Festivities start Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. with the NASCAR Cup Series Hauler Parade
HAMPTON, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – NASCAR makes a historic return to Atlanta this weekend, hosting two nights of racing under the lights at the newly rebranded EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The weekend marks the first event held at the 66-year-old super speedway since entering a multi-year partnership with EchoPark Automotive. The track unveiled a fresh look that included updated signage, and a bold new paint job, that highlights the ongoing evolution of the venue.
Racing begins Friday night following qualifying rounds, with the Xfinity Series taking center stage in the Focused Health 250 at 7:30 p.m. — an event that features free admission for all children.
Saturday brings a milestone moment for NASCAR, as the Quaker State 400 — available at Walmart — becomes the first-ever in-season tournament race in Cup Series history, marking another first under the new EchoPark Speedway branding.
EchoPark Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Brandon Hutchison shared his enthusiasm ahead of the big weekend.
“We’re just excited about all of the news going around the speedway change,” Hutchison said. “We’re excited about the in-season tournament. We’re excited about our new broadcast partner, and we’re excited about the fact that more fans are going to be at EchoPark Speedway this weekend than have been here in quite some time.”
“Fans will quickly see that the entire place has changed. We’ve got an incredibly cool paint job. We’ve got all new signage. We’ve worked real hard to make sure that the place looks as beautiful as it always does, but it’s going to come with a facelift.”
Hutchison also noted the impact of increased track banking introduced in 2022, calling it a key reason for some of the most exciting racing in NASCAR today.
“When cars aren’t on track, we’ll make sure that we have something going on throughout the entire weekend for the fans who choose to join us,” he added. “It’s important to us to make sure that fans who do choose to come here get as much bang for their buck as they get anywhere.”
Looking ahead to the in-season tournament, Hutchison explained what fans could expect.
“Through Michigan, Mexico City, and Pocono this past weekend, they have seated 32 drivers, so there will be 16 different brackets when they leave here. Sixteen drivers will move on. Sixteen drivers will be done,” he said. “So fans will have some exciting story lines to watch. It’s got a million bucks on the line, so drivers will do just about anything for that kind of money.”
Hutchison emphasized the importance of fan feedback, citing the “Voice of the Fan” survey conducted before every race, is one reason behind the decision to race at night during the summer.
He also encouraged fans to visit bracketchallenge.nascar.com to vote for who they think will win the tournament.