HAMPTON, Georgia (AP) – NASCAR is returning to its roots.
Even as the good old boys try to break away from the ugliest parts of its history – most notably, the Confederacy flag – the sport has taken on a more traditional footprint with its 2021 schedule.
This includes the Atlanta Motor Speedway, which today hosts the first of two World Cup races.
NASCAR will return to the track in July – the first time since 2010, the 1.54-mile tri-oval hosted two events.
The drivers are certainly happy to make a few visits to one of their favorite stops, a treacherous, high-speed layout that produces some of the best races on the World Cup circuit.
“Atlanta has always been a track I liked,” said Martin Truex, coming from a victory in last week’s race in Phoenix. “It’s a really fun track, to be able to run all over the track, just tire wear and all that stuff, are things I like behind the wheel.”
Almost two decades ago, NASCAR began an effort to expand its fan base by organizing more races beyond the seven states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida – that have long dominated programming.
But with the drop in audiences on many tracks and large ratings on TV increasingly fragmented, the governing body decided to shake things up by turning to its past.
The coronavirus pandemic hampered the effort in 2020, but this year’s schedule includes 19 races in these seven traditional states – the largest since 2003.
Atlanta again had two dates for the World Cup. The same happened with the South Carolina Darlington Raceway, which was limited to a 2005-19 race. Nashville is back on schedule for the first time since 1984.
To accommodate the changes, NASCAR abandoned Chicago and Kentucky. Dover gave up on one of his two races. The first race scheduled in California in February was moved because of restrictions on COVID-19, but NASCAR still has a stoppage scheduled for June in Sonoma.
The current champion of the Cup, Chase Elliott, is thrilled to have two chances to win in what he considers his track.
“It will always be a special place for me,” he said. “I spent a lot of time competing with Legends cars and things like that over there. I would definitely love to have a good race.”
If it doesn’t work out this time, he’ll have another chance in July.
Yes, Atlanta is a two-race track again.
“I look forward to racing there twice this year,” said Truex.
Some things to note in today’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500:
The first five races of 2021 produced five different winners, including rookies Michael McDowell and Christopher Bell.
The surprising group also includes William Byron, who won only his second career win, and Kyle Larson, returning from a season in which he lost his job and was suspended for making a racial slur in an online race.
“It’s certainly not a bad thing to have different people winning,” said Elliott. “I feel like it’s a good thing from a fan’s point of view.”
Atlanta has now been 24 years since its last resurfacing, which makes it extremely rough for tires and much more challenging for drivers on long runs between pit stops.
“The drop in pace is huge with every lap,” said Elliott. “With each lap, you are practically wasting time. If you can run two equal laps in the first 10 to 15 laps of a race, you are doing great.
“This is what makes the race track so challenging. You are trying to find some consistency, you are trying to get into a rhythm and not hit the tires. This is a difficult thing to do when you are trying to go very fast and set a good pace at the same time. “
A year ago, Atlanta was the first World Cup race to be interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
NASCAR was closed for more than two months, finally returning on June 7 to Atlanta, after a major schedule reset.
This year’s race will not be entirely normal, but it will include a major change from 2020: fans in the stands.
Atlanta will host about 20,000 spectators, selling out their tickets to the stands, as well as having a socially distant camp in the infield.
Kevin Harvick and series leader Denny Hamlin are co-favorites today with 9-2. Larson is a 5-1 choice, followed by Truex (11-2) and Elliott (13-2).