After a thundering street race in Chicago last week, NASCAR nation is gearing up for some intense Speedway action as the Cup Series is headed to Atlanta this week. Compared to the season, this week’s Quaker State 400 will witness a transformed Atlanta Motorspeedway with high-speed banking, making the once 1.54-mile track act more like a high octane Superspeedway.

While the iconic track got a major revamp after the 2022 season, the cloudy weather condition in Hampton along with the reconfigured track, has left the analysts with a tough task of predicting the winner. However, the numbers and analytics highlight a different ball game altogether with a tight brutal battle dogfight between the all-American manufacturers, Chevrolet and Ford, given Toyota’s 9-year-long blemish on the high-speed Superspeedway.

And as we near the action, NASCAR’s “Rowdy” comes out on top as a massive favorite heading into Atlanta, even trumping Chase Elliott as a betting favorite on his home track.

Ford vs Chevrolet – Who will reign in Atlanta?

Actually, there’s no simple answer to the question. Being one of the most unpredictable sports in the world, NASCAR’s racing dynamics and unpredictable nature make the sport truly an emotional rollercoaster for fans. While we all saw how a non-American trumped all the Cup drivers to ace the organization’s first-ever street course, this week things are going back to roots with Cup Series going into an epic close-quarter battle in Atlanta.

As the high-flowing Superspeedway action generally rewards the faster car and the potent driver, this week’s Quaker State 400 is most likely to be a neck-and-neck battle between the Fords and the Chevys. While it was Team Penske driver and reigning Cup Series champ, Joey Logano who claimed the win at the track, earlier, his fellow Ford driver, Brad Keselowski of RFK Racing is a solid favorite at the track, finishing second just behind Logano in March.

While Logano, who took home the most recent race at the track, enters the race with the odds of +1200, Stewart- Haas Racing veteran, Kevin Harvick who won the most races at the iconic track has the odds stacked up for him at +2800 while his fellow veteran, Keselowski eyeing his first win of the season has +1400 odds going into the race. And adding this year’s Coca-Cola 600 winner to the equation and things might seem to align with Ryan Blaney, whose stellar form this year makes him +1200 going into the race as per DraftKings.

While numbers favor the Ford camp, NASCAR’s most successful manufacturer, Chevy is not so far behind in the chase. And leading the Chevrolets upfront is NASCAR’s “Rowdy” Kyle Busch who is the betting favorite going into the race with the odds of +1000. The RCR Chevy fueled by Busch’s tenacity makes the #8 a formidable contender. It seems if Busch manages to stay away from the walls, something he couldn’t do in Chicago, he could have a chance to pass every Toyota on the track to drive to victory lane.

NASCAR’s poster boy, Chase Elliott (+1100) leads the Hendrick Motorsports squad, being the second favorite behind Busch.

And joining his teammate in the discussion is Busch former KBM prodigy and 25-year-old sensation, William Byron. Going into the race with the number of wins this season (tied with Busch), Byron has a lot riding on him as he is a +1400 favorite. And who can count out Ross Chastain? The Trackhouse Racing driver is coming off a stellar win at Nashville and is going into this race week as a +1600 favorite.

READ MORE: “Stick to the One You Already Have” – Self-Mocking Kyle Busch Steals Ross Chastain’s Throne With New Nickname, Leaving Teammate & Fans in Frenzy

Weather Forecast and the JGR Favorites

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We all saw how extreme the weather was during last week’s race at Chicago. The rain-soaked track not only tested the best of the best but also delayed the start by 90 minutes, eventually shortening it by 25 laps. That, of course, is a game changer for many as such abrupt changes take away strategies right out of the window as we saw in Chicago.

With just hours to go for qualifying, the weather in Hampton is all the more cloudy and damp (81 degrees) with 17-33% chance of rain at the start of the race. While the weather is unpredictable, much like the race itself, the steep banking on the track, which was increased from 24 degrees to 28 degrees, will certainly test the drivers under wet conditions. Now for other promising prospects heading into the race.

Though, the Toyotas have a slim chance of catching the Chevrolets on a high-speed track like Atlanta, the points leader, Martin Truex Jr who is having a dream run this season with 2 wins has odds of +2200 to win whereas his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin who conquered Kansas Superspeedway comes in as a +1400 favorite while former JGR driver, Busch tops the list.

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With the Cup Series heading to an exhilarating playoff, the revamped and reconfigured track at Atlanta is certain to take the fans to the edge of their seats as drivers are eyeing their playoff berths. What do you think, who will reign victorious in Atlanta?