(NASCAR MEDIA) – Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway, located in Hampton Georgia. The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960 and won by Fireball Roberts from the pole position.
Over the years the track underwent several changes. It was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970. It was renamed Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990. And then the track layout was reversed, and the track was re-configured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997.
From 1960 – 2010, Atlanta Motor Speedway hosted multiple NASCAR Cup Series races during each season; starting in 2011 the series began only visiting Atlanta once a year (2011-2020). This season marks the first time since 2010, the series will visit the facility more than once a year as the series is scheduled compete this weekend (March 21, 2021) and later this season (July 11, 2021).
From 1987 to 2000 Atlanta Motor Speedway held the final championship race of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. In total, there have been 113 NASCAR Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the first race there in 1960.
This weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race, the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will be 325 laps (500.5 miles) and broken up into three stages. The first two stages are 105 laps each with the final stage being 115 laps.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin will start from the pole and his teammate and last weekend’s winner Martin Truex Jr. will join him on the front row.
Streaking: Five different winners to start the 2021 Cup season
With Martin Truex Jr. taking the checkered flag last weekend, the 2021 season marks the 15th time in the NASCAR Cup Series Modern Era (1972-Present) that the season schedule has opened with five different winners (2021, 2017, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2005, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1998, 1993, 1991, 1986, 1984, 1979). This weekend, the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Atlanta Motor Speedway will have the chance to produce the sixth different NASCAR Cup Series winner of the 2021 season making it the eighth different season to start the year with six different drivers in Victory Lane; joining 2014, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1991, 1986, 1984.
The Modern Era record of different winners to start a NASCAR Cup Series season is 10 set back in 2000. Dale Earnhardt Jr. snapped the streak winning his second race of the 2000 season at Richmond (Race No. 11).
| Season | Race No. | Winners | Track | Date |
| 2000 | 1 | Dale Jarrett | Daytona | Sunday, February 20, 2000 |
| 2000 | 2 | Bobby Labonte | Rockingham | Sunday, February 27, 2000 |
| 2000 | 3 | Jeff Burton | Las Vegas | Sunday, March 5, 2000 |
| 2000 | 4 | Dale Earnhardt | Atlanta | Sunday, March 12, 2000 |
| 2000 | 5 | Ward Burton | Darlington | Sunday, March 19, 2000 |
| 2000 | 6 | Rusty Wallace | Bristol | Sunday, March 26, 2000 |
| 2000 | 7 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | Texas | Sunday, April 2, 2000 |
| 2000 | 8 | Mark Martin | Martinsville | Sunday, April 9, 2000 |
| 2000 | 9 | Jeff Gordon | Talladega | Sunday, April 16, 2000 |
| 2000 | 10 | Jeremy Mayfield | Auto Club | Sunday, April 30, 2000 |
In the Modern Era (1972-2021), the record for the most different NASCAR Cup Series winners in a single season in its entirety is 19 set back in 2001. The series has also seen a total of 18 different winners (second-most) in a single season twice – in 2002 and 2011. Last season the series produced 13 different winners.
There are five former NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway winners entered this weekend looking for their first win of the 2021 season: Kevin Harvick (three wins), Kurt Busch (three), Brad Keselowski (two), Kyle Busch (two) and Denny Hamlin (one).
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