The NASCAR schedule this week takes us to EchoPark Speedway, also referred to as Atlanta Motor Speedway, for Sunday night time’s Quaker State 400. Not solely are Cup Sequence drivers battling for spots in The Chase because the common season winds down, however we have additionally reached the third spherical of the NASCAR In-Season Problem with eight drivers left.
Let’s dive proper into our NASCAR In-Season Problem Predictions this weekend for the Quaker State 400 in Georgia. All statistics are by way of DriverAverages.com
(32) Alex Bowman vs (25) Todd Gilliland
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Alex Bowman’s Cinderella story within the NASCAR In-Season Problem continues. Now, it isn’t fairly like what occurred with Ty Dillon in 2025 contemplating that Bowman earned the 32-seed on account of lacking races on account of vertigo, nevertheless it’s nonetheless enjoyable to see. He is already knocked out Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric, with a Spherical 3 matchup towards Todd Gilliland that actually seems to be favorable to the No. 48 automobile on paper. Will this run proceed? Provided that Bowman (17.7 common ending place) has been considerably higher than Gilliland (21.6 avg. ending place) at EchoPark and he is much more superior on drafting tracks (16.0 avg. end in final 21 races vs 20.3), we’re inclined to say sure.
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Learn Extra: Winners and Losers from eero 400, together with Alex Bowman
(12) Chase Briscoe vs (4) Chase Elliott
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It is the battle of the Chases within the NASCAR In-Season Problem. Chase Briscoe is coming off his first win of the season on Sunday night time at Chicagoland and he is completed top-two in every of the final three races. Simply as notable, the No. 19 group has one of the best common ending place (7.5) within the Cup Sequence during the last six races, whereas Chase Elliott ranks eleventh (15.0). We would additionally notice that Briscoe completed second at EchoPark again in February with Elliott in eleventh, although, Elliott does have the higher end at this observe (11.3 vs 24.7). We’re choosing the motive force who has been extra constant as of late, particularly with how dominant the Toyota automobiles have been this season.
(2) Denny Hamlin vs (10) Christopher Bell
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One theme of the In-Season Match in these previous two rounds has been teammates going head-to-head. On this case, Joe Gibbs Racing standouts Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell will battle it out for a spot within the last 4. Hamlin has been dominant this yr, however his success is basically approaching intermediate tracks. Within the final 21 races on drafting tracks, Hamlin has a 20.2 common ending place versus Bell’s 16.5 mark. Fittingly, Bell (16.6 avg. end) and Hamlin (16.7) have been neck-and-neck at Atlanta within the final seven races. We would anticipate it to be tight once more, however our intestine says to select Hamlin.
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Learn Extra: NASCAR Standings Proper Now Earlier than EchoPark
(11) William Byron vs (3) Ryan Blaney
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It feels proper to see most of the finest NASCAR drivers within the “Elite Eight” of the In-Season Problem. William Byron versus Ryan Blaney must be a fantastic battle on Sunday night time, even when they is perhaps extra centered on the win and battling for seeding in The Chase than this match. Byron has been the third-best driver on drafting tracks (16.0 avg. end) since 2023, whereas Blaney (17.7) ranks twelfth. Extra particular to EchoPark, nonetheless, Blaney (10.7 with six top-10 finishes) has outshined Byron (21.6 with two top-10 finishes). We’re choosing Blaney, because the No. 12 group has proven much more consistency all year long.
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