Atlanta Motor Speedway has taken some flack for converting into a superspeedway track, but if you didn’t enjoy NASCAR’s Ambetter Health 400 today, you just don’t enjoy life.
Drivers were challenged from the drop of the green flag, and it was evident with a 16-car pileup on the second lap. The race featured ten cautions, Daytona 500 winners crashing trying to get onto pit road, a 12-minute red flag, and an epic three-wide photo finish.
After replay review, it was determined that Daniel Suarez edged out Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by 0.003 seconds.
According to NASCAR, this was the third-closest finish in Cup Series history. The margin of victory in the spring race at Talladega in 2011 and the spring race at Darlington in 2003 were both officially listed as 0.002 seconds.
Like Daytona and Talladega, the racing at Atlanta is oozing with aggressive drivers and just the slightest miscue could trigger a crash taking out half of the field. Unlike those other two tracks, Atlanta is much more narrow, and not built to accommodate four-wide racing.
The drivers though, made it work – at times.
When the checkered flag fell, only five cars managed to finish the race without being involved in an accident at some point in the race. Even Suarez got collected early in the race but fought back to earn his second career Cup victory, and first on an oval.
Drivers were taking some heat for lack of effort in the Daytona 500, easing off the throttle for most of the race to conserve fuel. Six days later, they should be commended for their competitiveness and skill that was on display at Atlanta.
Difficult Driving Conditions
Kevin Harvick mentioned during the first lap of the race that the drivers were going to have their hands full on Sunday. Those words rang true as driver after driver found it difficult to get a good handle on their car. The track had little grip, and the sun soaking it all day didn’t help that any.
Many drivers simply lost control on their own, creating the potential for chaos. It happened during the first incident, but after that the drivers did a marvelous job of keeping their spinning machine out of harm’s way, and the others did a fantastic job of avoiding them.
Even getting onto pit road proved to be trying, as pole sitter Michael McDowell and William Byron got tangled under green. Teams were able to make quick repairs to the cars and get back on the track. Aero is king on superspeedways, and the drivers were still able to wrangle their beat-up cars and navigate the pack.
Rookies, Spotters, Alliances
Veterans have plenty of experience to deal with these situations, but there were four rookies in the race, and several drivers with little Cup experience. Kaz Grala was the highest-finishing rookie in 14th, driving the No. 15 for Rick Ware Racing.
There is an art to drafting, especially now with the new Ford body and manufacturer/team alliances throughout the garage. Spotters play a key role in how these races play out, too.
There is so much more on the shoulders of these drivers than simply mashing the throttle and pulling the wheel one direction.
The Incredible Finish
The youth movement in NASCAR over the last few years has implemented a more aggressive “win at all costs” mentality. Veterans often speak about the lack of respect in the series, but there was not much of that today.
Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin got together on Lap 240 and officials were forced to red flag the race. Josh Berry lost control of his car and took out Carson Hocevar and Chase Elliott, setting up a five-lap shootout. The battle between Suarez, Blaney, and Busch was racing perfection as they crossed the line almost simultaneously.
Perhaps the end result was just as surprising as it was electrifying. Most people probably expected them to crash, or at least make contact. It actually would have been justifiable if one of them made a move like that. It’s the last lap, for the race win. That is an all-too-often uttered phrase these days.
Instead, the trio kept it clean all the way through. It was a legendary drag race to the finish, and something that NASCAR should be proud of. Drivers typically take a lot of crap for a lot of things, but today they deserve plenty of praise.
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