NASCAR Ambetter Health 400 Predictions: Projected order of finish in Atlanta

The NASCAR Cup Series will turn its attention towards Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Ambetter Heath 400, and the predictions for this weekend’s race are beginning to roll in.

Last season, Daniel Suarez won the first trip to the track via an epic, three-wide photo-finish, while Joey Logano was victorious the second time around, getting to Victory Lane during the track’s playoff date in September. They’ll certainly be among the popular choices to end up on top when the checkered flag waves on Sunday evening.

The crew over at Racing Insights, utilizing their advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data, has arrived at a projected winner and full race results. Check out their prediction below, and see where your favorite driver might end up.

1) Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney is always a threat at super-speedway tracks, especially Daytona. He won a stage and made some awesome moves throughout the race, but he fell just short of getting a top five, finishing P7 when the checkered flag waved.

Over the course of his career, Blaney has been awesome at Atlanta, and even more so over the last few seasons. The Team Penske wheelman finished P2 and P3 at the track last season, so we’ll see if he can elevate to the top spot in 2025.

2) William Byron

Back-to-back Daytona 500 victories for William Byron. An incredible feat for the Hendrick Motorsports star, as he returned to Victory Lane on Sunday evening after surviving a massive wreck on the final lap.

After winning two Daytona 500s in a row, can Byron go back-to-back to start 2025? He won at Atlanta in 2022 and 2023, so it’s not out of the question that the No. 24 could start the season off with two wins in a row.

3) Chase Elliott

Chase Elliott made his fans happy at times throughout the Daytona 500, battling near the front at the end of stages, but he couldn’t get close enough to contend for the win in the end. Still, a P15 finish isn’t anything to scoff at. 

Now, Elliott will be happy to return home to Georgia to race at Atlanta this weekend. He won there in 2022. A second victory at the track for the sport’s most popular driver would surely drive the crowd into a frenzy.

4) Austin Cindric

Austin Cindric was in the mix for the win during the final lap of the Daytona 500. His second Harley J. Earl Trophy was a possibility, but a last-lap wreck changed everything. Still, he came home P8 — not bad, all things considered.

He has a shot to open the season with another great run, as Atlanta is one of his best tracks. Cindric hasn’t finished below P12 since his P3 finish in July of 2022.

5) Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch entered the Daytona 500 as one of the favorites, and he was racing near the front throughout the afternoon and evening. However, it all came apart at the seams when the two-time champion was involved in the mess Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joey Logano created, wrecking Busch and dooming him to P34.

As he searches to end his winless streak, Busch has a tremendous shot of doing so this weekend in Atlanta. He hasn’t finished below P10 at the track in two years, so it’s not out of the question he can elevate and get to Victory Lane this weekend.

NASCAR Ambetter Health 400 projected order of finish — Nos. 6-39:

6) Christopher Bell
7) Joey Logano
8) Daniel Suárez
9) Alex Bowman
10) Bubba Wallace
11) Chris Buescher
12) Ross Chastain
13) Brad Keselowski
14) Michael McDowell
15) Kyle Larson
16) Denny Hamlin
17) AJ Allmendinger
18) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
19) Tyler Reddick
20) Erik Jones
21) Corey LaJoie
22) Justin Haley
23) Ty Gibbs
24) Todd Gilliland
25) Chase Briscoe
26) Ryan Preece
27) Carson Hocevar
28) Ty Dillon
29) Noah Gragson
30) Austin Dillon
31) Cole Custer
32) Josh Berry
33) John Hunter Nemechek
34) Zane Smith
35) Cody Ware
36) Shane van Gisbergen
37) J.J. Yeley
38) Riley Herbst
39) BJ McLeod