The 2022 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on March 20, 2022 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Contested over 325 laps on the 1.54-mile-long (2.48 km) asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway, it was the fifth race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. It was the first race at Atlanta to use superspeedway rules (in line with the traditional restrictor plate tracks with a reduced horsepower package and track limits rules), with the new reconfiguration increasing the banking from 24 degrees to 28 degrees and new pavement.
Report
Background
Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a track in Hampton, Georgia, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of 111,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The front stretch and back stretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 David Ragan Rick Ware Racing Ford 16 Noah Gragson (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 44 Greg Biffle NY Racing Team Chevrolet 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team ChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice
Friday's practice session was canceled due to inclement weather. Practice replaced qualifying Saturday. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the fastest in the practice session with a time of 29.708 seconds and a speed of .
Practice results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 29.708 186.616 2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.744 186.391 3 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.755 186.322Official practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was cancelled because of a need to add additional practice to the reconfigured circuit. Chase Briscoe was awarded the pole for the race as a result of the pandemic formula with a score of 2.850.
Starting Lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 4 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 5 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 6 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 9 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 10 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 12 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 13 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 14 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 15 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 16 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 17 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 18 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 19 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 20 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 21 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 23 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 24 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 25 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 26 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 29 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 30 16 Noah Gragson (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 31 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 32 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 33 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 34 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 35 15 David Ragan Rick Ware Racing Ford 36 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 37 44 Greg Biffle NY Racing Team ChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 105
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 102 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 93 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 84 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 75 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 66 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 57 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 210 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 105
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 102 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 93 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 84 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 75 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 66 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 57 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 48 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 39 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 210 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 1Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 115 Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 12 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 325 522 7 1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 325 363 9 45 Kurt Busch 23XI Racing Toyota 325 394 13 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 325 465 33 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 325 326 6 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 325 407 14 17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing Ford 325 308 26 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 325 339 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 325 2810 11 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 325 3111 22 31 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 325 2612 24 6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Ford 325 -6913 19 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 325 2714 23 43 Erik Jones Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 325 2915 1 14 Chase Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 325 3016 36 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 325 017 2 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 325 3018 35 15 David Ragan Rick Ware Racing Ford 325 1919 34 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 325 1820 37 44 Greg Biffle NY Racing Team Chevrolet 325 1721 8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 325 1622 10 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 325 2223 27 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 325 1424 29 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 321 1325 31 21 Harrison Burton (R) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 321 1226 32 51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Ford 300 1127 25 38 Todd Gilliland (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 297 1028 5 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 245 1129 15 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 212 1730 21 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 212 1031 28 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 200 1332 16 2 Austin Cindric (R) Team Penske Ford 200 633 4 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 171 434 20 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 150 335 17 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 101 236 18 42 Ty Dillon Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet 101 137 30 16 Noah Gragson (i) Kaulig Racing Chevrolet 23 0Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 46 among 20 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 11 for 65 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 3 hours, 57 minutes and 14 seconds Average speed:
Post-race
Brad Keselowski, who finished 12th, was penalized 100 playoff points when an illegally modified body part was found on his car during a post-race inspection. In addition, Matt McCall, his crew chief, was fined $100,000 and suspended for the next four races. The penalty dropped Keselowski from 6th in the point standings to 35th.
Media
Television The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 was carried by Fox in the United States. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, and five-time Atlanta winner Jeff Gordon called the race from the broadcast booth. Jamie Little and Regan Smith handled pit road for the television side, and Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.
FoxBooth announcersPit reportersIn-race analyst Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Jeff GordonColor-commentator: Clint Bowyer Jamie LittleRegan Smith Larry McReynolds
Radio The race was broadcast on radio by the Performance Racing Network and simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice and Mark Garrow called the race from the booth when the field raced down the front stretch. Rob Albright called the race from atop a billboard outside of turn 2 when the field raced through turns 1 and 2, and Pat Patterson called the race from a billboard outside of turn 3 when the field raced through turns 3 and 4. On pit road, PRN was manned by Brad Gillie, Doug Turnbull, and Wendy Venturini.
PRNBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Doug RiceAnnouncer: Mark Garrow Turns 1 & 2: Rob AlbrightTurns 3 & 4: Pat Patterson Brad GillieDoug TurnbullWendy Venturini
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 2 1 Chase Elliott 171 1 2 Joey Logano 164 (–7) 2 3 Chase Briscoe 156 (–15) 11 4 William Byron 150 (–21) 7 5 Kurt Busch 148 (–23) 1 6 Ryan Blaney 148 (–23) 1 7 Aric Almirola 144 (–27) 5 8 Martin Truex Jr. 142 (–29) 2 9 Alex Bowman 140 (–31) 4 10 Ross Chastain 137 (–34) 9 11 Kyle Busch 136 (–35) 8 12 Kyle Larson 135 (–36) 9 13 Daniel Suárez 127 (–44) 4 14 Kevin Harvick 127 (–44) 6 15 Tyler Reddick 126 (–45) 8 16 Austin Cindric 121 (–50)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 1 Chevrolet 182 1 2 Ford 173 (–9) 3 Toyota 163 (–19)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
Notes
References