This week, NASCAR heads to Atlanta for the first of two races. The Ambetter Health 400 takes up Fontana’s mantle for the first race out of the Daytona 500. It’s become a fan-favorite track in recent years. Dale Earnhardt Jr called it the best ticket on the NASCAR schedule.
Chris Prince and I will take on the challenge of picking two drivers we like for this weekend and another we don’t like as much. Last week, I came out of the great American race with an egg on my face. I wrote that I was avoiding the #24 of William Byron. If you missed it last week, he won the whole thing. So here’s to doing better. And Chris will deliver his thoughts as well. Let’s get right to it and preview the spring Atlanta race!
Chris’s Picks: #1 Ross Chastain (+2000) & #24 William Byron (+1200)
Embed from Getty ImagesWilliam pulled off a surprise victory in some people’s eyes. Especially when it seemed like everything was going to be stacked against him after having to go to a backup car for the Daytona 500. However, William knows how to win in Atlanta. He has won two of the last four races we’ve had on the new configuration. Now with that being said though the other two races he finished outside the top thirty. Anything can happen on a track like Atlanta. I think William can survive the carnage and be around at the end competing for the checkered flag.
Now as for the “Watermelon Man,” we saw him shoot the gap coming to the white flag of the Daytona 500. Just a few more inches and we could be calling Ross the Daytona 500 champion. At +2000 odds I find Ross to once again be underestimated, Trackhouse and Ross have shown time and time again they have the speed to compete on the drafting tracks, if and only if though Ross times his aggressive driving style on the right lap will he have a strong chance of contending for the win and good finish. If he unleashes that Chastain aggression too soon, the hopes of an early season trip to victory lane are in great danger.
Kaleb’s Picks: #22 Joey Logano (+1200) & #7 Corey Lajoie (+4000)
Embed from Getty ImagesJoey Logano arguably had the best car at the Daytona 500 last week. Drivers, fans, and writers alike all saw something magical in the #22 and he was strong the entire race. Unfortunately, the 2x Cup Series Champion got caught up in the Big One with under six laps to go and his day was over, along with some other power hitters. Atlanta offers a chance for Logano to run it back. He won the Ambetter Health 400 last spring. He defeated Brad Keselowski by mere inches. It’s no surprise he’s a betting favorite to repeat here and I’m watching Team Penske very closely this weekend.
My sleeper pick goes to the #7 of Corey Lajoie. He’s not a factor week in and week out, mostly flies under the radar. But drafting tracks in general gets his best efforts. All nine of his Cup series top-10s are on drafting tracks. In four of his last six races on drafting tracks, he’s finished inside that top 10. And not for nothing, he finished a personal cup best fourth place at the Daytona 500 last week. Last spring, Lajoie brought home fourth place at the 2023 Ambetter Health 400, and fifth in 2022. Maybe put a sneaky bet on him to finish inside the top five and make some decent cash back.
Chris’s Fade: #20 Christopher Bell (+1200)
Embed from Getty ImagesIt was pretty cool seeing Bell, finish strong last weekend. Especially considering that minus the duel races in Daytona Christopher isn’t a great drafting style of track driver. In the last four races since the reconfiguration of Atlanta, he’s grabbed only one top ten finish. The other three finishes were either outside the top twenty or close to being. He is getting better as a drafting-style driver but he still has some work to do in my book especially in “Hot-lanta.”
Kaleb’s Fade: #5 Kyle Larson (+1400)
Embed from Getty ImagesUnlike Corey Lajoie, Kyle Larson’s only weakness as a driver is plate racing. Larson has been victim to accidents in all four races at Atlanta since the reconfiguration. Not finishing three of those four races after said accidents. Meanwhile, in 42 total starts on drafting tracks, he’s only had one top-five finish. 16 of those 42 he’s failed to finish. Larson may be one of the five most talented drivers of anything on the face of the planet, but restrictor plate racing is not his forte. I’ll be staying away from him for the Ambetter Health 400.
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! Heck, for all your other sports needs, follow the main page. If you love racing of any shape or form, find Chris on Twitter, and let’s talk!
