Drama in Atlanta: Massive Crash Reshapes NASCAR Competition Heading to Chicago

NASCAR competition experienced a major upset at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta — a massive 23-car crash dramatically changed the competition results.

Top seed Denny Hamlin was eliminated after being involved in the big crash on lap 69, opening the way for 32nd-ranked Ty Dillon. A similar fate befell second seed Chase Briscoe which allowed Noah Gragson to advance to the next round.

More surprises emerged as Ricky Stenhouse Jr defeated Christopher Bell, Erik Jones eliminated Ross Chastain, and Ryan Preece overcame William Byron.

Eight new matchups have been set for round two at Chicago Circuit:

• Ty Dillon vs Brad Keselowski
• Alex Bowman vs Bubba Wallace
• John Hunter Nemechek vs Chase Elliott
• Erik Jones vs Ricky Stenhouse Jr
• Noah Gragson vs Ryan Preece
• Carson Hocevar vs Tyler Reddick
• AJ Allmendinger vs Ty Gibbs
• Zane Smith vs Chris Buescher

RFK Racing showed impressive performance with all three drivers advancing to the next round — while major teams like Trackhouse and Penske no longer have representatives in the competition.