NASCAR heads back to the site of their three-wide finish back in February with the Quaker State 400 in Atlanta! Last year, this race was rained out and saw William Byron pick up his fourth of six wins. But obviously, the big highlight of Atlanta Motor Speedway was the three-wide finish earlier this year with Daniel Suarez locking up his playoff spot.
3-WIDE AT THE LINE! WHAT A FINISH. Repost to congratulate Daniel Suárez on his Atlanta Motor Speedway WIN! pic.twitter.com/RdewRqJiwg
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 26, 2024
Ryan Blaney would eventually get a pair of wins. But Kyle Busch, despite two runner-up efforts in the final two races, was left out of the playoffs. Nevertheless, this should be a fun race for everybody to enjoy. Despite the questionable decision to run this at 3 PM EST instead of under the lights. But we don’t make the rules, just the picks. Here are the BellyUp Racing picks for this year’s Quaker State 400 in Atlanta!
Chris’s Picks: #17 Chris Buescher (+1400) & #24 William Byron (+1200)
Embed from Getty ImagesI’m not rolling with him because he’s due for a win but he is due for one soon I feel like. Whether he won, one of those was due to rain moving in or not. I mean, there are two wins in the last seven races on this new configuration. Plus he’s gained stage points in one or both stages in the previous seven races as well. So that shows me while he doesn’t win or even finish every race, he and his crew chief know how to secure some points here in case they are included in the inevitable “big one”. That’s just another reason why I like William and his team. Because points are what is important now because we’ve seen before how close these cutoff line battles can become. So why not score some stage points and go for a win to start the playoffs on a good note?
Chris didn’t make the playoffs, however much like Vince said on The Sports Stove in last night’s episode. I think very much we are about to see a show by some drivers who just missed the playoffs such as Chris. He grabbed a ninth place finish in February earlier this year and even grabbed a tenth place finish two weeks ago in Daytona. Chris is a good enough drafting style of racer, plus RFK is always fast in these types of races anyway. A win in the first round of the playoffs may be far-fetched but it could turn the season around for Chris and upset a lot of playoff drivers chances. A small bet may not be as rewarding this week if Chris does pull a win off but any win is still a win in my books.
Kaleb’s Picks: #6 Brad Keselowski (+1100) & #8 Kyle Busch (+1000)
Embed from Getty ImagesBrad Keselowski had this race won last year if not for the rain securing Byron’s victory. They were catching up fast but the weather came faster, and the #6 car finished P6 after winning stage two. At Atlanta, Keselowski has three finishes in the T-15 in his last five races here. Including a P2 at the spring race last year, finishing inches behind fellow Ford #22 Joey Logano. I like the #6 at drafting tracks in general, and I’ll take him again here at these crazy super speedway odds.
Kyle Busch has made a valiant effort in the last few weeks to not only make the playoffs but secure his first win of the year. Extending his streak of years with wins to 20. I think that streak means a hell of a lot more to him than any playoff spot does. Now with truly nothing to lose, I expect the 2x Cup Series champion to lock in, disregard everything else, and go for it. Maybe not in the fashion of his Richard Childress Racing teammate #3 Austin Dillon. But winning is winning, and Busch needs one. He was fast at Daytona, he’s fast at Atlanta not only last spring but also’s riding a streak of three straight top-10s at the track. I love Rowdy here at the Quaker State 400.
Chris’s Wildcard: #7 Corey Lajoie (+5500)
Embed from Getty ImagesStatistically, this pick is a long shot, but that’s the fun in it. Corey finished 13th in February which isn’t horrible. However, he finished thirty-first last fall. Then the Spring before he grabbed a top-five finish only to flop in the fall race. Are you starting to see a pattern here?
However, this is the wildcard pick for a reason. With those bad stats is the fact that he has had two top fives on this configuration of Atlanta. That’s half of his total career top-fives coming at Atlanta. So, why couldn’t we see another driver who won’t be in the car next year win? It happened once this year on a track similar in racing style and very could well happen this week again. I mean what does Corey have to lose?
Kaleb’s Wildcard: Todd Gilliland (+4000)
Embed from Getty ImagesTodd Gilliland at plate tracks has been seriously impressive in 2024. In the Atlanta race back in February, the #38 car finished P10 and P6 in the first two stages before becoming victim to a crash. At the Coke Zero Sugar 400, he collected P5 and P6 in two stages before again getting caught in an accident. I think both performances deserve some attention and at +500 to hit the top 10, it’s a worthy bet. Keep an eye on Gilliland in the 38 this week at the Quaker State 400!
If you enjoyed this content, or hate it and want to argue with me, follow me on Twitter @KalebMcChesney! 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!
