NASCAR Rant Report - Monday, February 24th

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Major headlines out of the weekend:

Christopher Bell Wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Xfinity and Trucks Both Race at Atlanta
Drivers Reflect Back on Daytona
23XI Signing Corey Heim for Part-Time Cup Schedule

Plus, miscellaneous topics from the weekend.

Christopher Bell Wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Yesterday’s Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Ambetter Health 400, concluded with Christopher Bell securing his first victory of the season and his 10th career win. Bell's triumph came in dramatic fashion, as he led only the final lap in an overtime finish. The race was marked by intense competition, with 50 lead changes among 15 drivers, setting a new track record.

Bell's victory was particularly notable as it ended a winless streak for Joe Gibbs Racing, which had not won since June 2024. Bell, who started 32nd, managed to navigate through the field and capitalize on a late-race caution that set up the overtime finish. He was pushed to the lead by Carson Hocevar, who finished second, achieving his career-best result. Kyle Larson, who has historically struggled at superspeedways, finished third, marking his best finish at Atlanta since its reconfiguration.

The race was not without controversy, as Hocevar's aggressive driving drew criticism from other drivers, including Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain. Blaney, who started on pole and led several laps, was spun out by Hocevar late in the race but managed to recover and finish fourth. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top five.

The event also saw significant incidents, including a multi-car wreck involving Austin Cindric and William Byron, who were both contenders for the win before crashing with three laps remaining. Daniel Suárez, the defending race winner, was involved in a seven-car crash early in the third stage, ending his hopes of a repeat victory.

The next race in the NASCAR Cup Series will be at Circuit of the Americas, where drivers will face a whole new set of challenges on the road course.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

Xfinity and Trucks Both Race at Atlanta:

This weekend in the Xfinity Series, Austin Hill continued his dominance at Atlanta by winning the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250. Hill led a race-high 146 of 163 laps, securing his fifth win in the last six Xfinity races at this track. He managed to fend off challenges from Justin Allgaier, who finished second, and Aric Almirola, who placed third. Hill's teammate, Jesse Love, who started from the pole, led several laps but ultimately finished 16th. The race saw multiple cautions, especially in the final 60 laps, with significant incidents involving drivers like Sam Mayer and Taylor Gray. Despite the chaos, rookies like Nick Sanchez and William Sawalich managed to secure top-10 finishes, with Sanchez achieving his first career top-five result.

In the Craftsman Truck Series, Kyle Busch claimed victory in the Fr8 208, marking his 67th career win in the series. Busch led 80 of the 135 laps and won by a narrow margin of 0.017 seconds over Stewart Friesen in a thrilling photo finish. The race featured 19 lead changes among 11 drivers, with notable performances from Tyler Ankrum, who finished third, and Bayley Currey, who climbed from 30th to fourth. Rookie Connor Mosack, who started on the pole, led 30 laps but finished 25th after being involved in a late-race incident. The race also saw significant incidents, including a multi-truck crash involving Rajah Caruth and William Sawalich.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

Drivers Reflect Back on Daytona:

With a week passing since the Daytona 500, there have been various reflections among NASCAR drivers and teams.

Ryan Preece discussed his crash, noting the aggressive nature of the race with 14 laps to go. He said, "All I heard next before this all happened was, ‘They’re wrecking’ and then bam."  Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse reflected on their roles in the crash. Logano explained, "I was just kind of stuck and that’s what caused the wreck," while Stenhouse added, "We just all kind of ran out of room."

Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin voiced concerns about superspeedway racing. Keselowski suggested, "This track almost kind of proves there’s a better way," referring to Atlanta, while Hamlin criticized the reliance on luck, saying, "I hate the fact of how much luck is involved in NASCAR now." William Byron, who won his second consecutive Daytona 500, responded to criticisms about luck. "I’m not going to apologize for it," he stated.

Legacy Motor Club saw a boost with Jimmie Johnson's third-place finish and John Hunter Nemechek's fifth-place result. Nemechek remarked, "We already really know that we’re better than 2024."

Chase Briscoe commented on his 100-point penalty, remaining optimistic. "I feel like I can legitimately win a championship," he said, despite the setback.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

23XI Signing Corey Heim for Part-Time Cup Schedule:

Corey Heim has signed a multi-year development deal with 23XI Racing, becoming the team's first development driver. He will compete in select NASCAR Cup Series races, starting at Kansas Speedway in May, and multiple Xfinity Series events for Sam Hunt Racing, beginning at Circuit of The Americas.

Heim expressed his excitement, saying, "It’s a dream come true to be a part of 23XI, and I’m excited for the opportunity to race more Cup and Xfinity races this year." Steve Lauletta, President of 23XI Racing, praised Heim's talent, stating, "Corey continues to prove he is a talented, hard-working driver."

Heim has been part of the Toyota Driver Development Program since 2020 and has 12 wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing, described Heim as "like a little brother" and highlighted their strong performances together.

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on this topic.

Miscellaneous:

Joey Logano has taken over the longest active consecutive start streak in the NASCAR Cup Series, with 578 starts. This follows Martin Truex Jr.'s retirement from full-time competition, ending his streak at 685 starts.

NASCAR's Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Speedway Motorsports' Performance Racing Network (PRN) have teamed up to create the NASCAR Racing Network (NRN). This new network aims to expand coverage of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, providing enhanced race broadcasts and expert commentary. The network launched with the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Chipotle has entered NASCAR for the first time through a partnership with Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Blaney's "Ryan Blaney Bowl" is available on Chipotle's app and website. The partnership includes a pop-up restaurant at the speedway, offering $8 bowls, burritos, and tacos, with giveaways and ticket upgrades. This collaboration is part of Chipotle's "Real Food for Real Athletes" program, following their previous partnership with Haas F1

Check out our Source Materials Page for more on these topics.

This newsletter is constructed by AI and reviewed by our editorial team.

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