Why did NASCAR skip practice from the Atlanta race schedule?

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway (currently known as EchoPark Speedway) this weekend. Unlike other Cup races, there’s no practice session at Atlanta because it’s considered a superspeedway after a reconfiguration and repave.

Superspeedways, like Atlanta, are known for drafting, where cars run in close packs, and a practice race doesn’t offer much benefit in terms of getting a better feel for the track.

NASCAR’s decision to eliminate the practice race from Atlanta Cup weekend from the track’s new “superspeedway-style” setup, and the same goes for other drafting tracks like Talladega Superspeedway and the summer Daytona race.

Since Atlanta track’s reconfiguration in 2022 (narrowing to 40 feet and steep 28 degrees of banking), it now behaves more like a superspeedway, relying on pack drafting instead of single-car setups.

Traditionally, NASCAR skips practice at superspeedways (the examples are Talladega, Daytona summer, and now Atlanta), based on the logic that drafting dynamics in groups can't be replicated in solo practice laps. Additionally, it prevents unnecessary wear or crashes before race day.

The 1.54-mile-long quad-oval-shaped Atlanta, which opened in 1960, has a racing surface with 24 degrees of banking in the turns and 5 degrees on the straightaway.

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NASCAR 2025 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart entry list for the Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Here is the list of all 40 NASCAR Cup Series drivers set to compete for the 2025 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart, at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend:

1. #01 - Corey LaJoie (i)
2. #1 - Ross Chastain
3. #2 - Austin Cindric
4. #3 - Austin Dillon
5. #4 - Noah Gragson
6. #5 - Kyle Larson
7. #6 - Brad Keselowski
8. #7 - Justin Haley
9. #8 - Kyle Busch
10. #9 - Chase Elliott
11. #10 - Ty Dillon
12. #11 - Denny Hamlin
13. #12 - Ryan Blaney
14. #16 - A. J. Allmendinger
15. #17 - Chris Buescher
16. #19 - Chase Briscoe
17. #20 - Christopher Bell
18. #21 - Josh Berry
19. #22 - Joey Logano
20. #23 - Bubba Wallace
21. #24 - William Byron
22. #34 - Todd Gilliland
23. #35 - Riley Herbst (R)
24. #38 - Zane Smith
25. #41 - Cole Custer
26. #42 - John Hunter Nemechek
27. #43 - Erik Jones
28. #45 - Tyler Reddick
29. #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
30. #48 - Alex Bowman
31. #51 - Cody Ware
32. #54 - Ty Gibbs
33. #60 - Ryan Preece
34. #66 - David Starr (i)
35. #71 - Michael McDowell
36. #77 - Carson Hocevar
37. #78 - B. J. McLeod (i)
38. #87 - Connor Zilisch (i)
39. #88 - Shane van Gisbergen (R)
40. #99 - Daniel Suárez

This weekend's Cup Series race will be telecast on TNT Sports at 7 pm ET.