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NASCAR: Recapping Everything That Was Atlanta

By Matthew Jackson

Mar 5, 2017; Hampton, GA, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) leads NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) on a caution lap during the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2017; Hampton, GA, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) leads NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) on a caution lap during the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports /
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Did you miss the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday from Atlanta? If so, no worries, here is a quick recap of everything that you missed.

Brad Keselowski won Sunday’s Folds of Honor Quick-Trip 500, giving him his 22nd win in his NASCAR career. However, the most dominate driver in the race didn’t go to victory lane after the end of the race which was Kevin Harvick. Good thing for Harvick is the new points system NASCAR established at the beginning of the 2017 season, rewarding drivers who don’t only get the trophy but perform well throughout the race. Thanks to his win in segments 1 & 2 Harvick is now the points leader.

Brad Keselowski spoke to the media after his win Sunday in Atlanta and admits winning on NASCAR’s top series is not easy.

"Well, you know, wins are always special, but early in the season they’re really good. You just can’t take any wins for granted. I know I don’t. I always feel like before a race, you obviously always want to win, and you always wonder yourself when your last win is going to be, and I’m not anywhere near retirement age, but you still think about those things and you think about how tough it just is to win at this level and how lucky you are to have a team to win. A great winning percentage at this level is one out of every 10 races, and one out of every 10 races, if you can pull that off, you’re a Hall of Famer. I think that’s just a testament to how tough it is."

Kyle Larson who was leading during the late stages admits running the top line may not have been the best idea when battling Brad Keselowski for the win. After the race was over Larson spoke about his Atlanta finish, this was the second week in a row that he was leading late in the race but was not able to come through with a win.

"Yeah, I mean, I can make the high line work at most tracks. Here at Atlanta, I don’t do a good enough job up top. That’s why I try to commit myself to the bottom throughout the race. There when I restarted the leader after our Christmas present we got there, and Brad lined up behind me, I knew he was going to be the one to beat."

Next weekend the Monster Energy Cup Series will head to Las Vegas as part of “NASCAR Goes West.” For the next three weeks the series will head west to Las Vegas, Phoenix, and wrapping up at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Must Read: NASCAR Power Rankings After Atlanta

The annual trip West is usually an exciting one as Las Vegas and Auto Club generally provide fans with some exciting racing action. While Phoenix isn’t necessarily a dud, it has been owned by Kevin Harvick in recent years, thus taking away from the event a little bit.

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