NASCAR 2023 Quaker State 400 Preview

NASCAR returns to Atlanta, Georgia for the Quaker State 400 this weekend. This time, the race is run under the lights, which has the drivers and fans pumped for a prime-time finish. Earlier this year, it was #22 Joey Logano who took the win. In a relatively boring race, he pulled away from the #6 of Brad Keselowski in a last-second dash to the finish.

The Super Speedway has had a solid history of different winners. In 2022 it was #9 Chase Elliott and teammate #24 William Byron edging out the #1 of Ross Chastain for victories. It was also kind to Kyle and Kurt Busch in 2021 as well as #12 Ryan Blaney. So there are plenty of drivers to take seriously for this plate race. So let’s give five options that will be worth watching on Sunday night. Here’s your preview for the 2023 edition of the Quaker State 400!

#6 Brad Keselowski

As I referred to before, Keselowski was narrowly edged out by Logano for the win in the spring. Literally by inches. He’ll be a favorite here for sure based on that alone. That, and he’s spectacular at plate races along with teammate #17 Chris Buescher. In his career, Keselowski has seven wins at superspeedways, with 37 top-five finishes. At Atlanta specifically, he’s got two wins and five top-fives, with another five finishes in the top 10. Look out for #6 this weekend. He’s one of a handful of good drivers chasing a win to get into the playoffs.

#12 Ryan Blaney

Blaney is also a past winner of Atlanta, and he ran pretty well here back in the spring, finishing seventh. What makes #12 interesting is that he’s due for a rebound. After winning his first race in ages at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, he’s had three straight finishes below 30th. One was due to an accident and the other two were road courses, but it’d be nice to get back to the radar. At Atlanta Blaney has the win, and an additional three top-five finishes. Superspeedways are typically alright to him, and a win here, or at the very least a great finish, would do worlds to his stock.

#22 Joey Logano

We continue our streak of Fords in this lineup with March’s winner of the Ambetter Health 400 Joey Logano. It’s been a tough year for the Ford camp, but Logano served as the manufacturer’s only winner until Blaney’s win at Charlotte. He’s been solid in 2023 though. He’s got the win, and he’s finished in the top 10 in four out of the last six races. Posting an average finish of 15.17. Atlanta specifically has done #22 well. In 19 races he’s got six top-10 finishes to go along with the win in March. Logano is a fine pick to repeat at Atlanta, but he’ll have some stiff competition from the field.

#23 Bubba Wallace Jr

When will NASCAR fans stop pretending Bubba Wallace isn’t a good driver? Especially at these plate races. At superspeedways Wallace more often than not finishes inside the top 20. He’s also got a win and several top-five finishes to go along with it. Wallace is more than capable of pulling out a win and shouldn’t be discounted here at Atlanta. It hasn’t been his best track historically, but typically posting a top-15 finish shouldn’t be sniffed at. And like his friend Blaney, he’s due for a rebound. Wallace might be a good shout for the Quaker State 400.

#47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Stenhouse has been riding the wave of winning the Daytona 500, but he’s still got to prove that it wasn’t a fluke if he wants to take himself into a new conversation about where he ranks in the cup series. It hasn’t been a bad year by any means for the #47 team. He’s got two top-five finishes with three more inside the top 10. When he raced at this track back in March he placed 17th after leading seven laps. Unfortunately. he hasn’t placed inside the top 10 since Charlotte and has more often than not been outside the top 20 since then. He’s due for a rebound and superspeedways are good for it if you’re in the right place at the right time. As the lone Chevy on the list, I’d like to see him show something he hasn’t since early in the year.

If you enjoyed this content, or hate it and want to argue with me, follow me on Twitter @KalebEmcee! Also, read up on the rest of the NASCAR content Belly Up Sports has to offer here!