With only 40 entries for the Daytona 500, it was assumed that the entry list would be down for Atlanta. For Sunday’s 500 mile race at Atlanta, only the 36 chartered teams are entered. No one will fail to qualify.
That said, there are a couple of changes. Premium Motorsports has changed their number from No. 7 back to No. 15 for this weekend. Replacing Danica Patrick will be XFINITY Series regular Ross Chastain.
Justin Marks was originally listed as driving the No. 51 Chevrolet for Rick Ware Racing. However, Marks’ deal with the team was only a one-race deal for Daytona. Harrison Rhodes announced on his Twitter Thursday that he’ll be in the No. 51 this weekend.
Let’s go!! Pumped to make my @NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series debut next weekend at @amsupdates with @RickWareRacing in the #51 car!
— Harrison Rhodes (@HarrisonRhodes) February 15, 2018
Rhodes has 84 career starts in the XFINITY Series, mostly with JD Motorsports with Gary Keller. He has two career top 10 finishes, the best of which being a ninth in the Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona in 2015.
Atlanta will also mark Cole Whitt‘s season debut in TriStar Motorsports’ No. 72 Chevrolet. The entry list originally stated that LaJoie would be driving, but LaJoie had previously revealed on Twitter that he would not be in the car for Atlanta.
Really excited about this year’s schedule. Green races are @NASCAR with @TriStarRaceTeam , and the red races will be tentative with the Super Late model. pic.twitter.com/m2OKoxy2gN
— Corey LaJoie (@CoreyLaJoie) February 6, 2018
There are also some new sponsors debuting this weekend. Atlanta will be William Byron‘s first Cup race with Liberty University sponsorship, while Ryan Blaney‘s No. 12 will have DEX Imaging on it for the first time. Ryan Newman will debut his Liberty National sponsorship as well.
About the author
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.
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So if we want 40 cars in the race does that mean NASCAR needs to issue/create four more charters?
Let’s have Bobby Allison enter in a Mustang and win and then not get credit again. That would put him 2 ahead of DW and drive him to more distraction.
Well we knew they only wanted the charter teams. Yet of the 36 one is in bankruptcy and another in essence sponsored by nascar.