Nascar Race Today: Qualifying canceled at Atlanta, Reddick on the pole for Autotrader 400
Qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway was canceled by lightning, leaving the Cup Series starting order to be set by the governing body's metric — a development that shapes nascar race today as Tyler Reddick begins on the pole for the Autotrader 400 and Chase Elliott will line up fourth. The Sunday race in Hampton, Ga., is scheduled for a 3 p. m. start.
Lightning at Atlanta Motor Speedway forces qualifying cancellation
HAMPTON, Ga. — Lightning in the area scrubbed Cup Series qualifying on Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, removing on-track time and triggering the use of the governing body's metric to set the full starting grid. Organizers turned to that metric after the weather interruption, changing the expected order for the Autotrader 400 weekend.
Nascar Race Today: Hendrick Motorsports lineup and Chase Elliott's place
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team will start fourth on Sunday after Elliott finished fourth in last week's Daytona 500. Hendrick Motorsports teammates were placed across the grid: William Byron will roll off 13th, Kyle Larson 16th and Alex Bowman 36th. Those positions reflect the metric-set lineup used when qualifying could not proceed.
Tyler Reddick arrives fresh off Daytona 500 win and will start on the pole
Tyler Reddick, fresh off a win at the Daytona 500, is aiming to make it two in a row at the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Ga. He will start on the pole for Sunday's race. Reddick has nine career wins and 93 top-10 finishes, a record cited as part of his momentum entering the weekend.
Favorites and odds shaping the Autotrader 400 field
Pre-race pricing lists Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano as co-favorites at +1000, with William Byron and Austin Cindric at +1400, Kyle Larson at +1500, Christopher Bell at +1600 and Denny Hamlin at +1800. Tyler Reddick is listed at +1700 while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sits at +3000 following his runner-up finish at Daytona. Christopher Bell won last year's Autotrader 400; that victory was the first of three in a row and he finished the season with four wins overall.
Bobbitt and Greco's model, past calls, and their pick of Carson Hocevar
Handicappers Phil Bobbitt and Steve Greco built a predictive engine they describe as consistently beating the books. Over the past four-plus years, their followers could be up more than $28, 000 on $100 plays; in 2024 they recorded seven outright winners in the Cup Series, returning nearly seven units for a 25. 7% ROI. Their record includes a correct call on Daniel Suarez's victory in Atlanta at +3500 and a 10-2 mark on matchup plays, a 4-0 run on matchup picks when they previewed the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race by backing Joey Logano at +1100, and correct longshot calls such as Austin Cindric at +2800 in the Enjoy Illinois 300 and Ross Chastain at +3000 in the Hollywood Casino 400. Overall, they were up 47. 18 units across all racing articles last season, and in 2025 correctly called William Byron at +2300 in the Daytona 500 and Kyle Larson at +450 in the AdventHealth 400.
For the 2026 Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Bobbitt and Greco are backing Carson Hocevar as an outright winner. They place Hocevar seventh in their rankings while the market prices him closer to 12th, note that he was on the front row with teammate Michael McDowell with two laps to go last weekend, and highlight that he performs well in the draft and in traffic. They have locked in additional NASCAR bets, including a longshot wager that pays 66-1.
What to watch at the Autotrader 400 kickoff
The metric-set grid and weather interruption reshape the opening laps: Tyler Reddick will carry pole position momentum, Chase Elliott will start fourth after his Daytona 500 runner-up performance, and several established contenders occupy close starting spots as the field prepares for the 3 p. m. ET race in Hampton, Ga. With the starting order determined off the track, race-day strategy and in-race drafting will be decisive factors.
