Rate The Cup Race: Atlanta

8.0. The package kept them close and allowed for exciting restarts. So far this season though, it’s been a bit weird because 2 nobodies have won the first 2 races.
 
7.5 as it was better racing than I expected. People could pass, there was no “dreaded” draft-slingshot effect that so many were concerned about. No pack racing. Cars did stay a bit closer and competed. It requires more races to make a firm conclusion but the first test was a good one.
 
8. Great racing throughout the pack, several cars contending for the lead and the win. Plenty of cars occupied that first spot at one point or another during the race. Made things interesting.
 
6.75 Atlanta is a great venue for a cup race, with its three viable grooves and a worn out low-grip surface that eats tires. Sunday's 500 miler had all the attributes you mention. What it didn't have was that compelling pucker factor of watching top drivers giving all they had to keep it on the razor's edge for 500 miles. This is what has been so compelling to me about cup racing the last several years (the low downforce / high horsepower years).
 
8 it seemed to me there was no dominant driver and even some of the newcomers were racing up front. Maybe this new package has leveled the playing field a little. Time will tell.
 
10. Great race.
 
8.0. The package kept them close and allowed for exciting restarts. So far this season though, it’s been a bit weird because 2 nobodies have won the first 2 races.

Um, what? Nobodies? Keselowski was the 2012 Cup champion and has 28 cup wins. Hamlin has 32 Cup wins, and has been a top 10 points finisher in 10 of his 15 years
 
8.5 I sure liked not knowing which three was going to winner half way thru the race, and 4 wide at Atlanta? 4 wide?
 
Back
Top Bottom