile D-shaped oval), Atlanta Motor Speedway; Hampton, Ga.

TV: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET (approximate green flag 2:16 p.m. ET) -- Fox (Radio: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The second of 36 races on the season, it is often said that the real season starts now since the mammoth 2-5-mile Daytona International speedway -- the site of the season-opening race -- is such an outlier compared to the tracks that make up the bulk of the schedule. ... Atlanta Motor Speedway is a so-called "cookie-cutter track," a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval similar to the most [popular style in NASCAR, which includes Texas, Charlotte, Kansas, Chicagoland, Kentucky and Las Vegas. ... Teams will get their first chance to unveil their intermediate-track cars and packages this week and see what they have towards making the playoffs in September. ... This will be the 111th Cup race held at Atlanta, which opened in 1960. ... Brad Keselowski won this race last year. ... Austin Dillon won this past Sunday's race at Daytona, earning him a [playoff spot. ... Here's the Cup point standings after Daytona: Ryan Blaney (58 points), Joey Logano (50), *Austin Dillon (47), Darrell Wallace Jr. (47), Paul Menard (46), Michael McDowell (39), Denny Hamlin (37), Ryan Newman (34), Chris Buescher (33), Aric Almirola (33).

*Denotes race winner and playoff berth

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: RINNAI 250 (163 laps, 251 miles around a 1.54-mile oval), Atlanta Motor Speedway; Hampton, Ga.

TV: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET (approximate green flag 2:16 p.m. ET) -- Fox (Radio: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The series also gets to see who has what on the intermediate tracks. ... This is the 27th Xfinity race at AMS. ... Kyle Busch won this race last spring and also in 2016. ... *Tyler Reddick won the Xfinity race last week at Daytona and leads the Xfinity standings (50 points), followed by Elliott Sadler (41), Spencer Gallagher (39), Ryan Truex (35), Ryan Reed (34), Kaz Grala (33), Garrett Smithley (32), Ross Chastain (28), Brandon Jones (27), Jeff Green (26).

*Denotes race winner and playoff berth

 

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: ACTIVE PEST CONTROL 200 (130 laps, 200 miles around a 1.54-mile oval), Atlanta Motor Speedway; Hampton, Ga.

TV: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (Delayed, approximate race start 4:52 p.m. ET) Radio (live) 4:30 p.m. ET: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

THIS WEEK: This is the 17th time the Trucks will race at Atlanta and is the second of 23 races for the season. ... Christopher Bell won this race last year. ... This is the middle race of three straight weekends for the Trucks before a two-week layoff after next week's race in Las Vegas. ... *Johnny Sauter won last week's race at Daytona and leads the Truck standings (59 points), followed by Justin Haley (40), Grant Enfinger (37), Dalton Sargeant (37), Joe Nemechek (34), David Gilliland (34), Ben Rhodes (33), Spencer Davis (31), Jordan Anderson (28), Cody Coughlin (28).

*Denotes race winner and playoff berth

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS, Friday-Sunday, at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park at Chandler, Ariz.

THIS WEEK: This is the opening race of 2018 season after the NHRA shook up its schedule in the offseason. ... Drivers and riders have tested and run exhibitions coming into the event, and one in particular, Top Fuel defending champion Brittany Force, had a frightening crash at Pomona, Calif., and an overnight hospital stay for precautionary reasons. She is expected to run Phoenix this weekend. ... Winners of this event last year were Leah Pritchett in Top Fuel, Matt Hagan in Funny Car and Greg Anderson in Pro Stock. ... Defending 2017 champions are Force in Top Fuel, her brother-in-law Robert Hight in Funny Car, Bo Butner in Pro Stock and Eddie Krawiec in Pro Stock Motorcycle. ... The Pro Stock Motorcycle class makes its debut at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. on March 15.

--K. Lee Davis, Field Level Media

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