Veteran Denny Hamlin finds himself atop the Cup Series points list as NASCAR heads to EchoPark Speedway for tonight’s next race.
Nam Y. Huh | AP photo
HAMPTON, Ga. — EchoPark Speedway may be the perfect setting for Tyler Reddick to reclaim his momentum in the NASCAR Cup Series points race.
Reddick won five of the first nine stops on this year’s Cup Series schedule, including at EchoPark Speedway on Feb. 22, one week after winning the Daytona 500, to take a dominant lead in the points race.
Reddick’s points lead has disappeared in recent weeks. Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan, enters Sunday night’s race leading Reddick by 44 points.
Overall, Reddick has two wins in three starts on drafting tracks this season in his 23XI Racing Toyota, giving him reason for optimism. Reddick said Saturday he is “extremely” confident he can enjoy more success in his return to the track formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“In my opinion, we’re stronger when we come back here in the summer race,” Reddick said. “We’re still plenty good in the spring, but what we do well at EchoPark Speedway really shows up in the summer. … Our strength typically is handling and I feel like the more that’s in play the better I do with these kind of races.”
Hamlin was third while Reddick finished 36th in last week’s race at Chicagoland Speedway won by Chase Briscoe. Reddick has finished 25th or worse in four of the last five Cup Series races.
“For us to still be second in points … all things considered I think most people with a race car would do anything to have that,” Reddick said.
BLANEY ON POLE
Team Penske Fords claimed the front row spots for Sunday night’s race.
Ryan Blaney won the pole with a lap time of 30.815 seconds at 179.912 mph on Saturday. Blaney’s teammate, Joey Logano, was second with a lap time of 30.851 seconds at 179.702 mph.
“Feels good to have a Penske front row,” Blaney said, adding he also can work well with other Ford drivers. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get organized at some point but it’s nice that Joey and I are starting at the front.”
Blaney is third in the Cup Series points race. Hamlin and Reddick qualified 28th and 31st, respectively.
“They normally don’t qualify great at these speedways,” Blaney said, adding he expects the Toyota cars “can probably be aggressive in the draft. … You look at the spring race here. The Toyotas were really good in the race.”
Kyle Larson was third in qualifying, followed by Austin Dillon and Daniel Suarez. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott qualified sixth and seventh, respectively. Elliott won last summer’s race at his home track near Atlanta.
Austin Cindric, Ross Chastain and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10.
DROUGHTS FOR LARSON
Larson is trying to end a 43-race winless streak and also claim his first Cup Series win at the 1.54-mile oval track in Atlanta. He finished third in February 2025.
The winless stretch is his longest since joining Hendrick in 2021. His last win came at Kansas in May 2025. Larson, who won Cup Series championships in 2021 and 2025, finished 34th after qualifying second last week in Chicago. He was in the top five before losing several laps following a spin in Stage 2.
“I feel like we’ve noticed each week, I feel like Hendrick as a whole has gotten just a little bit better and closed the gap a little,” Larson said. “I think it feels like a large chunk still left to get, but I feel like in this sport … you’re probably closer than it really feels out on the track.”
Despite his streak, Larson is sixth in the points race, only one point behind Elliott.
IN-SEASON CHALLENGE
The second year of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge continues with the third round. The winner of the five-race, bracket-style tournament will earn $1 million. A compelling matchup is Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Hamlin and Christopher Bell.
“I guess probably we’ll be the underdog against Christopher,” Hamlin said before adding “whoever doesn’t wreck” has the advantage.
Elliott is matched against Briscoe, another JGR driver. The other matchups are William Byron against Blaney and Todd Gilliland against Bowman.
Four drivers will advance to next week’s race in North Wilkesboro, and the championship round is scheduled for July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
INJURY UPDATE
Bell will again wear a cast on his left wrist that was broken during a hit at Michigan International Speedway on June 7. He had only a wrap on the wrist Saturday but said he’ll add the cast for the race “just in case something happens.” He said he hopes this will be the last race with the cast.
“I’m close if not 100% right there,” Bell said.
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