Atlanta to be first race of NASCAR's In-Season Tournament

The first race of TNT’s five-race slate and NASCAR’s 2025 In-Season tournament have been announced. 

Atlanta Motor Speedway, which provided a thrilling three-wide finish earlier this season, will be the first race that TNT will broadcast since New Hampshire in 2014, as well as the first race of NASCAR’s new In-Season tournament, which is set to debut in 2025. 

The race will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2025, giving Atlanta its night race back after a one-year hiatus. Atlanta’s second race of the 2024 season will be the playoff opener for the NASCAR Cup Series on Sept. 8. 

For TNT, the race will kick off the return of their coverage with a marquee event. With the possible addition of the Chicago Street Race and Brickyard 400 to TNT’s schedule — and hence, the schedule of the In-Season tournament itself — the media giant could have quite the lineup for its five-race slate. Of course, the 2025 NASCAR schedule is unknown, but even Atlanta will be a big draw for fans. Making the race take place on Saturday night also fills a major void in the NASCAR schedule, as the only Saturday night race present on 2024’s schedule is the Bristol Night Race on Sept 21. 

As far as the In-Season Tournament goes, having the first race of the event at a Superspeedway will ensure that all 32 eligible drivers will have a shot at victory lane and, thus, a chance at advancing to the next round of the tournament. For underdog drivers and teams, a superspeedway to start the five-race bid for $1 million is a huge chance to make some noise in what will undoubtedly be a competitive summer stretch. 

If an underdog driver — say, a No. 16 seed matched up against a No. 1 — was to capture the checkered flag at Atlanta, not only would they lock up a spot in the playoffs, but increase their chances of earning a $1 million bonus. 

With the added drama of the In-Season Tournament, there’s no doubt that Atlanta will once more be must-see TV in 2025.