Atlanta has one shot to prove it's a town worthy of NASCAR weekends. Jeff Gluck, editor of SB Nation Motorsports, kindly shares his expertise:
↵↵↵In the aftermath of some bad news – losing one of the two NASCAR Sprint Cup race dates it's held for the last 50 years – Atlanta Motor Speedway is hoping for some positives this weekend.↵↵The track will be putting all of its resources into the Labor Day Weekend date in the coming years, so Sunday night's race will be a chance for the track to show NASCAR it's still relevant.↵↵And it can accomplish that in several ways.↵↵For one, Atlanta needs a strong crowd (like the one it got on the same weekend last year) to send a message that its fans will stay loyal whether there's one date or two.↵↵Second, the track needs an action-packed race – though perhaps in a different way than the excitement of the spring event, when Carl Edwards infamously flipped Brad Keselowski.↵↵Of course, the track can't do anything to influence the quality of the racing. That's up to the drivers and NASCAR.↵↵With the postseason Chase cutoff looming next week, Atlanta could be the final chance for bubble drivers like Mark Martin and Jamie McMurray to make a big move on Clint Bowyer, who has a 100-point lead for the last playoff spot.↵↵Will Bowyer run into trouble? Or will he extend his lead and deflate the drama of Richmond?↵↵We'll know after 500 miles at Atlanta.↵
Race weekend festivities begin at 6 p.m. tonight. We'll have a detailed preview feature up in about an hour.