“Seems Like the Fans Like It”: William Byron on NASCAR Atlanta Track’s Divisive Issue

Since the 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway was reconfigured to have higher banks and a lower width in 2021, it has been a mixed pot of emotions for drivers. The racing surface is now similar to that of superspeedways but also holds several characteristics that make it an intermediate. Heading to the 2024 Ambetter Health 400, William Byron believes that all’s well if the fans are happy with the experience they get to see.

The #24 Hendrick Motorsports star was questioned about his own success at the track and the varying opinions surrounding it during his media availability in Atlanta. He responded, “It seems like everyone’s really figured out the draft here. So it’s unique for sure. I wouldn’t want to do it every week but I do enjoy the challenge of it. I think it’s a super exciting show for the fans.”

He continued citing the record attendance numbers that the track was bringing in since the changes and added, “You know it seems like the fans like it, and like I said, I don’t want to do it every week. But I enjoy the aspect of drafting and lifting a little bit and all the different things that come with it.”

Byron has won two of the last four races at the venue and stands tall as one of the only four drivers who’ve finished in the top five more than once there since the reconfiguration. His chances of victory on Sunday stand at an odds of 12-1, as per DraftKings Sportsbook.

What do other Cup Series drivers say about the Atlanta track?

Joey Logano, one of the favorites to win the race on Sunday, uses the word “confused” to describe the track. He said, “It doesn’t know if it wants to be a superspeedway or a mile-and-a-half. It seems like you’re wide open around it most of the time. If you’re leading, for sure, but there are other times where you’re hanging on and you’re in the back and you’re lifting and all that stuff.”

Logano won last year’s Ambetter Health 400 and has qualified in 2nd place for Sunday’s race. He will stand alongside Michael McDowell on row 1 when the green flag is waved.

Ross Chastain, a two-time runner-up on the track, had plenty of positive words for its uniqueness. He quipped, “The corners are so much tighter than Daytona (and) Talladega, but we’re drafting, and as it changes, it’s going to be one-of-one with the steep banking and still a double-white-line rule.” Chastain thought that racing at the track was “pretty exciting”.