On March 5, the Folds of Honor will take place at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and what an exciting race it will be. There are lots of young faces in the Monster Energy Cup Series that are giving the veterans a nice challenge to start off this season.
There is a buildup of expectation for this year’s race. Although last year Jimmie Johnson led the pack for a good amount of the race, there was never a guarantee he would pull off the victory. On the very last lap of last year’s Quiktrip 500 there was a four-car crash that mixed up the field at the finish. The race ended with Jimmie Johnson winning, and Dale Earnhardt Jr following close behind and Kyle and Kurt Busch were 3rd and 4th.
Last years Fold of Honor QuikTrip 500 did not disappoint, and its safe to say this year looks to be just as, if not more exciting. There are a few things to look out for when watching and enjoying the Quiktrip.
Firstly, can Jimmie Johnson pull off his fifth Quiktrip victory? This would also be his 3rd straight victory in Atlanta. Johnson will be looking for a strong finish this weekend after failing to finish in the top 10 in Daytona last week starting the season. Still, Jimmie Johnson is one of the favorites to pull out in front on March 5th.
Another driver to keep your eyes on is Kurt Busch and boy he has looked good so far this season. Busch won the Daytona 500 with style as he pulled it off with a last lap pass after never previously leading the pack before that. Busch passed Kyle Larson on the first turn of the final lap and pulled off the victory.
If Kurt Busch can keep his momentum up, he is bound to do well at the Quiktrip. Busch won the Folds of Honor race back in 2002 and is trying to add another win on this track.
Young drivers like Chase Elliot, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Larson are also racing well this season, and it will be interesting how they finish in this race.
Larson raced very well at Daytona, and he was leading the race until he ran out of gas and got passed by Busch on the final lap. Larson will be careful not to make the same mistake this time around and I like his chances to finish high in this race.
Chase Elliot and Ryan Blaney are also trying to make names for themselves this season and will look to capture their first win of the season. Although it is early, look for both of these drivers to be fighting for that top spot. Elliot finished 8th in this race last year, and Blaney finished 2nd at Daytona.
Will any of these drivers end up at the top? We will have to wait for March 5th to find out but this race is going to be one to watch, and I expect Atlanta Motor Speedway to be packed for this one.
