Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series- Full Race -Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

When I see them all regularly, they don't really talk to me. We have children so we can relate to you a little better. Are you okay Ricky, Danny, ready to go? I love it. Ready to go. America. Kevin Millar, all those baseball guys, you'll be right there. Hey, are the brands good for you? Do good. What's happening? Nothing much. Are you looking forward to today? Yes. I have to win here first. Is the car capable of doing that again here this afternoon? Hope

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y we made the right adjustments to be able to do it, yeah. Okay. That was a very candid and direct interview from Denny Hamlin and, Chris, the atmosphere down here is very, very electric.

Thanks, Miguel. Way to get on with things. Like with Ryan Newman with the joke of the day. There's nothing to laugh about right there. We were on a roll, Darrell, and then we went back one. Hey, we just saw Denny Hamlin. Is he perhaps one of the best drivers currently out there without a championship between them? I think that's a fair statement. I mean. He's been close. Look how well he ran late last year. I think this could be the year that Denny Hamlin and that 11 team get back into championship contention. Kyle Larson after Daytona. You know, last year in Atlanta he started putting together four straight top-two finishes, including a win in California, and he's a guy, you know, coming into the year people thought he was going to compete for a championship.

What I hope so much from today is that Harvick is at the end of the yellow line. He not this guy. He is up. He may be near the end today, but he is a guy who has a skill set in the car that can definitely compete for many wins this year. I thought it was interesting that he mentioned last year the mistake I made last year because he rode on the high line the entire

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. At the end of the

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he decided to go to the bottom and Keselowski went around him at the top.

I know those things with him, I haven't forgotten it. Darrell, you talked about that earlier in the week. Jimmie Johnson, seven-time champion, 24 races and Michael spoke to him just now, winless and tying the worst streak in history, tells you how great and consistent he's been. He has won two of the last three Atlanta races. Many of you give me your opinion on him...he's off to a slow start. Well, and - and, you know, you could go back to last year. It just wasn't the typical Jimmie Johnson control and performance even though they won some races and the last lap, that's what I look at and they were way down.

I've seen Jimmy in the off-season because I spent some time with Jimmie, this rejuvenation and focus. He is very focused, but they need to have the cars and the team to back him up. He has the ability to do it. Now Chad Knaus has the ability to do it and they need this in the Kendrick Motor Short to be able to compete against Harvick, the 78 and the guys who are balancing the championship. I just think he's in a depression. Every great athlete, every great team, suffers a bad streak from time to time. Daytona didn't help. He went to daytona.

He and Chat did it. Great cars. They have a new car. This will be our year to turn things around and it was disastrous. Three cars and three races, so they're a little down, but, you know, I'll tell you this. You know it like I do. When they come out of bad streaks, they usually win a lot of races. This is not the momentum you want to start the season with or continue into the second race, but to me what Jimmie Johnson and this team are looking for is performance. If they get caught up in other accidents or drop another tire, they can recover from that.

What you can't recover from is when you don't have a car and you feel like you have a competitive enough effort to go out and lead laps and run ahead consistently to win races. Yes. I just think trust is huge. I don't care how you are, how many championships you've won, and I think right now his confidence is shaken. I still think... I still think he'll get an eighth championship before he walks away. I wouldn't be surprised. It just shows that he is human. Did other people catch up to them a little more other than them returning to the group or do you just think they haven't adapted with the Camaro in other competitions?

There are teams that have seen them as the objective and went after them and raised their game. It seems like Hendrick fell behind a little bit over the last year and there's a restructuring going on, there's the new car and a lot of things that I think are exciting to get them back to where they once were. I don't mean this in a bad way, but the older you get, the harder it gets. Don't ask me how I know. He knows it and I know that the older you get, it seems like the victories are further and further apart. he is 42 years old.

That's not old. When you start looking at race wins and championship wins, those kinds of things, when you're 42, 45 years old, they become more and more difficult and difficult to achieve. The age they are and the conference has come down and then you start to see what my motivation is to put all the effort into it because you're striving to get the results. If you don't get results, motivation starts to disappear. I don't think they've arrived yet. And I don't want him to call me. I love you man. One of the biggest drivers of all time and facts are facts and that's what we're looking for.

Look at what he is with 83 career wins from him and look at that list. It's great to have them both here with us on the Fox broadcast to call the races and on our pre-race show. Our most recent- he only won 93. Oh, stick with that. You were assuming the Atlanta win and how about Martin Truex Jr. and the inspection process? You fail once, you fail three times, according to the new system here, so they bring you back to the back of the field, crew chief... Car leader suspended for this race. I don't know how much impact it had, but Truex hasn't won from this far back in the field even though he dominated at the mile and a half this year.

That's not typically what we see from the 78 team. Ranking at the top and getting stage points and playoff points. That's what they did so well last year, and it all started on qualifying day because they were ahead almost every weekend. Good pit stalls, fast racing cars. You know, I think they're going to recover from this. They are going to go to the front and I don't know if they have what we saw last year in terms of competitiveness. This is a big hole to dig out of. Stage races make a big difference and starting further back.

It's harder to get there and score stage points, something we had this year and they are the complete opposite of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus. Are you worried about starting today in 45th place? Open the notebook and see what we did in the mile and a half last year, and that will work out pretty well for us today. We won the place we go to next week. He was the only driver who ran during the cycling stage, that is, when all the stages end the race and he did it twice. I lived in Atlanta and saw the track performances.

Sorry about the start of the race and Clint Bowyer will come and interrupt us. Thank you for staying with us. NASCAR on Fox Live from Atlanta. Don't forget West Coast spring the next three Sundays as we head to Las Vegas. The auto club circuit. This is the Atlanta circuit. The rain has stopped since before. The track dried and the drivers showed up and we're supposed to do it: we have a target date of 330, 40, 45 minutes to start this race and we have to go through two stages to make it official if it rains more. the forecast. What are you doing here?

I have a little bit. The track seems dry. It's going to happen. I want you to say the name of your team leader. Mike. Sglul is the owner. Like I said boogie. Who is he? They didn't call him Blick. How do you say that in the heat of the moment? You don't. There could be problems. By the way, it was very nice of you to walk in and Darrell to immediately interrupt you. He shot him back. We're in Bowyer. We're in Bowyer. I'm desperate now. Thanks for coming. We have a few minutes left. You always have a good attitude, right?

Getting old here. Oh, I just wanted to warm you up a little bit. Okay. I think one of the reasons is we looked at yesterday's lap times and talked about how good Kevin Harvick is here and matched him lap for lap. We classified well. First time in a long time and ranking in the top ten and pre-season is good. Everything is going as we expected in what we call the regular season and on this track in particular. You have to have good downforce and good mechanical grip. I can do it. Definitely do the dirt frac. Up on the boards and down on the line.

You know Kevin will be right under that yellow line like he was yesterday. He has perfected it. It's going to be the car to beat. We are capable of doing that. And I'm looking forward to today. Did you hear me? Do you want to participate in this race. I heard. We have an appointment with the hairdresser and you have an appearance here. And I understood it. I want to ask about television, wow Fox Sports, that's good. I want to ask you a serious question. Your attention span is you and I am. Maybe I'll never get around to it.

Drivers. What the fit looks like. Do you think that puts more pressure on the driver to hurry up and get to the pits and hurry up and you saw Kyle Busch make a mistake yesterday and a lot of what he had was trying to make it up to the pit crew? As we saw last year, you have to be careful not to hire and get to his pit stall. Many penalties for speeding. Last year. I think everyone has adapted to that a little bit, but getting into the Boxx box and making sure you're on point and having one less guy really gets everyone there and they're not.

I know there are signs. I've watched certain kids do certain things and that's changed a little bit. You know, get into your box. You move around there and when the guys approach from the right side. You do. You start it up again. He'll put your heels on the brake and you'll put it on the clutch and you'll be ready to launch. That moment from the moment you do that to the moment the jack comes down is much longer, we're talking about whatever you have. Right now. Feel those guys coming down now. Continue. It's hard for us not to pack our bags until 2016.

Very tough year for you. And then last year, I think all of us, including yourself. Looked, it's okay. It will go to Stewart Hass. And are you all hoping that this will be the year for you? This is the year. It has to happen this year or, you know, who knows what the future will bring and, as a driver, I'm not stupid about this, it has been for a long time, but this is the opportunity. You know, last year there were a lot of unknowns. We know what we have now. Know our strengths and weaknesses. We have to focus on the weaknesses and shine on the strengths, and I think we can do that thanks to the laptop we've built and the first year in a long time where I finally know everything.

You know what I mean. I know the team leader and what I'm going to have. I complain, it's crazy. You really think about almost four years since I started the season with the same group of guys. I never said a word about it. I didn't have to build another notebook. He had more than six playoff appearances in his career. And five years ago with rcr and now with this: let's maybe talk about Ford in general and not just Stewart-Haas and whether it's Penske Roush. It feels like family. It's an army of one and everyone works together, whether it was last week at Daytona or not, and within our walls of Stewart-Haas it is necessary to bring Eric and the four of us are firing on all eight cylinders just as we saw in qualifying and that.

Group effort is where success will come from. One car and I got all four cars. When Tony Stewart enters. he is very encouraging. So if he comes, Clint Bowyer and says you need to do this or that? Tony is the driver's boss, you know. He always assumes that role and it is necessary to have him as a boss. Richard Childress, even when he was an owner, always took that approach and took the driver's side and came out to bat for you and Tony is no exception. It is necessary to have an owner who is a driver.

I saw Erik's interview, you know? You wouldn't think Tony would be the guy to stand up and say that, but he really is, and he used his past experiments to your advantage. Tony has done a lot of things for a lot of people you don't know who were in charge of the scenes. Very kind and sincere, I saw him with cash and talked about Keilan, who we see a lot. Many drivers with families deliver small children here. We see. They are fine on race day. What do you do, Clint, in the time between? You wish you had another 40 feet.

And a wife who's been putting up with it for two days. The bus is not busy at this time. Do you need some extra space? Do you mind if I borrow yours. You can come see his grandfather, if you want. North to have morale. It's so much fun having your family. She said, hey, if there's a big chance of rain, should we go home? Hell no, man. We're all family and we do this as a family, just like it was when I was a kid racing motorcycles. I have always been in oneRV chasing this dream of racing.

Live dirt track background. Do you do any dirt track racing? Something's come up? Speed ​​week, I was with guys for three weeks. East Bay and Ocala, we were running everywhere. Watching the guys Dirt Lake Model Teams and have a lot of fun doing it. It's fun to go back to your roots and what you grew up doing. Not behind the wheel. Those guys. One of them was a big, very short guy. I can't fit very well in his seat. And just give it time. Make that happen. No, I don't. To answer your question. I enjoy being a part of it, but just being around and helping with the cars is enough for me.

He came in a different age range than Kevin, who is 42, and some of the drivers who drowned and the wave like 20-year-olds and like Logano, who is in his 20s, and Austin Dillon, who has had success. Do you treat a guy differently when he's on the court based on his experience? I think it depends on what track you were on. Last week at Daytona, seeing the guy up there in three cushion. I had a little early. Trading and getting into the corner and they're destroying, they're destroying, they're destroying. I saw it coming. The only problem is when I was there in 2016.

Map, what's the problem. My car hates me. Don't be good today. Freedom good today. Thanks for coming. Have fun. I think it will be good. Stewart-haas. It's going to be a fun day and there's Daniel Suarez, we're talking about younger drivers, pressure here in Atlanta and we're going to race for 30 minutes if we hope the weather cooperates. We welcome you back live here in Atlanta. NASCAR on Fox. Twitter on social media, Facebook, Snapchat and while we wait out the rain here in Georgia, Kristine and Bubba Wallace. The crowd expected the race to be scheduled for 500 miles.

We should have the following indication with 15 drivers and thanks to the dryers who came forward during the delay. Daniel Suarez, welcome and thank you for coming. Thanks guys. Better late than never, right? We save the best for last. Correct. Right there. Just a few moments so we don't have as much room for you guys to talk about the transition and have to wait a little bit before we get our hopes up for the car. I talked a lot about last year and how last year it was all rushed and everything happened so fast and this year and everything more relaxed and getting to know my guys and knowing what to expect and as you know, it's a lot different than Atlanta, so, the way we worked at Ditna for everything was different than Atlanta and a lot of teams.

Atlanta is the first real start of the season at a mile and a half, and we are excited by the performance so far. I really feel like we have a fast car and I hope we can keep it in front. It seemed to me like watching you over the last few years, the first half of the xfiniti

series

looked like you went to school and learned a lot and the second half and year you took advantage of that. It seems to me that you now used that same philosophy in the club

series

, and you have learned a lot.

Is it time to capitalize? You know, I work very hard to try to be a good student, you know, and I feel like with all the technology we have now, if you're not a good student it's because you don't want to. . We have a lot of tools and a lot of information and data to learn from guys who have been doing this for 15, 20 years, so if you don't want to learn, it's because you don't want to. , because all the information is there, so I feel like so far it's been good, you know, practice was smooth and a little different than before and now we only have two practices instead of three.

The race track right now has been very different, so we'll see what we have. Daniel, a lot of the Cup drivers have dirt experience or maybe grew up on short, slippery late model race tracks, but you didn't have any of that experience, so, yeah, I'm surprised. you might have really liked D.W. Said as quickly as you did. This particular track. Talking about 180, 110 miles an hour sliding. How has that transition happened and how has it gone so well? It's so funny you say that because when I moved to the US the first time six years ago, and people, I was watching people run on dirt, and in Mexico we don't have that.

I mean, that's not an option, and I didn't actually know that people race on dirt, so it was an adventure for me to watch and learn from that, and until now, I've never been to a dirt race in my life. car and I will do things in the future and I hope that one day I can get into one. You told me about returning to earth. I could do it with you. You are from Mexico, you are the first national champion of the series born abroad. Do you feel more responsibility moving forward in the cup series?

That year was a huge year for me and for many people who follow my career in Mexico and, you know, I have learned not only in Mexico but in Argentina, Colombia, all these places in Latin America that we have. a lot of fans, a lot of fans that follow our sport and for me it's a great

honor

to be that driver that can, you know, present them in a good way, so it's been an incredible journey and I've been having a So far, I know since the beginning and I hope we can continue like this. Today is a big day for me and actually for my team too because our home track is here in Atlanta.

The headquarters, a lot of people, the khoe, everyone is here and I hope we can do it. Our guys at the booth. They collect your thoughts, picks and predictions because they are experts and they list who they think are going to win and you are a driver on their list when they put all the information together and they think who might win and they put it on the computer and you are there on the results list . Not bad, not bad. You hope to move up Bernie's list. We have to work a little, we will be there.

I know you guys will be in the car in a few moments and hope

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y you'll get out and run 500+ miles. Sounds good to me. Thank you. Thank you. Daniel Suárez with us at the Joe Gibbs Toyota and I assume you have... you want to talk a little more. They can't pack it up fast enough. Fans are eager to go running. I can't believe we survived the race so far. It's happening there. Air coverage provided by Goodyear, those who live up to its name and become one. Goodyear, more motivated. Michael Waltrip and Chris Myers at the Hollywood Hotel Road.

It's a lot of fun to talk to the drivers and the young people. You're right. Everyone has their favorites. It's very fun to talk to them. A young man says Kyle Busch wins everything and of course the fan gives me a lot of boogity, boogity, boogity. We have a race that we hope will be 500 miles. And over 200 miles per hour, and what a thrill it is. Such a family sport. I got this through the mini gridiron backstage and watching his little boy drivers and celebrating being a part of this sport. And talking to the pit crew, there's Martin Truex Jr., who was at the mile and a half last year when he won seven different times.

He won eight different races and won the championship and dominated the stage races and the mile and a half and that's what most of the races take place and most of the ones that are in the playoffs that lead you to the championship. You know what was really interesting. I met with Martin Truex before practice started. They said, Martin. They have a new Chevrolet Camaro. New rules on the way to inspect the car. How is all this going to affect the ration? And he said, you know what, Mike? I don't mind. I don't care at all.

When we get to the track, we'll find everyone we have and that's a relaxed and aggressive champion who knows that Cole and his team will put a car that he can win with. It's fun to watch him fight from behind. Chase Elliott from nearby Dawsonville and Bill Elliott, who set the standard at their home track and are 10-1 if we check the odds. Remember. It was a 40 to 1 election that Austin Dillon won. Over 500 miles if we go into overtime and, understandably, Harvick, even though he's 1-1. He has dominated and Kyle Busch is his polesitter. Truex has to start because inspection issues the back of the package.

The value: he just had it here. Clint Bowyer is not on the page and that means his eyes are even bigger than that. He's a guy that if you want to take a long shot and stop at someone who hasn't been in victory lane in a long time. Think Bowyer and think Erik Almirola. You heard Harvick talk about how much he liked his car and maybe Almirola can absorb some of that. Austin Dillon seems to have been celebrating all week and talking about the haters ahead of his third car. It was a magical moment in Daytona.

You were one of the few, Michael, who was watching the race with you at the Hollywood hotel at the Daytona 500. When he avoided trouble, he endured. I had to lead just one lap, and he's a great plate racer and I always keep an eye on Austin because I always know he uses the draft to get where he's going and the fact that that car was really strong. I knew he had a fast car and knew how to use it and that last lap was magical. He comes out of turn two with a force that knows he'll do something when he gets to the end of the straight and Aric did everything he could, but Alex wasn't going to deny him.

Bringing back 3, 43 with Bubba Wallace and 83, the transition from Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Bowman, so that's what fans do to join these. So many great stories and it's really great for William Byron to be here at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was a big fight at Daytona for him and a couple, three spins and now he's in a place where he can take control of the car and finish in the top ten. Ryan Blaney led the most laps in the Daytona 500 and was caught in a crash. One of the eight drivers stopped at the Hollywood hotel, Mike. I know you were also talking to team members and fans and we really appreciated during the rain delay and waiting for this to be over, as did the track, NASCAR officials and drivers and a bunch of Ford penske guys who would like to talk and there's a guy He oozes personality and that second place was historic and he's a fun guy to talk to and the emotions range from happy to sad.

Very grateful and grateful for this opportunity. NASCAR car-side rationing experience. It's a fun thing to do. Go drive the car that bubba drives. He has the right attitude and a great team behind him and I can't wait for him to develop. There's a gee looking for his first victory. Chase Elliott. Seven places in sections in his career and this could be one of the days in which he has had 36 drivers entered in this race. The 59th annual

honor

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. Thanks for joining us here at Fox and let's hit the track. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, please stand up and take off your hats as the Georgia Army National Guard presents our nation's colors.

Please remain the author of two best-sellers called "The Seven Things We Do to Ruin Our Lives and Stones of Gratitude, Foundation for Senior Living" and the senior pastor, do beau Adams, offers today's invocation. Pray with me, please. Heavenly Father, we come today thanking you and praising you for who you are and what you have done for us. Father, we thank you for your son Jesus Christ who gave his life so that we may live. Father, if there is anyone here today who does not know your son, my prayer is that they call him right now asking in their hearts for forgiveness of his sins so that they can know for sure that they will go to heaven when they die.

Father, today we give you special thanks for those men and women of our armed forces who sacrifice and serve so much to defend the freedoms we love, the freedom to gather, to worship you, to praise you without fear of persecution. , the freedom to join friends and family on a race like today and celebrate. Father, today we also want to say a special prayer for the family of Officer Chase Maddox, who recently lost his life in the line of duty. Father, we ask that you comfort his family, that you give them the peace that passes all understanding, your peace.

Father, help us today to honor his memory here in this race. And finally, father. We ask that you call this nation back to you, that we turn our faces to you once more and humbly come before you and seek your face. And, father, as a result you will heal this land and bless this nation once again. Father, give us a wonderful day in this race and keep us all safe. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Here today, to honor America with his performance of our national anthem, let us once again welcome Ernie Hass and the signature sounds of him.

Oh, can you see in the early light of dawn what we so proudly hailed in the last glow of twilight? Whose broad swaths and bright stars Through the perilous struggle upon the walls we watched Flowed so gallantly? and the red glow of the rockets, the bombs exploding in the air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh, say, does that star-spangled banner still wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave? the brave Next February the super bowl will be in Atlanta. Today the super drivers of NASCAR. After aclimate delay.

We're ready to shoot in Atlanta. We, a din Dillon, with a once in a lifetime moment of the biggest race in all 3 cars. 40-1 longshot to overtake Aric Almirola and lead the lap, the most important lap, a backup car in the Daytona 500 and now the crop of champions. Austin Dillon at 27 years old celebrating with his team. He is in place today in Atlanta, will once again start at the back of the field and actually has a tattoo on his butt celebrating the Daytona 500 that he had to celebrate. A change of gear is the one straightening out at the back of the field today, Mike.

That's a little bit of a problem for that team because they didn't have a lot of speed yesterday, Chris, so if you start at the back like Martin Truex Jr., you run at the back of the car and start a car that wasn't up to the pace you you will rise hastily. Brad Keselowski. Daytona 500. I won this race and Kevin Harvick dominated and did it every year like he does at the bottom. This car doesn't show much speed and it's not on my list of five or six guys to watch out for in victory lane and here it is.

This guy is the one everyone is talking about. Chris, yesterday during the XFINITY race. Running that line. He rolls into the corner so easily, accelerates it and takes it all the way and it looks like anyone can do it. Kyle Larson, who was in this race last year where he got torn up and the next four finished first or second. He could beat Harvick. This is the type I would look at. A dirt corridor. He's going to slip and slide today and you could fall right into his hands. And Buta Wallace finished second in the Daytona 500 and a special moment with Richard Petty and an emotional and ready week here in Atlanta.

When you hit the track and reach the top of the season. What a start to the season for bubba. Oh my God, they're trying to get the race. n.william Byron, who is a college student, has to hand in a report at school on Monday morning and I hope he does it so he can run faster than the others and be able to do it. his task. 36 drivers are ready to arrive here in Atlanta. Racing fans. It's time for the most famous words in motorsports. Here, to give the order, let's welcome "Saturday Night Live's" longest-serving cast member and Atlanta native.

Keenan Thompson. Let's do it. Drivers, start your engines! It's good to hear the engine start up and head into the broadcast booth and Mike Joy. Mike: Thanks, Chris. Among the stories we will look at today, Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon. Ryan Blaney had a big week, but Trinh Truex will start behind Harvicing. That's what many drivers will do today and Kyle Busch won his first Cup pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway this week. Today is going to be a resource management exercise. Dip is the drop in speed due to rapid tire wear. Darrell, how do you do that?

Darrell: They call it giving up and this is what I don't want to happen. Driver, don't give up on me because you are competing in the field. Your car may be terrible, but it's better than everyone else's and that's the only thing you have to worry about. Mike: Jeff, how about we manage the restarts and get on pit road here? Jeff: Talk about how fast this track is, but it's the slow section that will be really difficult to handle. As you start the restarts and roll in there and put 800 horsepower into the rear tire and get to pit road, the tires are worn out and all that stuff falls off.

How can you bring all that speed to pit road and it's easy to look up, lose control, and miss the pit entrance? Mike: Larry mcmany Reynolds, how will you manage ten or more four tire changes today? Larry: This is a long race and you will probably make a minimum of ten trips to pit road and every time you come there it will be to change four new tires. Think about this. It's only the second race of 2018 with the new pit crew rules going from 6 to 5. Actually, four crew members and one tanker, and these teams are adapting and, Mike, I can almost promise that the street pits will make a difference today.

Mike: Yes. This will be the first real test of the new pit road procedures for 2018. The skies are not very clear, but the track is dry and we are finally ready to race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Get ready for the second race of the season. Green flag in the air. Boogity, boogity, boogity. Let's run guys. The action is tense. It's amazing how fast this race track goes. This track is unique and the guys are really going to fall in here quickly. Brad Keselowski. The cars are rolling off the starting blocks here in Atlanta. That's a great sign.

They are the

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of honor quik trip 500. Race number two of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for 2018. Kyle Busch has the first pole of his in Atlanta. He has won twice here. Ryan Newman will start on the front row for the 12th time in Atlanta, a Toyota and a Chevrolet. Kevin Harvick led the most laps in the last four Atlanta races and also did not win and Daniel Suárez, his best start on a mile and a half track. Three-time Atlanta winner Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson, the runner-up here last year, round out the top ten.

Clint Bowyer and Erik Jones, a veteran and rookie of the year last year. Larry: Call Kevin Harvick. 10-4. You have to be looking forward to this race. You won yesterday and I polled every man, woman and child on this property and they say you're the guy to beat today. There has to be a lot of trust. It's nice to sit in this Jimmie Johnson Ford and I've thought about it for several years and it always seems like something reaches out and bites us. Feel good today and go out and see what happens and run the race, but it's good to be sitting here with a dry track.

Him. Larry: We know you're incredibly fast and how was the track? Does it look like you're ready to go? It looks good, it looks good down here as long as this little crack down here doesn't leak water. It will be OK. Larry: Good luck and we'll check it out for you. Thanks guys. Mike: Let's go down to the pits where things are dry too, I hope. Little Jamie. Jamie: So far it looks really good down here. It's been a challenging weekend for Martin Truex Jr. After failing inspection three times, they lost their car leader and 30 minutes of practice and were unable to get a lap in qualifying.

Chief Cree told me that he had to work overtime under the car, in the car. He said they're just fine. They will have to overcome some more adversity by coming out last. Bubba Wallace has become a media sensation. That's fine and rather a feeling of rationing. That will be judged on a body of work. Today's message is to manage expectations on this difficult mile and a half and remember that this is only Wallace's sixth cup mass. Matt Yocum. Matt: Besides a very fast race car, his advantage is his pit crew. They seem to adapt faster than most and the leader's impact weapon.

In fact, during Saturday's XFINITY race they turned in 14.4 seconds, two seconds faster than the average we're seeing here on pit road. If we add to this the fact that today we can see between ten and eleven stops on pit road. These guys could be a game changer, Larry Mac. Larry: Let's take a look at the race analysis, stages one and two of 325 laps. 85 laps, the final stage 155 laps. Pit speed is very important and 45 miles per hour, and 48 to 54 laps and we're probably talking more about that tire window and 35 to 40 laps and this level of grip has no grip.

A competition warning. Lap 30. To the rear Daytona 500 winner, Austin Dillon, for a gear change this morning after final practice, and the weather, best I can tell you for the next 13 and a half hours, we're going to ration, Mike. Mike: It's about time, Larry. There is a look at the weather. It's raining late tonight, and maybe sooner. Now, Burt and Erbe are our two stat guys. Call your computer hot rod Bernie, why not? What does Bernie have to say about the odds? What is that, a Mac 2? An old beast. You need to update. Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex and Denny Hamlin are among the pre-race favorites here.

We'll check it out later to see how it works. One thing that is important to keep in mind given the weather. In years past, when we reached the halfway point, the race was official. We couldn't come back and finish it the next day and now the rule is that we have to complete the first two of the three stages. There are 170 laps to have an official race. Jeff: Something that should be in the minds of the drivers and crew chiefs. 30 laps of competition prove it. The track is green. It's going to eat up Goodyear tires for the first 30 laps.

Mike: It's time to play. The safety car arrives on pit road. Here we go. Okay, okay. Here we go, boys and girls. Boogity, boogity, boogity. Let's ration, drivers! Go running, drivers! Mike: Ryan Newman leads Kyle Busch's first lap. It was Clint Bowyer trying to make some noise outside. Larry: We talked to Newman on the pre-race show and he said I have a great race car, guys. That's all I can tell you. Mike: In the short term, both in practice and in qualifying, he is close to the top. Jeff: Keselowski gets to the outside of Kevin Harvick's 4 and another thing we'll see with Kevin Harvick is that he doesn't always have the speed at the start of the race.

It's that long sprint speed where he excels. Mike: The new man is flying away. Two laps and he leads. Kyle Busch by three-quarters of a second. Jeff: I don't know if I'd want to go out and go too fast on this green track right now. That will come back to you. Mike: If you're Ryan Newman, is he going to do it? Do it now, you know, you don't know how long it's going to last. They go through a lot of changes today. Mike: Jimmie Johnson 14 and Mcmurray 15 and here comes Kurt Busch in 41 against Ricky Stenhouse for fifth place.

Jeff: This track is going to change a lot. Not only will the rubber from the tires be deposited on the race track, but the balance of these cars will go from tight to loose, from loose to tight, wherever you are. It's going to change a lot. Darrell: Look at that yellow line. McMurray in one. He goes all the way out next to the wall. Look at the momentum the upside gets when it breaks out of the cheesiness. Jeff: As a driver, that's what you love about the Atlanta circuit. You have so many different lanes you can choose to run in and you really don't know which one is best.

We've seen Harvick execute very well from the bottom, but I've actually seen a lot of drivers win from the top. Mike: Practice and qualifying, it looked like the high side was good in turns one and two and they are where Mcmurray is right now, but hooking that yellow line in three and four was the quick route to a fast lap. Jeff: It certainly works well for Jamie Mcmurray's 1. Another great race. Hey, I'm also doing the top of a curve. Darrell: 88 is going somewhere too. He found a little rhythm up front and is making time. Alex Bowman looks pretty good.

Mike: He started in 18th place and went up to 1st. Jeff: Something we haven't seen much of. Usually he can run the top slot or the middle slot, but not three-handed four. Bowman out in lanes one, two, three and four. Larry: You can go wherever you want right now because the rain washed the rubber off the track. Mike: Remember Martin Truex started in 36th place. He's up to 20th. Inside Harvick. Stenhouse. They continue to fight side by side, and here comes Bowman the showman, from 18 to 8 and looking at 6. Jeff: Just remember, you have to run the tires a lot harder and use more throttle to make that longer outside line works in your favor, so how long can those tires hold up in the top lane?

I think it will give up eventually. Darrell: Me too, Jeff, and from the beginning exactly what we're seeing works. Get that high line and that big speed out of the corner on the straightaway and get past the guys hugging the back. Mike: Let's remember this. It is a race of a maximum of 30 laps. NASCAR will have a competition caution on lap 30. Jeff: You bring up a very good point, Mike. 30 laps doesn't seem like a lot, but this game takes place on all corners, so 30 laps is quite a lot. We've already seen almost a second of drop on these tires just in the first seven or eight laps.

Mike: Look, Suarez is third here right now. And we talked to him on the pre-race show right at the end and he said this is a good car. This is the best car I've ever owned and this is one of my best chances to get a win today. Mike: Seventh place for Bowyer. Darrell: The 11 has found space on the outside and guys like Bowyer embrace each other, they had the bottom and they navigate the outside and keep going. How long will this last? Will this superior pace be maintained? Can he make it all afternoon or will he be left behind?

Jeff: I think he'll be back. As the rubber settles on the track and the drivers and teams adapt to their cars after this first race, while the rain washes everythingthe rubber on the track, that bottom groove will come back to guys like Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer. Mike: Mcmurray is 18th. The 1 car much better today than in practice. I never find the handle. Something is wrong with the steering box. They changed it, but these are the first on the track and from the beginning they have more speed. Mike: Back to the goalie now. He has fallen behind Harvick after gaining ten spots early.

Aric almirola runs a few steps from where he started and stenhouse falls back from 6th and now 11th. Hamlin right there too in 11. How about Kyle Larson, Vince, who started eighth and has dropped six places. Yeah, Mike, he really doesn't like the way he starts the cart at this point. He said he's too tight. No problem like you said. They have a competition warning coming up and crew chief Chad Johnson tells him to handle the right front for me. Jeff: If I'm that team I have to be careful when making adjustments. I think maybe keselowski has a problem.

Mike: The fourth or fifth is still sailing for number two. Darrell: He has a problem, okay. He is number 4. I went sailing. I think that fund is starting to wake up and come to life. Jeff: And I think you have to be very careful with how hard you push these tires right now and also how much you adjust the car from this first race. It could be completely different on the second run. Mike: Here comes Truex, who started in 35th place. He's up to 14th place. Jeff: I knew he was going east towards the front, but I didn't think he would come so fast.

Darrell: I didn't think they were worried. He showed no signs of starting from behind. They have an incredible setup for these miles and a half, they put it there and they go out and run. Larry: Jeff, to your point about being careful with adjustments, it's a grain race track. Remember, all the drivers started failing on qualifying tires that were worn out except Martin Truex Jr. He started on sticky tires because he never did a qualifying race, so I think they may put more effort into their fit than the other drivers. . Jeff: That's a good point, Larry.

Don't have all the heat cycles or worn tires. Darrell: That's what we were talking about quitting. One lap won't get a second out of these tires, two laps, one second and it'll be up to three seconds before it's over. Mike: Ryan Newman has led all three laps so far and Kyle Busch, one second behind the second and Suarez, Harvick and Kurt Busch together. New leader. Kyle Busch. The engines around Ryan Newman, who led the first 18 times. And Busch. Jeff: Here comes another protagonist change. Kevin Harvick. I was impressed with how patient he was at the beginning of this race to not wear out those tires and now the speed is there.

Darrell: He put some rubber there in the bottom groove and it came to life and it came to life and it was gone. Mike: Here's Kyle Busch talking about different beats. Yeah. Harvick is chewing everyone down here now Yeah. Some guys are running him. Do not drive around anyone. Mike: Rubber also in the top groove. Jeff: We saw when Kyle Busch took the lead. He would come out with the rear end sliding. That's eating up the tires, and that's what Kevin Harvick doesn't do by using that yellow line and hooking the baseline. Darrell: Kyle was pulling that thing out of turn four.

Mike: It took Harvick 21 laps to get to the front. Mike, a former driver who won four times in the XFINITY series and said what's so impressive from his point of view. He knows how difficult it is here and saving your equipment and Kevin makes it very easy. He says he just has the patented system that goes slow and fast and saves those tires. Mike: Also on the move now is Martin Truex, who needed 15 events to reach the top ten, and is now in eighth place after coming out of 33rd. Let's go back to 24th and Bubba Wallace.

He overtakes Chase Elliott. Local and national interest in pursuing Elliott, who this year wears his father's number 9. Jamie? Jamie: And he's originally from Dawsonville, Georgia. He started where he is now. Having a problem with the brakes. I'm not sure if the brakes are too cold. He says he barely wears them and turns them off and they are too tight and sliding around the back. Trying to embrace this new Camaro and what kind of changes he needs and everyone overlooks it. Darrell: He said we don't know where we are, very far away and we don't know where we're missing and maybe they haven't realized that yet.

Jeff: And the brakes shake, and if you don't brake hard, sometimes you can build up a little bit of brake pad because you use it so lightly with your hand, that's where the vibration comes in while you're chasing Elliott. he was talking. Darrell: It's annoying. It probably won't cause you any problems. Shake the pedal and it makes noise. Mike: Looking at 3rd place and here's 7th place and Truex passing Keselowski. Jeff: What impressed me so much was Truex. He talked about using the top groove and everyone else has seen them take it off at the beginning of the race and push hard and use the trop groove and it has cost them time and they have made up a lot of positions and now they are all losing positions. back.

Mike: He talked about the drop or drop in lap times. Leader Kevin Harvick is two seconds slower than his fastest lap, but second and third and Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman are running three seconds slower than his fastest lap right now. The only person who is within two seconds of the fastest lap at the moment, Truex, in seventh place. Darrell: True Hex has much better tires, better tires than Harvick would have. Five laps until the competition warning. It is NASCAR's custom when a race has rained the night before or the morning to give a race warning and teams can check tire wear and make adjustments.

Like Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman, who are running from the back and I think this will be the first time that pit road will be involved in a tire change. Darrell: All the lead lap drivers will be on pit road and as I said in the previous race, this is one of those races, unlike Daytona, where you have to make adjustments to that car at every turn. stop in the perfect world. It will be air pressure where you don't reduce it. Darrell: Own it, if you don't put a wedge in it, it will take a second off your actions.

Mike: We learned a lot in the pre-race show talking about each driver in the field. I entertained myself. I think listening to the drivers in a long conversation is great. Jeff: A great opportunity to delve into some topics we wanted to talk to these drivers about. Double zeros. Very different from last year. Mike: Oh my gosh. Look at the top ten. All four Stewart-Haas cars are in the top ten. William Byron tries to stay in the top lap. Darrell: These are different BB guns and they are different than the ones they used last year. Mike: Rolling slow in eighth and that's Earnhardt, who will be two laps back and make it through without incident.

The fender is flapping and now there is a problem with the right front. Jeff: He destroyed the right front tire. Darrell: That was the concern a lot of guys had. Mike: Next time, on lap 30, Birks and as the field moves forward,

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comes out of the caution flag and they'll line them up and get ready for the pit stops. Kevin Harvick leads Kyle Busch by 2.3 seconds and some on the line for six and Clint Bowyer. There we go. Mike: That's the race director and Kevin Harvick had already slowed down thanks to the fact that William Byron was able to get back on the lead lap before the yellow flag came out.

He is in front right of Jeffrey Earnhardt. Yesterday we saw a lot of effort and tires and we saw that they were having problems with the left rear tires, that was the right front and I guess that depends on your setup. Jeff: I think it depends on balance, right, and if you're tight and pushing on the right front, you're probably pushing on the right front and if you lose on the right rear, balance is very important and that's exactly what we saw in the XFINITY series. A car that was tight and didn't turn all day. And the important thing is the balance of the racing car, keeping it balanced.

Mike: Let's get a couple of guys before they get to the pits. Martin Truex and Truex moved up to sixth in the 30-lap race and their number 78, Ryan Blaney, started in 26th and is in 12th. Austin Dillon is in 35th place due to a change of assistant who had to start in the last way to 14th place. Those are the three biggest drivers in the first green flag race. Darrell: I love Ryan Blaney, he's so fun to talk to. He's discreet and he reminds me a bit of a dial tone. Mike: Ryan Newman led the first 17 laps and gave way to Kyle Bush for three laps and then Kevin Harvick.

Four tire changes. Two men are already allowed to lean against the wall: Daniel Smith, carrier Mike Marinho and Justin White. These five men were all together a year ago and Harvick says he needs help getting in and a little more help getting out, Jamie. Jamie: Breaking free. Kyle Busch says things don't register when he flips a switch in the car. Everyone looked at each other and wasn't sure what the problem was. He wants a little more stability and 41 is the first to come out. Let go of the cat, guys. Mike: Harvick 14.1 and Kyle Busch 15 seconds. There's your Sunoco race out of the pits.

Harvick, Busch, Newman, Busch, Truex, the fast five out of the pits Mike: 34 full laps after the competition caution, and you can see the comparison at the bottom left of your screen. Half sick, a little quicker to pit road and the team .1 faster than polesitter Kyle Busch. Here is the anatomy of this pit stop. Notice the fancy footwork in the fuel. Now all you can do is power the car, but for safety reasons they allow you to help guide a tire past the pit wall. And that is the new standard. 14.9 seconds for a pit stop with four tires.

Jeff: And we saw the cat man come up and help the left front, you know, change the tires with care and play and a lot of things look different at the pit stop. Mike: One week they already got Bert and in three or four weeks it will be as if they have dropped to 14 seconds. Harrison Rhodes gets a free pass for his first caution of the day. Here they arrive at the Geico reset zone. Jeff: A lot of guys complain that the outside line doesn't work and the inside line has been the way to go. Mike: Daniel Suárez, number 19 and I'm walking out and here comes his teammate Hamlin with him.

Oh. He is tight. Harvick was long lost on the first lap on the restart. Darrell: He's incredibly fast. Jeff: He's trying to figure out how hard he needs to push the tires. I saw the advantage. He had a lower pace than the rest of my competitors and it worked very well for them over 30 laps. Darrell: I'll tell you. There are some Katzenbachs here eager to go up and fight him for the lead. Mike: Kurt Busch off Brad Keselowski. Mike: Layer, 47 spans to the end of stage one. What happens now from a strategic vision? Jeff: Larry: I was just doing the math.

We went back to racing with 50 laps and you can do it with fuel, but I'm not so sure they will split it in half and somewhere around lap 60 we will see them start to come to the pits and once a driver arrives, Almost no I can stay there losing three seconds per lap. Mike: Okay. 38 full laps and you saw Suarez way up on the outside of the restart and he was in 11th place and let's go to his and Jamie's pit. Jamie: Kevin Harris, races with the 19 Daniel Suárez tires. A lot of pressure with the way you've changed it.

First stop of today. How did he do for you? It's not that bad. Definitely different than it was in previous years, you really have to have a smooth stop. If you don't want to lengthen the stop, make it a long stop. I can see there. Jamie: And slow down and go faster. Sometimes it works. It could be one of those days. Harvick, Newman, Logano and Busch. Three Fords, a Chevrolet and a Toyota in the top five. Darrell: Warning Harvick, he's not actually following that yellow line, gentlemen. He up in the middle of the track. Jeff: I think when the tires are newer and have more grip at the start of a race, I don't think you have to look at that live yellow.

The magic of the yellow line, what Harvick does so well, is that after 10 or 15 turns it slows down and you can start taking straight corners with no loft. Darrell: I wonder if he has a slightly different mind to confuse. He's not where he normally is, but it's working for him. Mike: Tires wear out faster if you're running in the top alignment. Jeff: Towards the end of the line, going straighter. The discipline to do it when there is a lot of grip and the fastest pace at the beginning. I think a little more could be taken off the tires.

Darrell: That right foot is how you drive the tires and how you drive the gas pedals. I have a feeling that car 78 means Harvick, go up there where you're good because I'm coming. Mike:How many times last year did we say those words? Stage winner, mtj. Jeff: Working hard to get the win in the first stage of the season right now. Mike: Darrell: He seems a little loose in turn one. Jeff: As we look at Chase Elliott, something that is unique to Chase, he raced with Kevin Harvick in the XFINITY series several years ago. He was a student of that data and watching and learning and really asking a lot of questions, and I saw him really learn a lot of those techniques last year and he was very successful and had a really good year.

We'll have to see if he can use some of that knowledge to move further forward. Mike: Alex Bowman trying to cross under Ricky Stenhouse. Darrell: Mike, when you see someone do what Alex Bowman did, the tires don't stick to the track like he would like, so you have to support him to try to make that kind of move. Jeff: One of the other tricky things about being at the end of the track, when everyone else is at the end of the track, is the aerodynamic disadvantage and that's what makes Harvick so impressive is that he can get out ahead. and in a sense control whether someone else can make a profit from behind.

Mike: There's the issue of Kyle Larson going out in turn three. The frontstretch here is turn four and that's the longest part of the track, Mike. Increases the length of the frontstretch. Mike: And if you look at the bottom left corner of the screen, the yellow dot is Larson and the white dot is your race leader, currently Kevin Harvick. Jeff: And I can tell that Larson is not happy because he is a guy who likes to be up there, right next to the wall. When he's at his best, that's what allows him to make up time and run fast lap times and we just saw Clint Bowyer pass him on the outside and he got caught right there on the yellow line and I'm pretty sure They have to make the big adjustment for Kyle Larson to be happy with where he can get to the line.

Larry: The rear is 1,800 feet and the front is 320 feet and you have to do it differently on the straightaways. Mike: Fighting to maintain fourth place against Kurt Busch. A couple of Fords fighting here. 47 complete laps in Atlanta. Have a nice cold Coke and fasten your seatbelt. You're watching NASCAR on Fox. Mike: 52 full laps in Atlanta. Children cheering for their favorites. 52 laps of 15 laps in the first stage. This will be a tire stop sometime between now and the end of this stage, as the Brush brothers have switched places. Kyle Busch moved back to sixth after restarting in third.

I recovered two of those. Jeff: Kevin Harvick took the lead from Ryan Newman and Harvick took it two laps later and probably told him that Harvick was really easy on slower lap times and more careful with the tires, so try not to wear them out too soon . Mike: Ryan Newman reminds Kyle of the fact. Darrell: Very good car and he seemed excited this morning when we talked to him about this race. Jeff: We talked to him about this race track. Mike: He almost broke the tie he has with Buddy Baker for most pole positions in his Atlanta career.

Seven apiece and Newman was on the pole until Kyle Busch made the final run of the day and took it. Newman got the twelfth from him. Seven posts and five outside posts. Darrell: Those Camaros look mean, the way the headlights are positioned back there. They look like eyeballs looking at you. Jeff: It seems like Kurt Busch can take his life wherever he wants. I saw him working until the end and making up time. That time he is right on the yellow road. Mike: Harrison Rhodes at 51 this week. He stays at the top. Jeff: Pretty impressed with all the Stewart-Haas cars.

All in the top ten. Mike: Yes, sir. Darrell: You're all in the top ten, including the bow. I. I mean, that's amazing... Jeff: I knew it... that was cutting. Entering the hotel with us. One of my favorite people and when I get the chance, I mess with him. El. Mike: Aric almirola, all of America gained new respect for Aric almirola when he came within two corners of winning a week ago. Vincent. Vince: He said that he really wanted to get to Atlanta and from the way his race car is performing, I understand why he wants to be here.

All stewart-haas vehicles in the top ten. Looking for more rear grip. A little too tight and the crew chief, the engineer of the 41 a year ago. It seems like a good couple. Mike: Aric has been pretty satisfied so far. A happy driver is a successful driver. I see that couple winning this year. Jeff: It's too cool to point out that this is actually the team for the 41 car, except for the pit crew that Kurt Busch was driving. Actually, the 10 team with Danica Patrick went to 41 this year. Mate? Matt: Under the back and forth conversation, the tires we're on, we need to make some adjustments, President and he said, let's just make an air pressure change and see how we do the next race.

The car takes off once again on the way to the front, Jamie. Jamie: And working with new crew chief Billy Scott. It's been a solid weekend for him. After practice yesterday they were so happy that they didn't even touch it yesterday. No adjustment. A little tight rolling up the center. I didn't make any changes to that one and just stopped. Mike: They're about to open the window for this tire pit stop. Here is Brad kes loufngy team. It was really nice when you ran a 15. You caught a flat 34. You run a 33.15. Rear tires. You want to push yourself. 10-4.

Darrell: We're halfway through that race on lap 35. We're on lap 60. There's 25 to go until the end of stage one on lap 85. I have to believe some of the teams are considering splitting this segment by half. and we would be there right now. Mike: 12th place Denny Hamlin on the inside competing with Paul Menard. Jeff: Dog about running that yellow line. I thought Denny Hamlin did it perfect right there. He poet the ant left behind the yellow line. Mike: They almost piled up to car 21. That was very close. These two are 13 seconds behind the leaders. Darrell: Look at the number 10 car behind somewhere, guys.

Mike: Chasing Joey Logano. Jeff: I heard Larry talk about splitting this segment. That makes him very nervous. No matter how difficult this pit road is, making you grow. All the penalties we saw on pit road and speeding last year and the pit stops themselves. There are so many things that could go wrong and boy does that make me nervous. Mike: What's the danger of being the first to stop? Jeff: Having some kind of problem that causes you to miss a lap or more. Once you go back out, as long as the warning doesn't come out. You are in very good shape.

You have all the speed and great grip. Darrell: That's a better bet. Caution falls when you make that move. Jeff: There's Kevin Harvick. 3.3 seconds advantage over martin truex. How about seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson at No. 21 right now? 24 seconds from the lead. Mate? 5ds the first race, car 48, just ran away. There are no sides for Jimmie Johnson. Lots of side conversations to the point where Chad at one point said a few moments ago, Harvick, let off the gas at the end of the quarter mile track. He's just playing with him. Darrell: Guys, as far as staying out, if everyone stays out, we know they'll be able to survive in the future.

My biggest concern and I have heard the concern in the garage area. The rubber falls back on the race track, these tires can go 50 laps if your car is not balanced and wears out the front right of the rear. Mike: We might find out. If everyone stays out. Well, 20 to go until stage one. We'll keep it here for you so that in case there are any pit stops during this break, you won't miss them. Mike: There are 15 laps left in the first stage and so far there is no one in the pits to buy tires. Kevin Harvick is the talk of the town.

It is 4.7 conversations ahead of the rest. Let's hear from Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson's scouts on Harvick. Yeah. I mean, Harvick doesn't even drive. As soon as he passes the quarter mile, he lifts up. Ridiculous. Just playing with traffic. Harvick is lifting once he passes turn one, the quarter mile. The 4 appears to be coming off the throttle at the end of pit road. Mike: Everyone's talking about going to Harvick. Now the quarter mile is here at the Atlanta Quad Oval. Pit road is the back stretch and there's the front stretch and there's quarter-mile turn one, so they say right after that is where Kevin Harvick is coming off the throttle.

Jeff: Even observers are confused about what Harvick is doing because of what we hear Harvick say at the end of pit road because he's in his head, that's the thing. Mike: I forget what he's letting on. Where will he return to today? I think that's the key. Jeff: Yes. Let's look at this telemetry of what Kevin Harvick does so well. He goes full speed down the straight. Oh man. He's the one on the quarter mile. Mike: He seems surprised by that. Darrell: No way. Jeff: Here's the key. There are zero brakes. He may be lifting, but he's not actually braking the car.

He's just letting it roll there, and he looks at how little throttle... God, that's skidding so soon. Look how little he accelerates in the center. That's quarter throttle. Now he just goes full throttle until he reaches the end of the straight. Mike: There's the quarter mile and it's gone. Jeff: Incredible. It's amazing how quickly he's coming out of this. Mike: Clint Bowyer has caught Martin Truex for second place. Miguel? Michael: You know, you're right, Mike Joy, Harvicing is trending and think about the strength of the Stewart-Haas cars, four in the top seven, all for you. I think that's the effect Kevin Harvick has had on the organization.

He shared that information with his drivers and looked at his telemetry and data, and this could be a big day for the organization and all thanks to one man. Kevin Harvick's style here in Atlanta. Mike: Good point. Kurt Busch. Bubba Wallace one lap less. There is almirola. Jeff: And one of the things I find, this goes back to, talking about how good race cars are. Yes, Kevin shares information about his driving style, but everyone drives in the middle of the track, at the top. . They are not on the yellow line. Aric Almirola is trying to execute that.

Let's look at Clint Bowyer as he heads down into turn one. Last time he ran the high line. There he goes again. Straddling that top seam. That tells me they have a good race car. Mike: The cars might be giving up now, Jeff. Joey Logano maybe not so much. He restarted seventh and has fallen back a bit. Good place. Jamie: He was taking a step forward. I thought he had a right front going down and he got ready for a turn and said he feels like in Maine, it's a brake problem. My brakes are vibrating. The team summarizes on the wall but they said: let's hold on and wait until the stage break.

Darrell: We've been taking a look at that 22 car in our Hawkeye system, and it looks a lot like what we saw with it yesterday in the XFINITY Series race. The left front part of that divider has already been completely erased, right on the left side and all the way to the bottom. Much of what he has is already destroyed where he was crouching on the apron. Jeff: That's the negative thing about running down that yellow line and actually down the apron, L to R. Going so far below the yellow line that you're coming into the front left corner and that's going to take away downforce from you. the cars and you.

How does Harvick do it? It seems like they turned it up a little more to make it clear in the corners. Jeff: He doesn't look very destroyed, but he does have a lot of downforce. Darrell: Larry, it was Michael or someone, maybe it was you, Jeff, that when you follow the yellow line it's not actually on the platform. Still on the track. You have to go under it before you get to the platform and we found it to be the bottom of the race track. There's still a little bit of room down there so the car can put the tires on the left side.

Mike: There are six laps left in the first stage and Paul Menard takes 12th place from Ryan Newman. Here is the layer we rely on in today's drive brought to you by myodas. Larry: Mike, we'll take a look at Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childress in the Stewart-Haas number 18. They won a total of 14, they raced and made the champion four, three of the four and they won. the 2014 field championship, our first year together, and you know what, Mike, Rodney Childress was the 20th winner of the Burnsy Award in honor of our good friend Steve Burns. Mike: Former late model racer and great guy.

One of the sharpest minds on pit road. Ryan Newman started on the outside posts and nailed the wall in the middle of the three and four. Jeff: Now they don't look like tires. Maybe something else. Mike: Jamie, I think he ran out of race track. Jamie: That's right. The only thing he said about the race car was that it was too tight and maybe built too much when he hit the wall. It's been a great race car.all weekend for Ryan New Mfnl. The window is open. You see a wrench in the back and a four tire stop and Luke Lambert calls and tells them this is where the new pit crew is.

Five different members are making changes and adjustments to the race car. You're trying to talk to them and keeping them in touch is the key. Mike: Towel flap on the right side when Newman hit the wall. It looked like he was wearing the tread right on the inside right side of the tire. Darrell: He went straight, not to the wall. I practically went up the hill and hit the wall. Mike: Kevin Harvick put the 20th place car, Jamie Mcmurray, a lap back as we reached the end of the first stage. . Martin Truex with 19 stage wins and that will go to Kevin Harvick and here is Jimmie Johnson going one lap towards Harvick.

There are two laps left and pit road is closed. Jeff: This is nothing Jimmie can do. The tires are completely destroyed at this point in the stage. Mike: Kyle Busch tries to take fifth place through Aric Almirola. Darrell: Going back to Ryan Newman's 3, there's the car and the hood flap or cap flap on the right side. NASCAR has a program that gives you the mandatory body parts that need to be on that race car on the mile-and-a-half track we're on. The flap or hood flap is one of them. Mike: Thanks, Larry. Darrell: Larry in Daytona said we would go back out but we don't have a door.

Mike: Harvick. Darrell: He said why not, and they said he was down in turn four. Mike: Stage one of the final closure. Jeff: Erik Jones fighting and battling to stay on the lead lap. I think he did it. Mike: I don't think he made it. Jeff:Jimmie Johnson was going to be the free pass coach. Mike: Six.5 seconds is Harvick's advantage over Clint Bowyer and Brad Keselowski, another three behind and Truex and two more over Almirola and Kyle Busch. First stage win of 2018 for Kevin Harvick, who won six stages last year, including both here. Mike: Chef, the most awarded and fastest growing brand in the last four years overall.

The first stage ends with a photo finish as Kevin Harvick crosses the line inches behind Erik Jones. Jones remains on the lead lap as the first step positions himself frozen on the line. Here comes Harvick. There is Jones and there is the difference and that is important not only for Erik Jones but also for Jimmie Johnson. It means Johnson gets the free pass. Let's go to Vince Welch in the Ebay engine box. Vince: Keep this in mind about the athleticism of the crew members we're about to see over the wall. A fuel can full of gasoline. 96 pounds.

The tire weighs about 65 pounds and will be carried from the right side of the car. The cat itself weighs 25 pounds. Some of these guys will take on dual roles, carrying the jack and the tire at the same time. The athleticism and the choreography and the fact that you can't make a mistake or it will cost your team. Critical at this point as they prepare for pit stops. Mike: Great athleticism on pit road. 96 pounds, Darryl. Darrell: I think ours weighed around 120 actually. Mike: Come on. Kevin Harvick takes a stage victory. That includes ten points plus a playoff point that goes all the way to Homestead.

Darrell: I had to say this for the pit stops. One time he asked Henry if he had two, just two cans. Mike: Henry Banfield, the gas man. Here they come to Pitt Road, Matt. Mike: Showing patience on the court. Shades of a year ago, Kevin Harvick won the stage in 2017 and the same this year. They go to work. There are no changes to the Flor. Middle of the screen. Clint Bowyer, like everyone else, tires wear out and no change in 14. Solid stop too. Jamie? Jamie: Martin Truex Jr. In '78 and the launch of the five members over the wall this year they knew how to work together for the second time this year.

He says the car is decent, but it can't do what Kevin Harvick is doing and can't run the line. He moves strongly. Having to be too careful with that. As you watch Clint stop in the pits. Martin Truex 14.9, Mike. Mike: Wow. Three open coming off pit road and keselowski, bowyer, Truex. Almirola, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch gained positions. Big loss for exactly five positions on pit road. Jeff: Let's say we select the winner of stage one. This is Jeff Gordon from Fox Sports. You got me. 10-4. Jeff: You're getting tired of talking to us. You're holding on out there.

I mean, I know you didn't make a great pit stop, but everyone's on the radio talking about what you're doing and how you're executing and backing up the entry. It's amazing to see, but what are some of the challenges you will face? Give me a second, Jeff. We have a little problem. Go ahead, Rodney. Mike: They're talking about an air hose breaking at the pit stop, so we'll talk to Kevin a little later. Ryan Keselowski the new leader. Facebook Kevin Harvick, the winner of the first stage. Mike: The quik trip 500 honor folds are sponsored by Ford half fans.

Are you the biggest NASCAR fan in the world? This is your chance to prove it. Goes to

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.com. Mike: The full 7 laps. Thanks to Kevin Harvick for speaking with us during a crisis. NASCAR hands out the air guns and regulator hand hoses to all the teams and at that stop something went wrong. The front derailleur started having problems with the right side switch. I was trying to nurse him through the stop. When he reached the left side, the coupler exploded and he lost the gun completely. He tried to hit the handle. They brought it back and as a safety measure to make sure they had all the lugs.

However, there are problems with the new leasing weapon for Harvick's team on pit road. Mike: The idea was for all teams to use the same gun, regulators and hoses and avoid the increasingly costly war between air guns, speed and torque on pit road. This will also undergo a full test today with the four tire changes we didn't see at Daytona. D Larry: Just the size of the gun requires some adjustments. Mike: Coca-Cola's familiar racetrack runs through the Fox Sports go app. Follow your favorite cocaine drivers with views from their in-car cameras, as well as track position and speed.

That's on the Fox Sports Go app. Jeff: Well, how about that? Now we can see them driving through the countryside. I hate that that happened to those guys, but I have to say the rest of the field is a little relieved right now to be able to have a chance to do this. Mike: Kevin Harvick will be ninth and will be the last car on the lead lap. Keselowski and Bowyer in the front row and we are back under green. Darrell: All Stewart-haas cars overseas. Our second champion and Keselowski who had a good car. Jeff and I were looking -- Mike: Kurt Busch outside in the black 41.

Jeff: These reboots are so wild. Throw wide. Almirola gets inside Larson and watches as Kurt Busch's 42 goes from the outside lane to the inside lane to pass his brother. Darrell: You can do that when you have new tires. You have a little mobility. Jeff: He talked about how great this track is. It has a lot of grip for a lap, lap and a half and then the grip immediately disappears. Mike: I heard you say that when you're tired, you're Superman. Darrell: Four Mr. Feel-goods. Mike: But for how long is the question. Kyle Busch restarted fourth. He's in sixth place, Jamie.

Jamie: At the beginning of the race, Kyle mentioned that something was going on here. I have a problem and what they just told us was support on the track. He flipped the switch and didn't read anything, so at some point, Mike, before the last stage of this race he needs to get in. They have to drop the window nets and fix the connection to the Drach's farm stand, so keep an eye out for this as it will surely cost them some positions. Mike: Wow. Larry: The guy uses that bathroom quite a bit during the race and you can track it with the car on the adjuster and if that doesn't work, it could cause them a problem later.

Jeff: Yes. It's a driver adjustable track bar. It has a switch on the steering wheel, and it seems to me that that motor that moves it up and down is something that goes through the switch and you can't hear it anymore. That's a great tool for a driver at this track. Jeff: He'll run it in one direction to start the race and you'll keep working in the other direction as the sensation fades. Mike: Wow, Aric Almirola was doing everything he could to hold Lynn down at the end of the lane and Joey Logano is with them and that's the thing.

Have discipline as a driver and cars start passing you from left to right. You see, Kurt Busch's 41 continues to march ahead. It is very difficult to hold back and you know that if you push too hard it will only cost you lap times at the end of the race or a possible tire problem. Mike: Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch just ran their personal fastest laps in this race. Jeff: Someone definitely doesn't hold back and that's Kurt Busch. Mike: He could be getting ready to run his fastest part of the lap and is looking for the lead right now.

Car 41 is pretty impressive As D.W. And I was watching during the break. Brad Keselowski was turning the second fastest lap behind Kevin Harvick, which shows that they have made some good adjustments and that he will be very strong in these longer races. Mike: Joey Logano on the outside of almirola for eighth place. Vince? Vince: Just like you were talking about almirola, I'll do my best not to freak out. Did you know. It's hard to save patience and preserve those tires and it's going to be difficult and it's very hard to do it in the cockpit when you see others being more aggressive.

Mike: For the protagonist. Kurt Bush circles the outside of Brad Keselowski. Darrell: That was a gimme. Jeff: Yeah. That's Keselowski. He knows that if you push me too hard right now I better be patient with this. He gives up that position so he can win it later. Mike: Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick after that pit stop restarted 19th. He has gained five positions. Mike: NASCAR on Fox continues live from the Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kurt Busch is your leader, a three-time winner. It's time for a break in the outbreak race. Michael Waltrip and Chris Myers. Two Fords ahead of Truex.

Another Ford coming: Kevin Harvick making his way through the park. After a two and a half hour rain delay from the original start, tires were always a problem for drivers. It came into play in the first stage. We knew it would be like this. Tire wear always improves and the best way to take care of them is to be careful with them and corner smoothly, and no one is better than that. Harvick, Harvick. 67 laps, but at the end of the stage a slow pit stop. Winning the stage seemed like an exaggeration. I came back with the other one and it was nice and tight.

Temporary setback for this team. A car like that. He can charge back down the field and Kevin Harvick starts very early by going to the corners and charging down the field. They will be more aggressive. That's a good sign for later, Chris, when you need to act late if there's a late warning. This car has long-course speed and also short-course speed. And in car 31 they are changing that hatch. Yes. He hit the wall and the floor collapsed. At the beginning of the race this car was strong and did not have long runs. The longer the race went on, the car faded.

Let's go back to Kevin Harvick, since Kurt Busch is the leader. Teammate of Stuart Hass and Bill Elliott from lapse LED in Atlanta. Jeff Gordon leads everything at that time. Well, watch Harvick on that rise because from here at the Hollywood hotel we're reminded to claim the free onion bloom on Monday after Kevin Harvick's top ten trades and we know he's always a threat and let's go back up. Mike: Harvick is back in the top ten. In eighth position, 6.8 seconds behind the race leader. His Stewart-Haas teammate, Kurt Busch. Busch with three wins here. The last one in 2010.

And one for Jack Roush and Ford and two for Roger Penske. Jeff: It always works well here in Atlanta. He always has in recent years. Mike: From Busch let's go back 1.4 seconds to Brad Keselowski. Darrell: Jeff and I were locked into his telemetry earlier and we had a good car at the end of the long run. Mike: 2.2 seconds behind the leader and king of the mile and a half and mtj tracks, Martin Truex Jr. Jeff: He wore out the tires at the end of the last one. I wonder if he didn't learn something from the beginning of the race and how slow that pace was at the beginning of the race and then he drove to the front.

Mike: Kyle Larson has been on everyone's favorite list this week. Vincent. Vince: He's known more as a required hoops guy, someone who's going to make the hay up top and he ran second to Kevin Harvick and Harvick was a bottom feeder so they're going to try to be really disciplined today and stay inwall. Kevin Harvick didn't develop his story overnight. It took many years and a lot of practice and I think it makes a lot of sense to run this race. Run down and learn what you can learn. Jeff: You just saw that he learned something right there.

He tried to get to the yellow line. The back end came to light, and it's a lot more than just being disciplined to drive that part of the track. It's also about how to set up the car to run that part of the track. Darrell: I think it's good long-term planning and what did you do wrong? We will correct it next time we come back. Mike: Tenth place goes to Daytona runner-up Bubba Wallace, giving Almirola some room to keep Suarez at bay. So far we have had an uneventful race. Only one car crashed into the wall.

That was Ryan Newman under green. There was no caution. He was among our Bernie Computer's top ten picks. The other nine are in the top 12. Ed to Bert and Ernie is the computer. I couldn't think of another name. They need a new computer but different from Newman. I have one just like it. Mike: Bernie's top ten are all in the top 12, except Newman, who has hit the wall. He seemed great until then. He checks the eighth place. Clint bowyer. Slowly moving. The temperature is slowly starting to drop and they feel like they can possibly get to sixth place before this stage is over because Bowyer's car is moving.

I made an air pressure change and a significant change on the right rear because the track is definitely changing. Mike: Jimmie Johnson spins into turn two. Caution. Caution is over. Mike: Lap 159. Jimmie - Jeff: Did you just take over Larry's role from last year? Mike: Because I said incident-free and here we are. Jeff: That was incident-free. Mike: He was in 19th place. One lap less. Darrell: I see a lot of debris falling off the car from the tires. Jeff: It looks like it could have been a tire. Real, very loose. We had it in a few shots before, but the way it broke could be the right one we're on, and the right one we're certainly down on now because of the tire-shaking slide.

It's strange to see everything change so quickly for a seven-time champion like Jimmie Johnson. Mike: Well, we listened. he separated and removed the right front of the car. Jeff: After the incident and after he spun and the tires, you fell and then broke the front from shock. Mike: Happy now. I just found out he was on TV. High 5s everywhere. Mike: Except his car is in the pits with a broken down car. He's on television. It's a win-win situation. Mike: 159 complete laps. The pit lane will open. Third warning of the day but the first for an incident.

Jimmie Johnson lost a right front tire and spun in turn two. Johnson is on a 24-race winless streak, tied for the longest of his career. Mike: Pit road is open, Matt. Mike: Brad Keselowski, first stop in turn four and help them out. There are no problems going down pit road and starting Harvick's 4 and Keselowski has been working on the track bar and it didn't help and the car on the free side and Harvick said his car is still solidly level. Jamie: Kurt Busch in '41 said he was loose and said let's do more decals here and today he did 25 laps.

Miguel? Mike: Adjustment for Kyle Larson as he moves forward. Some front tire changers carry their own tires. I saw Keselowski where a tire hauler was carrying both and why is Martin Truex still sitting there? We'll find out when we get back, when Brad Keselowski wins the pit race against Kevin Harvick. Throughout the season, Ford will look for the greatest passion among domestic car fans, not in the Ford fan lounge. Mike: 16 cars taking the waves and problems at Martin Truex's pit stop on the right rear. The tire changer was unable to tighten all five lug nuts before the jack fell and that's when the real one was cocked.

That's where the wheel came off. I'm not sure if it was a human malfunction or a BB gun malfunction. Calling back because he can't squeeze all five lugs. Jeff: What happened is that the assembly is not right against the center and will eventually come loose. Jeff: They have to take the weight off the right wheel to tighten it straight. Mike: A malfunction of the air gun. Keselowski, Harvick, running down the inside of the line. Kyle Busch, Suarez, Logano, Larson, Almirola and yesterday leaned into the top ten. 17 cars on the lead lap returned to Paul Menard, who got the bye.

Jeff: I think it's the hardest passion on the restart, the outside car in second position. It's very easy to get too early and spin the tires, as we saw with Kevin Harvick. Mike: Now you have to run. Time and time again the outside lane was terrible. It looks like Texas. Darrell: It wasn't bad, Mike. It was terrible. Mike: It's a tough place to be in the reboot. Seven laps to go and now six to the end of the second stage. And the yellow flag will appear and the field will freeze and stage points will be awarded and, most importantly, this race will be official at the end of the second stage.

Jeff: Everyone goes for stage points. Chopping and cutting. Mike: Last year, Kevin Harvick led the most laps and won both stages, but not the race. The fun part of this. They can run the tires as hard as they want. Mike: That's a very good moment. You know what, gentlemen? You mentioned this before. That car 2 is a pretty good race car. Long term and short term. Truex flying down the field in traffic and 15th. In the background on Austin Dillon who hooks the background. A sense of urgency. There are four laps left for the second stage. Jeff: You're talking about three of the top five having to win the stage and it has to do with the stage.

Darrell: It could have been cooler out there. Four new tires and a little heat around here. Jeff: Larry, do you think the crew chiefs and engineers would put a little more air pressure in the tires knowing they have a short distance to get there? Jeff: Maybe not as much but a little more. Mike: Keselowski. The Busch brothers, Logano, Harvick, Hamlin, Larson and Almirola. Mike: For the first time this weekend in the XFINITY race and the Cup race, someone is going to win a stage besides Kevin Harvick. Jeff: Ricky Stenhouse tries to get the momentum out of the top spine and see if he can't get a point on stage.

That's 10 and 11. Suárez, stenhouse. All about running that yellow line. Not quite there. Mike: One missing. Six Fords in the top ten. Three Toyotas like Kyle Larson's Chevrolet. Jeff: Get ready and shoot to the top. Look at Suárez who decides to get defensive and take the line away from Ricky Stenhouse. Mike: He goes to the bottom. He just gets to the defender and covers half the distance three and four. Mike: I thought he would work out for Stenhouse but it didn't. Mike: Winner of the second stage, Brad Keselowski. Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Logano and Harvick the first five.

And there are those who earn points in stage two. Michigan man Brad Keselowski wins the second stage. Well, I have a lot of respect for people who predict more well. Today I am glad that they are wrong. We have an official return. He surpassed 170 at the end of the second stage, so this race will be official this afternoon. There is a threat of rain this afternoon continuing into tomorrow morning. So hopefully we can make it to lap 325 and the conclusion of Fast Ride 500, where Brad Keselowski won stage two over the Bush brothers, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick.

Here they arrive at pit road. Mike: A lot of other teams have realized that. Tearing off the windshield. Kyle accelerated and now turns to the left side. Kurt Busch in 41. Nell put some air pressure in the right rear tire. Kyle Busch was able to set the connection and was able to use the track bar adjuster on the car now and a four tire stop. His car has been fine. He came in for T. Kurt Busch wins the race from pit road. And Kevin Harvick. Darrell: Let's say we contact our second stage winner. You got me? 10-4.

What's going on, Jeff? Jeff: Man, I just see someone other than Kevin Harvick leading a few laps and winning. Congratulations on that second stage win and, I mean, you've seen how good Kevin is here, but you actually won this race a year ago, but what does it take to get the win today? It seems like Kevin is really proving this every year. I don't know what the secret is and he has a lot of credit for it. We are also fighting quite hard. There's something right there on his tail and he'll probably be modest all day.

I think that's the important thing. Just keeping them honest. Jeff: We have a lot of nuns watching what you're doing and you have a car that can perform on the track and how much better it is on the bottom. Does it save the tires that run through that bottom groove? Mike: Yeah, maybe a little. I don't know. I raised my curtain right before this and I need to keep this going, Jeff, so, you know, when you think you understand what's going on, it doesn't say we're going to act the same way. I'm not entirely sure, but I'm proud to assume that all of that is safe.

Mike: Thanks for. Jeff: Thanks for talking to us. Good luck the rest of the way. Thank you. Mike: Austin Dillon had to stop because something put a hole in his car. Brad Keselowski, winner of the second stage. Mike: Getting ready to restart in Atlanta. Let's compare two of Kurt Busch's pit stops. Jeff: Noise work hitting the mark and getting the right side. I see the execution of the noise. Without panicking or turning to the left side. Mike: Moving much faster on this last stop. Jeff: And then a little problem on the left rear at that previous stop that wasn't so fast.

Mike: Kurt Busch's numbers compared to Kevin Harvick. .8 faster and we'll head to the Geico reset zone and do it again. Kurt Busch, Joey Logano and Keselowski are in second place and Larson, Bowyer, Suarez and Blaney are in the top ten. 18 cars on the lead lap, including Alex Bowman, who got the bye. Here we go. Mike: Hamlin up at 11. Jeff: I thought he was going to have a chance and Kevin Harvick would make that move and he lost a little bit of momentum when he got to the corner. It's funny to see how much effort the two want to put in to keep #4 Kevin Harvick behind him.

I feel like he has a car that can compete with him if he can keep Harvick behind him. Darrell: He can keep Harvick behind him for ten laps and Harvick's car really comes alive behind him ten laps. Mike: Chase Elliott appears in the top ten. Jeff: Well, we heard you talk at Kendrick Motorsports and what they're learning about the car right now and that's also the balance of the car in the race and how you have to adjust it throughout the day. Mike: And don't lose sight of the other thing. Some of these guys accept it.

It's a 500 mile race and quite a long afternoon and you never get it right at the start. Mike: Bowman had gotten a free pass and has to make a green flag pit stop. You can see that the tire is cut. Mike: Call there on pit road. Trying to go around the front. Mike: Jamie. Jamie: They had blisters on the white rear and gun failures, so they were waiting for a backup for the backup, so you saw another problem there: they were trying to hit the car and hit the cat man when he went around the car.

A tough learning experience for this '88 team. Darrell: The other thing we talked about is learning about your car. This is a long race. This is a row of cams, Chevy equipment, running laps, working on the car, making adjustments and seeing what the car likes. Maybe we can mark it. Mike: That and check your mirrors because Kevin Harvick is coming. Let's show you what happened to Alex Bowman. Jeff: Obviously a bit of miscommunication. I think they felt like it was going to be a two tire stop and he was going to be a four tire stop and then he takes off and maybe they'll tell him let's switch to a tire stop now that we knew the tire is on the right side.

Sometimes, if the driver is not sure whether the tire problem is on the right or left side, he calls a sound in the box. Jeff: I can't tell you how northern it is to say "stop and don't go, wait, wait, wait," because it sounds very similar and sometimes a driver leaves with a wait, wait, wait! Mike: Here comes Harvick inside Logano. Two Fords fighting. That wasn't much of a battle. Kurt as LED in 20 races in all laps combined. It was Sunday and I started the race on a rainy day. Mike: 17 cars on the lead lap on lap 188. 117 left here in Atlanta.

Next, our credit is a bank to watch. Mike: The pilots have been told by their teams that they may be racing into the next storm. Its on. "Kyle Busch leads Brad Keselowski by .8 in Atlanta". The ones that need to benotice. Jeff: I'll tell you who I have my eye on. That's the leader, Kurt three times leader and he was impeccable today. If they can continue like this and a little precipitation arrives. He is our winner. Brad Keselowski won that. Every stop has been good and we're sitting on it right now and making the right adjustments as the track cools down.

That will be the key. Larry, I talked to everyone before the race and before the race, car 4, has to win the race. He has to win this race. He's the guy who should win the race. Jeff: Larry: Please, I disagree. I think Clint Bowyer wins the race. He's been in the gym. It must be difficult to prevail here in Atlanta. Drive that car and spin it around and Clint Bowyer makes it in the end. Mike: While living in Hartford, Mark Twain said that if you don't like the weather, he wait a minute. Switch to. Only one Connecticut Yankee in the race.

Joey Logano. You guys don't leave me much. Jeff: We leave you with Kyle Busch. Mike: Let's see how it plays out. 131 laps left. Jeff: Wasn't it last week that he went out on the field? Mike: We'll give it to you. Go ahead, Mike, take it. Mike: I'll go out to the field. That includes Kyle and Joey. So what was this friendly Wayne Loer a couple days ago where one of you would take Kevin Harvick? Jeff: I took Kevin Harvick and gave him the field. Jeff: I knew it would come if I couldn't resist the odds. Mike: There are three in total.

Kevin Harvick, three fast forwards for the lead. Jeff: There are two in front of Kevin Harvick and a few more behind, since Michael had Bowyer's 14 returning to the front. I think the track has changed and he made some adjustments or they made adjustments to that car and it's starting to come to light. Mate? . Mike: Matt: Early in the race they felt like they had gone too far with the air pressure adjustment. Mike: All the drivers have been told it's going to rain in a few minutes or maybe half an hour, but it's coming, and you're racing in the rain and that's always exciting.

Vin Jeff: And think about the challenges of managing your tires. We see Keselowski's 2 perfectly hooking the yellow line. Watch out for that in the lane. In the back immediately. I have to go back to the end of the yellow line. He won't be able to do it. Darrell: With those two running side by side like that. Jeff: Keselowski missed the bottom line. Here he comes. Harvick didn't. Mike: He never does. Jeff: That's what makes it so good here. Darrell: Harvick has yellow line fever. He just eats that thing. Mike: Three cars fighting for the lead. Officially there are 127 laps left, but rain is forecast throughout the night and the next wet stop could be the end.

Darrell: Harvick got really loose going into the three there. Jeff: He came out. Darrell: Raindrops on that camera lens. The rain is coming. Jeff: That's Rodney Childress telling you to go get that clue. I think Brad Keselowski is doing an excellent job right now. If he can get to the yellow line, hold that yellow line and have the patience that Harvick's 4 has. He can make the job of the 4 and Kevin Harvick very difficult. That can definitely stop his momentum and we already saw that once he got to one and two. Mike: Keep an eye out for ninth place.

Suarez at 19th and Blaney. The 19 slides up. Jeff: That could have been big. Mike: That would be great if it was on the 19th. Many observers talk about a few raindrops. Not enough to justify the yellow flag. No accumulation of rain on the track. Darrell: I had my sights set on 414 and now Keselowski on 2. Jeff: This is where Keselowski has to be so patient and disciplined. You have to want to be in the gap and try to get a little extra speed, but if you go off that yellow line, Kevin Harvick will make you pay and pay a lot.

Darrell: I think it works both ways and Kevin Harvick shouldn't overdo it in the corner and make some of the mistakes that the others make. Jeff: That's one of the times Kevin Harvick had to speed up and he's trying really hard. The more you try, the harder it will be to run to the bottom. Chase: That last Keselowski was .3 faster than Harvick. Darrell: Traffic could be a factor. Approaching slower cars that could hurt Keselowski. Mike: Now half sick faster down the stretch. Mate? Matt: The car has been perfect all day for Kevin Harvick. This car won't go through the center like he did before.

He's trying to get that 2. Mike: Beating Ricky Chastain at 15 this week. Darrell: That slower traffic has hurt Keselowski, it allowed Harvick to slow down a bit, but car 2 really looks solid. Very good in the corner. Jeff: I see these two cars starting to move more than before. Mike: Death happened to Cole Whitt in '72 and Matt Debenedetto next. Mike: Let's take a look at today's Comb CLA family of drivers with four in the top ten. Hamlin, Larson, Logano and Larson. 117 to go and get to 116. Darrell: The 34 got in Keselowski's way, which opened the door for Kevin Harvick to bottom out like he likes, but the number 2 car is too strong in turn two at the moment.

Jeff: Just working on that traffic. Keselowski's great work. Mike: He shoots down the middle and opens up a quarter of a second lead and makes that .3. This was a great moment and you can see it in our aerial coverage of Goodyear. Darrell: I had nowhere to go and that opened the door for Harvick. I thought I could hold him off in Turn 2. Look how strong he is. Jeff: He does a good job of getting to the bottom of it, which ended up affecting Kevin Harvick. Mike: Let's ride Kevin Harvick. Jeff: I came out of turn four perfectly.

Get inside Keselowski. Hold on tight. Darrell: And then Keselowski puts the needle through the middle. Mike: The pit stops have begun. Ryan Newman who is out of sequence and Ty Dillon on pit road. Larry, with no rain, what might your strategy be for the rest of this? Jeff: We raced again on lap 177. There are 148 to go. If you wanted to do it in two stops, you'd need to run about 50 laps per race. I think the window is open now because I think what they're going to do, Mike, is do it in three stops, and right now that window is open to run 35 to 40 laps per race to the finish in three stops.

Mike: Blaney and almirola inside, Vince. Vince: For Ryan Blaney, the car has been too tight. He didn't make any changes from the previous setting and came into the pits with an air pressure setting and now Almirola's 10 hasn't been able to find its balance and simply has no grip throughout the day. His complaint was that car 10 has been the same all day. Mike: Ricky Stenhouse also made a stop and now Erik Jones comes to the pits. Darrell: Here comes car 4. Mike: Harvick wasn't gaining on Keselowski in the closing laps. So he's in. Matt. Matt: The boys are going to work.

Jeff pointed out that you can see the car wasting time there. Two solid stops so far and you can see a great tire kick directing that pass. Everyone dirng and Elliott on pit road and Hamlin will come in too. James. Jamie: Daniel Suárez has a good job. Second time here and they can overcome this and a four tire stop, Matt. Matt: He came out of pit road and turned around on the left side. No changes for both of us, Jamie. Jamie: Kurt Busch is too loose to run and will need an air pressure adjustment. Grab some that they have on the right rear and close it to get into the box and a four tire shot.

Vince? Vince: The 426 Kyle Larson has been in the top ten and can run up to four and hasn't had it in the last two races. There is no center grip for Larson at 42 right now and we are going to make an adjustment as president, Jamie. Jamie: And Martin Truex Jr. In '78. He says he can't do anything. He's just sliding around. He moved to the front early and they had gun trouble earlier. Kyle Busch's 18 on pit road too. Mate. . Matt: He blocked it on pit road. Jamie: And Kyle Busch, a four-tire stop. Here you see that snow that comes out from the right that we are on and we saw it.

Kyle was pretty happy and saw it up there and got up and sped it off. Mike: Denny Hamlin is the race leader over Joey Logano. Jeff: We saw it in that big flag exchange in the four cars and he got away by coming in a lap early by using new tires a little before Brad Keselowski and that's what put him in the lead. Darrell: He made an adjustment on car 4. Get in early and get out early and beat him on the track now too. Mike: Cape for Hamlin and Logano, running in the rain, not making this pit stop, is his bed made?

Jeff: I think so, and what they may be trying to do, and we basically saw Jimmie Johnson win this race two years ago doing the same thing, they will most likely split it into two stops and that's exactly what Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson did it two years ago with one less green flag stop. Mike: Hamlin was sixth before the other leaders pitted. Currently his lap time is 33.75 and Kevin Harvick is 2.75 faster than Hamlin and right now Harvick has 22 seconds to make up. Darrell: For this to work, they need to run eight to ten more laps and that will equal it to about 50 laps per race.

Jeff: Now you look at his lap time. That time it was 31.07 to 31.48 in both cars. Jeff: That's 14 miles per hour in one lap. Mike: Mike Wheeler, Hamlin crew chief. How about strategy 22, Jamie? Jamie: He had a pretty good day and brought a different setup and idea to make the Bert car long term and they pulled it off. Right now he's second, but they're hoping to get to eight laps, Mike. Vince: That's what Hamlin and. Jeff: That's what Hamlin and Logano are doing. Make it a two-stop race and everyone else a three-stop race. Mike: Denny Hamlin leads our top two Toyotas and Kyle Busch in fourth and Martin Truex and Erik Jones, Truex and Jones a lap down, as does Suarez because Hamlin and Logano haven't made this pit stop yet.

Jeff: Larry, from my point of view, even if you stop one less time, the amount of time you lose on the track compared to the new tires, I don't think that's going to really make up for it and make up for it. as much as they want. Larry: It's not what I would do, but I'll tell you what I'm doing. Mike: They have two opportunities and one is that, and the other is mother nature. Darrell: I have two possibilities, slim and none. Mike: And Slim is on a bus leaving town. Jeff: Right now they have everyone up to the sixth place driver a lap down, so a yellow flag would certainly work in their favor because if the yellow flag comes, even everyone else, they will make it to pit road. .

Mike: All I know is car 4 is a lot better than last time. Better. Jeff: This is something that Brad Keselowski and 226 Joey Logano executed quite well at some tracks last year. It wasn't an abrasive track like this. Mike: Harvick is now 14 seconds off the lead. They are at opposite ends of the track. 103 to go. Mike, Darrell, Jeff, what they're doing is putting on blinders. Now they are simply trying to run their race. They know what is happening with competitors who have new tires. Mike: You know what I think. They are looking at the radar, not so much the runway.

Looking at the radar. Larry: When Denny and Joey make that pit stop, they'll run faster lap times than Harvick and Keselowski, so there's another twist to this story. Those faster lap times when they finally pit. Jeff: That's a good point. They will recover part of what they are losing now. You know what they'll be able to do with that. Return to the leader's lap. Mike: Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney battling at #11. Jeff: I'm impressed with Chase Elliott. They were really struggling at the beginning of this race and with the adjustments and execution on pit road. The work he has done is to be patient to continue communicating with the team and achieve a fairly significant improvement to be up there now fighting for 10th and 11th place They have to arrive in three laps.

There is no need. If you want to divide it equally, 50, 50, 50, you don't need it.