Drivers to watch in NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta

The race to lock in spots in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continues Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Eight races remain before the the playoffs begin Sept. 4 at Darlington Raceway.

The Atlanta track is a new landscape this year after renovations changed the turn banking from 24 to 28 degrees and narrowed the racing surface. Speeds are up, and teams approach the race similar to their preparations for racing at Daytona and Talladega.

William Byron

Byron is the only driver with a win on Atlanta’s new surface. He won the March race there in the track’s first event under its new configuration. He has four top 10s in the past 14 races this season.

Chase Elliott

Elliott is red hot heading into his “home” track. The Georgia native has scored wins in two of the past eight races, had a second Sunday at Road America and continues to lead the point standings.

Martin Truex Jr.

Truex continues to search for his first victory of the season, and Atlanta could be the place. He finished eighth in the March race at the track, and he has led laps in five of the past 8 races there. His best career finish at the track is a second in 2019.

Ryan Blaney

Blaney has been one of the season’s most consistent drivers. He has a third, a fourth and a fifth. But will he ever win? He has led laps in 15 of the season’s 18 races but hasn’t been able to close with a victory.

Kyle Busch

Can Busch recharge his season? He hasn’t won since finishing first on the dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway in April and hasn’t finished better than 21st in the past three races. He crashed out of the March race in Atlanta, finishing 33rd.

Bubba Wallace

Wallace’s season is spiraling downward. A mix of engine failures, crashes and trouble on pit road has left him with only two