Martin Truex Jr. became the first driver this season to win a race where we realistically looked at them and thought “oh yeah, that guy could win.” Not taking anything away from the other winners so far, but would you expect someone like, say, William Byron to win, or someone else? You get it. This week, we’re off to Atlanta, a hot, slick track that we’ve visited just once each year for the past 10 or so years. We’re back up to two a year here, today being the first of those. And while Truex did win last week and it wasn’t a total surprise, he does extend the streak to six different victors so far this season. The Dirt Race at Bristol has been grabbing all of the press recently (that is NEXT week, what is going to happen? Don’t miss it!), but we’ve got a big one here today at a classic venue, too.
Here’s what to look for:
–Kevin Harvick is the favorite to win today, and very well could do so. He’s got two of the last three, and nine Top 10s across his last ten attempts here, too. His most famous Atlanta Win came back in 2001, a few races after inheriting Dale Earnhardt’s black #3, taking a very different look at a white #29.
–Chase Elliott is someone who we’re just waiting to capture the flag here. It is his home track, and through five starts he’s got a 10.0 average. That number would be even better if not for his 19th place finish in 2019. They’re hoping to ring the siren in Dawsonville’s Pool Room every time this guy heads out, but today would mean so much more.
–Kurt Busch is the other active driver with three Wins here. Granted, he’s been driving a long time, but a Win is a Win is a Win. Through the last ten races, he’s averaging 14.6, and has five Top 8s in a row.
–Brad Keselowski has two Wins here in just twelve attempts, and six straight Top 10s. Those two Wins came in the last four races here (when Harvick wasn’t), and this guy could tack on another today. He also carries a 14.6 average over his last ten attempts.
–Ricky Stenhouse Jr might not have the same accolades as these guys, but he has a streak here himself. Stenhouse has five straight Top 20s here, and has been running near the front a few times already this season. He could be someone to watch today. Maybe not as closely as Harvick or Elliott, but keep an eye on him. Heck, he’s already got a Win this week! (But seriously, LOTS of Cup guys moonlighting these last few weeks in preparation for next week’s first Dirt Race in the Cup Series since 1970.)
We’ve been hitting on some solid main courses this years, and today we’re entering our first dessert entry of the season:
Peach Cobbler! Now, I’ve never had a cobbler, and I was curious why it didn’t look like a pie when it came out of the oven, HAHA. I’m learning so much! Smells delicious in here, crust is succulent with notes of cinnamon and honey, and what better place to have a peach dish than Georgia? Nice job, Leese!
Coverage of the race starts on FOX at 3:00pm, green flag scheduled for 3:19pm.
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