Dr. Diandra: Atlanta a chance for Trackhouse to regain momentum Atlanta Xfinity race results Austin Hill wins Atlanta Xfinity race Josh Williams parks car at start/finish line after being ordered out of race Atlanta Truck race results: Christian Eckes wins

Today’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway is a chance for Trackhouse Racing to pick up the pace it lost last week.

Daniel Suarez entered Phoenix with three top 10 finishes, including one in the top 5. He received several speeding tickets in Phoenix: he speeded on pit road. Then he had to make a through circle and accelerate at the same time (he referred to the team’s mistake in calculating the pit road). Although Suárez struggled back to the lead lap, he finished 22nd.

Ross Chastain twice got into the top 10 and took 12th place – and topped the standings. Chastain was running sixth, approaching the last restart, but ended up in the wrong place, somewhere near Denny Hamlin. Chastain finished 24th.

In addition to giving Trackhouse a boost, a win could also take Hendrick Motorsports’ charge down.

And a victory at the Trackhouse would have given Chevy five out of five wins.

Trackhouse’s Best New Generation Super Speedway

My last post highlighted underdogs who have the potential to finish strong in Atlanta. In the 2022 overall average finish at superfast tracks, Chastain is in sixth place and Suarez is in ninth.

But super speedways are not created equal.

Atlanta has the same races as Daytona and Talladega, but Atlanta is a full mile shorter. Everything happens faster. Drivers don’t have time to think and plan, which is what long straights allow.

In addition to requiring more from the driver, a car that performs on big highways may not handle Atlanta well enough. This weekend, balance is more important.

These differences play into the hands of Trackhouse.

The graph below shows the average results for pilots in Atlanta (in yellow) and in Talladega and Dayton (in blue). The graph only covers 2022 because that’s all the data we have for the next generation car. I only included drivers with a GPA of 15.5 or higher in Atlanta.

Chastain and Suarez averaged around 20 finishes at Daytona and Talladega. However, when it comes to Atlanta, Chastain and Suarez take first and second place with averages of 2.0 and 5.0.

Chastain finished second in the spring and summer races at the refurbished track. These finishes are despite the fact that he was involved in two crashes in each race. Suarez finished fourth in the first race and sixth in the second.

Trackhouse exhibits fast cars in Atlanta. Chastain qualified second in the second race and seventh in the first. Suarez qualified 13th in the first race and seventh in the second.

But speed is not the only factor. Despite having crashes, both drivers completed both races. They also gained (or did not lose) positions during the last 10% of each race.

Contest

Chastain and Suarez aren’t the only riders looking to gain momentum in Atlanta.

Difficult to quantify how big the threat is Kyle Bush this is because he changed teams this year. Last year in Atlanta with Joe Gibbs Racing he had an average of 26.5 but this year he has been brilliant at the Daytona 500.

If you’re interested in the Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr.he has an average finish of 31.0 in Atlanta, with DNF in both races.

The biggest Trackhouse competition in Atlanta comes from Hendrick Motorsports. Last year in Atlanta, Trackhouse was consistently second only to HMS.

• William Byronwho comes to Atlanta with two wins in a row, won the first race in Atlanta in 2022.
• Chase Elliott won the second.
• Chastain led in second place in laps in the first race at Atlanta. Byron was in the lead the most.
• Chastain led in third place in laps in the second race at Atlanta. Elliot let go the most, followed by Byron.
• Suarez’s 46 points in the spring race are tied (with Ryan Blaney) for third place in points earned at any race in Atlanta in 2022.
  • Chase Elliot takes first place with a perfect 60-point race.
  • William Byron is second with 52 points.

But 2023 presents new circumstances. Last year at this time, neither Chastain nor Suarez had ever won a Cup Series race.

Elliott will not be racing in Atlanta this year due to a broken left leg. His deputy Josh Berry, earned its first top 10 last week. But Berry has only two races under his belt in a Next Gen car. No one is on superfast lanes. Last year in Atlanta, he finished 33rd and second in the Xfinity Series.

Alex Bowman comes to Atlanta with a 21.0 average on the track, while Kyle Larsonthe average is 21.5. Their 2022 Talladega/Dayton average is 15.7 and 22.75, respectively.

With Elliott’s departure, Byron became the highest ranked HMS driver in Atlanta finishing average with a 15.5. In addition to the spring win, an accident caused him to finish 30th in the summer race.

But Luvergate puts HMS drivers at an even greater disadvantage. Their crew chiefs are serving a four-week suspension, although HMS has appealed the fines. Hendrik has a deep bench, but any offense creates an opportunity for hiccups.

This year the Trackhouse has one major advantage over Byron in this race: no rider wants Byron to win. It will be better for everyone if no driver gets too many points, stage points or playoff points. Chase Elliot proved it last year.

But winning in Atlanta requires the Trackhouse riders to tackle the problems that have plagued them in previous seasons.

Suarez belly history of speeding tickets and the ability to bring them on too late in the race to recover. Getting a through penalty in Atlanta will most likely mean losing a few laps if the rider has to do it in green conditions.

Chastain’s aggressive driving has made enemies. Chastain has lost 18 positions since falling out with Hamlin last week. But even a driver who chooses not to work with Chastain can quickly send him into the background.

HAMPTON, Georgia – Austin Hill won for the third time in five races this season, taking the checkered flag at Saturday’s Xfinity Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

MORE: Atlanta Xfinity Results

MORE: Xfinity Points After Atlanta

Daniel Hemrick took second place. Ryan Truex took third place. Parker Kligerman crossed the finish line back fourth. Kligerman was chasing Hill for the final lap victory when contact with Hill and then contact with Hemrik turned Kligerman. Riley Autumn finished fifth.

Hill leads the opponent by 46 points. John Hunter Nemecheksecond in the standings after five races.

HAMPTON, Georgia – Austin Hill won for the third time this season since Parker Kligerman finished fourth, his car crossed the finish line in reverse.

Daniel Hemrick took second place. Ryan Truex finished third, followed by Kligerman and Riley Autumn.

MORE: Atlanta Race Results, Driver Points

Kligerman was racing at the Hill for the win approaching the finish line when Kligerman spun after a two-car collision resulting in a multi-car crash.

Hill from Winston, Georgia, won at Dayton, Las Vegas and Atlanta in the first five races of the season.

The 163 lap race was slowed down by 12 warnings over 68 laps.

Josh Willams was ordered to drive the NASCAR car after he parked his car on the front stretch and left during the race. Williams’ car was involved in an accident early in the race and then triggered a wreckage warning shortly after the race restarted.

NASCAR ordered him to go to the garage and finish the race when Williams parked his car on the track. Williams was scheduled to meet with series officials after the race. Williams finished 32nd in a 38-car race.

Stage 1 winner: Sheldon Creed

Stage 2 winner: Parker Kligerman

Who had a good race: Daniel Chemrik’s second place was his best result of the season. … Ryan Truex finished in the top three in both starts of his series this year. … Parker Kligerman earned his fourth career A. … Riley Herbst finished in the top 10 for the eighth consecutive time since last season.

Who had a bad race: Josh Williams…