NASCAR returns to its roots with 1st of 2 visits to Atlanta

HAMPTON, Ga. — NASCAR is returning to its roots.

Even as the good ol’ boys attempt to break with the uglier parts of their history — most notably, the Confederate flag — the sport has embraced a more traditional footprint with its 2021 schedule.

That includes Atlanta Motor Speedway, which Sunday is hosting the first of two Cup races.

NASCAR will return to the track in July, the first time since 2010 that the 1.54-mile tri-oval has staged a pair of events.

The drivers certainly are pleased to be making a couple of visits to one of their favorite stops, a treacherous, high-speed layout that produces some of the best racing on the Cup circuit.

“Atlanta has always been a track I enjoyed,” said Martin Truex, coming off a victory last week in Phoenix. “It’s a very fun racetrack, being able to run all over the track, just the tire wear and all those things, are things I enjoy behind the wheel.”

Nearly two decades ago, NASCAR began an effort to expand its fan base by staging more races beyond the seven states — North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida — that long had dominated the schedule.

But with attendance dipping at many tracks and big TV ratings harder to come by from an increasingly fragmented audience, the governing body decided to shake things up by turning to its past.

The coronavirus pandemic muddled the effort in 2020, but this year’s schedule includes 19 races in those seven traditional states — the most since 2003.

Atlanta has returned to having two Cup dates. So has South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway, which was limited to one race from 2005-19. Nashville is back on the schedule for the first time since 1984.

To accommodate the changes, NASCAR dumped Chicago and Kentucky. Dover gave up one of its two races. California is on hold until at least 2022 because of covid-19 restrictions.

Reigning Cup champion Chase Elliott is thrilled to have two chances to win at what he considers his home track.

“It’s always going to be a special place for me,” he said. “I spent lot of time racing Legends cars and things like that down there. For sure, I would love to go have a good run.”

If it doesn’t work out this time, he’ll get another chance in July.