Category: Cup Series

Same philosophy, same desire for Busch and Burnett

Changing teams comes with changing scenery, but it’s also come with changing radio communication for Kyle Busch. “He’s been calling me pal and homie,” Busch said of crew chief Randall Burnett, who oversees the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team. …

Changing teams comes with changing scenery, but it’s also come with changing radio communication for Kyle Busch.

“He’s been calling me pal and homie,” Busch said of crew chief Randall Burnett, who oversees the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team.

They’re classic Burnett nicknames — more fitting for Busch, whereas “little buddy” was frequently used with former driver Tyler Reddick.

“I’m a homie,” Busch said. “I can be as good a homie as anybody. All good.”

The Las Vegas native spent 15 years at Joe Gibbs Racing working around the same people day in, day out, including crew chiefs. Busch and Burnett have started 2023 strong at RCR as the new duo develops chemistry together.

Burnett is a no-nonsense NASCAR veteran who has always gotten the best from his drivers, but Busch is the first champion Burnett has been a crew chief for and doesn’t need the same type of leadership as a younger driver. Even still, Busch discovered his new crew chief has many leadership qualities that he admires and responds to.

“Adam (Stevens) would probably be my best crew chief that I’ve ever worked with, and it’s probably just a little too early to give Randall that title because I haven’t been around him long enough,” Busch said. “And (Adam and I) also won two championships together, so he gets that accolade.

“But the things Adam would do and the intensity that he would have on a lot of stuff was something I really enjoyed and really liked and Randall has that as well. Randall gets frustrated with some of…our system and things like that, so we see the same things. We have similar philosophies, and we have similar desires. It’s just a matter of being able to go out there and achieve that.

“He’s been super great to work with. I really enjoy working with my two engineers as well. Andrew (Dickeson) and Nate (Troupe) have been super helpful and super receptive to a lot of my thinking and my ways, and we’re putting a lot of that together.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

Busch said everyone talks openly and freely about bettering their equipment. A month into the season, through five points-paying races, Busch hasn’t found anything surprising one way or the other with the team’s performance.

“I think what’s been positive…is we do have top-10 speed,” said Busch. “What’s been frustrating is that we have top-10 speed, so the positive of it is sometimes you expect to go somewhere and it takes a little bit of time, and you might run (top) 15 to 20s to get your footing and then get into the top 10.

“But we’ve already been into the top 10, so now it’s a matter of finding our footing and getting into the top five. Once you’re there each and every week contending, then you’re going to be out there contending for wins.”

After earning a podium in the Busch Light Clash — their first race weekend together — Busch led the season-opening Daytona 500 at the 200-mile mark before coming up short in overtime. In week three, the second points race, Busch, Burnett and the No. 8 team had a dominant second half in Fontana en route to scoring the win.

Entering Sunday’s race at Circuit of The Americas (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX), Busch is seventh in the championship standings with three top-10 finishes. Settled in with a new team, he’s pleased with how things have gone but sees Sunday as an opportunity to contend as they need to.

“I don’t think you’re ever happy unless you’re winning every week, but relatively speaking I feel like we’ve done a good job,” he said of the season-to-date. “There have definitely been some things that we’ve done in (the simulator) that haven’t correlated to the racetrack and that’s been frustrating, so it’s all about fixing that tool and continuing to work and evolve on that.

“We’ve done a lot of work on that – especially with COTA. It’s almost like with as much work as we’ve put into this race, if we don’t win then I don’t know what else you can do. That’s kind of where we’re going to stack up and see how we are against the competition Sunday.”

Byron takes NASCAR Cup pole at COTA

William Byron is becoming a betting favorite for the pole on a NASCAR Cup Series road course after grabbing another one at Circuit of The Americas. Byron earned the top spot for Sunday’s race with a lap of 93.882mph (2m10.76s). While it is his first …

William Byron is becoming a betting favorite for the pole on a NASCAR Cup Series road course after grabbing another one at Circuit of The Americas.

Byron earned the top spot for Sunday’s race with a lap of 93.882mph (2m10.76s). While it is his first pole at COTA, it is the fourth road course pole for Byron. And he is the first driver in the Cup Series to win a pole on four different road courses (Charlotte 2019; Road America 2021; Indianapolis 2021).

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

“It’s been an up and down weekend; the Cup car, we definitely had a little bit of work to do yesterday on overall balance and grip in some areas and then me as a driver,” Byron said. “When I talked overnight (with the team) we felt maybe there were three-tenths on my end and on the car’s end. We were able to close that gap today a little bit and put both together.

“It’s good to get the pole, but tomorrow is what matters. There is a lot of work to do. A lot of physical work to do in the (Xfinity Series) race later today, and then tomorrow is going to be tough. Excited for it, and hopefully we can prepare throughout today and go into tomorrow.”

Byron will be joined on the front row by Tyler Reddick. Reddick, who was fastest in practice and fastest from the second group of drivers in qualifying, ran a lap of 93.783mph in the final round.

Austin Cindric qualified third at 93.459mph with Jordan Taylor qualified fourth at 93.174mph. IMSA veteran Taylor is making his NASCAR Cup Series debut driving the No. 9 for Hendrick Motorsports in-place of the injured Chase Elliott.

Daniel Suarez qualified fifth at 93.067mph ahead of Alex Bowman in sixth at 93.911mph and AJ Allmendinger in seventh at 92.840mph.

Erik Jones qualified eighth at 92.838mph, with Kyle Busch ninth at 92.678mph, and Noah Gragson qualified 10th at 92.188. It is the first time both Legacy Motor Club drivers made the final round of qualifying in the same session. Defending race winner Ross Chastain qualified 12th, his fastest lap was 93.310mph.

Kimi Raikkonen qualified 22nd and Jenson Button was 24th. Jimmie Johnson qualified 31st.

RESULTS

Suarez thriving in Trackhouse environment

While three seasons with a race team might not seem like much, it’s been invaluable for Daniel Suarez and his development as a NASCAR Cup Series driver. “I feel like with Trackhouse, I have grown a lot as a race car driver, as a person, and they …

While three seasons with a race team might not seem like much, it’s been invaluable for Daniel Suarez and his development as a NASCAR Cup Series driver.

“I feel like with Trackhouse, I have grown a lot as a race car driver, as a person, and they have given me the opportunity to just continue to get better and to grow,” Suarez told RACER. “I’m very thankful for that. I think we have a great future ahead of us; I think we’re in a very good position, and I can’t wait to continue to grow my race team and get more wins together.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

An Xfinity Series champion, Suarez was moved into the Cup Series earlier than anticipated. And perhaps before he was ready to be thrust into the big leagues. Suarez ran with Joe Gibbs Racing for two years before moving to Stewart-Haas Racing for a season. Then came a disastrous year with Gaunt Brothers Racing in 2020 where he missed the season-opening Daytona 500 as the underfunded team attempted its first full season in the Cup Series.

But when Justin Marks founded his team, Suarez became the flagship driver. Marks has been all in on Suarez since the beginning, believing the best hadn’t shown from the Monterrey, Mexico, native.

Having the belief of the team behind you has been a game-changer for Suarez.

“It’s huge to know the team has your back, and regardless of what happens in the weekend, you’re all going to continue to work to get better,” Suarez said. “It’s pretty special. I haven’t had that in the past, really.

“I have had it to an extent, but never like I have with Trackhouse, and I feel very fortunate to be in this position. I truly feel that we have something great going on here.”

Suarez’s team is led by crew chief Travis Mack, who became a full-time Cup Series crew chief when joining Trackhouse Racing. Mack, who also had something to prove, joined the organization from JR Motorsports. What Mack and the rest of the No. 99 team do Suarez that is different is simple.

“They listen to me,” Suarez said. “I think that’s huge. They really listen to me if I tell them that I need this or we have to make an adjustment or we’re struggling. It’s important.

“And if I tell them that, for instance, we are struggling on pit road, we’re going to put a lot of work to be better on pit road. I feel like, in the past, it wasn’t the same. I feel like they have allowed me to make my racing better and that’s very special.”

The confidence to speak up has also helped Suarez become a better leader. After getting their footing underneath them in 2021, Suarez and Trackhouse Racing took a step forward in 2022 as both drivers – Suarez and Ross Chastain – won races and made the playoffs. It was a career year for Suarez, who improved in nearly every statistical category (win, top fives, top 10s, laps led, championship finish).

“I’m an extrovert, so I’m always trying to make things better,” Suarez said. “Not just for me but for my entire team, and Trackhouse has allowed me to use that to our advantage instead of just wasting it.”

The sudden career turnaround at Trackhouse Racing has also brought a different mindset. Suarez shows up every weekend knowing he and his race team can win races.

“That’s a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to be in that position and I feel very fortunate. I have worked for years to put myself in that position where you have one of the best pit crews, one of the best engineers and one of the best crew chiefs. You have some of the best mechanics. It’s not easy to build a group like this, and today, I can say that I have it almost every weekend, and that’s a lot of fun.”

Button gets fired up for NASCAR debut at COTA…eventually

Jenson Button was so anxiously excited to finally get behind the wheel of a stock car at Circuit of The Americas that there was a minor hiccup before he could even get on track for NASCAR Cup Series practice. “I forgot how to start the car, which …

Jenson Button was so anxiously excited to finally get behind the wheel of a stock car at Circuit of The Americas that there was a minor hiccup before he could even get on track for NASCAR Cup Series practice.

“I forgot how to start the car, which was interesting,” he said Friday afternoon. “So they pushed the car back and I’m like, ‘It won’t start.’ There were a few other switches I had to put up. But then it was OK.”

Button clocked in 28th fastest in the only practice session of the weekend — fortunately a 50-minute extended practice as Cup Series teams worked with the new rules package on a road course for the first time.

“I got onto the circuit and I was surprised by how little grip there was initially when I pulled away, and the tires were cold,” Button said. “But it comes to you over time. The gear shifting is something that…I’ve not never driven a sequential gearbox car. I’ve (just) never pulled back going through the gears and pushed to go down. It’s something completely new to learn. I’ve driven a manual gearbox, but you always go across the box. The last time I drove a gearbox like this was like in 1999.

“There’s a lot that you go back into the bank of info you’ve learned over the years, and you bring it out again. It comes to you pretty quick. I really enjoyed it.”

The stark differences in the cockpit extended beyond shifting. Button was also struck by what he was looking through — a windshield with angles and braces that he admitted made it hard to focus on where to put his eyes.

Jenson Button came from a world where it takes a village to start a car. His Rick Ware Racing Mustang had a few more necessary switches than he was expecting, though. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Images

Like many other drivers who have come before him, the Brit has found many differences from the discipline of racing he’s most used to — in this case Formula 1 — to NASCAR. Not only is he learning stock cars and experiencing a much different family environment, but, as practice taught him, he’s learning the differences in how the radios are used as well.

“It’s also interesting having spotters,” he said. “I’ve never had spotters before. So I’ve got guys in my ear the whole way around telling me there’s traffic behind, there’s traffic in front – it’s quite soothing. I kind of like it.

“Our spotters have very soothing voices, which I think is good, and it’s especially going to be good on Sunday when it’s manic out there. That’s something else to learn – having my mirrors, so I can see around me. But they tell me all the fun information about what’s going on around me.”

Button and the rest of the Cup Series field will set the starting line with qualifying Saturday morning. Just as he’s doing with the race, he is going into qualifying with realistic expectations of being competitive but not necessarily at the top of the leaderboard.

The former World Champion is confident in what the car is doing and feels he did most things right during practice. COTA is the first of three races for Button this season, which was by design. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d get the “lovely opportunity” to race a Cup Series car, and doing just one race isn’t enough for him to learn and get the full experience.

“Driving a car is something I’ve done my whole life, so I will be competitive in terms of our race speed,” Button said. “But it’s the other side of it where I have no experience – and that’s being six abreast going into Turn 1 and tapping here and there. As I noticed here in practice, people don’t move out of the way when they’re on a slow lap and you’re on a quick lap.

“There’s a lot to learn. It’s a very, very different sport than what I’m used to. I’ll go with it; roll with the punches. I look forward to the challenge.”

Be careful what you wish for – Cup drivers on COTA’s new unknowns

Denny Hamlin issued a classic “be careful what you wish for” Friday after NASCAR Cup Series practice at Circuit of The Americas. For the first time in seven years, NASCAR officials will not throw a caution flag at the end of the stage breaks this …

Denny Hamlin issued a classic “be careful what you wish for” Friday after NASCAR Cup Series practice at Circuit of The Americas.

For the first time in seven years, NASCAR officials will not throw a caution flag at the end of the stage breaks this weekend. The industry has talked about doing away with those cautions for a few seasons, the criticism being that stages eliminated strategy and made the road course racing a bit predictable.

Now that the race can unfold organically, the question becomes: What will Sunday bring?

“I think we got pressured into this one,” Hamlin said. “I think this one has the potential to get really strung out – a lot. If we do, I don’t want to hear any complaining about (it)…

“Certainly (for) road courses, this will make for more strategy, but if you are 10s behind the car in front of you and (another car is) 10s behind you, strategy is not going to matter a ton.”

Joey Logano said there is a possibility for the race to go without a caution, as the Cup race at Road America did last year (save for its stage breaks). He doesn’t see that being the case in Austin, though.

“I’ll probably eat my words on this — there is not a whole bunch of things to hit,” Logano said of the 20-turn, 3.41-mile Texas circuit. “They did a great job building this racetrack to where you can spin out…without hitting anything. There is a lot of runoff and extra pavement out there and all that. It’s really nice for those reasons.

“It can (go caution free). I doubt it will. It’ll be interesting if it does and (seeing) how the strategy will play out. I think there is a couple of ways you can play the race. We’ll wait and see.”

Another unknown, at least regarding the racing product, is the aero package. COTA is the first road course where teams will use the new rules package which includes a short spoiler and adjustments to the diffuser and engine.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

“Slick” was the word drivers used to describe how it felt in practice. Martin Truex Jr. believes the lack of grip and drivers sliding around could mean more passing. Christopher Bell said the track felt like an ice-skating rink.

“Typically you look at places like Darlington or Richmond, Homestead even — tracks that are very slick — and it seems like guys are focused a little bit more on what they’re doing, and we see less yellows,” said Bell. “So, the potential for a green-to-checkered race is definitely there.”

What is certain is how the lack of two predetermined cautions will change how teams and drivers approach the race. Multiple drivers were quick to mention that a choice no longer has to be made between bagging points or trying to win the race.

“It’s going to be pitting the race backward and that kind of stuff,” Ryan Blaney said. “It’s something we’ve been talking about for a year or two between the drivers and NASCAR because stage breaks at road courses can jumble things up so much and it gets messy. Obviously you’re going to pit without going a lap down, so you’ve got the top five or eight fastest cars on the racetrack who think they can win — yeah, they’re not going to get stage points, and so they give up all those usually through the day, but it lines them up to win the race.

“But then sometimes you have guys who stay out and get the points who are not as good, but then you restart in the back. I think it’s going to clean it up a little bit. I think it’s right for road courses, personally. We’ll find out.”

After practice, Hamlin made a mental note about what he, as the driver, will need to do for Sunday.

“I said to myself coming in after practice that I better stay hydrated on this one,” Hamlin said. “It’s going to definitely be tough physically if it stays green.”

He also echoed what Austin Cindric said earlier this week about COTA being a physically demanding track.

“It definitely is, for sure,” he said. “It’s got some technical parts. It’s got long straightaways. You have to hit your marks everywhere around this racetrack, or else time really can compound. So, agree with that.”

Logano isn’t worried about not being able to go the distance but thinks drivers are going to feel the difference in not having two expected cautions.

“The cars are hot,” the 2022 champ said. “I guess if you’re not in shape and not ready for it and not prepared, you probably shouldn’t go drinking the night before the race.

“I feel fine about it, but I do think it’ll be exhausting for sure. I think at the end, you’ll be tired.”

Reddick leads the way in COTA NASCAR Cup practice

Tyler Reddick was fastest in the lone NASCAR Cup Series practice session held Friday at Circuit of The Americas with a lap of 92.989mph (2m12.016s). Reddick won on two road courses last season at Road America and Indianapolis. That P1 feeling …

Tyler Reddick was fastest in the lone NASCAR Cup Series practice session held Friday at Circuit of The Americas with a lap of 92.989mph (2m12.016s).

Reddick won on two road courses last season at Road America and Indianapolis.

Kyle Larson, another road course winner, was second fastest in COTA practice, clocking in at 92.618 mph.

Ross Chastain was third fastest in practice at 92.52 mph. Chastain started the weekend off by tossing a watermelon off the COTA Tower as the defending race winner. It was Chastain’s first career win in the Cup Series.

Kyle Busch was fourth fastest at 92.498 mph and Daniel Suarez was fifth fastest at 92.461 mph.

Michael McDowell was sixth fastest at 92.458 mph, Austin Cindric was seventh fastest at 92.441 mph, and Bubba Wallace was eighth fastest at 92.433 mph. Joey Logano was ninth fastest at 92.407 mph and Jordan Taylor was 10th fastest at 92.404 mph. Taylor is driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports this weekend as Chase Elliott continues to recover from a snowboarding accident.

It was something of a slow start for the other road racing guest stars, though. Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button was 28th fastest in practice. Button, driving the No. 15 for Rick Ware Racing, ran a fast lap of 91.758 mph. Fellow F1 champ Kimi Raikkonen, making his second start with Trackhouse Racing, was 32nd fastest at 91.388 mph.

Back in the No. 84 for Legacy Motor Club, Jimmie Johnson was 34th fastest in practice. Johnson clocked in at 91.072 mph.

There were no major incidents in practice.

The extended practice was allotted as teams work with the new aero package being used on select short tracks and road courses this season, and COTA is the first road course race of the season.

RESULTS

Jordan Taylor looks ahead to NASCAR road course ringer role

It’s no secret that IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship star Jordan Taylor is a NASCAR enthusiast who has long dreamed of driving in a Cup Series race. For most drivers, if that opportunity ever arrives, it’s usually with a smaller team, perhaps …

It’s no secret that IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship star Jordan Taylor is a NASCAR enthusiast who has long dreamed of driving in a Cup Series race.

For most drivers, if that opportunity ever arrives, it’s usually with a smaller team, perhaps even a part-time effort. But when Taylor recently got “The Call,” it came from Hendrick Motorsports, the most successful organization in NASCAR history.

With 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott sidelined several weeks by a broken leg sustained in a snowboarding incident, Hendrick needed to temporarily fill the seat of its No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Short-track ace Josh Berry was retained to contest the oval races that Elliott will miss, while Taylor was tabbed to race this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas road course.

While the circumstances are not ideal, competing in the Cup Series car at COTA is still an amazing opportunity for Taylor and gives him the chance to expand his relationship with Hendrick, which is fielding the Garage 56 collaborative entry between NASCAR, IMSA and Chevrolet at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Taylor is part of that effort, serving as coach, mentor and potential relief driver for the nominated lineup of Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button and Mike Rockenfeller.

It was the Garage 56 connection that convinced Chad Knaus, Hendrick’s vice president of competition, that Taylor was the best choice as the road course substitute for Elliott, who has quicky emerged as one of NASCAR’s top road racers.

“Super exciting, obviously, and very unexpected,” Taylor said of the NASCAR opportunity. “Obviously being involved with the Garage 56 thing, I’ve been working with the Hendrick guys for a few months. When I signed up with them, Chad said, ‘I know this (relief driver role) isn’t what you wanted, but just being involved, you never know what it may lead to.’

“I’m super thankful for the opportunity,” he added. “It’s definitely intimidating to go into the race weekend in one of the best cars, but at the same time, not that many guys get that chance to be in such a good car.”

Because the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro is heavily derived from NASCAR’s Next Gen Cup car, Taylor has some idea of what to expect when he slides behind the wheel this weekend. He’s also watched hours of in-car video footage and logged as much time as possible in the driver-in-the-loop simulator at General Motors’ Charlotte Technical Center in North Carolina.

Still, when he steps into the No. 9 on Friday afternoon, it will be a step into the unknown.

“If the race was in three weeks, I would have moved to Charlotte for three weeks and spent as much time with the team as possible to get as much of an understanding as I can and get ingrained with Hendrick,” Taylor said. “(Crew chief) Alan Gustafson and Chase are texting me, and they’re the guys I can bounce questions off to try and get an idea how close the simulator can be to real life and understand what the differences will be.

“I’m doing a ton of homework and preparation so when I get to the track, it’s just understanding how to drive the car,” he added. “The car couldn’t be any more different than the Corvette we drive, and even the Garage 56 car. I know a lot of people think it’s going to be close to that, but it’s seven or eight seconds in lap time difference around COTA. So, it’s a different animal.”

One advantage for Taylor is his familiarity with Circuit of The Americas. He raced IMSA prototypes four times at COTA, winning twice, and more recently participated in Garage 56 testing. He is also fortunate that because COTA is the first road course on the 2023 Cup Series schedule, NASCAR is allowing 50 minutes of free practice. At many tracks in the post-COVID era, Cup Series competitors often go straight into qualifying without any practice whatsoever.

“When I signed up for it, there was only going to be 20 minutes (practice time), and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to be insane!’” Taylor said. “Hopefully, they’ll give us a couple sets of tires, because it will be good to get a run, do a couple setup changes and get another set of tires to kind of understand how to use the new tire for qualifying, how the tires drop off and how to maybe manage them. That’s just another massive thing we’ve never experienced coming into the Cup Series.

“And honestly, the biggest part is understanding the pit stop procedure. I’m used to a pit speed limiter button; they’ve got to watch the dash. We tried that one time in the simulator, and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done!”

From Dan Gurney to Boris Said, NASCAR features a lengthy history of “Road course ringers” brought in for those rare occasions when stock cars turn both left and right. At COTA, Taylor won’t be the only road racing specialist in the field; Button and Kimi Raikkonen, both Formula 1 champions, are entered. So is seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Johnson, fresh off his recent IndyCar experiment and newly minted as a co-owner of the Legacy Motor Club Cup team.

Despite the combined pedigree of Johnson, Button and Raikkonen, expectations at COTA are somehow higher for Taylor. That’s what happens when you step into the championship-winning car normally occupied by NASCAR’s perennial Most Popular Driver.

“I know there’s a lot of hype about Raikkonen, Jenson, Jimmie and myself coming,” Taylor acknowledged. “I don’t even want to throw my hat in the same ring with those guys. I would be super excited to watch this race just to see how those guys would do against all the Cup guys.

“I know it’s a unique situation that I’m jumping in one of the best cars. If anybody has a shot of jumping in and figuring it out, hopefully it’s going to be in a Hendrick car. The only excuses are going to be the driver not figuring it out. That’s why I’m taking it so seriously and preparing as much as I can to hit the ground running.”

INSIGHT: Last-lap glory a long time coming for Logano at Atlanta

Finally. Joey Logano needed one word to encapsulate his victory Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang dominated the day by leading every lap on his way to winning the first stage, barely missing out on winning …

Finally.

Joey Logano needed one word to encapsulate his victory Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang dominated the day by leading every lap on his way to winning the first stage, barely missing out on winning the second stage and leading a race-high 140 laps led.

Logano pulled off his first Atlanta win in dramatic fashion. After going toe-to-toe with former teammate Brad Keselowski over the final 15 laps, Logano made a last-lap pass.

“We’ve been so close so many times here,” Logano said. “To get a win, it’s meant so much to me — just the memories. I was here when (Kevin) Harvick got his first win. I remember watching that from the grandstands and how cool that was.”

Harvick’s victory was in the spring of 2001, three weeks after the death of Dale Earnhardt. It was a turning point for the sport and shot Harvick, who was making just his third career start, to superstardom. Being in that same position as a NASCAR Cup Series driver was still far off for Logano.

But Atlanta would come to mean just as much to Logano and why his victory meant just a little more than an ordinary triumph. The memories he mentioned came from all the time the Logano family spent in the area and at the racetrack.

“Racing here with my parents running Legends cars,” Logano said. “Thinking about the first time we drove down here and driving through the infield tunnel and thinking this was the biggest racetrack we’ve ever been to. We were just down visiting and we met Kenny Ragan, who runs Legends of Georgia — David’s dad.

“He said, ‘Why don’t you race a Bandolero and give it a shot.’ We did that day. He let us rent one for the weekend, and we raced and then came back down here about six months later when we moved and started racing right here. Ran so many races.

“There are so many memories of showing up here … Wednesday nights and Thursday nights, we’d race. Our race shop was two miles up the road. I lived in the condo up there.”

In the FOX Sports broadcast booth for the Saturday Xfinity Series, the camera showed the condos over the racetrack, Logano mentioning his former living quarters. A graphic of his incredible performance on the Atlanta quarter mile as a young driver and the many races he won was also displayed.

Battling to the last lap with Keselowski made the Atlanta win dramatic, but it was more his family history there that made it so special for Logano. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Images

But winning a NASCAR race at the facility didn’t come as easy. Before Sunday, Logano was 0 for 18 on the big oval, and his best finish was a second-place result from 2013. It had been one of only two top-five finishes for Logano at Atlanta.

“The dream was always to race on the big track,” Logano said. “Every time you run that quarter mile over and over again, the dream was someday I just want to go straight and hit the big banks. That’s what it was about for me.

“I guess this win here is for those kids; I got to meet a lot of them this weekend. I’m sure you saw them around, a lot of kids that race. It just shows you keep working hard and chasing your dreams, and the dream of always driving a Cup car into victory lane came true today. It was really neat.”

Not all drivers get to experience a full circle moment in their careers. And the longer a career goes spans, as Logano’s has with two championships, over 30 wins, including some of the sport’s biggest, and 15 years at the highest level, the less likely it is that a win will mean anything more than another trophy to go in the display case.

Logano got his long-awaited full circle moment and his 32nd career win that is more than just a win.

“That was cool,” Logano said of sharing that with his father, Tom, who met him on the frontstretch after he climbed from the car. “Obviously, I didn’t see him coming. I think that was neat to see that. There’s been plenty of times he’s run out to the start-finish line to give me a hug here, maybe 20-something years ago.

“This was kind of an emotional win when you think about what Atlanta Motor Speedway is all about to our family, the memories that are made here. This is one that we’ll definitely remember forever. It’s cool to have my dad here to celebrate with.”

Sick-feeling Reddick still manages top-five finish at Atlanta

Tyler Reddick pulled off a top-five finish in Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on a day when it looked iffy that he’d even get behind the wheel. So under the weather was Reddick before the race, 23XI Racing fitted John Hunter Nemechek to the …

Tyler Reddick pulled off a top-five finish in Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on a day when it looked iffy that he’d even get behind the wheel.

So under the weather was Reddick before the race, 23XI Racing fitted John Hunter Nemechek to the No. 45 Toyota. Nemechek was suited up and on the pit box all afternoon, ready to go if he needed to relieve Reddick.

Not only did Reddick make the race’s start, but he also went the distance in the 400-mile event without issue and was in contention for the race win. He ran inside the top three through the final laps and crossed under the white flag in fourth position before returning to a fifth-place result.

“I feel all right,” Reddick said afterward. “I picked a good time to kind of get over whatever was going on. Made it through the race; don’t feel too bad. I wish we would have finished better than fifth. I definitely wasn’t my best out there today, mentally. I made a few poor decisions, but we were thankfully able to bring the car home fifth.”

Reddick earned points in the second stage and kept his car in one piece. Running as high as second as the race wound down, he led the way in the outside lane as Brad Keselowski tried to keep the field at bay by moving from the inside to the outside lane.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

The race for the win came down to who made the right move at the right time. Joey Logano prevailed while Reddick was left lamenting what could have been if he was in a better state.

“Oh, yeah, every lap was an opportunity for sure,” the 23XI driver said. “I don’t know — I was just trying to think what the right time to make the move was, and I was trying to do it where me, Denny (Hamlin), and Christopher (Bell) could take advantage of the momentum.

“I just waited too long and put Christopher and Denny in a spot where they were ready to go before I was. So I have to work on that going forward.”

Atlanta was another much-needed result for Reddick and the team, however. After back-to-back DNFs to start the season, Reddick has made the finish in the last three races, and the performance and results are improving, helping them climb out of an early championship point standings hole.

Reddick has been seeking normal race weekends after a rough start. Aside from poor finishes, the team didn’t get on track before the race at Las Vegas because of an engine issue before practice and qualifying. They then pulled off a top-five result in Phoenix and did so again Sunday.

“Well, this weekend wasn’t very normal for me, I’m not going to lie,” he joked about his physical condition. “Yeah, I definitely could have made a lot better decisions on the racetrack, but we’ll take it. A fifth place isn’t bad.”

Blaney changes up his pit road MO and it bites back at Atlanta

Ryan Blaney rarely speeds on pit road in a NASCAR Cup Series race. Rarely, because Blaney takes measures to try and ensure he doesn’t cross that legal line. That conservative nature started to bother him recently, so he decided to get aggressive …

Ryan Blaney rarely speeds on pit road in a NASCAR Cup Series race. Rarely, because Blaney takes measures to try and ensure he doesn’t cross that legal line.

That conservative nature started to bother him recently, so he decided to get aggressive with his digital dash settings at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Not only did the move bite him, but it nearly ended his day.

“Well the bad thing is: I never speed on pit road,” Blaney said after finishing seventh. “I’m like the most conservative guy, and I kick myself for it. I’m like, ‘Man, I’m too far down on my pit road speeds.'” Down on the list of drivers, and I was like, ‘Bump it up a little this week,’ and I speed. Under green, too — the worst place you could speed.”

Blaney was called for the infraction on his lap 133 pit stop.

The pass-through penalty Blaney had to serve was exacerbated because pit road at Atlanta had been extended (measuring 3,968 feet) with the commitment line at the entrance of Turn 3. Pit road speed was in effect when a driver hit the commitment line and drove on the apron through Turns 3 and 4 and down pit road.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]

“Luckily we only went down one lap and got the lucky dog,” Blaney said. “We were close to going two laps down there, but we tagged on with a few guys and were able to stay in front of that (main) pack. It was almost a day-ender, and luckily we were able to make some good moves.”

NASCAR officials decided to extend the length of pit road by moving the commitment line because of pack racing at Atlanta. But unlike Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, where there is a runoff area for drivers to pull off the track and slow for pit road, there is not at Atlanta. Officials did not want drivers trying to pull out of the pack at high speed off Turn 4.

Ironically, last year’s spring Atlanta race had no green flag pit stops, but the potential for them Sunday — coupled with the high stakes of speeding — was on every driver’s mind going into the weekend.

“Just making bold moves, honestly,” Blaney said of how he recovered from the mistake to finish in the top 10. “There’s not a lot of room to make moves, but you take a lot of the runs you can, and there was a couple of moves I made coming through the pack that I kind of cringed a little bit on, if they were going to work or not, and they did. So that’s just what you had to do.

“I probably made bolder moves than I normally do on speedways just because you have to here, and it’s so hard to go from the back to the front, and I was mad at myself. That’s pretty much what it came down to.”