CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 17: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. waits to take the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet out on the track during NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway on November 17, 2021 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NASCAR Cup Series drivers finally got to experience the repaved and reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday and wasted no time getting acquainted.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. set the fastest lap at 186.616 mph (29.708 seconds) as NASCAR takes its superspeedway-style package to the 1.54-mile track in Hampton, Georgia.
The action on-track highlighted elements frequently seen at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Drivers practiced in large groups of cars, racing side-by-side while utilizing the aerodynamic draft created by high speeds and the 7-inch spoiler on the rear of the cars.
Early in the session, Kyle Larson dove to the inside of Brad Keselowski entering Turn 3 and lost front traction, sliding up the track and nearly into Keselowski’s door. Both drivers avoid contact and carried on. There were no incidents in the 50-minute session.
Throughout the series’ lone practice of the weekend, drivers were racing side-by-side and competed three-wide through the higher-banked corners, steepened to 28 degrees from its previous 24 degrees while the turns were also narrowed to 40 feet from 55 feet.
A pack of roughly 20 cars rumbled atop the new pavement midway through the session as drivers attempted to dissect what moves were necessary, which of them worked and which were unusable.
Behind Stenhouse, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Harrison Burton and Joey Logano rounded out the top five in top single-lap speeds. Completing the top 10 were Michael McDowell, Justin Haley, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Cody Ware.
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