(Motorsport-Total.com) – The NASCAR race on Sunday in Atlanta began with an emotional speech and a minute of silence. And it ended with victory for Kevin Harvick, who had achieved the first emotional victory of his NASCAR Cup career on this track in March 2001 as the successor to the fatally injured Dale Earnhardt. Since then, the Californian has had 50 more victories (Photos: NASCAR in Atlanta).
© NASCAR Media
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Kevin Harvick won again in Atlanta after 2001 and 2018 Zoom
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In the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was the sixth “ghost race” since the season started again. The race should have taken place on March 15th, but it was the first to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, just under three months after the original date, the 325 Atlanta laps were completed without an on-site spectator. Apart from an announced caution phase (competition caution) and the two mandatory caution phases to separate the racing segments (stage cautions), there were only two further caution phases for harmless spins.
NASCAR 2020: Atlanta
The highlights of race 10 of 36 of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway!
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The win, his third in Atlanta, went to Kevin Harvick after a convincing performance in front of Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. (both Gibbs-Toyota).
Sign against racism before the start
After the starting grid was drawn again in stages due to a lack of qualifying, it was local hero Chase Elliott (Hendrick-Chevrolet) who was allowed to start his home race from the best grid position. This time the start command was given by one of his teammates. Jimmie Johnson, who drives his last full NASCAR season, shouted the command straight from the cockpit of his # 48 Hendrick-Chevrolet through the helmet into the microphone!
But before the 40 drivers started the race, they came out of the pit lane and stopped with their cars on the start / finish arc. The engines were turned off. NASCAR President Steve Phelps addressed the drivers with a radio address and also addressed the television viewers.
© Jim Utter
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Sign against racism with speech and a minute of silence before the start Zoom
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“Thank you very much for your time. Our country is suffering and the people are rightly angry. They demand to be heard. The black community and all colored people have suffered in our country. It has taken far too long to meet their demands Heard change. Our sport has to do it better. Our country has to do it better, “said Phelps.
“Now is the time to listen, understand and stand up against racism and racial injustice. We ask our drivers and all of our fans to join us on this mission, to reflect for a moment and realize that we can do it better as a sport must do “, so the further words of Phelps.
The catalyst for the NASCAR President’s address, which was followed by a minute’s silence, was the death of George Floyd by police violence on May 25 in Minneapolis and the rallies that have taken place nationwide and worldwide since then.
Two stage wins for Truex Jr. – race win for Harvick
After the emotional start, Stage 1 was won by Martin Truex Jr. as the first racing segment. Before that, apart from Chase Elliott, who started from P1, Joey Logano (Penske-Ford) and Kevin Harvick had also done several laps of leadership work.
Harvicks Stewart / Haas team-mate Clint Bowyer booked the most lead laps in Stage 2. Truex Jr. grabbed the stage victory again. As in the first, the driver of the # 19 Gibbs Toyota had taken the lead in the second segment just before the stage flag.
The final segment had to make the decision about the race win. This went completely under green on the stage. And here the # 4 Stewart / Haas-Ford from Harvick turned out to be the best long-run car. He won confidently. On the lap of honor, Harvick also remembered Dale Earnhardt, when he drove to victory for the first time in Atlanta in 2001 as his successor.
Behind Harvick, who won for the second time this season, Kyle Busch took second place at the last moment by overtaking his Gibbs team-mate Truex Jr.
Wednesday: Floodlight premiere in Martinsville is coming up
The top 5 were completed by Ryan Blaney (Penske-Ford; 4th) and Denny Hamlin (Gibbs-Toyota; 5th). The top 10 were rounded off by Kurt Busch (Ganassi-Chevrolet; 6th), Hendrick pilots Jimmie Johnson (7th) and Chase Elliott (8th) as well as Penske pilots Brad Keselowski (9,) and Joey Logano (10th) .).
The next race is in three days. A floodlit race will be held for the first time on Wednesday at Martinsville Speedway. Converted to CEST, however, the evening short-track race begins at an inconvenient time, namely shortly after 1:00 a.m. in the night from Wednesday to Thursday.
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