Quaker State 400 Power Rankings and Picks

Henry John

Last Updated: July 9, 2022 5:37 AM EDT • 3 min 55 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

MADISON, ILLINOIS - JUNE 05: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Dent Wizard Ford, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on June 05, 2022 in Madison, Illinois. Sean Gardner/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Sean Gardner / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Breaking down the field and drivers to monitor ahead of Sunday's action at Atlanta Motor Speedway with our NASCAR power rankings and picks for the Quaker State 400.

This weekend marks the first such instance in which the NASCAR Cup Series will return to a track that it previously ran on already this season. The Next Gen Cars will get their second crack at the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

What was a flat intermediate track just a year ago underwent a massive overhaul and repave in the offseason. As a result, the 2022 Quaker State 400 is guaranteed to play out much differently than last year's race.

Thanks to the track reconfiguration, Atlanta now runs more like a superspeedway than any other 1.5-mile oval on the NASCAR circuit. In fact, the new AMS is probably more similar to Daytona and Talladega than to its own previous version. Although this certainly makes for a tough NASCAR betting handicap, the fact that the series already ran here once back in the spring offers a valuable data point.

Check out our NASCAR betting picks and power rankings for the 2022 Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers).

Quaker State 400 Race Odds

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Quaker State 400 NASCAR Power Rankings

10. Justin Haley (+5000 via DraftKings, BetMGM and BetRivers)

Let it not be forgotten that Justin Haley has won a NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway race before. He also finished 11th in the spring race at Atlanta and 12th at Talladega. Although Kaulig Racing and the No. 31 team have had their fair share of ups and downs this season, the organization is one of the best in the Xfinity Series on the superspeedways.

9. Chris Buescher (+3500 via BetRivers)

Not only did Chris Buescher finish seventh in the first race on the new Atlanta Motor Speedway this spring, but he brings plenty of momentum with him into the Quaker State 400. Buescher was runner-up at Sonoma and also came home sixth last weekend at Road America. It's also worth throwing out there that the No. 17 nearly won at Daytona last August.

8. Erik Jones (+4000 via DraftKings)

With yet another new winner last week, the chances of Erik Jones and the No. 43 team making the playoffs are riding on whether they can secure their own victory. Jones nearly did so at Talladega this spring only to get shuffled back in the final two turns. He was also a top-15 car in the spring race at Atlanta.

7. Michael McDowell (+4000 via BetRivers)

It's impossible to write off Michael McDowell anytime NASCAR races on a superspeedway-style track. Sure, a 24th-place showing at Atlanta this spring wasn't spectacular, but McDowell was a top-10 car at both Daytona and Talladega. The 2021 Daytona 500 champion has recorded seven total top-10s in what has been a phenomenal season for the Front Row Motorsports team.

6. Ryan Blaney (+1100 via BetRivers)

Despite being second in total points this season, Ryan Blaney finds himself just three spots above the playoff cut line thanks to not having a race win. Of course, he nearly won the Daytona 500 back in February and has multiple superspeedway wins in past years on his resume. In fact, since the start of the 2019 NASCAR season, Blaney has won three of 14 total races run at Daytona and Talladega.

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5. William Byron (+1200 via DraftKings, BetRivers)

Don't sleep on William Byron when it comes to the superspeedway tracks. His latest victory in this style of racing came right here at Atlanta back in the spring. Byron also won at Daytona two years back and has four total top fives in the last 14 races at Daytona and Talladega since the start of 2019. Given how well the entire Hendrick Motorsports garage ran at AMS earlier this year, Byron will more than likely be in the mix.

4. Bubba Wallace (+1400 via BetMGM, BetRivers)

Bubba Wallace has to be looking at the Quaker State 400 as one of two realistic opportunities remaining to win a race and sneak into the NASCAR playoffs. Wallace is at his best on the superspeedways. He was runner-up in the Daytona 500 this year and has three top-five finishes in seven races there since 2019. The No. 23 earned stage points at Atlanta this spring and will be one to watch on Sunday.

3. Ross Chastain (+1200 via BetMGM)

Not only has Ross Chastain been the breakout driver of the 2022 season, but he is also very skilled when it comes to superspeedway racing. In fact, Chastain was runner-up right here at Atlanta back in the spring. That result preceded his first career NASCAR Cup Series win at COTA the following week. Chastain scored win No. 2 at Talladega a few weeks later. Look for the No. 1 car to be out near the front yet again this weekend.

2. Denny Hamlin (+1200 via DraftKings, BetRivers)

Aside from the fact that he has won two races, it has been a very disappointing year for Denny Hamlin. The three superspeedway races run to date in the Next Gen Car have been no exception to this. Hamlin failed to finish in both the Daytona 500 and first Atlanta race before winding up 18th at Talladega. Despite these poor showings, Hamlin is still one of the best superspeedway racers in the sport.

1. Chase Elliott (+1100 via BetRivers)

Only one driver managed to finish in the top 10 in all three superspeedway races this spring. That would be none other than current standings leader, Chase Elliott. In fact, his best finish of the bunch was the sixth-place result he bagged at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Although his prowess on road courses has garnered more attention, Elliott quietly has very strong stats at superspeedways in recent years as well. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native will have his hometown fans firmly behind him on Sunday.

Where to Bet on the Quaker State 400

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

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Quaker State 400 picks made 7/8/2022 at 4:31 p.m. ET.

Written By:
Henry John

Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball, and NASCAR. He counts NFL, WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.