Three Up, Three Down: Drivers in focus leaving Atlanta

The second race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign delivered an electric overtime finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, delivering Christopher Bell his first win of the new year.

RELATED: Official results | Atlanta photos

Some notable drivers mastered the draft to their advantage in Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400, but others left in a hole ahead of Circuit of The Americas, where the Cup circuit heads next Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

THREE UP ⬆️

1. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 17th

Finished: 3rd

What happened: Larson has handled a fair share of criticism for his lack of success at drafting-style tracks in the week since a 20th-place finish in the Daytona 500. He erased that with a mighty third-place finish Sunday, just inches shy of nabbing the win over Christopher Bell and Carson Hocevar when the caution flag flew in overtime.

What’s next: A new layout at COTA will present a new challenge for the entire Cup field, but Larson’s results at the road course in Austin, Texas, have not been great in the Next Gen car. Since 2022, Larson’s best finish at COTA is 14th (2023), reflective of his average starting spot of 13.6 in his last three starts there.

2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 34th

Finished: 5th

What happened: Despite contact with Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott in Stage 2, Stenhouse powered to his first top-five finish of 2025 with a strong run for Hyak Motorsports at Atlanta. Stenhouse worked his way to the front late after averaging an 18.36 running position, according to NASCAR’s loop data, rebounding well from a poor qualifying effort.

What’s next: Stenhouse has never excelled at road courses but had a respectable seventh-place showing at COTA in 2023. However, his other two Austin starts in the Next Gen car have produced finishes outside the top 25.

3. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports

Started: 24th

Finished: 13th

What happened: McDowell and his team pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks to date. After going to the garage early for a broken power-steering hose, the No. 71 went to the garage, repaired the issue and returned to the track six laps down. McDowell tied a record by receiving the free pass to get a lap back six times Sunday, according to Racing Insights, allowing the 2021 Daytona 500 champ back onto the lead lap and into a top-20 finishing position after spending 122 of Sunday’s 266 laps off the lead lap.

What’s next: McDowell is a threat to win when NASCAR heads to a road course, as evidenced by his 2023 win on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. A mechanical issue thwarted him last season, but he returns to the course in 2025 with a new team and with a new layout ahead.

THREE DOWN ⬇️

1. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

Started: 2nd

Finished: 28th

What happened: Cindric was in the right place but at the wrong time all over again in Atlanta. Cindric led 46 laps Sunday and was out front when Larson attempted to clear him for the top spot with three laps remaining. But at the exit of Turn 2, Larson washed Cindric into the outside wall, bouncing his Ford into the path of William Byron and sending both into a slide and into the inside SAFER barrier. He was unable to continue and finished 28th.

What’s next: COTA has been good to the 2022 Daytona 500 champion, who has top-10 finishes in two of his last three starts in Austin, Texas. Cindric was out front on the final lap of this year’s “Great American Race” too, so he’s just hoping for a finish relative to his dominant 5.4 average running position — best of the Cup Series by a whopping four spots over teammate Ryan Blaney.

2. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 13th

Finished: 26th

What happened: A strong day quickly went south for Bowman at the southern 1.54-mile superspeedway. Chris Buescher was sent spinning off Turn 4 after a stack-up in front of him caused a significant slowdown. Buescher’s No. 17 Ford landed right in the nose of Bowman’s No. 48 Chevy, creating damage to Bowman’s car that he could never overcome.

What’s next: Bowman’s most recent race win came on the Chicago Street Course in July 2024, so there’s no fear in any right turns ahead for this bunch. If anyone is upset that COTA is getting a layout change, it might be Bowman, who has finishes of second, third and fourth in his last three COTA starts, all in the Next Gen car.

3. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford

Started: 9th

Finished: 39th

What happened: Typically a drafting ace, Keselowski found no luck Sunday at Atlanta when Chase Elliott was put into the wall as a victim of Stenhouse’s contact with Briscoe. Elliott broke a right-rear toe link, lost control and spun right in front of Keselowski, leaving the 2012 champion with nowhere to go.

What’s next: Contrary to Bowman, perhaps Keselowski is looking forward to new twists and turns at COTA. Previous starts have not gone well for Keselowski, who has finished 33rd (2024) and 35th (2023) in his last two trips to Austin.