NASCAR’s first race weekend of 2026 at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway proved that the hybrid intermediate drafting track might be NASCAR’s best. But, if you missed all that action, here’s a look at what the NASCAR community took away from the track’s first showing of the new year.
By now, it seems like everybody in the NASCAR world has heard some form of speculation that if Kyle Busch left Richard Childress Racing, he could be a candidate to go to Spire Motorsports.
While Rowdy hasn’t set any plans for 2027, this past weekend felt like an audition to fit into the fold with the team, racing alongside Spire’s top Cup Series talent, Carson Hocevar, in their two Truck Series entries at Atlanta.
Saturday, Busch added another win to his incredible Truck Series resume. Still, the real story was his teamwork with Hocevar, as the two brought home a one-two finish and celebrated like lifelong friends.
Corey Day is just two races into his first full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season with Hendrick Motorsports, but the dirt racing phenom is making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
When all was said and done, the 20-year-old scored his second-ever top five in the series Saturday. However, this wasn’t without controversy as Day found himself wrapped up in several incidents, including one that affected JR Motorsports drivers Carson Kvapil and Justin Allgaier.
While Day has run up front at both Daytona and Atlanta, fans are wondering if the young driver’s dirt racing prowess will ever fully lead to success in NASCAR, or if these run-ins are merely a part of the learning process.
Even when Kyle Larson seems to have one of the best cars on track at Atlanta, he seems to find himself down and out more often than not.
This time, the crash that took out the No. 5 at Atlanta was of his own making, as the reigning Cup Series champion, who was racing Shane van Gisbergen for stage points, ran into the No. 97, spun, and hit the inside wall hard.
This DNF, while his first at Atlanta since 2024, was Larson’s sixth in total since the track’s 2022 reconfiguration, and one that will likely be replayed over and over when the series returns this summer.
Carson Hocevar again had a stellar run at Atlanta, and looked like the car to beat as the race entered the first of two overtime attempts.
Ultimately, Hocevar would run into Christopher Bell on the first attempt and, despite a run for the win, finish fourth on the second attempt, adding yet another what-if to his 2026 season with only two races in the books.
Hocevar is going to win a race, but it seems that even when he is at the front of the pack, luck is not on his side. The Michigan native’s search for his first win will continue into COTA, all while his list of enemies continues to grow.
Everybody loves a feel-good story, right? Well, after 138 races and 15 second-place finishes, Sheldon Creed finally found victory lane in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
He may not have had the best car, but Ross Chastain’s aggression running Austin Hill nearly off the track left the door open for the former RCR driver and teammate of Hill to score his first win.
The post from EllyProductions, a reference to his video about Creed’s second-place streak, may not be a meme, but it is funny enough to look back on one of the unluckiest streaks in recent NASCAR history.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Just like that, the first two weeks of the NASCAR season are in the books. After kicking the season off at Daytona, the sport headed up north to EchoPark Speedway for back-to-back superspeedway action. The Cup series saw a familiar face in victory lane, as Tyler Reddick went 2-for-2 to start the year.
In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Sheldon Creed finally got the monkey off his back, thanks to help from Ross Chastain, and won his first career O’Reilly Auto Parts race. In Trucks, Kyle Busch continued his EchoPark dominance, taking home the checkered flag in familiar Hendrick colors, well, familiar two decades ago.
Now, how was the racing as a whole? Where do the races stack up against each other? Let’s take a look at my Race Weekend Rankings and see where the EchoPark weekend ranks among the rest of the 2026 season!
Check out the latest episode of The Cutline, where Armany broke down the weekend at Atlanta, alongside NASCAR_Opinion.
You can follow along with Armany by creating your own Race Weekend Rankings Tier List. Make sure to tag Armany and The Daily Downforce on X, and we’ll share your list with the rest of the NASCAR Community.
NASCAR’s first race weekend of 2026 at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway proved that the hybrid intermediate drafting track might be NASCAR’s best. But, if you missed all that action, here’s a look at what the NASCAR community took away from the track’s first showing of the new year.
By now, it seems like everybody in the NASCAR world has heard some form of speculation that if Kyle Busch left Richard Childress Racing, he could be a candidate to go to Spire Motorsports.
While Rowdy hasn’t set any plans for 2027, this past weekend felt like an audition to fit into the fold with the team, racing alongside Spire’s top Cup Series talent, Carson Hocevar, in their two Truck Series entries at Atlanta.
Saturday, Busch added another win to his incredible Truck Series resume. Still, the real story was his teamwork with Hocevar, as the two brought home a one-two finish and celebrated like lifelong friends.
Corey Day is just two races into his first full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season with Hendrick Motorsports, but the dirt racing phenom is making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
When all was said and done, the 20-year-old scored his second-ever top five in the series Saturday. However, this wasn’t without controversy as Day found himself wrapped up in several incidents, including one that affected JR Motorsports drivers Carson Kvapil and Justin Allgaier.
While Day has run up front at both Daytona and Atlanta, fans are wondering if the young driver’s dirt racing prowess will ever fully lead to success in NASCAR, or if these run-ins are merely a part of the learning process.
Even when Kyle Larson seems to have one of the best cars on track at Atlanta, he seems to find himself down and out more often than not.
This time, the crash that took out the No. 5 at Atlanta was of his own making, as the reigning Cup Series champion, who was racing Shane van Gisbergen for stage points, ran into the No. 97, spun, and hit the inside wall hard.
This DNF, while his first at Atlanta since 2024, was Larson’s sixth in total since the track’s 2022 reconfiguration, and one that will likely be replayed over and over when the series returns this summer.
Carson Hocevar again had a stellar run at Atlanta, and looked like the car to beat as the race entered the first of two overtime attempts.
Ultimately, Hocevar would run into Christopher Bell on the first attempt and, despite a run for the win, finish fourth on the second attempt, adding yet another what-if to his 2026 season with only two races in the books.
Hocevar is going to win a race, but it seems that even when he is at the front of the pack, luck is not on his side. The Michigan native’s search for his first win will continue into COTA, all while his list of enemies continues to grow.
Everybody loves a feel-good story, right? Well, after 138 races and 15 second-place finishes, Sheldon Creed finally found victory lane in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
He may not have had the best car, but Ross Chastain’s aggression running Austin Hill nearly off the track left the door open for the former RCR driver and teammate of Hill to score his first win.
The post from EllyProductions, a reference to his video about Creed’s second-place streak, may not be a meme, but it is funny enough to look back on one of the unluckiest streaks in recent NASCAR history.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Keelan Harvick, son of former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, has signed a long-term developmental contract with Toyota.
Though signing with Toyota is far from his first move in building to an eventual NASCAR career, Harvick’s signing marks a significant moment in the 13-year-old prospect’s path to NASCAR, lending some direction to NASCAR fans’ many questions as to how he will make his way to the top of the sport.
For right now, however, the young driver will stick to late model racing, with Jenna Fryer of AP Sports reporting Harvick plans to continue to pilot his No. 62, now a Toyota, for Rackley WAR Racing and Kevin Harvick, Inc. throughout the 2026 season.
Despite his age, Harvick is considered one of a few young phenoms in stock car racing, having shown talent among seasoned veterans, including his father, NASCAR legend and FOX Sports Analyst Kevin, throughout last season racing Late Models and Super Late Models in top series like the CARS Tour and CARS Tour West.
During the 2025 season, Harvick nabbed four total wins in the CARS Tour Pro Late Model Tour, finishing fourth in points despite missing two events.
Though long-term plans are far from clear, Toyota has one of the most consistent paths for drivers to work their way from short tracks and into NASCAR’s three National Series.
Of course, there is no guarantee he will race for Toyota when/if he reaches the Cup Series, as many TRD Prospects have jumped ship when given an opportunity to move up the ladder.
However, if Harvick comes as advertised, it would be hard for the manufacturer to let him out of their ranks.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
