As last year's finish to the spring Atlanta race showed, the intensity and close-quarters racing will not be taking a break this weekend following a chaotic Daytona 500. With a margin of victory of .003 seconds in the 2024 spring race at Atlanta, it was the third-closest finish in Cup Series history as Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez won his second career race over Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch.
Although Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron snuck through the last-lap wreck in overtime to secure his second consecutive Daytona 500 win, other drivers were not as fortunate. With so much attrition and 'Big Ones' taking place, especially in the closing laps, what looked to be promising days quickly turned into a mandatory trip to the infield care center and a frustrating start to the season for several drivers.
As NASCAR heads back to Atlanta for only the seventh race on the reconfigured surface, the unpredictability will present itself once again due to the superspeedway racing Atlanta has turned into. As drivers prepare for another drafting-style race on Sunday, it puts even more pressure on the ones that failed to finish the Daytona 500 to put together a solid points day and get out of the hole they put themselves in following the season-opening 500-miler.
Which drivers need a rebound the most after Daytona?
With the Cup Series field as tight as it has ever been, that makes it that much more difficult to climb out of an early-season points deficit. Heading into Atlanta, three drivers are in search of a rebound performance as they look to respond to some adversity.
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
You might be thinking, "Didn't Briscoe finish fourth in the Daytona 500?" While he did come away with a top-five finish in his first points-paying race with JGR, the No. 19 team was hit with an L2-level penalty on Wednesday due to a modified spoiler base. As a result, Briscoe loses 100 driver points and 10 playoff points. JGR loses 100 owner points, 10 playoff points and was fined $100,000 while crew chief James Small is suspended for the next four races.
This comes at an especially inopportune time with Briscoe and Small still learning one another's tendencies in their first season together. The Daytona 500 pole winner now finds himself 118 points behind first place in the standings. He should have more than enough pace to run up front and contend for wins all season. Nevertheless, the No. 19 team is facing an uphill battle already as it looks to build chemistry early in the season.
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
It was a trying Daytona 500 for Chastain. After waiting over three hours through a weather delay, Chastain only made it to Lap 70. Joey Logano, who had dominated the first stage of the race, began experiencing electrical problems and stacked the field up in Turn 1. Chastain was collected in the mess and retired from the race in 40th.
After only scoring one point, Chastain sits 29th in the points following Daytona. He finished runner-up in each of his first two starts on the reconfigured surface in 2022 but has only produced one top 10 since. Chastain has led laps in four of those six races since 2022, so a turnaround could be in store.
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet
While the veteran Busch went into Daytona looking to win his first "Great American Race" in his 20th attempt — just like seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt did in 1998 — it was not meant to be. Busch was running up front when he was taken out in the "Big One" on Lap 186, relegating him to a 34th-place finish.
With top 10s in his last four starts at Atlanta, including third in last spring's epic photo finish, Busch has done everything but win at the track during that span. Perhaps Busch can get some positive luck on his side and return to victory lane on Sunday after a winless 2024 campaign.