By Adam Carabine and Logan Morris
Logan Morris: Hey Adam, what a race we saw at Atlanta! I believe it had everything you could want as a racing fan. What did you think of it?
Adam Carabine: Hey Logan, glad to be back here writing with you. I’ll admit I was skeptical of the Atlanta repave/reconfiguring it to a super-speedway style track, but as Chris Stapleton might say, I was wrong.
Atlanta has proven to be thrilling pretty much every time we visit, and Sunday was no exception. The only gripe I’ve really seen online is that they threw that caution on the last lap. Did you have an issue with that?
LM: I didn’t have an issue with it. I know people are screaming about how inconsistent NASCAR has been the first two weeks, but we have to remember these are judgment calls, and when you have head-on hits like we saw with Josh Berry, it’s tough to fault NASCAR for wanting to get out there and make sure everyone is okay.
AC: I’m with you, 100%. I’m sure glad I am not the one who has to sit in that booth and make these split-second calls. The keyboard warriors, as Mike Joy might call them, have the benefit of hindsight and time. It’s easy to see after the fact what the right call is, but these calls have to be made quickly and with safety in mind. I have no issue with the way the first two race weekends have gone as far as officiating goes. I would like to see it get more consistent, but it’s early.
Talk to me about the race, though. What makes Atlanta so special?
LM: For me, it’s the constant action you see on the track—the split-second decisions we see in these packs that are usually reserved for Daytona and Talladega. The difference is everything happens so much faster on the mile-and-a-half hybrid that is Atlanta.
Look at some of the chaos we saw. Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski got caught up in the carnage. Now that the track is getting some character, it’s getting more difficult to drive. I can’t wait until NASCAR heads back out in June when the track should be slick.
AC: Yeah, as teams are getting used to the new design, I think the gap between best and worst has gotten smaller, which also lends itself to more chaos. You need the quick reflexes usually reserved for the drafting-style tracks, but you also have to balance some tire wear, which doesn’t tend to be as big of a factor at Daytona or Talladega.
We’ve made it this far without even discussing the winner! What did you think of Christopher Bell getting the dub?
LM: Christopher Bell could be described as Mr. Where did he come? Besides Bubba Wallace, the Toyotas were pretty hard to find. They seemed to lack the raw speed coming into the race. At Atlanta, that isn’t a major issue. But at the traditional mile-and-a-half tracks, they’re going to have to find more speed. The folks at Ford have to have some serious heartburn about not winning this one. They were so fast! But, all for not. Christopher Bell locks himself in early.
AC: I’m not as concerned about Toyota’s mile-and-a-half speed just yet. While Atlanta is 1.5 miles, I imagine the setups on those Toyotas were more for drafting than your traditional intermediate track. I’ll reserve judgment until we hit Las Vegas in a few weeks.
So far we’ve seen two drivers lock themselves into the playoffs. Neither of which would have been a surprise, but they did it in unorthodox ways. You’re right that Bell showed up seemingly out of nowhere, though he nearly lost it to last year’s Rookie of the Year, Carson Hocevar.
I must say, it was a little rich seeing Ross Chastain pull him aside for a chat post-race. What do you think of Hocevar, and is it too soon to be making enemies?
LM: Hocevar is not making any friends out there. Blaney, Busch, and Chastain all showed displeasure with him during the race. I would chalk it up to growing pains, similar to what we’ve seen with Ross Chastain. Remember when Rick Hendrick was displeased with Ross? Oh, the irony. But, the question is how will Hocevar respond to all this in the weeks to come?
AC: Not only how will Hocevar respond, but will the other drivers take it upon themselves to police this situation? Personally I don’t have a problem with it. I think it adds a layer of excitement. When you see Hocevar up there moving and shaking, there’s an extra unpredictability that makes it fun to watch. He’s a talented kid, but he’s also just a kid. He’ll grow into it, as we’ve seen with other drivers too.
What do you say we get into our awards for the race?
Best Performer
LM: For best performer, I have to go with Josh Berry. He had a big day in the iconic 21 car, scoring a stage win. I know he crashed out late, but he was impressive.
AC: Good shout, I thought Berry was impressive. I’m beginning to think that he might be able to provide the consistent results that the Wood Bros. have been lacking over the last few years.
My top performer goes to Michael McDowell (and his crew). He ties the record for most consecutive free passes after fixing a heck of a lot of damage, and then salvages a Top 15 run. Shout out to the new DVP rules that allowed McDowell and his team to work on the car and get it back on the track.
Biggest Move of the Race
LM: I have to go with Carson Hocevar. He was doing everything he could to put himself into position, for better or worse. Had we stayed green until the end, who knows what he would have attempted to do to try and get his first career victory?
AC: I was getting excited, because one of my pre-season hot takes was that Hocevar would win multiple races. It wasn’t to be on Sunday but maybe I’m a genius?
My biggest move of the race goes to John Hunter Nemechek earning his second straight Top 10. You may think I’m just blowing smoke here for your sake, but really it has been an impressive run for JHN. I don’t see the streak continuing next week at COTA, but it’s a strong start for a team looking for anything positive.
Biggest Disappointment
LM: My biggest disappointment has to be Joey Logano. Yes, he led laps and there’s nothing with a 12th place finish. However, on a day when Ford was flexing their muscles, at a track where he won last season he never felt like a real contender.
AC: For me, I’ll go with Daniel Suarez getting caught in the wreck and finishing 33rd. His win last year at Atlanta was one for the history books. And while I wasn’t expecting that close of a finish again, I was hopeful that Suarez would find his way back to the front.
What to Watch for Next Weekend
AC: Next weekend we visit Circuit of the Americas - COTA - in Austin, Texas. Personally, I’m going to be there live, covering the race. So first and foremost, look for me on TV!
But in all seriousness, there are a couple of key points to think about next week. Firstly, it’s a new track layout that we haven’t yet seen at COTA for NASCAR. They’ve shortened the track and cut out the super-long straightaway. Because pretty much everyone will be new to this, we could see some differing strategy calls on fuel/tires, etc.
The other thing to pay attention to is that this is the first Road Course of the 2025 season. Watch for some road course players like SVG or Allmendinger to show up strong, and ultimately could disrupt the playoff field with a win.
Anything you’re watching for next weekend, Logan?
LM: The uncertainty. As you mentioned it’s a new layout, so practice and qualifying on Saturday carry even deeper meaning than usual. We’ve seen some wild moments during COTA’s short tenure on the NASCAR circuit. We very well may be heading for another one of those unforeseen moments. I think a ringer will get it done next week. I’m just not sure which one!
AC: I look forward to catching a glimpse of it with my own eyes. I wonder if I’ll be allowed to go up to the top of that tower! Anyway, keep it locked at Racing Refresh and we’ll keep you updated all weekend long. See you soon!
LM: I look forward to seeing just who is the king of the road!
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