Why Tony Stewart Considers Atlanta as One of the Toughest NASCAR Tracks in 2024

Every race in NASCAR’s schedule is physically demanding and mentally challenging. The Atlanta Motor Speedway used to be one of the few racetracks where the drivers have always loved to race. But that was until 2021 when Speedway Motorsports Inc. and NASCAR decided to reconfigure the 1.54-mile track by reducing its width and increasing its banking by 4 degrees. Now, the drivers feel like even AMS is as mentally draining as Daytona and Talladega. Three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart agrees.

The Stewart-Haas Racing owner came to Hampton, Georgia, to have a chat with the driver of his #14 Mustang, Chase Briscoe, moments before the race. Even though the latter started the race inside the top 10, he opened up to his boss why racing at Atlanta is as hard as racing at plate tracks like Daytona or Talladega. Stewart couldn’t have agreed more.

“Was listening to him in an appearance we had talking about how mentally draining racing at Atlanta is now because he said basically taking Daytona and Talladega and you take a mile out of the track,” explained Smoke, as he sided with his driver. “So the areas where you get to rest a little bit are not existent anymore. Not physically demanding but mentally demanding.”

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Considering the tightness and high-speed action that’s expected of the race, Stewart didn’t seem too confident about anything about race day, other than the weather. According to Stewart, the races where the #14 team would be able to unleash their full potential are at Las Vegas next week and at Phoenix.

Chase Briscoe talks about how Atlanta Motor Speedway has evolved

What do the fans want the most out from a NASCAR race? The answer to that would be a high-speed race, jam-packed with action. On that note, Atlanta wasn’t a blip on the radar for the fandom. But now, it is. Due to the reduction in its width, the racing has gotten close to what the motorsport aficionados would call pack racing. Needless to say, the fans love it.

But do the drivers love it? Safe to say, not so much. During the Ambetter Health 400 pre-race press conference, Briscoe said, “Whenever it was the old track I think all of the drivers loved it. The fans probably not so much, but I think now it’s kind of the opposite.”

Revealing the mindset of the drivers, he said, “The drivers probably don’t love coming here as much just because of what the race is and knowing that when you wake up tomorrow you’re either gonna have a good day or you’re gonna be really sore on Monday.”

All things considered, the Atlanta Motor Speedway can be twice as challenging as Daytona or Talladega because it is high-banked just like the plate track duo but a mile shorter. Hence, everything that happens on the “hybrid” racetrack is twice as fast.