By Roy J. Akers– www.skyviewsports.net
 9 CHASE ELLIOTT Age: 30 (Nov. 28, 1995) Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia Last Race: 11th (Chicagoland) Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson Standings: 5th    No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts/CHOA Chevrolet 2026Cup CareerAtlantaRaces1937715Wins2232Poles0120Top 551203Top 1081989Laps Led2756,255216Stage Wins2412Average Finish13.112.911.3 Chase Elliott heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend as the defending winner of the summer NASCAR Cup Series race at his home track. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native led 41 laps en route to victory last June. Atlanta is one of eight tracks where Elliott has multiple Cup wins. His first victory there came in July 2022.The 30-year-old has the best average finish (9.38), the second-best average running position (10.96) and has led the fourth-most laps (177) on Atlanta’s current configuration.Elliott is tied for the second-most wins (three) and has led the fifth-most laps (270) on drafting tracks in the Next Gen era. This season on drafting tracks, Elliott has the third-best average finish (6.3), has earned the third-most points (116) and is tied for the third-most stage points (24).In the last seven drafting-track races, the 2020 Cup Series champion leads the series with four top-five finishes. His five top 10s are tied for the most. This weekend marks the return of the Chase Elliott Foundation’s Desi9n to Drive program in conjunction with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and NAPA Auto Parts. Elliott’s baseball-themed paint scheme and uniform for the Atlanta race features designs by two CHOA patients. Fans can support the cause by entering an online sweepstakes with a grand prize of a VIP fly-away trip for two to a NASCAR Cup Series race to meet Elliott. For more information, visit www.desi9ntodrive.org. In the third round of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, No. 4 Elliott will go up against 12th-seeded Chase Briscoe. Elliott has finished ahead of Briscoe seven times at Atlanta since its reconfiguration. |
 24 WILLIAM BYRON Age: 28 (Nov. 29, 1997) Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina Last Race: 4th (Chicagoland) Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle Standings: 12th  No. 24 HP Chevrolet |
| DENNY HAMLINNo. 11 Sport Clips Toyota Camry XSE HAMLIN AT ATLANTA: Denny Hamlin owns one win in 32 NASCAR Cup Series starts at EchoPark Speedway. Overall, he has posted six top-five finishes, 11 top-10s, and 462 laps led at the 1.54-mile track. In nine races at the track since its reconfiguration, Hamlin’s best finish is a pair of sixth-place results. Earlier this season, Hamlin led 10 laps and finished 13th at EchoPark Speedway.CHICAOLAND RECAP: Hamlin posted his 10th top-five finish of the season with a third-place result in last weekend’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. After starting on the pole, he led 30 laps and finished eighth and third in the stages. During the final segment, Hamlin continued to run amongst the top four. He was catching the leaders in the closing laps before ultimately finishing the night in third place.IN-SEASON CHALLENGE: Hamlin advanced to the third round of the In-Season Challenge with his third-place finish last weekend in Chicagoland. This weekend, Hamlin will face off against teammate Christopher Bell with the head-to-head winner of their matchup advancing to the next round. This season, Hamlin has finished higher than Bell in 14 of 19 races, including all three races on drafting tracks.WINS AFTER 700: Hamlin’s eight wins since making his 700th career start last season are now second-most all-time. Only Richard Petty (22 wins) recorded more victories after making his 700th career start.SEASON SO FAR: Through 19 points-paying races, Hamlin sits atop the points standings with four victories. He also leads the series in average finishing position, laps led, fastest laps run, average running position, driver rating, and laps in the top 15. Hamlin is tied for the most top-five finishes (10) and pole awards (four).CW BROADCAST: Hamlin will be a guest analyst during The CW’s broadcast of this weekend’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at EchoPark Speedway. Coverage begins Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on The CW.SPORT CLIPS: Sport Clips will be featured as the primary sponsor of Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE for this weekend’s race at EchoPark Speedway. The sports-themed haircutting franchise based in Georgetown, Texas is a longtime supporter of Joe Gibbs Racing dating back to 2009 and has more than 1,800 locations across North America. For more information, visit www.sportclips.com.DREAM FLIGHTS: Sport Clips Haircuts is the primary sponsor of Dream Flights, a nonprofit with a mission to give back to those who gave. Since 2011, Dream Flights has honored more than 7,500 senior veterans in 49 states with free flights in restored Stearman biplanes. Offering more than financial support to operate and maintain a fleet of vintage WWII-era biplanes, Sport Clips franchisees, stylists, and support team members volunteer at nearly every Dream Flight event, making the experience even more magical for senior veterans and their families. Learn more at www.dreamflights.org. |
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| CHASE BRISCOENo. 19 Free Bird Southern Spring Water Toyota Camry XSE CHICAGOLAND WIN NOTES: Chase Briscoe earned his first victory of the 2026 season last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. The Indiana native led three times for 51 laps total, including the final 46. In the closing laps, Briscoe held off teammate Christopher Bell to secure the win. Briscoe earned a season-high 70 points and moved up three spots in the overall standings to eighth-place, only three points behind seventh-place Chris Buescher. The win was Briscoe’s sixth career Cup Series victory and his first on a 1.5-mile track.BRISCOE AT ATLANTA: Briscoe will make his 200th Cup Series start this weekend at EchoPark Speedway. In 11 Cup Series starts in Atlanta, Briscoe’s best finish is a runner-up result earlier this season.IN-SEASON CHALLENGE: Briscoe advanced to the third round of the In-Season Challenge with his victory last weekend in Chicagoland. This weekend, Briscoe will face off against Chase Elliott with the head-to-head winner of their matchup advancing to the next round. In 19 races this season, Briscoe has finished higher than Elliott 10 times, including six of the last eight races.JAMES SMALL: 2026 is Small’s seventh season leading the No. 19 team and his second year with Briscoe behind the wheel. The first five years of his tenure as crew chief were spent with Martin Truex Jr. Small has led his drivers to 12 wins across those seven seasons.FREE BIRD: Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota will feature Free Bird Southern Spring Water this weekend at EchoPark Speedway. Free Bird Southern Spring Water is about living freely and staying true to your roots. Whether you’re enjoying a backyard barbecue, heading to a job site, or taking a moment to recharge, Free Bird water is there to refresh and remind you of the things that matter most. To learn more, visit www.drinkfreebird.com. |
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  In 29 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports owns five top fives and six top 10s. Carson Hocevar earned the team’s best result, a second-place finish in the March 2025 event. Spire Motorsports fields the No. 7, 71 and 77 for Daniel Suárez, Michael McDowell and Hocevar, respectively.The Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart will be televised live on TNT Sunday, July 12 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 20th of 36 points-paying races on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. |
Daniel Suárez – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Daniel Suárez will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS).Freeway Insurance was established in 1987 and is one of the largest and fastest-growing personal lines insurance brokers in the United States, offering coverage through a “click, call, or come in” approach that connects customers nationwide. The company continually researches, grows, and diversifies its product offerings to stay responsive to the evolving insurance market. Freeway provides a wide range of options – from basic to premium coverage – in auto, truck, commercial vehicle, homeowners, renters, small business, motorcycle, recreational vehicle, fire, and flood insurance. In 2008, Freeway Insurance became part of Confie, the nation’s leading personal lines insurance distribution company. Customers can access Freeway Insurance through neighborhood offices, online at www.freeway.com, or by calling (800) 300-0227.On February 25, 2024, Suárez earned his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory when he took the checkered flag at AMS by winning the Ambetter Health 400 in one of the closest finishes in series’ history. Suárez prevailed in a dramatic three-wide sprint to the checkered flag, edging out Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by a scant 0.003 seconds. The victory was his first since 2022 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and secured Suárez’s spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.Suárez, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner has made 15 starts at Atlanta, earning one victory, five top-five, seven top-10 and nine top-20 results. He holds an average starting position of 21.0 and an average finishing position of 16.4 at the 1.54-mile quad-oval. In total, he has led 32 laps at AMS.In the division’s most recent visit to Atlanta, Suárez started 12th after qualifying was canceled and worked through early handling issues as his No. 7 team made chassis’ adjustments throughout the race. He surged from mid-pack into the top 10 late, steered clear of the final overtime chaos, and finished fifth.Through 19 races, Suárez owns a career-best 14.6 average finish, a 6.3-position improvement over his 2025 season average. He currently sits 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings.Last week at Chicagoland, Suárez scored his 12th top-15 and 16th top-20 finish of the 2026 season with a 14th-place result. After overcoming balance issues early in the race, the No. 7 team made adjustments that allowed Suárez to climb as high as 11th in the final stage.Suárez has made two NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at Atlanta, earning one top-10 and two top-20 finishes. He recorded his career-best O’Reilly Auto Parts Series result at Atlanta with a seventh-place finish in March 2016.The Monterrey, Mexico native earned a fourth-place finish in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Atlanta in 2015.The 2026 Coca-Cola 600 race winner is a veteran of 342 Cup Series starts and has notched three wins (Sonoma, June 2022; Atlanta, Feb. 2024; and Charlotte ,May 2026), 26 top fives and 80 top-10s in NASCAR’s premier division. Suárez has led 945 laps and earned three poles since making his series debut in 2017. Daniel Suárez Quote You had a good day at Atlanta in the spring. How does that translate to Sunday’s race, and what are the biggest challenges when the track cools off under the lights? “We know what we did in the spring and that gives us confidence coming back to Atlanta. Every race is its own story, especially Atlanta at night when the track cools off and the grip changes so quickly. You can be strong in one stage and just barely hanging on in the next if you don’t stay ahead of it. The biggest thing at Atlanta is patience. You’ve got to be there when it counts during the last run. That’s where races are won or lost.”  Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1Ryan Sparks is the crew chief for Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and driver Daniel Suarez in the NASCAR Cup Series. Sparks has called 221 Cup Series races where he’s earned one win, six top-five and 15 top-10 finishes since keying the mic in 2020 for his first race in NASCAR’s premier division.Sparks best finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway came in the 2023 Ambetter Health 400, where he earned a fourth-place result with former driver Corey LaJoie. In the Cup Series’ most recent visit to Atlanta, Sparks guided Suárez to a fifth-place finish. Sparks has called 10 races at Atlanta, producing two top-five and three top-10 finishes.Sparks joined Spire Motorsports in 2021, where he served as both Crew Chief and Competition Director, leading the organization’s competitive and technical efforts. In 2026, Sparks serves in a singular role as crew chief for Daniel Suárez. He brings more than a decade of experience across all three national series, highlighted by 13 seasons at Richard Childress Racing and contributions to title-winning campaigns in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (2011) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2013). Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at Atlanta Motor Speedway.Delaware Life is a life insurance and annuity company that empowers financial professionals with a wide array of customizable solutions. A subsidiary of Group 1001 Insurance, Delaware Life was born out of the advisor industry and understands how important it is to find the right fit for every client, every situation, and every individual need. Delaware Life is passionate about equipping its clients with annuities that give customers peace of mind and a successful future, allowing them to plan with confidence for whatever’s next.McDowell has logged 21 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway, highlighted by one top five, two top 10s, and 58 laps led. The 2021 Daytona 500 Champion earned back-to-back Busch Light Pole Awards at the track during the 2024 season and were two of the six McDowell earned that year.In last year’s spring race at the Hampton, Ga., venue, the 19-year Cup Series veteran ran into power steering issues early in the race and was forced to retreat to the garage where he lost six laps while the team made repairs. With the help of a handful of timely cautions and savvy work from the driver’s seat, McDowell raced his way back to the lead lap to earn a respectable 13th-place finish.Atlanta stands as one of four tracks where the father-of-five holds a start in each of NASCAR’s national touring series, highlighted by a venue-best finish of fourth in Cup Series competition in fall 2023.Last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, McDowell struggled with handling issues throughout the day and soldiered home to a 29th-place finish.Across the last eight races, the two-time Cup Series winner holds an average finish of 15.2, while pacing the field two times for eight laps (Watkins Glen/Charlotte).After 19 points-paying races on the 2026 calendar, McDowell is 21st in the Cup Series championship point standings. With seven races remaining before NASCAR’s playoff format begins in September at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the 41-year-old sits just 34 points below the cutline on the strength of two top-five and five top-10 finishes. Michael McDowell Quote What makes Atlanta unique? “Atlanta is a unique challenge because it races a lot like Daytona, but handling still plays a huge role. We’ve built a solid notebook there over the last few years. We swept both poles in 2024 and last season we showed a lot of speed, even after having a power steering issue. We had plenty of speed at Daytona, and all our cars have shown what we are capable of. That gives us confidence heading back to another drafting-style track, especially after Carson’s (Hocevar) win at Talladega. Hopefully, we can put together a clean race, build on the momentum we’ve shown, and put ourselves in position to contend for the win. Atlanta is a great opportunity for our No. 71 team to keep stacking points and put ourselves in position to point our way into The Chase.” |
| Isaac Kitzmiller Tackles Lime Rock Park inReturn to ARCA Menards Series Competition |
| LAKEVILLE, Conn.: With just a few weeks remaining in the ARCA Menards Series East summer break, Isaac Kitzmiller will make the most of another off weekend by competing in Friday afternoon’s Lime Rock ARCA 100 at Lime Rock Park. |
 The event marks the final road-course race of the 2026 ARCA Menards Series national season and provides Kitzmiller with another valuable opportunity to gain experience against the series’ top competition before East Series action resumes. This weekend’s second and final road-course race of the season offers another valuable opportunity for the reigning ARCA Menards Series East champion to continue building his résumé and gaining experience against the ARCA Menards Series’ best as he prepares for a full-time transition to the national tour upon turning 18. Kitzmiller made his road-course debut earlier this season at Watkins Glen International, where he demonstrated impressive speed and adaptability before a mechanical issue denied him what appeared to be a top-10 finish.Armed with the lessons learned from that outing, the son of Jason Kitzmiller enters Friday’s race eager to put those experiences to work as he tackles the 1.5-mile layout at Lime Rock Park. The Lime Rock ARCA 100 provides another valuable opportunity for Kitzmiller to continue expanding his résumé while competing against many of the ARCA Menards Series’ top drivers. Piloting the No. 79 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet, he hopes to translate the speed he showed in his road-course debut into a complete race and a strong finish. “I learned a lot at Watkins Glen, even though the result didn’t reflect what we were capable of,” said Kitzmiller. “Road-course racing is definitely different, but I felt more comfortable with every lap, and that gave me a lot of confidence heading into Lime Rock. “The goal is to keep building on that experience, execute a clean race, and put ourselves in position for a strong finish. Every lap against this level of competition is another opportunity to improve and prepare for the future.” Friday’s start marks Kitzmiller’s fifth ARCA-platform national appearance of the season and another opportunity to continue building on an impressive start to 2026. Whether on short tracks, superspeedways or road courses, the reigning ARCA Menards Series East champion has consistently maximized his opportunities and established himself as one of the sport’s most dependable young drivers. “Every race this season has been another opportunity to learn and grow as a driver, and I think we’ve done a good job of making the most of each one,” added Kitzmiller. |
