Atlanta NASCAR weekend preview: Entry lists, tune-in details
This weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, all three NASCAR national series are together for the first time since two weeks before at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Here are the entry list highlights, tune-in details and full entry lists.
NASCAR Cup Series
Josh Berry is back to fill in for Chase Elliott in his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet before Jordan Taylor takes over for one race at Circuit of the Americas.
Berry will work with lead race engineer Tom Gray as crew chief, instead of Alan Gustafson.
All four HMS crew chiefs are out for Atlanta and the following three races.
MORE: Hendrick Motorsports names interim crew chief lineup amid penalties
J.J. Yeley is back in the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford, which Todd Gilliland drove at Phoenix. Jenson Button will succeed Yeley in the No. 15 at COTA.
Todd Gilliland is back in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford, which Zane Smith drove at Phoenix. Smith’s next race in the No. 38 and Gilliland’s next race in the No. 15 is April 23 at Talladega.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Justin Haley will drive the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, replacing Kyle Busch who did the last two races in the car.
While Atlanta is a different from Daytona and Talladega, Haley’s stacked stats there make him the odds-on favorite (+800) behind Austin Hill (+450).
In 14 Xfinity superspeedway starts, Haley has four wins, five top-5 finishes and top-10s in all but four races.
At Daytona in July 2018, he finished 18th after passing under the yellow-line and originally finishing first.
Another possible favorite is Ryan Truex, who returns to the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after a second-place finish at Phoenix. Toyota teammate Connor Mosack is also returning to his ride, Sam Hunt Racing’s No. 24.
Sage Karam will take over Alpha Prime Racing’s No. 45 Chevrolet for Leland Honeyman, who made his NXS debut at Phoenix.
Alpha Prime Racing co-owner Caesar Bacarella will drive a No. 66 Chevrolet, in partnership with MBM Motorsports. Bacarella is the No. 66’s fifth different driver through five races.
Patrick Emerling and Joey Gase swapped rides for Atlanta. Emerling will be in the No. 35 and Gase will be in the No. 53.
Ross Chastain’s brother, Chad, is driving DGM Racing’s No. 91 Chevrolet, instead of Garrett Smithley. Smithley replaced Bayley Currey in the No. 4 for Atlanta and the rest of the season.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Bayley Currey will drive the No. 41 Niece Motorsports entry, which Ross Chastain drove at Las Vegas. Currey’s plans are TBD beyond Atlanta.
John Hunter Nemechek is back in the No. 17 TRICON Garage Toyota. Regular driver Taylor Gray will make his debut in the No. 17 at COTA, March 25.
Nemechek will have Layne Riggs as his teammate at Atlanta. Riggs will drive the No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota, which Kaz Grala drove at Las Vegas. The No. 1 entry is full-time but drivers are currently named on a week-to-week basis.
For the first time since Daytona, Jack Wood is back in the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports entry and OnPoint Motorsports is entered again.
OnPoint will have Ryan Vargas in their No. 30 Toyota with sponsorship from Leargas Security.
Other changes between Las Vegas and Atlanta:
- No. 20 Young’s Motorsports: Mason Maggio in, Matt Mills out
- No. 22 AM Racing: Josh Reaume in, Max Gutierrez out
- No. 34 Reaume Bros: Keith McGee in, Josh Reaume out
- No. 46 G2G Racing: Akinori Ogata in, Brennan Poole out
WHERE TO TUNE IN
NASCAR Cup Series’ Ambetter Health 400
- 3 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 19
- TV: FOX
- Radio: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
- 260 laps; Stages: 60/100/100
- Single-car qualifying (one lap, two rounds): 11:30 a.m. ET, Saturday, FS1
NASCAR Xfinity Series’ RAPTOR King of Tough 250
- 5 p.m. ET, Saturday, March 18
- TV: FS1
- Radio: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
- 163 laps; Stages: 40/40/83
- Single-car qualifying (one lap, two rounds): 4:30 p.m. ET, Friday, FS1
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ FR8 Auctions 208
- 2 p.m. ET, Saturday, March 18
- TV: FS1
- Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
- 135 laps; Stages: 45/45/45
- Single-car qualifying (one lap, two rounds): 3 p.m. ET, Friday, FS1
FULL CUP ENTRY LIST
FULL XFINITY ENTRY LIST
FULL TRUCKS ENTRY LIST
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com