The re-imagining of Atlanta Motor Speedway to turn it into a pseudo-Daytona has created some wild races in recent years, but the Cup Series’ best just delivered one of the closest finishes we’ve ever seen on Sunday evening, with three drivers crossing the line simultaneously.
At the end of a chaotic 400-mile race that featured several huge accidents, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch and Daniel Suarez went three-wide on the final lap and had a drag race to the line. The broadcast initially thought that Blaney had crossed first, but a slow-motion camera at the finish line showed that Suarez edged the other two cars by the slimmest of margins.
Officially, Suarez crossed the line .003 seconds ahead of Blaney, and .007 seconds ahead of Busch.
The stunning win will likely lock Suarez into the playoffs – which coincidentally will begin in Atlanta later this year.
Here’s what drivers and fans were saying about the wild finish.
3-WIDE AT THE LINE! WHAT A FINISH. Repost to congratulate Daniel Suárez on his Atlanta Motor Speedway WIN! pic.twitter.com/RdewRqJiwg
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 26, 2024
THAT'S HOW CLOSE IT WAS!
Daniel Suarez beats Ryan Blaney at the line to WIN at @ATLMotorSpdwy! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/XqWS183NO3
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) February 26, 2024
Sorry folks, shut it down. That race will not be topped this year. That finish might never be topped.
We just witnessed greatness!
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 26, 2024
Congrats @Daniel_SuarezG
Well deserved. The mental gymnastics and toughness to get through that entire event and put the finishing moves together was so impressive. #NASCAR— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) February 26, 2024
"I can't complain, I've won them by very very little too."@Blaney comes home runner-up by just 0.003 seconds in one of the closest finishes in #NASCAR history.#AmbetterHealth400 pic.twitter.com/lza05U3Rnm
— NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) February 26, 2024
Live shot of the finish of that race:#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/oyX7ik6LMw
— Josiah (@bed_jartlet98) February 26, 2024
Daniel Suarez wins in Atlanta by 0.003 seconds over Ryan Blaney and 0.007 seconds over Kyle Busch
This was the closest finish in the NASCAR Cup Series since Talladega in the Spring of 2011
This is the 3rd closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history pic.twitter.com/bZ3cckDU3q
— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) February 26, 2024
That was incredible. @Daniel_SuarezG talks with @ReganSmith after an amazing three-wide finish at Atlanta. https://t.co/mZ8pDMRS64 pic.twitter.com/SDUF84kV6i
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 26, 2024
The finish from the perspective of Austin Cindric
Starting the year with a top 5 already, HELL YEAH!
Oh yeah, also congrats Suarez. That's awesome. pic.twitter.com/7TLFbwVn7X
— Brett (@22fan4ever) February 26, 2024
Good luck ever seeing this in F1 #nascar https://t.co/gz426KqRvd
— Noah Hamman (@HammanShares) February 26, 2024
