NASCAR Red-Flags Atlanta Race at 108 of 260 Laps as Lightning and Heavy Rain Hit

Q: Can Kyle Larson finally break his 43-race winless streak at the unpredictable Atlanta track, a place famous for its last-lap chaos?

Yes — Larson has a real shot, but Atlanta’s chaos makes him far from a safe pick. The case for him is straightforward. He starts third, putting him near the front at a track where track position still matters even in the draft. Betting markets have treated him as one of the main threats, generally just behind Ryan Blaney and alongside other top contenders. He is also driving for Hendrick Motorsports, and teammate Chase Elliott snapped a long winless streak at this same track last summer, showing Atlanta can be the kind of place where a drought ends. There are also reasons to be cautious. EchoPark Speedway’s 2022 reconfiguration turned it into a superspeedway-style pack track, and that tends to reduce the advantage of pure speed. Seven of the last eight Cup races here were decided in the final two laps, with four ending on the last lap. That means even a dominant car can be shuffled back or caught in a wreck in seconds. Larson’s recent form has been uneven, and some expert picks have leaned toward Elliott, Denny Hamlin or William Byron instead. He is still seeking his first Cup win at Atlanta, while Blaney starts on pole and Team Penske has been especially strong at the reconfigured track. Tyler Reddick also already won here earlier this season. So the answer is yes: Larson can absolutely end the streak tonight. But at Atlanta, the better read is that he is a legitimate contender in a race likely to be decided by survival, timing and one final-lap move.

3 articles · Updated · Motorsport.com · Jul 12

108 laps into the 260-lap Atlanta Cup race, NASCAR stopped all 38 cars on pit road after a lightning strike within eight miles of EchoPark Speedway.
Heavy rain followed the lightning hold, and the race remained short of the official distance at Lap 131, raising the prospect of a lengthy delay before any restart.
Ryan Blaney led at the stoppage after winning Stage 1 for 10 points, with Bubba Wallace second, Tyler Reddick third, Christopher Bell fourth and Chase Elliott fifth.
The caution also helped Ross Chastain regain the lead lap via the free pass, leaving 31 cars on the lead lap when the field eventually returns for fuel and tires.
The interruption extended weather problems that had already disrupted the Quaker State 400 in Hampton, Georgia, where thunderstorms were forecast throughout the night.