NASCAR at Atlanta 2018: Odds, fantasy advice, prediction, sleepers, drivers to watch

After a crash-filled Daytona 500, NASCAR moves to Atlanta’s weathered 1.54-mile asphalt trail.

As the surface allows for side-by-side racing in numerous grooves most NASCAR drivers favor the monitor. Tires wear out putting a higher importance on speed.

Kevin Harvick won the first two phases at Atlanta, but a penalty allowed Brad Keselowski to swoop in for the flag. Keselowski handed Kyle Larson for the lead with six rebounds to go for his first win of 2017.

All eyes will be on Georgia native Chase Elliott this weekend gets he seems to catch his first Cup Series win at his hometown track. Back in the No. 9 car, a number made famous by his Hall of Fame father Bill, Chase does have a fair shot to win according to last year’s figures.

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Elliott recorded two second-place endings, seven top fives, and nine top-10s at 1.5-mile tracks in 2017. The Dawsonville, Ga., native also averaged the third-best average finish of Cup drivers (9.82) on 1.5-mile tracks this past year.

Before Keselowski’s win last year, Elliott’s teammate Jimmie Johnson was successful in two Atlanta races that are straight. Johnson, who owns a Cup Series record 28 wins 1.5-mile tracks in his profession, has five wins, 14 top fives together with a series-best motorist evaluation of 105.4 at Atlanta.

While Johnson has become the older king of 1.5-mile monitors, our choice to win Sunday is reigning champion Martin Truex Jr., that has been nearly unbeatable at intermediate ovals.

Truex won seven of those 11 1.5-mile speedway races last year with nine top fives for an average finish of 2.5. He is still looking for his first win at Atlanta but we expect him to get the job done Sunday (if the rain stays off) despite starting out from the rear of the field.

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