Following a great weekend of racing in Daytona, all three of NASCAR’s premiere divisions are set to tackle Atlanta Motor Speedway. With the Camping World Truck Series making their first trip to Atlanta in a couple of years, it should make for an interesting weekend.
CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
Picks for the Hyundai Construction Equipment 200
Alex George and Ronald Costigan picked Brad Keselowski and Ty Dillon. Keselowski is trying to make it two in a row for Brad Keselowski Racing and has Sprint Cup Series experience on his side. Ty Dillon has XFINITY experience at Atlanta and is always a front runner in the Truck Series.
Ashley McCubbin picked Erik Jones and Matt Crafton. Jones enters the full Truck schedule for Kyle Busch Motorsports after running 16 races over the past two years with 14 top-10 finishes. Crafton, meanwhile, has 13 previous starts at Atlanta with three top-fives and seven top-10s.
Justin Tucker picked Erik Jones and Brad Keselowski.
Robert Hill picked Erik Jones and Daniel Hemric. Hemric enters his rookie year of truck competition after winning the 2013 Southern Super Series Championship.
Stephen Placido, Brandon Feeney, Tim Johnston, Brooke Clarke and Kreistina Blinova picked Brad Keselowski and Matt Crafton.
Marshall Gabell did not file picks, handing his Daytona picks, which were Tyler Reddick and David Gilliland. Gilliland is not entered this weekend, nor is the #92 truck that he drove. As a courtesy so he is not totally removed from the pick standings, he is handed the next truck in line – #94 Wendell Chavous. As a result, Gabell’s picks for this weekend are Tyler Reddick and Wendall Chavous. Reddick won Daytona as he enters his first full year of competition, while Atlanta will mark Chavous’ fourth career series start.
Kyle Magda picked Erik Jones and Ty Dillon.
Steve Love picked Timothy Peters and Johnny Sauter. Peters has six starts at Atlanta with a single top-10, while Sauter has four starts at Atlanta with a single top-10.
Jeni Harris picked Erik Jones and Timothy Peters.
Doug Townsend picked Brad Keselowski and Johnny Sauter.
Parker Ledger picked Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez. Saurez is entering his first year of truck competition under a partial schedule as he gets experience to help his full XFINITY effort.
Rory Townsend picked Matt Crafton and John Wes Townley. Townley finished 19th in his only Atlanta start.
Mike Cousins picked Tyler Reddick and 2. There is no 2 in the field, but signs point towards a typo-teammate pick, landing him Tyler Reddick and 29 which is Tyler Reddick and Brad Keselowski.
Jeffrey Breazeale picked Erik Jones and Tyler Reddick.
Current Camping World Truck Series Points Standings
- Marshall Gabell – 87
- Ronald Costigan – 79
- Stephen Placido and Parker Ledger – 78
- Alex George – 74
- Kreistina Blinova – 72
- Mike Cousins – 71
- Brandon Feeney and Doug Townsend – 69
- Jeffrey Breazeale – 64
- Jeni Harris – 62
- Rory Townsend – 59
- Steve Love – 58
- Tim Johnston, Brooke Clarke, Ashley McCubbin and Justin Tucker – 57
- Kyle Magda – 54
- Robert Hill – 20
XFINITY SERIES
Picks for the Hisense 200
Robert Hill and Ronald Costigan picked Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano. Elliott finished fifth in his Atlanta debut last year. Kenseth and Logano have never ran an XFINITY race at Atlanta but have experience in the Sprint Cup Series.
Kreistina Blinova and Ashley McCubbin picked Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick. Harvick falls under the same boat as Kenseth and Logano.
Justin Tucker picked Joey Logano, Erik Jones and Kevin Harvick. Jones has never visited Atlanta in any vehicle prior to this year.
Tim Johnston, Kyle Magda and Brooke Clarke picked Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick.
Marshall Gabell picked Regan Smith, Dakoda Armstrong and Sam Hornish Jr. Smith has four starts at Atlanta with two top-10 finishes. Armstrong finished 33rd last year in his Atlanta debut. Hornish falls under the no XFINITY-cup experience category.
Steve Love picked Darrell Wallace Jr., Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Wallace is seeing Atlanta for the first time. Larson has two top-five finishes in two starts.
Jeni Harris picked Darrell Wallace Jr., Chase Elliott and Erik Jones.
Doug Townsend picked Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and 91. 91 is not entered in this race. As a courtesy so he is not totally removed from the pick standings, he is handed the next car in line – #97 Josh Reaume. As a result, his picks are Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Josh Reaume. Reaume has made 12 previous XFINITY starts, with a best career finish of 23rd.
Alex George and Brandon Feeney picked Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick.
Jeffrey Breazeale and Parker Ledger picked Regan Smith, Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick.
Rory Townsend picked Chase Elliott, Erik Jones and Kevin Harvick.
Mike Cousins picked Ty Dillon, Chris Buescher and Kevin Harvick. Dillon finished ninth in his Atlanta debut last year, while Buescher has made two starts with an average finishing spot of 13th.
Stephen Placido picked Darrell Wallace Jr., Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick.
Current XFINITY Series Standings
- Stephen Placido – 107
- Kyle Magda – 94
- Rory Townsend and Brandon Feeney – 91
- Jeffrey Breazeale – 90
- Mike Cousins – 89
- Ronald Costigan – 86
- Justin Tucker – 84
- Marshall Gabell – 80
- Jeni Harris – 74
- Doug Townsend, Kreistina Blinova, Brooke Clarke and Ashley McCubbin – 69
- Alex George – 63
- Parker Ledger and Tim Johnston – 60
- Steve Love and Robert Hill – 45
SPRINT CUP SERIES
Picks for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500
Ronald Costigan picked Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gordon has five wins and 26 top-10s in 41 starts. Johnson has three wins and 14 top-10s in 23 starts. Earnhardt has a win and 12 top-10s in 27 starts.
Ashley McCubbin picked Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Harvick has a win and nine top-10s in 24 starts.
Justin Tucker picked Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson. Kahne has three wins and nine top-10s in 18 starts. Larson finished eighth last year.
Robert Hill picked Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson. Edwards has three wins and 11 top-10s in 17 starts. Kenseth has no wins and 15 top-10s in 26 starts.
Brooke Clarke picked Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon. Hamlin has one win and six top-10s in 15 starts.
Parker Ledger and Kreistina Blinova picked Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Marshall Gabell picked Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Biffle has no wins and 10 top-10s in 20 starts. Stenhouse has an average finish of 18th in two starts.
Kyle Magda picked Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano. Logano has no wins and one top-10 in eight starts.
Steve Love picked Brad Keselowski, Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman. Keselowski has no wins and two top-10s in six starts. Newman has no wins and eight top-10s in 22 starts.
Tim Johnston picked Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson.
Jeni Harris picked Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon.
Doug Townsend picked Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson.
Brandon Feeney picked Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson and Jimmie Johnson.
Rory Townsend picked Austin Dillon, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman. Dillon has an average finish of 21.5 in two starts.
Alex George picked Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Mike Cousins picked Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
Jeffrey Breazeale picked Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards. Stewart has three wins and 15 top-10s in 27 starts.
Stephen Placido picked Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Current Sprint Cup Series Standings
- Doug Townsend – 111
- Brandon Feeney, Parker Ledger and Kreistina Blinova – 97
- Justin Tucker, Ashley McCubbin and Ronald Costigan – 95
- Stephen Placido and Alex George – 85
- Steve Love – 72
- Marshall Gabell – 63
- Brooke Clarke – 57
- Mike Cousins – 56
- Kyle Magda – 53
- Jeni Harris – 52
- Rory Townsend – 45
- Tim Johnston – 44
- Robert Hill – 39
- Jeffrey Breazeale – 21
Current Overall Points Standings
- (Points Leader Post XFINITY Daytona) Stephen Placido – 78+107+85=270
- Ronald Costigan – 79+86+95=260 (-10)
- Brandon Feeney – 69+91+97=257 (-13)
- Doug Townsend – 69+69+111=249 (-21)
- Kreistina Blinova – 72+69+97=238 (-32)
- Justin Tucker – 57+84+95=236 (-34)
- Parker Ledger – 78+60+97=235 (-35)
- Marshall Gabell – 87+80+63=230 (-40)
- Alex George – 63+74+85=222 (-48)
- Ashley McCubbin – 57+69+95=221 (-49)
- Mike Cousins – 71+89+56=216
- Kyle Magda – 54+94+53=201
- Rory Townsend – 91+59+45=195
- Jeni Harris – 62+74+52=188
- Brooke Clarke – 57+69+57=183
- Steve Love – 58+45+72=175
- Jeffrey Breazeale – 64+90+21=175 (-95)
- Tim Johnston – 57+60+44=161
- Robert Hill – 20+45+39=104
