Who… should you be talking about after the race?
Chase Elliott became the first three-time winner in 2022, making the pass for the lead on Corey LaJoie with just two laps remaining to take the checkered flag in the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. There was a little luck involved for Elliott, first when Martin Truex Jr. was collected in a late incident from in front of Elliott, giving him a clear shot at leader LaJoie on the restart.
Elliott’s second break came when LaJoie made a run to the outside on the final lap. Elliott was able to throw a block, and while it was not perfectly clean, it was enough for the driver to get clear. The resulting caution for LaJoie stopped a run from Ross Chastain.
Elliott had the best car, winning the first two stages, and the dominoes fell in his favor at the end. Is his hot streak right on schedule as the series heads toward the playoffs?
Meanwhile, LaJoie certainly showed his ability when the cars are more equal. Will he finish what he started at Daytona International Speedway?
And don’t forget Erik Jones. Jones led 10 laps and finished fifth Sunday, his sixth top 10 of 2022. Despite some terrible luck (remember when the wheel got stuck on his car?), Jones has had some very good moments this year. He had a shot at the win Sunday, and while he fell just short, it was a solid effort from Jones and his Petty GMS team. He’s already surpassed his 2021 top fives and laps led and matched his top 10 total. Jones may not be a favorite to win down the stretch, but he’s certainly a dark horse.
What… is the buzz about?
Where were all the fans? The stands on Sunday were notably sparse in Atlanta, a track that’s only gotten a second race back in the last couple of years. After the reconfiguration for the 2022 season, the track is supposed to race like a smaller Talladega Superspeedway, wrecks and all, so what gives?
Summer heat aside, why didn’t fans flock to Atlanta to see superspeedway-style racing? It turned out to be relatively cool for Atlanta in July, but people planning ahead couldn’t count on it being bearable.
For one thing, full-sized Talladega is only a couple of hours from Atlanta. The two essentially compete in one big market. Talladega’s fall race features cooler weather and playoff implications.
A Saturday night race might be a better draw for Atlanta in summer, because of the usual heat and humidity, but fans in the area who want Talladega can simply go there. Meanwhile, fans who…
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