The NASCAR Cup Series is back at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart. Two teams will take on the weekend with an altered lineup after issues in pre-race inspection.
NASCAR provided the update on the morning of Saturday, July 9. The sanctioning body noted that the No. 78 Ford Mustang of Live Fast Motorsports failed inspection two times, as did the No. 15 Ford Mustang of Rick Ware Racing. Both teams lost their pit stall selection and a crew member for the race weekend in Georgia.
Both entries avoided a bigger issue by passing inspection on the third try. Neither will have to serve a pass-through penalty at the start of the 260-lap event (3 p.m. ET, USA Network). Though both drivers will have to start at the rear of the field due to another unexpected issue.
ALL the latest NASCAR news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on NASCAR newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on NASCAR Newsletter!
Weather Issues Disrupted the Weekend Schedule
GettyGarrett Smithley will start from the rear of the field at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
While both BJ McLeod of Live Fast Motorsports and Garrett Smithley of Rick Ware Racing were able to avoid serving a pass-through penalty, they did not have the opportunity to secure their own spots in the starting lineup.
The weather disrupted the early schedule at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Storms went through the area on the morning of July 9, which forced NASCAR to cancel qualifying for both the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series. The officials set the lineup based on the previous race, which put McLeod and Smithley at the rear.
The No. 78 Ford will line up on the last row next to the No. 77 of Spire Motorsports. The No. 15 Ford will be one row ahead next to the No. 51 Ford of Rick Ware Racing. Meanwhile, Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott will start from the pole while Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain joins him on the front row.
Smithley Will Face a Big Test at Atlanta Motor Speedway
GettyGarrett Smithley has no experience at the new Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The trip to the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway will test the part-time driver in Smithley. He has only made three Cup Series starts during the 2022 season while sharing the No. 15 with David Ragan, Ryan Preece, Parker Kligerman, and JJ Yeley.
None of Smithley’s starts have taken place at the new version of Atlanta that features less width and 28-degree banked turns. Instead, he has suited up at Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway with a season-best finish of 21st in Southern California.
The last time Rick Ware Racing took on Atlanta, the team turned to a superspeedway ace. David Ragan took over the No. 15 for his second start of the year, and he finished 18th overall after starting 35th.
McLeod, for comparison, was in control of the No. 78 Ford during the first Cup Series on the reconfigured track. He started 34th overall in the 37-car field, but he worked his way up to 19th while avoiding numerous on-track incidents.
NASCAR Penalizes 2 Teams at Atlanta Motor Speedway