Ryan Blaney has recently revealed that the Atlanta Motor Speedway is the most mentally exhausting race track on the schedule. Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio ahead of Sunday’s Quaker State 400, the Team Penske star describes how the challenge at Atlanta’s 1.54-mile racetrack extends far beyond simply driving fast.
Ahead of the second Atlanta race of the season, the former NASCAR Cup Series driver opened up about the mental demands of racing at the Georgia racetrack, explaining why the track leaves him more exhausted than even NASCAR’s traditional superspeedways such as Daytona and Talladega.
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“After Atlanta, I’m probably the most mentally worn out than anyplace because just things are happening incredibly fast. There’s always something going on. There’s never kind of a break, at Daytona, Talladega, you might get things kind of calmed down for a little bit, and you can kind of think and relax for a second. But Atlanta, it never does. Things are happening fast. The runs are way bigger at Atlanta because the separation and the corners are bigger.”
Atlanta Motor Speedway, now known as EchoPark Speedway, features intense pack racing similar to superspeedways Daytona and Talladega. Following a 2022 reconfiguration, the 1.54-mile-long track became a high-speed drafting track, producing intense, multi-car crashes.
“So you really have to be thoughtful on if you’re leading, how do you want to lead? How do you manage your gap? You can’t just run wide open. You have to kind of manage your gap to the pack.” Blaney continued.
“Spotters have their work cut out for them”: Ryan Blaney says a spotter also plays an important role at Atlanta
Ryan Blaney also highlighted the crucial role spotters play during Atlanta races. With cars running inches apart at high speeds and multiple lanes battling for position, the 2023 Cup champion believes communication becomes more important than ever.
Speaking about spotters’ role at Atlanta, Blaney said:
“I think the spotters go through a radio and a half. Batteries die pretty quick at Atlanta, because I don’t think they ever get off the button during a green flag run there’s a lot going on. Spotters have their work cut out for them, too, just like us this weekend.”
Despite facing mentally demanding challenges at Atlanta, Ryan Blaney has demonstrated strong results here, recording one career NASCAR Cup Series win, seven top-five, and 10 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 11.50 in 16 races.
Watch the #12 NASCAR star in action on Saturday for the qualifying race at 4:30 pm ET before Sunday’s main event at 7 pm ET.
Edited by Yash Soni