It was a hot and humid day at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 this afternoon. This race was originally scheduled for March, but due to COVID-19, NASCAR, along with other sports, postponed events until further notice. Before the race began, NASCAR made the competition caution at lap 25. Also, Kurt Busch had to go to the rear and serve a pass-through penalty after failing pre-race inspection three times. Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola were on the front row as the green flag was waved.
The green is out in the #FOHQT500 at @amsupdates! 📺: FOX 📱: https://t.co/oWWAut6pxx pic.twitter.com/hF4rT5adJv — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 7, 2020
A couple of laps into the race, Erik Jones, who started 14th, began moving up through the field to 8th place. While Jones was moving up, rookie driver Tyler Reddick was losing positions after starting 13th and found himself sitting in the 24th position. Kurt Busch was one lap down as he was able to pass all of the lead lap cars before the competition caution came out to get the free pass. All of the lead lap cars came down pit road for four tires with Joey Logano winning the race off of pit road followed by Kyle Busch. Chase Elliott came in as the leader and would find himself coming out in fourth place. Gaining and losing spots would be the name of the game in the race as clean air and new tires determined your position. Tires were a concern as they fell off quickly along with wearing out.
Joey Logano and Kyle Busch led the field back to green on lap 31. William Byron got into the wall with a flat tire and had to come to pit road. Kevin Harvick got by Busch for the second position. Byron’s day got worse as he was issued a pass-through penalty for too many men over the wall. Kevin Harvick got by Logano to take the lead on the 37th lap. Kurt Busch continued to move his way up and found himself sitting in 15th place.
Heavy traffic in Atlanta causes a tire issue for @WilliamByron. He hits the wall and is forced to come in for service. pic.twitter.com/aNudu99WS0 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 7, 2020
Scheduled green flag stops began as Ryan Newman became the first down pit road. He would get caught speeding and have to serve a drive-through penalty. Leader Kevin Harvick pitted on lap 66 and came out 0.4 seconds ahead of both Truex Jr. and Keselowski. Brad Keselowski became the latest driver to get caught speeding. Once the scheduled pit cycles ended, Harvick resumed the lead. Martin Truex Jr. caught up to Harvick and passed him on the inside of turn three to take the lead on the 87th lap.
The No. 19 is on rails after his last pit stop. @MartinTruex_Jr clears @KevinHarvick for the lead in the #FOHQT500. pic.twitter.com/pUjLixrX4P — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 7, 2020
John Hunter Nemechek’s car spun at turn four to bring out the second caution of the race on lap 96. All of the lead lap cars pitted for four tires with Truex Jr. coming out with the lead followed by Harvick. The race restarted on lap 100 with six laps to the conclusion of stage one. Chris Buescher moved into second place, and Harvick dropped to fourth. Truex Jr. would go on to win stage one.
Martin Truex Jr. led all of the lead lap cars to pit road but would come out second. Clint Bowyer won the race off of pit road. Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, and Christopher Bell’s cars were damaged due to an incident while exiting pit road. Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. led the field back to green to start stage two.
Truex Jr. and Bowyer were battling for the lead on lap 114. Truex would take the lead only to lose it to Bowyer a lap later. At this stage of the race, tires were starting to become an issue for a lot of the drivers, including the leader Clint Bowyer, who had to pit on lap 147 for a flat right rear tire handing the lead back to Truex.
Truex continued to put lead lap cars a lap down as the green flag pit cycles continued. He would come to pit road on lap 160 with a two-second lead. Brad Keselowski was now the leader. Keselowski then made a pit stop giving the lead back to Clint Bowyer. Riding on newer tires, Truex caught Bowyer to regain the lead with Kyle Busch moving to second place. Michael McDowell spun on the front stretch to bring out the fourth caution of the race.
Michael McDowell goes around racing his teammate, John Hunter Nemechek. pic.twitter.com/4U2iOpXKmh — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 7, 2020
Truex would bring the lead lap cars down for a four-tire pit stop. Kyle Busch won the race off of pit road with Truex coming out second. On the restart at lap 207, Truex would get the lead from Busch, and Ryan Blaney moved up to second place. Erik Jones’s car slowed on the front stretch, and he would have a flat tire after making contact with Christopher Bell. Truex would go on to win stage two.
Truex brought the field down to pit road again for a four-tire stop. Kyle Busch would leave pit road with the lead with Truex coming out second. As the final stage started, Truex had the lead with Busch in second. Kevin Harvick would get by both Busch and Truex to take the lead on lap 218.
Flexing some of the @StewartHaasRcng power.@KevinHarvick takes over the lead at @amsupdates. pic.twitter.com/5IXs70bq7K — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 7, 2020
Scheduled green flag pit stops began on lap 260, and first in was Matt DiBenedetto. Bowyer would pit on lap 265, Chase Elliott and Kurt Busch a lap later, Truex came in at 267, two seconds behind Harvick. Harvick, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Brad Keselowski came in at 268 handing the lead to Ryan Blaney. Blaney pitted a lap later, and the only remaining cars not to pit were Logano, Bowman, and McDowell. Those three cars would pit within two laps giving the lead back to Harvick.
Harvick proceeded to plow cars down, one by one putting them a lap down, including Alex Bowman, who was in fourteenth place. His car pulled away from Truex and the rest of the field, and he would go on to win the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
RETWEET to congratulate @KevinHarvick on his 51st NASCAR Cup Series win AND to wish @RodneyChilders4 a happy birthday! pic.twitter.com/FGhs0JRZRQ — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 7, 2020
After the race, Harvick did the Kulwicki’s polish victory lap. He circled the lap in the opposite direction holding up three fingers in memory of Dale Earnhardt. Kyle Busch would finish second, Martin Truex Jr. third, Ryan Blaney fourth, Denny Hamlin fifth, Kurt Busch sixth, Jimmie Johnson seventh, Chase Elliott eighth, Brad Keselowski ninth, and Joey Logano tenth. There were twenty-one lead changes and five cautions.
For Dale. pic.twitter.com/PZbzXvJSif — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 7, 2020
The temperature was over 80 degrees, and every driver exited his car, exhausted and worn out. Bubba Wallace had to be taken to the infield care center for treatment before being released. Next up for the Cup Series, a Wednesday night showdown at Martinsville Speedway for the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at 7 pm on FS1.
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