Long: New-look Atlanta provides Cup race unlike any other at this track

HAMPTON, Ga. — Never had they seen a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway like this. Pack racing, the leaders unable to break away and crashes. Lots of crashes. So many crashes. And some hard hits.

Drivers forecasted chaos after an intense 50-minute practice session Saturday. Fans got it Sunday.

When it was over, an ebullient — and relieved — William Byron celebrated his first Cup win of the season. And Christopher Bell, who crossed the finish line second, was penalized for passing below the out-of-bounds line on the backstretch and dropped to 23rd, the last car on the lead lap. 

“Pretty crazy race, but definitely good to come out on top,” Byron said.

A 500-mile race that took 3 hours, 57 minutes and 14 seconds didn’t earn the ire of fans because there was action on the track — or seemingly action even if it was hard to pass. With cars running two-by-two much of the race, and the lines bobbing and weaving, something seemed to be happening even when it wasn’t. 

A track-record 46 lead changes took place over 325 laps. Still, drivers talked about difficulty in passing if they weren’t in the first few rows.

The race also had 11 cautions, including eight for accidents — and that didn’t even include the crash as the field came to the checkered flag. Chris Buescher traveled across the finish line backward in seventh place. 

Thirty-one of the 37 cars in the race were involved in a crash. Bubba Wallace and Cody Ware both said their incidents were the hardest they have ever had.  

Everyone walked away.

Fans, wanting action at a 1.5-mile track instead of single-file racing, walked away feeling good about this new style at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

“We designed this track two years ago with the help of iRacing (and) didn’t know what the