Sports
Epic Atlanta finish caps all-time NASCAR classic at one of its most-maligned tracks
HAMPTON, Ga. — The move was hair-raising. Eye-popping. Austin Cindric was going for it, four-wide for the lead through the tri-oval into Turn 1. Surely this would end in disaster.
But Sunday night in this second race of the 2024 NASCAR season, to everyone’s surprise, the brazen move actually worked with Cindric shooting into the lead without incident.
“That was kind of cool, wasn’t it?” Cindric said. “… It’s not easy to do, but I guess that’s why they call us the best in the world.”
At this moment, the much-maligned Atlanta Motor Speedway became the new favorite track for NASCAR fans. And it’s not as if Cindric’s pass was the high-water mark. Things only got better from there, ending with a legit photo finish that saw Daniel Suárez edge Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by 0.003 seconds, the third-closest margin of victory in Cup Series history.
Can you believe this finish!? 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/zKwqYNRQbG
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 26, 2024
“Holy s—! That was so close,” Blaney said upon seeing a replay of the finish for the first time.
From beginning to end, Atlanta offered a bit of everything. Exactly what you want from a race at NASCAR’s highest level.
All 400 miles featured intense racing, never a moment of tediousness as drivers barely held on — and sometimes lost control — on a track that amplified their skill set. Sometimes races on a drafting track give the appearance that drivers have it easy, the unfair impression that anyone could do this if given the proper chance.
There was none of that Sunday night. Every lap was a grind, with the real potential of committing a serious mistake like when Denny Hamlin drove across the nose of Kyle Busch’s car or when Chris Buescher lost control coming off Turn 4 early in the race, or when Joey Logano drifted high exiting Turn 2 near the end of Stage 2.
Trouble on the final lap of the stage! pic.twitter.com/FXNmRF1IZ2
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 25, 2024
This was NASCAR’s best pushed to their limits. And sometimes beyond.
“A bit of a surprise party every corner,” Martin Truex Jr. told Fox Sports’ Kevin Harvick during a red-flag stoppage. “As crazy as it is, it’s been kind of fun, too.”
Said Todd Gilliland, who led a race-high 58 laps: “It’s like going to a haunted house, you know? It’s fun, but I’m scared for my life at the same time.”
If anyone didn’t enjoy Sunday’s race, it may have been those behind the wheel. Drivers were in the uncomfortable position of having to compete on a track that combined elements of racing on a superspeedway — running in a tight pack with little escape should trouble occur, and managing the draft — with elements you’d see on a traditional intermediate track — tire wear, cars sliding around, and navigating traffic.
Races on unchallenging tracks often lead to forgettable events, while the best races often transpire on tracks that push drivers outside their comfort zone. Even if drivers didn’t enjoy themselves Sunday, the race was an instant classic, exactly the kind fans will talk about for years to come.
And the majority of drivers did seem to embrace the moment and enjoy how the race unfolded.
“It was a super cool race,” said sixth-place finisher Ricky Stenhouse Jr. “I think the fans got their money’s worth.”
Even Kyle Larson, who crashed out of the race and has never been a fan of superspeedways, was complimentary.
“I actually had a lot of fun today,” he said. “It was super intense and it’s been a great race.”
Drivers speaking favorably about Atlanta is quite the about-face considering the vitriol directed toward the track since it was converted from a traditional intermediate track into its current form in 2022. Many within NASCAR questioned why track owner Speedway Motorsports was taking a bulldozer to a beloved oval in favor of a redesigned configuration that diminished their ability.
To them, it felt sacrilegious. This was not what NASCAR was supposed to represent. The enmity only hardened with the announcement last fall that Atlanta’s second date would shift into the playoffs, beginning NASCAR’s championship run.
Sunday’s win was also a needed victory for Trackhouse’s Daniel Suárez, his second career Cup Series win in 254 races. (Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
If anything, drivers have come to almost loathe Atlanta. Both for what it demanded of them and what it represented in the ever-shifting balance between entertainment versus sport, with the former seemingly being deemed more important to NASCAR’s growth. No wonder then when The Athletic conducted an anonymous survey last week asking those in the garage the race they were least looking forward to, Atlanta’s two races topped the poll.
One cannot help but wonder how those surveyed would now respond. Surely Atlanta wouldn’t be ranked as the worst track. Heck, it may not even garner a single vote.
“I don’t know if you could want anything more out of a NASCAR race than we saw tonight,” said Justin Marks, Suárez’s team owner at Trackhouse Racing. “I was a complete race fan tonight. I was just hanging on to every lap. Then you have the three-wide finish, and just from an entertainment value, it was an incredible race.
“This is one of the most compelling races I think that you could want for a sport.”
High praise, but also deserving. Because while Atlanta may have been detested before Sunday, it’s now the track that hosted one of the all-time races in NASCAR history.
GO DEEPER
Anonymous NASCAR garage poll: Who wins the Cup crown? Biggest disappointment?
(Photo of the tight finish to Sunday’s race, with Daniel Suárez’s car edging out Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney: David J. Griffin / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Sports
Draymond Green refuses to let Charles Barkley bury the Warriors, delivers cutting Rockets jab on air
Wednesday night on “Inside the NBA” was less of a pregame show and more of a roast session as Draymond Green joined the desk.
The Golden State forward started going at it with Charles Barkley as the Mound Round of Rebound poked fun at the sinking ship that is the Warriors dynasty.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors reacts during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Rocky Widner/NBAE)
The tension started when Sir Charles decided to eulogize the Dubs while looking Green dead in the eye.
“It’s over for the Warriors. No disrespect. It ends for every old team,” Barkley said.
“You had your run; you get old; you let Klay go. You and Steph are on the backside of your careers; it just passed you by.”
WARRIORS’ STEPH CURRY GETS CANDID ABOUT EVENTUAL NBA RETIREMENT
Barkley kept his foot on the gas.
While he gave the Warriors credit for “one of the greatest runs ever,” he made it clear that Father Time remains undefeated in the paint.
“Sports … listen, sports are for young people,” Barkley added. “You hope to have a great long career, but sports … nobody wins when they’re 37, 38.”
NBA TV analysts Charles Barkley and Chris Webber speak to Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green after Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 7, 2017. (John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated)
In predictable fashion, Draymond was unable to stomach the banter.
He waited for the opening and went for the jugular, referencing Barkley’s infamous sunset years in Texas.
“Yeah, I mean, I think the goal is just to not look like you in the Houston Rockets uniform,” Green fired back.
The jab was a direct hit on Barkley’s ring-chasing era in Houston, where the Hall of Famer was famously a shell of his MVP self.
Green then shifted into a rare moment of veteran self-awareness and admitted the Warriors are in a transitional phase, but insisted the pedigree matters more than the box score.
“I think understanding what is success at this point is key for us,” Green explained. “Knowing and understanding that it may not be realistic to win a championship, but can we continue to build to that so that once we leave this organization, it’s still in a great space?”
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Despite Draymond’s talk about maintaining a winning pedigree, this year was a harsh wake-up call for the Golden State faithful.
Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors react during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on March 21, 2026. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
The Warriors’ season went out with a whimper as they finished 10th in the West and were bounced immediately in the play-in tournament.
Barkley might think the light is fading, but Draymond is clearly going to keep swinging on his way out.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Sports
No Triple Crown: Golden Tempo will not run in Preakness
There will be no Triple Crown winner in horse racing this year. There won’t even be an attempt.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux on Wednesday announced Golden Tempo, the horse that made her the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, would skip the Preakness Stakes next week at its temporary home, Laurel Park in Laurel, Md.
Just hours after Golden Tempo returned to the racetrack at Keeneland for the first time since his victory Saturday at Churchill Downs, DeVaux posted a statement on X.
“After much thoughtful discussion as a team, we have decided that Golden Tempo will bypass the Preakness Stakes,” the statement read.
“We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run. The enthusiasm from racing fans, our owners, and our entire team has meant more to us than we can properly express. Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort. His health, happiness, and long-term future will always remain our top priority.”
The Preakness, set for May 16, is the second leg of the Triple Crown, followed June 6 by the Belmont Stakes, which for the third straight year will be contested in Saratoga, N.Y. Since 1978, the only horses to sweep all three races are American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018.
Golden Tempo is the second straight horse and third in the last five years not to run in the Preakness. Sovereignty, who did not participate last year, won the Belmont and later the Travers and was voted Horse of the Year.
Unlike in the past, trainers almost never run horses with just two or even three weeks’ rest. That has prompted talk that the Preakness — which has been run 14 days after the Derby since 1950 — and Belmont could be moved back to allow horses more time between races. Sports Business Journal reported last month that the Preakness was “set to make a historic shift to one week later,” though many trainers have said that won’t make a difference.
DeVaux was asked the day after the Derby if having the Preakness four weeks after the Derby would make her decision easier.
“I mean, it would make anyone’s decision easier, but that’s not the Triple Crown,” she said. “So, the Triple Crown is hard to win for a reason. And I appreciate the history of it.
“You know, the horses are definitely different. They’re not built the same. They’re not trained the same as back then, but current times have shown that it can be done with the right horse.”
There is no shortage of horses aiming for the Preakness, which is limited to 14 starters. One of those — and the likely favorite if he runs — is Crude Velocity, who won the Pat Day Mile on Saturday at Churchill Downs in just his third career start. But trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Preakness a record eight times, has yet to decide whether he wants to run the horse in two weeks.
“I’m still on fence,” Baffert said Wednesday via text. “Tempted but I’m not leaning yet.”
The Daily Racing Form reported Ocelli, the maiden who finished third in the Derby, is now expected to run in the Preakness. Trainer Whit Beckman told the Form he had Ocelli jog Wednesday and “he looked better than great.”
Added Beckman: “You wouldn’t know this horse ran Saturday. He’s made of something different. Every indication he’s given me is to point to this race. … We’re having fun, the horse is having fun. If everybody’s having fun, why stop the fun?”
According to a news release from the Preakness, other horses under consideration who didn’t run in the Derby are Chip Honcho, Corona de Oro, Crupper, Express Kid, Great White, Iron Honor, Napoleon Solo, Pretty Boy Miah, Silent Tactic, Taj Mahal, Talkin, Talk to Me Jimmy and The Hell We Did.
The Racing Form reported jockey Jose Ortiz, who rode Golden Tempo to his Derby win, will ride Chip Honcho in the Preakness.
Sports
Joey Chestnut reflects on return to hot dog eating contest after contract dispute, temporary ban
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The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest two years ago was unusual in that it was missing the greatest competitive eater of all time.
Joey Chestnut, a 16-time winner of the event, was not eligible to participate in 2024 after he signed a deal with Nathan’s rival Impossible Foods. Chestnut was still on the outs months before the 2025 competition when he announced that he and the organizers had found common ground on sponsorships.
That brought Chestnut, now a 17-time winner after taking the belt again last year, back to Coney Island.
Joey Chestnut wins the men’s competition at Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City on July 4, 2025. He returned to compete for a 17th win after missing the 2024 event due to a sponsorship dispute with Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
“It was great. The audience is awesome, it’s electric. It’s good to be back after mending some fences,” Chestnut recently told Fox News Digital. “I do what I love. I got the best job in the world. I get to eat, travel, beat the heck out of people, and meet happy people. So it was great to be back.”
Chestnut’s return to the grand stage was, well, grand. Credit is due to Patrick Bertoletti, who downed 58 dogs and buns in Chestnut’s absence to take home the title two years ago. But Chestnut hasn’t posted a number that “low” since 2010. And while the Coney Island Nathan’s still had a decent crowd, it doesn’t compare to when Chestnut is on stage.
For the greatest of all time, though, it was never about a comeback — just winning and celebrating Independence Day.
“It’s never about me. It’s not even about the hot dogs. It’s the Fourth of July. It’s an eating contest, but really, it’s a Fourth of July celebration, it’s a celebration in New York. And that contest, it’s hard to describe exactly,” Chestnut said.
Joey Chestnut prepares to compete in the men’s competition at Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City on July 4, 2025. He returns to compete for a 17th win after missing the 2024 event due to a sponsorship dispute with Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
JOEY CHESTNUT REVEALS FOODS HE WON’T EAT IN COMPETITION AS HE TOURS MINOR LEAGUE STADIUMS FOR LOCAL DELICACIES
“It’s an event, it’s more than just an eating contest. It’s part of the Fourth of July celebration for New York City, and I’m just a very little part of it. And when it comes to that celebration, I’m very happy that I was able to come back and be part of people’s Fourth of July.”
Chestnut won his first title in 2007, taking down the dynastic eater that was Takeru Kobayashi. Since then, he’s won 17 of the last 18 events he has competed in. Matt Stonie pulled off an upset in 2015.
In his return to Coney Island, Chestnut downed 70 hot dogs, an improvement from the 62 he ate in 2023. So clearly, there are no signs of slowing down. But Chestnut knows time is ticking, and he wants to make the most of it.
“When I was younger, I could gain weight and then lose it really quick. Now, it’s a lot more work, but I still love it. And I know my body,” Chestnut said. “But as long as I’m competitive, as long as it’s fine, and I’m healthy. I’m going to be involved. I was just talking to a guy who, he’s 58 years old and he’s been doing this since I got started. And so he’s still able to do it. I’m like, ‘All right, I can do this.’ I got a couple more years, and we’ll see.”
Joey Chestnut wins the men’s competition at Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City on July 4, 2025. He returned to compete for a 17th win after missing the 2024 event due to a sponsorship dispute with Major League Eating. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
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“It really is, like, I really feel like it’s one of the best gigs that there is. I get to travel, eat, and, dude, it’s the funniest thing,” Chestnut said. “After I do this eating, I’m all sweaty, greasy, messy, and then people want to take pictures with me. It’s the funnest thing in the world.”
“As long as I can, I’m gonna be doing it.”
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