**Daytona Momentum Meets Georgia Asphalt**
Fresh off his dramatic Daytona victory, Jesse Love entered Atlanta seeking back-to-back wins to cement his championship credentials. The Richard Childress Racing driver faced fierce competition from reigning series champion Justin Allgaier, who started on pole after rain-shortened qualifying.
The 163-lap Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 saw three-wide racing characteristic of Atlanta’s reconfigured surface. Sam Mayer continued Haas Factory Team’s strong debut season by challenging for the lead early, building on his runner-up finish at Daytona.
**New Faces, New Dynamics**
Sheldon Creed impressed again with another top-five performance for Haas Factory Team, while rookie Connor Zilisch survived late-race chaos to score his first top-10 finish. The race saw strategic gambles with multiple drivers attempting fuel-mileage calculations on Atlanta’s abrasive pavement.
Late drama unfolded when Austin Hill – winner of three consecutive season-openers from 2022-2024 – spun while battling for third with 27 laps remaining, creating a restart scramble that reshuffled the top-10.
**Championship Implications**
With this being the second race of a revamped 33-event schedule, drivers earned crucial playoff points under NASCAR’s new Fastest Lap bonus system. The results tightened the standings dramatically:
| Position | Driver | Points |
|———-|——–|——–|
| 1 | Jesse Love | 85 |
| 2 | Sheldon Creed | 78 |
| 3 | Sam Mayer | 74 |
*Current top 3 in championship standings*
Next week’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 1, 2:30 PM ET on The CW) promises more action as teams adapt to NASCAR’s new short-track competition package tested at Rockingham.
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