NASCAR Quaker State 400 preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines

On Saturday night, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will make their second stop of the season at the 1.54-mile EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) for the running of the Quaker State 400 (7 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Here is what you need to know ahead of the 18th race of the Cup Series season and the first race of the inaugural In-Season Challenge:

Favorite: Ryan Blaney (+800, per DraftKings)

He may not have any wins to show for it, but no driver has been more consistent on the reconfigured Atlanta surface than the 2023 Cup Series champion. Despite the unpredictability that comes with drafting-style tracks, Blaney has remarkably recorded six consecutive top-10s at EchoPark Speedway, the last three of which were top-fives.

With his first win of the season at Nashville and a solid third-place finish at Pocono in the last four races, Blaney seems to be rounding into form as the summer stretch intensifies. A second trip to Atlanta is right in his wheelhouse, making him a clear threat on Saturday night.

Underdog: Daniel Suarez (+2800, per DraftKings)

Suarez may not be the first name that comes to mind on drafting tracks, but his results at EchoPark speak for themselves. Aside from a 33rd-place finish in the spring race, Suarez has a win in the 2024 spring race and a pair of second-place finishes in his last four starts there.

Although Suarez has not produced a top-10 finish in a points-paying race since Texas on May 4, his track record in the "Peach State" points to a driver that should be toward the front on Saturday night.

In-Season Challenge set to begin

NASCAR is set to wave the green flag on its own version of "March Madness" with the new In-Season Challenge. The top 32 drivers in points qualified for the tournament and were seeded based on their finishes in the last three races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono.

Drivers will be pitted in head-to-head matchups for the bracket-style tournament, with the field getting cut in half after each round and two drivers battling for the $1M prize at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. It will give fans something else to keep track of during the race and extra bragging rights for the drivers involved.

Will Team Penske's recent dominance on drafting-style tracks continue?

They may not always have wins to show for it, but Team Penske has been the clear team to beat when drafting is involved. Austin Cindric won at Talladega earlier this season and has led double-digit laps in each of the last four races at EchoPark,

Blaney has done everything but win at the Atlanta track, and defending champion Joey Logano has won two of the last five races there. Expect all three to be near the front on Saturday and threats for the win if they can stay out of trouble.

Will the trend of new 2025 winners continue?

Through the ninth race of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway, three drivers (Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin) had multiple wins. In the last eight races, six drivers have picked up their first win of the season, including Chase Briscoe in the most recent race at Pocono.

It is highly likely that the trend continues on Saturday, given the unpredictable nature of speedway racing. Considering there are 12 winless drivers this season who have won at a drafting-style track, there is a good chance a new 2025 winner emerges once again.