2021 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500: NASCAR CUP Preview, Odds, Picks, Longshots
NASCAR Cup Series heading back east to do battle at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. 334 laps will make up the 500-mile advertised distance on Sunday, with tires being the name of the game for Sunday’s race. Atlanta hasn’t been repaved since 1997 so the surface is rough and abrasive, wearing tires out very quickly. Atlanta is a very wide track and multiple groves will be chosen through the course of Sunday’s Cup Series event making for great racing action.
Here are a few drivers to consider for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
Kevin Harvick +550- Harvick will fire off from the 7th position to take the green flag in Sunday’s Folds of Honor 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Harvick has been the best driver at Atlanta over the past 3 races, winning 2 of the 3 races and leading a total of 377 laps. The average driver rating for Harvick over the last 3 races at Atlanta is 135.1 and to see a driver rating above 130 at any track is rare. Kevin has the knack for getting around Atlanta fast as tires wear quickly and manages the tires and the race very well. Kevin has a great chance to once again be victorious at Atlanta on Sunday afternoon, consider him big time.
Kyle Larson +650- Kyle rolls off from the 6th position at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, and Atlanta fits right into Larson’s skill set. In 6 starts at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Larson has 3 top 10 finishes including a 2nd place finish coming in 2017. Over the last 3 races, Larson has 3 top 10 finishes including the 4th at Homestead which compares to Atlanta closely and the victory at Las Vegas. With the upgrade in equipment with Hendrick now, expect Larson to be on top of the leaderboard on Sunday afternoon.
Martin Truex Jr. +650- Truex will begin from the 2nd position on Sunday in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 for the NASCAR Cup Series. Truex fresh off a win at Phoenix Raceway 1 Sunday ago and over the last 3 races has a 6th and 3rd to go along with the win. Over the last 3 races at Atlanta, Truex has an average driver rating of 120.2 that is 2nd best as well as a 3.33 average finish. Each race on the Cup Series Circuit in 2021 has had a different winner, but Truex could be the first of the 2021 season to pick up a 2nd victory on the season.
Denny Hamlin +800- Denny will take the green flag from the pole position at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Hamlin has an average finish of 6.67 over the 3 races at Atlanta which includes 2 top 5 finishes. Denny has 1 victory at Atlanta that came in 2012 with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series. Hard to believe that Denny and crew haven’t visited victory lane in 2021, but Sunday Denny has a chance to run with the likes of Kevin Harvick and Truex and possibly challenge for the win.
Kurt Busch +2200- Kurt will start in the 11th position on Sunday at Atlanta on Sunday afternoon and is my long shot to win Sunday’s QuikTrip 500. Kurt has the 5th best average finish of 5.67 at Atlanta over the last 3 Cup Series races, including 1 top 5 finish and 2 top 10 finishes. Busch finished 8th at Homestead 3 weeks ago but hasn’t been able to do well with a 19th at Las Vegas and a 15th at Phoenix last weekend. Sunday is a chance for Kurt and crew to get right and is worth a sprinkle of action on Sunday.
AUTHOR: Jeff Jeter
