Buckle up! NASCAR is headed to Hampton, Georgia, for the second round of the 2026 season. After Tyler Reddick’s dramatic win at the Daytona 500, the energy is high, but the weather forecast for EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) is currently threatening to play spoiler.
Here is everything you need to know for this weekend’s triple-header.
🏁 Storylines to Watch
1. The Weather Headache 🌧️
The forecast isn’t exactly “sunny Georgia.” A stalling cold front is expected to bring high rain chances through Saturday afternoon. While there’s hope for a clearing trend by Sunday morning, keep an eye on the radar—we might see some “NASCAR After Dark” or a Monday finish if the system lingers.
2. Double-Duty Stars
Several Cup regulars are looking for extra seat time on Atlanta’s high-banked, drafting-style layout:
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Kyle Busch is pulling triple duty, headlining the Truck Series field in the Spire No. 7.
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Ross Chastain makes a rare Xfinity appearance driving for Jordan Anderson Racing.
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Christopher Bell enters Sunday as the defending winner of this race, looking to keep Joe Gibbs Racing’s momentum rolling.
3. The “Drafting Track” Experts
Since the 2022 repave, Atlanta has raced like a mini-Talladega. This favors the Penske Fords (Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano) who are the current betting co-favorites. However, don’t sleep on Austin Hill in the Xfinity race; he essentially “owns” this track in that series.
🏆 Betting Favorites (Cup Series)
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Ryan Blaney / Joey Logano (+800): The Penske duo is lethal in the draft.
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Austin Cindric (+1000): Often the unsung hero of Ford’s superspeedway program.
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Chase Elliott (+1200): The hometown favorite is always a threat here.
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Christopher Bell (+1800): Last year’s spring winner and a master of finding the right lane.
🛠️ Entry List Highlights
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The “Open” Cars: J.J. Yeley (No. 44) and B.J. McLeod (No. 78) are the two non-chartered entries for Sunday, bringing the Cup field to 38 cars.
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Truck Series Debut: Keep an eye on Adam Andretti (cousin of Michael Andretti), who is making his Truck Series debut in the No. 5 Toyota for TRICON Garage.
Atlanta Weekend Schedule
Friday February 20
3:00 pm Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying, TV/Streaming: FS1
5:00 pm O’Reilly Auto Parts Qualifying, TV/Streaming: CW App
Saturday February 21
11:00 am Cup Series Qualifying, TV/Streaming: Amazon Prime; Radio: PRN, SiriusXM
1:30 pm Craftsman Truck Series Fr8 Racing 208, TV/Streaming: FS1; Fox One; Radio: MRN, SiriusXM
5:00 pm O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250, TV/Streaming: CW; Radio: PRN, SiriusXM
Sunday February 22
3:00 pm Cup Series Autotrader 400, TV/Streaming: FOX, Fox One, HBO MAX; Radio: PRN, SiriusXM
Previous Winners
Cup Series: Chase Elliott (June 2025), Christopher Bell (Feb 2025)
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Nick Sanchez (June 2025), Austin Hill (Feb 2025)
Craftsman Truck Series: Kyle Busch (Feb 2025)
