The NASCAR Cup Series is at Atlanta for the second time this season with the Quaker State 400 on June 28 at EchoPark Speedway.
Christopher Bell won back in February in the second race of the season, edging ahead of Carson Hocevar, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney as the caution came out on the final lap.
In the pack-racing iteration, EchoPark Speedway has been less about the carnage one sees at Daytona and Talladega and more about track position. Still, the nature of most drivers being close together in one pack means there are more drivers than usual as possible winners.
Here are The Tennessean’s expert picks for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta:
Mike Organ’s pick: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Hendrick Motorsports has more wins at Atlanta than any team and will add another Saturday night via Larson, who came ever so close to winning at Atlanta in February before finishing third in a photo finish with race winner Christopher Bell and second-place Carson Hocevar.
Nick Gray’s pick: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
Who has to win on Saturday for playoff purposes? Stenhouse is high on the list of answers, and pack racing is his specialty. He has three top-10s in the last four races at Atlanta.
Austin Chastain’s pick: TBD
Tom Kreager’s pick: Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Yes, it’s been forever since Kyle has won a NASCAR Cup race. But he’s had five top-10 finishes over the past three years and a couple of those were top five. It’s surely time for a little luck, right?
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