AUSTIN HILL – MOTORSPORT AMERICA FILE PHOTO
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Atlanta Motor Speedway
February 22-23, 2025
With the 2025 NASCAR season officially in full swing, there is no rest
for the drivers and teams in the sports’ national divisions as all
three series will gear up for a trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway for
back-to-back weekends of superspeedway racing.
Coming off a strong showing at the “World Center of Racing”,
Chevrolet carries the momentum to yet another drafting-style circuit
that has fared well for the Bowtie brigade in recent years. In three
years of competition on Atlanta’s reconfigured surface, Chevrolet
continues to be the only manufacturer to have found victory lane in all
three national divisions – entering the weekend with four Cup Series
wins, four Xfinity Series wins and two Truck Series wins.
CHEVROLET AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
Chevrolet is the winningest manufacturer at Atlanta Motor Speedway
across all three NASCAR national series with 45 all-time Cup Series
wins, 21 Xfinity Series wins and 11 Truck Series wins.
In NASCAR’s top division, Kurt Busch drove the No. 1 Chip Ganassi
Racing Chevrolet to the victory in the series’ final race on the
track’s old configuration (July 2021). Undergoing a massive
reprofiling shortly thereafter, the Bowtie brigade picked up right where
they left off with Hendrick Motorsports teammates, William Byron and
Chase Elliott, sweeping the wins at the 1.54-mile Georgia venue during
the 2022 season. In six races since the reconfiguration, Chevrolet has
earned four checkered flags – most recently one year ago with
Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, who took the triumph in a
history-making three-wide photo finish with Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch.
In the Xfinity Series, Chevrolet has amassed four wins in six races on
the reconfigured circuit – all of which have been earned with Richard
Childress Racing’s Austin Hill. The 30-year-old Winston, Georgia,
native is always an automatic favorite when it comes to
superspeedway-style races, and his recent success at his home track of
Atlanta Motor Speedway proves just that. Hill has finished no worse that
second in five of his six starts since the track’s reprofiling.
In the Truck Series, the Bowtie brand will look to go three-straight at
Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. The manufacturer’s most recent
Truck Series triumph at the track came in Feb. 2024 with two-time Cup
Series champion, Kyle Busch, behind the wheel of a Spire
Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet. The victory marked Chevrolet’s 11th
Truck Series win at the Georgia oval – moving the manufacturer to the
top of the all-time wins leaderboard at the track. The 39-year-old Las
Vegas, Nevada, native will have the opportunity to defend his race
winning title this weekend, with the Team Chevy driver jumping back into
the Spire Motorsports entry for his first of five Truck Series starts of
the season.
RELIVING HISTORY
The 2024 season delivered some of the closest, and even record-breaking,
finishes in NASCAR history across all three national divisions. On that
list includes the NASCAR Cup Series’ first of two appearances at the
1.54-mile Georgia venue last season. Daniel Suarez’s first-career oval
victory in NASCAR’s premier series did not come without a fight.
Taking the white flag, fellow Chevrolet driver, Kyle Busch, maneuvered
his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to the middle lane between
Suarez and Ryan Blaney. Exiting the final corner gridlocked
side-by-side, it was Suarez who was able to edge his Chevrolet across
the line first by a margin of 0.003 seconds over runner-up Blaney and
0.007 seconds over third-place Busch – setting the record for the
closest three-wide finish in NASCAR history.
NEXT GEN NUMBERS
Heading into the Atlanta race weekend, Chevrolet owns a winning
percentage of 63 percent in superspeedway-style racing in the Next Gen
era. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron is the most recent driver to
add a tally to the manufacturer’s win count after becoming just the
fifth driver in history to become a back-to-back DAYTONA 500 champion.
The crown jewel triumph marked Chevrolet’s 12th win in 19
superspeedway races in the Next Gen era. Byron is one of seven drivers
from four different Chevrolet organizations that have earned a trip to
victory lane in the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The reigning DAYTONA
500 champion leads the series with four superspeedway wins in the Next
Gen car, two of which have come at Atlanta Motor Speedway (July 2023;
Feb. 2024).
RCR DUO PROVING SUPERSPEEDWAY POWER
Richard Childress Racing continues to be an automatic frontrunner when
NASCAR hits a drafting-style track. At Daytona International Speedway
last weekend, an unfortunate mechanical issue ended Austin Hill’s
streak at three-straight in the Xfinity Series’ season-opener race.
But Hill’s teammate, Jesse Love, was able to keep Richard Childress
Racing on top by earning the victory and the series’ first playoff
berth. The win marked Love’s second career Xfinity Series victory,
with his first also coming at a superspeedway in his rookie season
(Talladega Superspeedway – Oct. 2024). The 20-year-old Menlo Park,
California, native has already tallied five Xfinity Series pole wins in
his young career, including both of the series’ events at Atlanta
Motor Speedway last season. Hill is a 10-time Xfinity Series winner,
with seven coming at a drafting-style track. The Winston, Georgia,
native has finished no worse than second in five of his six Xfinity
Series starts at the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway,
including four trips to victory lane.
REIGNING ROWDY
Kyle Busch will return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for five
starts again this season, with the first coming up this weekend at
Atlanta Motor Speedway. The series’ winningest driver will return to
the seat of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in hopes of going
back-to-back at the 1.54-mile Georgia venue. His first of two Truck
Series wins last season came at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Feb. 2024) – a
victory that earned Chevrolet its now series-leading 11th win at the
track. Throughout his storied career, Busch has found success across the
NASCAR national ranks at Atlanta Motor Speedway with multiple wins in
each division. Busch is one of just four active full-time drivers that
is a two-time Atlanta winner in NASCAR’s premier series, while also
earning seven Truck Series wins and three Xfinity Series wins at the
track.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at
Atlanta Motor Speedway:
William Byron – two wins (July 2023; March 2022)
Kyle Busch – two wins (Sept. 2013, March 2008)
Daniel Suarez – one win (Feb. 2024)
Chase Elliott – one win (July 2022)
· In 121 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Atlanta Motor Speedway,
Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 45 victories – most recently
one year ago with Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez.
· Since the reconfiguration of Atlanta Motor Speedway prior to
the start of the 2022 season, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer
to reach victory lane in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions –
leading the way with four Cup Series wins, four Xfinity Series wins and
two Truck Series wins.
· Since the debut of the Next Gen car in the NASCAR Cup Series in
2022, Chevrolet has won 12 of the 19 superspeedway-style races –
recorded by seven drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations.
· In 109 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads
all manufacturers with 53 victories – a winning percentage of 48.6%.
· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33
NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 867 all-time NASCAR Cup
Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest
brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series
Ambetter Health 400
Sunday, February 23, 3 p.m. ET
FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250
Saturday, February 22, 5 p.m. ET
CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Fr8 208
Saturday, February 22, 1:30 p.m. ET
FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Tell us about the evolution of racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“It’s amazing how much Atlanta has changed from the repave, and then to
the new version of the car and how much we’ve had to adapt to the new
style of racing at Atlanta. It’s kind of wild to think how Atlanta is
now a drafting a track but it has created some exciting finishes. You
look back at last year’s race with my teammate Daniel’s (Suárez) win
and how close that finish was. It’s cool to see the fan’s excited for
the racing at Atlanta and I hope to be the guy in victory lane this
weekend with the Moose Fraternity Chevrolet.”
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
“I enjoy Atlanta. The track is really starting to wear, I feel like
there’s three grooves now. You really have to put an emphasis on
making sure your handling is good. After getting our first race out of
the way, we can only get better. I like where the 7 team is at and we
are ready to get back out on the track.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
“Atlanta is kind of a crapshoot race in general with it now being a
superspeedway race. It takes a lot of speed, but also a car that handles
well to be successful there. You have to pick the right line at the
right time to get yourself to get yourself where you can log some laps,
especially in the middle stage of the race, and not get caught up in a
crash when cars start to handle differently and mistakes are made. The
superspeedway style of racing, there’s so many things that can change
just in a given lap, let alone that whole race. Races at Atlanta have
become ones to remember.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
“Atlanta Motor Speedway, it’s been quite a different race the past few
years since the repave. I feel like every time I’ve gone back there,
I’ve gained more and more confidence on how to approach it. It’s not a
total superspeedway feeling, but it’s not really a mile and a half race.
It’s got its own unique approach to it. You have to be aggressive, but
you also have to have a strong car to be able to make the moves you need
to make. We came out of Daytona with a strong run and we’re really
hoping for the same thing at Atlanta to really catapult our season in
the right direction. The first two races are very important for starting
on the right foot. So, I look forward to Atlanta. My luck hasn’t been
that good, but it’s about time for it to turn around at the
racetrack.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
“Coming off Daytona where our race cars were really fast, I’m looking
forward to getting to Atlanta as it’s obviously a superspeedway type
racetrack. We’ve had success in the past at Atlanta but there’s a
lot of unknowns throughout the race. Hopefully, we can go there and have
speed like we did in the (Daytona) 500 and have a solid race to rebound
from the deficit that we are in now after Daytona. We’ll do all that
we can to have a good qualifying effort and try to run up front and have
a good finish.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
With the track repave prior to the 2022 NASCAR season, Atlanta is now
more akin to a superspeedway versus a typical intermediate track. As
someone that the sport has labeled a superspeedway ace, would you say
this change helped you on a track where you once struggled in the Cup
series?
“Yeah, I think so. I mean we won in the Xfinity Series there, and I
always felt like that was one of my favorite racetracks. Then, we
struggled in the NASCAR Cup Series a little bit. We had some good runs.
I mean I really loved the racetrack even prior to the repave. It was one
of my favorites that we went to. The repave definitely gives us a better
opportunity to win though. We had two really good runs there last year.
That was the first time since the repave that I really felt like we got
the handling characteristics of our cars back to where they needed to
be. I feel like this team has a good handle on the superspeedways and
providing a car that is handling well and can hold the throttle down for
a longer period of time. That’s where our benefit is. I’m looking
forward to getting to Atlanta though. We finished sixth last February,
and in the summer race we were really strong and ran up in the top five
a lot, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s a fun racetrack for us.”
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Atlanta Motor Speedway is another drafting track like Daytona. How have
you been able to learn drafting and what is it like to you?
“You can’t practice that in the simulator (laughs). It’s odd, you do
qualifying one lap by yourself and it’s boring, you’re driving around
with one hand blocking the air and all that, but when you’re in a pack,
you’re doing four or five seconds a lap quicker. It’s unbelievable! Last
year in my (Cup) races on drafting tracks, I had two yellow stripes on
the back of my bumper, so people were ignoring me, so glad I don’t have
that on my Chevrolet this year. But it’s (drafting) cool, once you learn
and build a little bit of trust, people get confident around you. It’s a
different way of racing.”
Your NASCAR career has accelerated really quickly over the last two
years from winning the inaugural Chicago Street Race to now racing
full-time in the Cup Series. Were you ready for all of this?
“It was always the plan. I am really glad I didn’t jump straight into
Cup last year. It was a great transition year, learning Xfinity and then
coming to Cup. I think I would have got eaten alive if I had jumped
straight in (to Cup). I feel ready for it this year! The cars are very,
very different so it will be a learning year again. Halfway through the
year, I want to be pushing forward, especially on the ovals, and try to
be towards the front.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Was it fun to rewatch the Atlanta finish for “So Damn Close: Atlanta
’24” Documentary that aired last week?
“It was a lot of fun, even more fun for me, right, because I was the one
that won the race. Probably wouldn’t have been that much fun if I
finished second or third. In general it was a lot of fun because it was
the first time we got to sit down and actually see it together and talk
about it, talk about what was on Blaney’s mind, what was in Busch’s
mind, in my mind. Obviously everyone had a different mindset of what to
do, what not to do.”
Take us through the final laps of your win in Atlanta. Kyle Busch and
Ryan Blaney were second-guessing what they should have done. What gave
you the confidence to do what you did?
“Honestly, I didn’t have many options because Austin Cindric was the
driver that was behind me. He was lifting a lot, just trying not to help
me. Obviously his teammate was leading the race at that time. My options
were very limited when it came to the second lane, trying to create a
run. The No. 47 of Ricky (Stenhouse), he was being very aggressive on
the rear bumper of the No. 2. Even with that, I can see it, I can feel
it. I was able to see it on Monday after the race on SMT. He was doing
everything possible not to help me, which is okay, right? That’s part of
the game. I knew the run was not going to come from me, it was going to
come from the inside. My job at that point was to try to slow down the 8
(Busch) as much as possible for the No. 23 (Bubba Wallace) to get to
him. It’s a chess match a chess game to get to him and build the run.
Hopefully I was going to be right there to take advantage of that run.
Luckily it worked out like that. Any of us could have won that race. It
was a matter of inches. It was just a matter of timing and fortunately
the timing worked out good for me.”
Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
How challenging do you think the racing will be at Atlanta?
“I’ve never been to Atlanta before so it’s going to be tough to
get up to speed but I’ve watched races there in the past and seen how
it races. It looks like a fun racetrack and I’m excited to get there
and really feel it out for the first time. I learned a lot at Daytona
and I’m looking forward to this weekend.”
There is no practice time scheduled for Atlanta. What are the challenges
with just qualifying and going straight into the race?
“There’s no practice so I’m going straight into qualifying and
straight into the race which is different from what I’m used to.
It’s going to be the same for everybody. I don’t think it will be
too big of a struggle.”
Since you have never raced at Atlanta, how important is it to lean on
your teammates (especially Justin Allgaier) for advice?
“All season long it’s going to be important to lean on Justin
(Allgaier) and all my teammates who have experience for advice and help.
Justin is a veteran in the series. There’s a lot of questions that
I’ll have that he will be able to answer throughout the year,
especially going to Atlanta for the first time.” especially at Atlanta
going there for my first time.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2024): 43
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Most recent: 2024
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978,
1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993,
1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010,
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2024): 33
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985,
1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2025 STATISTICS:
Wins: 1
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 31
Top-Fives: 1
Top-10s: 3
Stage Wins: 0
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 867 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 753
Laps led to date: 252,742
Top-fives to date: 4,370
Top-10s to date: 9,010
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,201
Chevrolet: 867
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 840
Ford: 740
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 189