William Byron Win At Atlanta, 4th Win Of Season (7-9-23)
Headline Photo Credit: Marvin Gentry- USA Today
We head to Atlanta for a night race in the summer for what is sure to be a face paced race. Before the race started Richard Childress will drive Kevin Harvick’s number twenty-nine car around while Kevin Harvick comes to join him. The fans in the stands along with Richard all holding up three fingers as well. They are honoring Kevin Harvick’s retirement from full-time racing but Dale Earnhardt Sr as well. It was Kevin Havrick’s first win in the Goodwrench car post-Dale Sr. death. What a way to start a race on everyone’s emotions. Aric Amarillo will lead us to Green with Joey Logano right beside him. We will get our first caution for Harrison Burton which will end up with four flat tires. Several drivers did opt to come down to the pit road. This may be good for some as drivers are being told that rain could be roughly an hour to an hour and a half out. This ramps up the intensity of the race in stage one. Aric Amarillo will lose the lead and get hung out to dry. He will finally force himself in right in front of Tyler Reddick and Tyler does not seem very happy about that move. This shakes things up again as moves then begin to be made from Aric moving backward. Tyler Reddick will have a huge save and keeps from causing a huge accident. There are less than five laps to go and we see a huge battle with teammates and Kyle Larson. Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson will battle side by side after a three-wide battle to the end. Ryan Blaney will pull just seconds ahead of Kyle Larson for the stage one win.
We see multiple penalties on pit road by fast drivers. Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and William Byron all penalties on pit road. Martin Truex Jr and Michael McDowell made contact on pit road and spun Martin Truex Jr into another picture. Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney will bring us to green for stage two. Joey Logano gives a shove to his teammate Ryan Blaney to the lead. It looks like Corey LaJoie maybe was changing lanes and possibly got into the rear of William Byron and brings out a caution due to the spin-out and tire debris. When we get back racing Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr will bring us back to green. We then see Kyle Larson go around. Thankfully most everyone missed him after he went off the nose of Erik Jones. There have been several more close calls in heading to just fifty laps left in stage one. We see three wide racing while everyone is pushing because the weather is moving in that could call the race. We get another caution as multiple care is involved. This leads to Austin Cindric and Brad Keselowski with Christopher Buscher right behind them. Martin Truex Jr meanwhile has found massive speed going three wide at the top on the high line. Alex Bowman will get loose and will tag Denny Hamlin. Both cars have damage and will have to make it back around. This is right at the end of stage two where they are not sure if they will be able to open pit road and restart stage two. Brad Keselowski will win stage two under caution.
We have multiple drivers and teams gambling with rain moving in with a prediction of ten minutes or so. AJ Allmendinger will lead us back to green. Things are immediately on high intensity as drivers are well aware that rain is coming and will be here anytime. Kevin Harvick spins out and was able to stay off the track and NASCAR does not call a caution. There are reports of raindrops in turn four starting. Michael McDowell who is a driver who risked staying out fuel-wise, is now running on fumes. His break will come when we get an on-track incident with Bubba Wallace and others. This will then lead NASCAR to run multiple caution laps due to light rain happening around the track. While they attempt to make the correct call for everyone. NASCAR will eventually pull everyone down the pit road due to the rain intensifying and parking them. With the rain intensifying and more rain coming in NASCAR will call the race and William Byron will become the winner.
