Even in a race that completed previous its scheduled distance and was delayed for greater than three hours due to lightning and rain, it was not sufficient to maintain Ryan Blaney from capping off a dominant efficiency on Sunday at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway.
Listed here are 4 takeaways from the Quaker State 400.
Ryan Blaney makes drafting monitor historical past
Coming into the weekend, Group Penske had led probably the most laps (698) on the reconfigured EchoPark Speedway with solely a pair of wins from Joey Logano to point out for it. Blaney made certain to etch his title on that record in emphatic style.
Blaney swept the opening two phases and clearly had the automotive to beat all night time. Apart from some contact with the wall late and a vibration, there was not a lot slowing Blaney down on Sunday night time, profiting from an enormous push from Christopher Bell out of Flip 4 to win a thriller.
The win is Blaney’s second of the 2026 season (Phoenix), second at Atlanta (2021 spring) and the nineteenth of his profession. Not solely is that this the primary time he has gained a race after sweeping the primary two phases, however Blaney’s 171 laps led are probably the most at a drafting-style monitor within the Trendy Period.
It was a missed alternative for teammates Joey Logano (ninth) and Austin Cindric (14th), however there was no slowing down Blaney within the draft. He has been a top-10 machine all season, however Sunday’s win was the most recent reminder of how robust he and the Group Penske vehicles are when drafting is concerned.
It seemed to be a stable factors day for Wallace, who remains to be preventing to safe his “Chase” berth. Whereas he crossed the road aspect by aspect with Bell within the battle for second, Wallace dropped to twenty ninth after NASCAR penalized him for going under the double yellow line on the backstretch.
Whereas Wallace argued that he by no means superior his place and the argument might definitely be made to get his ending place again, it is a penalty that might be detrimental if it doesn’t get overturned. He’s nonetheless 55 factors forward of Logano for the ultimate “Chase” spot, however it might be much more if he had the end to point out for his pace on Sunday.
It was properly definitely worth the wait
Whereas it’s by no means superb for any race to final properly into the night time and into the early hours of the morning, EchoPark Speedway as soon as once more proved why it’s arguably the most well liked ticket within the sport.
Dealing with performed a task within the early portion and unfold the sector out a bit of greater than anticipated, however Tyler Reddick’s drive from thirty first to second in 60 green-flag laps confirmed that drivers might maneuver their method via the sector and make passes.
The depth solely continued as the sector battled aspect by aspect and even three-wide for a number of rows deep at occasions, always buying and selling the lead forwards and backwards within the course of. That was all with the prolonged crimson flag in between, offering one other reminder of the unimaginable racing the monitor continues to placed on.
In-Season Problem right down to the semifinals
After the head-to-head, bracket-style competitors for $1M started with 32 drivers, solely 4 drivers stay after Atlanta. No. 25 seed Todd Gilliland is about to face No. 4 Chase Elliott, whereas No. 10 Bell will sq. off with No. 3 Blaney within the sport’s first factors race at North Wilkesboro since 1996 on Sunday.
