The EchoPark Speedway is facing weather woes once again. The conditions are cold and windy, and drivers are not confident about racing in such conditions. The gusting winds are likely to compromise the car’s handling when the driver emerges from the high-speed corners. Multiple Cup Series participants have raised their concerns about the same ahead of the race.

Denny Hamlin worries that his inexperience with windy conditions might create difficulties for him during the race.

“Certainly the wind will play a factor, especially off Turn 4 and Turn 3. It’s going to be crazy to navigate. It’s been a long time since I’ve been at a track with this kind of wind.”

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The drivers had their last practice session at Daytona. Since then, the Cup cars haven’t touched the tarmac even once. The qualifying session was their last chance to clock in some laps, but it ended up being canceled due to rain. McDowell does not believe that race will see many green flags today.

“No idea, we haven’t had any practice or qualifying. It’s cold and windy, but the unknowns are the same for every team,” said McDowell.

Similarly, Christopher Bell is under-confident about his car’s handling. The reigning winner of the spring race at Atlanta thinks that the windy conditions will create chaos among the pack.

Atlanta is known for pack racing and drivers’ tendency to start drafting as soon as they can. Bell explains that the wind hitting their door will throw their cars all over the place. Since handling won’t be as easy as expected, the pack may end up crashing out more than once. It will prevent the race from reaching green-flag conditions.

The weather has been a huge issue for NASCAR even before the start of the season. First, it was the consistent snow and dangerous racing conditions at Bowman Gray. Next, it was Daytona and the looming threat of rain. This time, it’s EchoPark Speedway and its inconsistent weather.

Yesterday, the races were cut short owing to the heavy rain. Today, the rain stopped, but suddenly the track is all windy. It will disturb the drivers and drop their confidence due to the fact that they have no idea about the car’s behavior on the track.

The qualifying grid for today’s race is decided on the basis of the championship standings. As a result, Tyler Reddick will start the race on pole. Meanwhile, home hero Chase Elliott is going to start from the second row owing to his P4 finish at Daytona. Among the other drivers, only Ryan Blaney is slightly positive about his race today.

Blaney might have won the Atlanta summer race in 2021, but he is starting from P22 today. As such, he needs to make huge gains to get back to the front of the pack as soon as possible. While Blaney thinks that the wind will make it difficult for him, he is more than ready to take advantage of the same.

“It’s the same for everybody. You just figure it out; you just kind of feel it out, get going, and we got to come from midpack, all the way back. So hopefully, we can handle the wind, handle the conditions a little bit better than most, and find a way to get out towards the front. But I am excited for today.”

While the drivers prepare to combat the wind, let’s have a quick look at today’s event.

NASCAR Cup Series Race at EchoPark Speedway

The Autotrader 400 is the first race of the Cup Series season at the EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as the Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is a 400-mile event that will run for 260 laps and will consist of three stages. The first stage will be 60 laps long, and the final two stages are 100 laps each.

The race starts at 3:00 PM ET and will be broadcast by FOX. Christopher Bell is the reigning winner of the NASCAR spring race at Atlanta. This is a drafting track, which favors drivers who are able to get a good run and time their pit stops strategically.

As of now, Austin Cindric won Stage 1 ahead of Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, and William Byron. However, he’s already been pushed to the 5th, as Wallace leads it, with Byron and Larson chasing him. The race has already seen 20 lead changes within 72 laps.

Which driver are you supporting for today’s race? Let us know in the comments below.