Let’s begin off this week’s version of ‘Winners and Losers’ by simply applauding the minds behind the Atlanta reconfiguration. The brand new model of this historic monitor has shortly asserted itself as among the finest on the schedule, and constantly places on essentially the most thrilling races. On Sunday, 14 completely different drivers took a end up entrance with a report 57 lead modifications.
And regardless of the entire chaos and carnage, it was the very same outcome as one week in the past as Michael Jordan and Tyler Redddick celebrated the win, additional extending their benefit within the championship standings.
As is the case with many of those chaotic races, we could not probably embrace each winner and loser, however this is a take a look at a few of the greatest and most fascinating winners/losers from a sensational race round EchoPark Speedway:
WINNER: Tyler Reddick has no fender, and that was no downside
Watch: Reddick on second win: ‘Generally issues are simply meant to be’
Reddick’s Atlanta win may really be extra spectacular than his dramatic Daytona 500 triumph. The #45 automobile was wrecked, spinning down the frontstretch with its right-front fender fully lacking inside 50 laps of the end. And but, the crew bolted contemporary tires to the wounded automobile and Reddick stormed again by the sector. He went from being the pusher on an additional time restart to driving off with the win, going back-to-back in a feat not seen within the NASCAR Cup Sequence since 2009.
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LOSER: Hocevar’s nice run will get overshadowed…once more
Christopher Bell crashes in additional time restart
Photograph by: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures
Carson Hocevar had one other incredible run on Sunday, and one more shot at securing his first win within the Cup Sequence. Finally, he completed fourth, however identical to final 12 months’s race at Atlanta, he did not attain the checkered flag with out ruffling a couple of feathers. He spun Logano in an sincere mistake in the course of the race, however as soon as he might sniff the race lead in additional time, Hocevar let his aggression get the very best of him. He wedged his means between Bell and Wallace seconds into the primary additional time restart, and Bell went crashing into the surface wall. And on the ultimate lap, he drove Wallace straight within the wall earlier than driving off with a top-five end. Primarily based on his latest social posts, he does not actually care concerning the run-ins, and that may make for some nice tv, however it will not make his season any simpler on the monitor.
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WINNER: SVG goes off-roading and scores his greatest oval end but
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Photograph by: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures
Shane van Gisbergen’s greatest outcome on an oval within the NASCAR Cup Sequence was tenth earlier than Atlanta, however now it is sixth. The 3x Supercars champion even obtained as excessive as fourth on the ultimate lap, however what made his run extra spectacular was what he needed to battle again from. SVG was moments away from a possible third-place end in Stage 2 when Kyle Larson got here down, sending him by the infield grass (and partially airborne). Because the crew labored to get the automobile proper after that, SVG spun on his personal, taking a second journey by the infield. However regardless of all that, he nonetheless surged ahead on the finish with contemporary tires, and was integral in getting teammate Ross Chastain right into a podium spot with a mighty shove on the white flag. Oh, and we’re heading to a street course subsequent week…
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LOSER: Bubba Wallace and what might have been
Watch: Bubba Wallace left considering ‘what might’ve been’ after EchoPark
It felt like deja vu as Reddick celebrated on the frontstretch whereas Michael Jordan consoled Wallace within the pit lane, much like the scene we noticed at Daytona one week in the past. And whereas a troublesome loss on the 500 was as a consequence of circumstances past Wallace’s rapid management, he was certainly kicking himself after Atlanta. The #23 was in management with teammate Reddick pushing, however after they obtained away from the surface line, Wallace went up in entrance of the ever-aggressive Hocevar, and he almost went all the way in which to the wall, giving Hocevar and pusher Chastain simply sufficient room to shuffle him out of line. Whereas he completed a disappointing eighth, the excellent news is that Wallace is second within the championship standings. However as Reddick celebrates back-to-back wins, Wallace is aware of simply how shut he was to standing in his place in Victory Lane.
Daniel Suarez, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Photograph by: Jeff Curry / Getty Pictures
After a prime 5 run within the Bowman Grey exhibition race, Suarez has hit the bottom working with Spire Motorsports. He prevented the last-lap wreck at Daytona to carry residence the crew’s greatest end, after which pushed Hocevar to a double top-five for the crew at Atlanta. Suarez now sits inside the highest ten in factors, and appears to be gelling properly together with his new crew.
LOSER: Kyle Larson’s race-ending error
Kyle Larson crash injury, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Photograph by: Jeffrey Vest / Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures
Larson took full accountability for this, admitting he ‘screwed up’ on the ultimate lap of Stage 2. Larson was within the prime line by Flip 4 with the green-and-white checkered flag in sight, however he selected to chop all the way in which right down to the underside. He did this whereas unaware of SVG, who had simply charged by a number of automobiles and was now to Larson’s inside. Contact was made, and Larson violently slammed the surface wall, costing him a number of factors and ending a promising day. Larson’s race ended over 100 laps shy of the end, however he nonetheless led extra laps than anybody in addition to the race winner.
WINNER: Zane Smith quietly stays prime 5 within the standings
Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports Ford
Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
Nobody is admittedly speaking concerning the FRM driver, however they need to be. He had a shot to win the Daytona 500 after profitable a stage within the season-opener, in the end ending sixth and avoiding the frontstretch melee. At Atlanta, he completed a powerful seventh with one other clear run that now has him fifth within the championship standings. It is early days, however nonetheless an excellent begin for the No. 38 crew. Final 12 months, he led simply 22 laps and scored 5 prime tens, however after simply two races in 2026, he is at ten laps led and two prime tens. Smith is effectively on his option to having his greatest season but within the Cup Sequence if he can stick with it. Additionally, he is the one driver past Reddick and Wallace with back-to-back prime tens to begin the 12 months!
LOSER: All of the drivers already falling behind within the factors
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota; Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
Talking of the factors, there’s some very notable drivers going through pretty deep holes already within the 2026 season. Bell wrecked from the entrance row in additional time, and that mixed with one other late-race crash on the 500 means he’s thirty first in factors proper now. And even with simply 25 factors scored by the primary two races, there’s a number of different huge identify drivers in worse spots. Alex Bowman sits thirty second within the No. 48 Hendrick Chevy, Bell’s JGR teammate Ty Gibbs is thirty third, adopted by Austin Dillon in thirty fourth, Todd Gilliland thirty fifth, and rising star Connor Zilisch is thirty sixth — final amongst full-time drivers after two wrecks to begin his rookie marketing campaign.
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