HAMPTON, Ga. — Morning rain pushed the green flag back to 2:34 p.m. ET, but once engines fire for Saturday’s Fr8 208 at EchoPark Speedway, the wait should feel worth it.
The 1.54-mile quad-oval — Atlanta’s reprofiled, draft-happy gladiator arena — hosts the second race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. If Daytona was the fireworks show, this one feels like the sequel with a bigger cast and a slightly higher body count.
A 36-truck field mixes full-time contenders with Cup cameos, meaning this thing has more star power than an Avengers end-credit scene.
THE HEADLINERS
Pole sitter Jake Garcia and former champion Ben Rhodes lead the field to green, with Cup regular Kyle Busch rolling off near the front after winning this race last year in a 0.017-second thriller. Busch led 80 of 135 laps in 2025 and treated the draft like a personal assistant.
Daytona winner Chandler Smith enters with momentum, while reigning series champion Corey Heim brings the kind of intermediate-track efficiency that keeps crew chiefs sleeping well at night.
Veterans Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and John Hunter Nemechek add veteran savvy — and the ability to turn a quiet afternoon into a highlight reel in about three seconds.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Atlanta’s drafting package has turned this place into superspeedway-lite. Three-wide is common. Four-wide is encouraged. Lanes form and dissolve faster than group chats after a bad take.
Track position matters — until it doesn’t. Clean air helps — until it vanishes. One mistimed bump draft can send the whole line wobbling like a grocery cart with a bad wheel.
This race should deliver the star power Daytona promised. That said, replicating Daytona’s chaotic finish is like trying to recreate lightning in a bottle — or the exact same viral meme twice. Good luck with that.
FAVORITES
- Kyle Busch — because, well, it’s Kyle Busch.
- Chandler Smith — fresh off a season-opening win.
- Corey Heim — steady, methodical, dangerous.
- Ben Rhodes — veteran patience in a race that punishes impatience.
LONGSHOTS WITH TEETH
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. — thrives in chaos.
- John Hunter Nemechek — always lurking.
HOW TO WATCH
Television coverage airs on FS1. Radio coverage is available through the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Green flag is scheduled for 2:34 p.m. ET following the morning rain delay.
THE PICK
Give me Gio Ruggiero.
In a race where timing the draft is everything and survival is half the battle, Ruggiero feels primed to be in the right lane at the right moment. If the final lap turns into a 200-mph chess match, I like his odds of calling checkmate.
Expect tight packs, bold moves and at least one moment where everyone collectively holds their breath.
Atlanta rarely disappoints. And this one should absolutely deliver.
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