After opening the 2026 season at Daytona International Speedway, Ford Racing teams in all three of NASCAR’s top series will head to EchoPark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway) for the first of two visits this year. Chandler Smith will be looking to start the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with back-to-back wins after his Daytona victory while Nick Sanchez goes for consecutive track wins in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The weekend culminates with the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday afternoon.
THE SCHEDULE
- Saturday, February 21 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
- Saturday, February 21 – NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, 5 p.m. ET (CW)
- Sunday, February 22 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. ET (FOX)
UP TO SPEED
QUALIFYING DOMINANCE
When it comes to qualifying in recent years, no manufacturer has been more dominant than Ford, which has captured the NASCAR Cup Series pole six straight times. The Blue Oval hasn’t only won the pole, but it has swept the front row in each of those qualifying sessions. Team Penske has led the way during this two-year stretch as all three drivers - Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric - have qualified in the top 10 for each race. The organization has also had at least one driver start on the front row in each of the last six races. Here’s a list of Ford’s qualifying success since 2023.
FORD LOOKING TO EXTEND ATLANTA POLE STREAK TO SEVEN
- Joey Logano ran Ford Racing’s streak of Cup poles at EchoPark Speedway to six after putting his No. 22 Autotrader Ford Mustang Dark Horse on the pole in June.
- The list of pole winners during that span includes: Joey Logano and Michael McDowell (twice each), Aric Almirola and Ryan Blaney (once each).
- Ford has swept the front row in six straight AMS qualifying sessions – Logano/Berry (2025-2), Blaney/Cindric (2025-1), McDowell/Blaney (2024-2), McDowell/Logano (2024-1), Almirola/Blaney (2023-2), Logano/Cindric (2023-1).
- Team Penske has had at least one driver start on the front row in each of the last six races (Logano, 2025-2; Blaney and Cindric, 2025-1; Blaney, 2024-2; Logano, 2024-1; Blaney, 2023-2; Logano and Cindric, 2023-1)
- Ford swept the top 8 spots in the 2023 spring race.
- Ford swept the top 6 spots in the 2023 summer race.
- Ford swept the top 5 spots in the 2024 summer race.
- Ford swept the top 5 spots and 9 of the top 10 in the 2025 spring race.
- Ford swept the top 8 spots in the 2025 summer race.
A LOOK BACK
KESELOWSKI GETS FIRST CUP WIN FOR MUSTANG
In 2019, Brad Keselowski gave Mustang its first NASCAR Cup Series victory as he held off Martin Truex Jr. at the finish line to win the Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Keselowski, who was battling an illness all weekend and had Austin Cindric standing by in case he needed relief, led the final 33 laps to post his 28th career victory. In all, Ford Racing led 177 of the 325 laps and won for the third straight year at the 1.5-mile track.
SANCHEZ RETURNING TO SITE OF FIRST WIN
Nick Sanchez will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at EchoPark Speedway after he took the checkered flag there in June. The win was his first in the series and came after he qualified on the pole. Sanchez, who is in his first year with AM Racing, led three times for 18 laps and passed Jesse Love with six circuits remaining to claim the victory.
SMITH TURNS HEARTBREAK INTO TRIUMPH
Ford F-150 driver Chandler Smith seemingly did everything right in his attempt to make last week’s Daytona 500, but circumstances on the final lap of his Duel qualifying race kept him from making the field. One night later, that disappointment turned into joy as he scored a dramatic season-opening victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Smith entered turn three of the final lap in fifth place, but thanks to a push from fellow Ford driver Ty Majeski, Smith rode the inside lane to victory as the four trucks in front of him battled each other. The win marked the third time in the last five years that Ford Racing and Front Row Motorsports have captured the first race of the year at Daytona International Speedway. A win this weekend in Atlanta would make Smith the first driver since Ben Rhodes in 2021 to capture back-to-back races to start the season.
PAST WINNERS
FORD’S ATLANTA CUP SERIES WINNERS
1961 – Fred Lorenzen
1962 – Fred Lorenzen
1963 – Fred Lorenzen
1964 – Fred Lorenzen and Ned Jarrett
1965 – Marvin Panch (Sweep)
1967 – Cale Yarborough and Dick Hutcherson
1968 – LeeRoy Yarbrough
1969 – LeeRoy Yarbrough
1975 – Buddy Baker
1978 – Bobby Allison
1981 – Neil Bonnett
1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1987 – Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott
1990 – Morgan Shepherd
1991 – Mark Martin
1992 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1993 – Morgan Shepherd
1994 – Ernie Irvan and Mark Martin
1997 – Dale Jarrett
2002 – Kurt Busch
2005 – Carl Edwards (Sweep)
2008 – Carl Edwards
2017 – Brad Keselowski
2018 – Kevin Harvick
2019 – Brad Keselowski
2020 – Kevin Harvick
2021 – Ryan Blaney (1)
2023 – Joey Logano (1)
2024 – Joey Logano (2)
FORD’S ATLANTA NOAPS WINNERS
1992 – Jeff Gordon
1997 – Mark Martin
1998 – Mark Martin
2000 – Mark Martin
2004 – Matt Kenseth
2005 – Carl Edwards
2008 – Matt Kenseth
2011 – Carl Edwards
2012 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2018 – Kevin Harvick
FORD’S ATLANTA TRUCK SERIES WINNERS
2020 – Grant Enfinger
