No. 99 CommScope Chevrolet driver Daniel Suárez doesn’t know what to expect Friday when he makes his first laps on the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.
Since he last visited the track on July 11, 2021, when the Atlanta surface was one of the oldest in the sport, track officials have torn up the surface and knocked down the walls.
Along with laying down a new surface, the track banking has been increased to 28 degrees. That makes Atlanta the highest banked intermediate track. The track has also been narrowed. The old racing surface was 55′ wide while the new one is just 40′ wide.
Track owner Speedway Motorsports Inc aims to create pack racing, on an intermediate oval.
Suárez knows one thing, he’s going to rely on his Trackhouse Racing teammate Ross Chastain for advice before the Cup cars begin their hour of practice. Chastain was one of a handful of drivers to test on the new surface on Jan. 7.
Suárez arrives at Atlanta after finishing ninth at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.
Chastain’s second-place finish marked the third consecutive race a Trackhouse Racing driver has battled for the lead in the closing laps. Sunday also marked the first time Trackhouse cars each finished in the top-10.
Fox will televise Sunday’s race at 3 p.m. ET
Daniel’s Amigos at Phoenix
One of the highlights of the young 2022 season came Sunday in Phoenix when Suárez welcomed about 200 Daniel’s Amigos to the track.
Suárez, Coca-Cola, NASCAR and the track hosted the largely Latino group on Sunday in a day full of activities including breakfast, 45-minute meet and greet with Suárez and a special seating area near the start/finish line.
The morning included the Arizona Cardinals cheerleaders, members of the MLS Phoenix Rising and Mariachi band to entertain the crowd.
The program is a passion play for Suárez who has worked with Coca-Cola, Phoenix Raceway and NASCAR to create the best day possible for his guests.
The Daniel’s Amigos program began in 2019 with several events before pausing because of COVID in 2020. It held one event in 2021 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and plans to expand in 2022.
