HAMPTON, Ga. -- When NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports announced the reconfiguration of Atlanta Motor Speedway, they were met with some critical comments from drivers. Four years in, many of these drivers are far more supportive of the move.
This is a significant change, but the explanation for it is pretty simple -- the fans have altered drivers' opinions.
"For me, living pretty close by, I hear comments and I hear opinions about the race and people that actually come and attend and watch the races," Chase Elliott said in response to a question from AltDriver.
"So it's much easier, I think for me, to kind of get behind it when I see the positive reaction to a race and people kind of speaking highly of the race track because for so many years, I heard nothing but the opposite."
The 2020 Cup Series champion explained that the drivers had fun on the old configuration but the fans didn't necessarily enjoy the viewing experience. Cars were more strung out as the race progressed, and there were fewer battles for the lead.
The reconfiguration has made Atlanta more of a drafting-style track. The pack remains close throughout the race and there is the potential for a record number of lead changes. Last season's spring race even featured a three-wide finish, one of the closest in NASCAR history.
Having interacted with these fans regularly, Elliott has seen their reactions to these big moments. Their excitement has made it easier for him to get on board with the reconfiguration.
This was a common refrain among many of the drivers AltDriver polled on Saturday morning. The majority misses the old, worn-out intermediate version of the Georgia track. Many of these drivers don't love superspeedway racing.
They also recognize that the updated configuration has been beneficial to the overall health of the sport.
"I'd say this -- I had some buddies last year watch the race and say, Hey, after that race, they bought tickets, and they're coming this weekend," Austin Dillon told AltDriver. "So obviously, the fan loves what they see here.
"I think it's an interesting style. I don't think we need any more (superspeedways). I think it separates Atlanta from everything that we've got. So it's a cool event for us to come be a part of and work on. ...It's video game-style racing."
As Dillon indicated, Atlanta is not the standard drafting track like Daytona or Talladega. It's 1 mile shorter. It's also more of a handling track considering that the surface is wearing at a rapid pace. One driver even compared it to an older, bumpier version of Daytona.
As the past six Atlanta races have shown, the track continues to deliver excitement for the fans. It challenges the drivers more as they try to strike the balance between handling and pack racing.
The top competitors in the Cup Series may not necessarily love the new version of the Georgia track, but they are more enthusiastic about heading to it in 2025 than they were back in 2022.
"It's done its job of producing really good racing," Michael McDowell said. "And so it's been a win for the fans, and it's been a win for overall the industry.
"But at the same time, for me, it's not old Atlanta," he added while laughing. "I guess that's the easiest way to say it."