Atlanta, GA
Winners and losers from an unbelievable NASCAR Cup race at Atlanta
Inclement weather, red flags, track-clearing pileups and a last-lap pass by the hometown hero — EchoPark Speedway put on a show for the ages on Saturday night. Some are calling it the best race of the year with non-stop action throughout the pack, even after half the field was collected in a mid-race pileup.
It was also the first race of the five-week in-season challenge, and most brackets are surely busted already. But with that being said, here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from this weekend’s thriller in Atlanta:
WINNER: Hendrick teamwork makes the dream work
Watch: Chase Elliott makes last-lap magic to win at EchoPark Speedway
At the end of the Cup race in Atlanta, the RFK teammates lost sight of each other but the Hendrick duo of Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman stuck together. They perfectly timed the final two laps, moving up into second and third and leaving the race little nothing he could do. The No. 6 Ford tried to block, but it wasn’t enough to stop Elliott from completing a last-lap pass for the lead. And any hope Brad Keselowski had of fighting back vanished as Bowman refused to push him, allowing Elliott to snap a 44-race winless streak.
LOSER: Brad Keselowski loses his golden ticket to the playoffs
Watch: Brad Keselowski talks ‘good effort’ in runner-up finish
The only thing that could save Keselowski’s season at this point is a win. He sits 27th in points and has gone winless this year, but Atlanta was a great opportunity to rectify that. At one point, he had two teammates lined up behind him but by the time the white flag flew, they were nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time Keselowski has lost one of these Atlanta races in a last-lap pass.
WINNER: The race track for putting on one of the best shows of the year
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Call it Atlanta Motor Speedway, EchoPark Speedway, or whatever you want. It doesn’t change the fact that it just put on one incredible show. Even a 23-car pileup couldn’t slow down the action as the lead changed 46 times. Five different drivers led the race in the final ten laps. The breath-taking race never let up with drivers constantly making huge moves throughout the pack and it seemed like no one could hold the lead for long. Atlanta has asserted itself as the best drafting track on the schedule and it’s not even close.
LOSER: Pretty much everyone involved in that 23-car pileup
Photo by: Krista Jasso / Getty Images
Might as well just group everyone into this. Of the 23 drivers involved in this mess, nine were unable to continue. The second stage had barely gotten underway when names like Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Joey Logano, and Ross Chastain had their cars destroyed. In fact, this wreck nearly guaranteed a new winner as seven of the 11 winners this year were eliminated in the wreck while others were wounded.
WINNER: Ty Dillon with the in-season tournament upset
Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have been knocked out of the in-season bracket challenge, allowing the No. 31 and No. 32 seeds to advance. Most surprisingly, Ty Dillon moves on over Hamlin, giving him the chance to fight for a $1 million prize that would be the highlight of his Cup career. And he had the perfect response for Hamlin fans after the race, saying: “To all the Denny fans out there, I just knocked your favorite driver out.”
LOSER: Ryan Blaney at the wrong place at the wrong time again
Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images
It’s a good thing Ryan Blaney managed to win at Nashville as his season has included six DNFs in the first 18 races. Last year, he had seven in 36 races. Blaney was once again an innocent bystander as he tried to avoid the first wreck of the night, but instead found himself slamming the outside wall. Blaney lamented the bad luck, noting how he always seems to get “caught up in other people’s garbage.” He finished 40th (last), which is his worst result in five years.
WINNER: The 18-year-old rookie for keeping it clean
Photo by: David J. Griffin – Icon Sportswire – Getty Images
While veterans were crashing all over the place, 18-year-old Connor Zilisch kept his car clean and stayed out of trouble, running every single lap and nearly scoring a top ten finish. He was the best of the four Trackhouse cars as his three teammates did wreck while Zilisch placed 11th in the No. 87 Red Bull Chevrolet. He drove like someone who has been doing this for a while, not a rookie in his fourth career start.
LOSER: Stenhouse battles back from a penalty, but misses out on the win
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
Photo by: Krista Jasso / Getty Images
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had one of the best drives of anyone during the final run of the race. He had to start from the rear of the field for the last restart due to a penalty, but he quickly marched forward. Stenhouse pulled off a brilliant three-wide pass for the lead with just six laps to go, but he could not hold it as the No. 47 slipped back. He was still inside the top five on the final lap, but contact with the outside wall caused him to slip back to sixth. It was still a strong result but with how close he was to Victory Lane, he’s surely wondering what he could have done differently in those final few laps.
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NASCAR O’Reilly Series qualifying results from EchoPark Speedway
Later today, NASCAR O’Reilly Series drivers take the green flag. Now, teams are rolling to the track for qualifying at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta.
View the Atlanta starting lineup for the NASCAR O’Reilly Series below.
Atlanta/Lime Rock Menu
ARCA: Race
Truck: Prac/Qual
O’Reilly: Qual
Atlanta/Lime Rock TV Schedule
The fields makes one lap in the opening round of qualifying. The top 10 from round one advance into round 2 and make another run for the pole position.
Atlanta Qualifying Results (Top 10 – Round 1) : 1. Carson Kvapil 31.987 2. Sam Mayer 32.035 3. Sammy Smith 32.117 4. Jesse Love 32.128 5. William Sawalich 32.171 6. Taylor Gray 32.218 7. Sheldon Creed 32.224 8. Rajah Caruth 32.238 9. Patrick Staropoli 32.224 10. Brent Crews 32.279
Sam Mayer will start from the pole position. He turned a laptime at 31.994 seconds in the second round of qualifying.
EchoPark Speedway
Starting Lineup
July 11, 2026
NASCAR O’Reilly Series
Pos | Driver
1. Sam Mayer
31.994
2. Carson Kvapil
31.978
3. Jesse Love
32.020
4. William Sawalich
32.106
5. Sammy Smith
32.119
6. Sheldon Creed
32.136
7. Brent Crews
32.155
8. Rajah Caruth
32.194
9. Taylor Gray
32.200
10. Patrick Staropoli
32.302
— Failed to advance into Round 2 —
11. Austin Hill
32.286
12. Brandon Jones
32.315
13. Corey Day
32.327
14. Jeremy Clements
32.335
15. Jake Finch
32.336
16. Justin Allgaier
32.379
17. Anthony Alfredo
32.393
18. Nick Sanchez
32.400
19. Ryan Sieg
32.429
20. Kyle Sieg
32.459
21. Jeb Burton
32.545
22. Parker Retzlaff
32.547
23. Dean Thompson
32.573
24. Leland Honeyman Jr
32.583
25. Harrison Burton
32.619
26. Garrett Smithley
32.709
27. Ryan Ellis
32.778
28. Mason Maggio
32.783
29. Nick Leitz
32.857
30. Brennan Poole
32.862
31. Glen Reen
32.884
32. Lavar Scott
32.942
33. Joey Gase
32.946
34. Josh Bilicki
33.035
35. Logan Bearden
33.619
36. Carson Ware
36.110
37. Blaine Perkins
46.808
38. Jordan Anderson
No Time
Links
Atlanta Motor Speedway | Lime Rock Park | NASCAR
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An Atlanta-based mentoring program is making a stop in Jacksonville this weekend — and its leader says the city could be next on the map.
Next Level Boys Academy will set up at Clanzel T. Brown Park in the Moncrief area Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. as part of the “Save Our Sons Tour.” The free, family-friendly event runs alongside Duval Day, the annual block party hosted by Jacksonville-born comedian Lil Duval, which follows from 3 to 8 p.m.
From a Little League Sideline to a National Movement
Gary Davis, CEO and Executive Director of Next Level Boys Academy, says it all started on a baseball field. While coaching little league in 2009, he decided mentoring had to go deeper than sports.
“I built this organization from that group of young men that I coached back in 2009,” Davis said.
What began with 11 young men has grown to serve between 200 and 300 youth each year. The program has drawn national media attention and support from high-profile names, including rappers T.I. and Killer Mike.
What the Program Does
Next Level Boys Academy mentors teens on Saturdays, working with youth ages 5 to 10. It also runs an alternative-to-incarceration program for first-time offenders ages 12 to 25.
Davis says the impact goes beyond mentorship.
“On average we’ve probably diverted about 100 years of prison time a week,” he said.
Former NFL player Will Sweet is also part of the Jacksonville visit. Sweet leads the entrepreneurship and professional development component of the academy’s Atlanta program.
A Vision for Duval County
Davis, a former educator and social worker, says this weekend is about more than one event. He wants Jacksonville’s leaders to take notice.
“The ultimate reason why we are coming to Jacksonville this weekend is because we want the city officials and local government to see there is an innovative mentoring organization that is working in Atlanta — and we have people that are in place there that could start this and move it,” Davis said. “There is no need in re-inventing the wheel.”
What You Need to Know
The Next Level Boys Academy and Empowerment Center program is free and open to families. Here are the details:
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What: Next Level Boys Academy — Save Our Sons Tour
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Where: Clanzel T. Brown Park
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When: Saturday, noon to 1 p.m.
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Duval Day: 3 to 8 p.m. at the same location
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.
The NBA offseason has slowed down this week and there is not a lot of business left to be done around the league. Basketball fans and front offices alike are waiting for the decision from LeBron James, but there are still a few prized restricted free agents on the market that have unresolved situations for the 2026-2027 season.
One of them in Nuggets forward Peyton Watson. Watson had the breakout season that Denver fans had been hoping for, but injuries slowed things down towards the end of the season. Despite the injuries, Watson is a coveted player around the league due to being a high-level two-way wing that can guard and shoot from deep. Denver has been trying to extend Watson, but they have not come to terms yet.
The Clippers and the Nets have been mentioned most prominently as a suitor for Watson, but today, NBA insider Jake Fischer noted that a new team has been showing interest, and that team is no other than the Atlanta Hawks:
“Atlanta, sources say, has also shown some fresh interest in Watson, which would likewise require a sign-and-trade to make it happen.
That said, whether it’s the Hawks or the Clippers or any other suitor, sources maintain that the Nuggets are seeking compensation on par with what Utah received from the Lakers in their recent sign-and-trade swap that made Walker Kessler a Laker.
The Lakers’ determined interest in the 7-foot-2 center netted two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps for the Jazz.
Sources say that price point has been too rich for the Clippers or the Hawks when it comes to Watson.”
Could the Hawks actually acquire Watson?
This is the first report of the Hawks holding interest in Watson, but because he is a restricted free agent, I think it is going to be very, very difficult for Atlanta to actually obtain the talented young wing.
Because the Hawks don’t have the cap space to sign Watson to an offer sheet, the only way that they could acquire him would be through a sign-and-trade. If what Fischer says is true, that Denver is going to want a Walker Kessler type return (Utah traded Kessler to Los Angeles for two first round pick swaps and two unprotected first round picks), I think you can safely count Atlanta out of that kind of a deal.
Onsi Saleh and the Hawks front office have made it clear that they are not going to skip steps in building this team and that they are not “one move” away. Atlanta was continuously mentioned as a suitor for Jaylen Brown, but if they were not willing to surrender real assets to obtain him, why would they do that for Watson?
Watson is a very talented player and if healthy, there is a chance that his next contract is going to be a bargain deal. This past season, he averaged a career-best 14.6 PPG, a career-best 4.9 RPG, while shooting 49% from the floor and 41% from three and is a solid defender as well. He fits into the Hawks timeline perfectly, but again, the cost of multiple draft assets for a player who is more unproven than Walker Kessler was would not be a smart move by what is considered to be a very smart front office.
Could Denver lower the asking price for Watson? Possibly, but I think the more likely outcome this offseason is that Watson and Denver find a middle ground on a contract and he returns to the Nuggets.
Restricted free agents don’t have a lot of leverage in these situations and while Atlanta could be very interested in acquiring him, I would be pretty surprised if they overpaid for him like the Lakers did for Kessler.
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