Revisiting NASCAR’s closest three-wide photograph end

Simply earlier than the beginning of the 2025 season, Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch, and Ryan Blaney all bought collectively for a personal theater screening of the documentary, “So Rattling Shut” about their history-making three-wide end from the Atlanta race on February 25, 2024. Additionally within the room have been the drivers’ crew chiefs and spotters concerned in that fateful run to the checkered flag. NASCAR had introduced all of them collectively, almost a yr later, to look at, chortle, and clarify their mindset by way of each important second of final yr’s thriller, with the trio all crossing the road, and finally seeing Suarez break a protracted streak of zero wins. 

To the shock of nobody, it didn’t take lengthy for final yr’s first race at Atlanta to devolve into mayhem as 16 vehicles piled right into a Lap 2 crash. Amongst these concerned have been Suarez, who was fortunate to flee the wreck with a aggressive automobile nonetheless beneath him. Busch and Blaney didn’t even know the eventual race winner was swept up within the early melee, each expressing shock within the documentary when instructed.

“My left entrance had slightly bit of harm, but it surely wasn’t dangerous,” Suarez defined,  declaring his automobile within the cloud of smoke. “My hood popped up just a bit bit. Fortunately, the splitter was within the appropriate place.” He additionally throws in a quip about wanting again on the No. 54 of Ty Gibbs shoving him into the wreck as a substitute of focusing ahead. “I used to be wanting in my mirror as a result of I knew he was coming 10mph sooner than me.”

There have been 9 cautions for on-track incidents throughout this race, making it a sport of survival as drivers struggled to maintain their vehicles clear. With round 20 laps left, there was a heart-stopping second when Suarez made it four-wide on the within in his cost again to the entrance – all whereas Busch was left because the automobile the far exterior. The 2 drivers within the center – Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe, didn’t make it by way of the nook with out crashing.

“That was all of your fault,” grinned Busch as they watched it again. “You possibly can’t do four-wide into (Flip 3) … I’m glad I bought the hell out of there.” Blaney then added: “I like your bail to the fence transfer.”

Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing, HighPoint.com Ford Mustang, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing, Moose Fraternity Chevrolet Camaro1 and Josh Berry, Stewart-Haas Racing, Harrison’s Ford Mustang wreck

Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photographs

Quick ahead to the ultimate crash, the place Suarez occurred to be simply forward of Blaney on the time of warning. This gave Suarez full management for the ultimate five-lap sprint to the checkered flag, black tape nonetheless adorning the battle scars on his hood. 

Going into Atlanta, Suarez was staring down a 57-race winless streak with rumblings about his future at Trackhouse hanging over his head. The strain was large. To make issues worse, immediately behind him was the defending Cup Sequence champion in Blaney. And in third was Busch, one of the profitable drivers in NASCAR historical past.

In selecting a lane for the important restart, Suarez defined: “I knew that the 12 [Blaney] and the two [Cindric] have been sooner than me so I knew that the extent of belief was larger with the 8 [Busch], and the 8 had what I believed was fairly good pace.”

Finally, the selection of dancing companions was about to turn out to be irrelevant inside a lap of the restart. It was benefit Suarez at first, however he failed to dam Blaney down the backstretch. The No. 12 muscled its strategy to the surface of Suarez, giving Suarez a shot within the rear bumper as he reclaimed the highest.

“Blaney’s not gonna care,” commented Busch. “He ain’t gonna raise. He’s gonna hit you as exhausting because it takes.”

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing, Freeway Insurance coverage Chevrolet Camaro and Ryan Blaney, Group Penske, BodyArmor Zero Sugar Ford Mustang

Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photographs

Understanding that he wasn’t going to win because the second automobile in line on the underside, Suarez pressured his method into the highest lane. Doing so disrupted the air and despatched Martin Truex Jr. method up the observe. “Sorry Martin!” laughed Suarez. However Blaney remained within the lead. Suarez and Busch ran door-to-door for the runner-up place on the white flag and it appeared as if neither would have a shot on the win. In reality, all of them would.

Suarez was making an attempt to construct a run, however there was only one drawback: He was making an attempt to catch a Penske automobile with one other Penske automobile immediately behind him, and Austin Cindric wasn’t serious about aiding his efforts.

“You possibly can see proper there the 47 [Stenhouse] is up his butt making an attempt to go however the 2 [Cindric] won’t push the 99 [Suarez],” noticed Busch. This induced a spot to type between Suarez and Blaney, and cracking the door open even barely was sufficient of an invite for the two-time Cup champ.

That’s when made a sensational transfer up the center, splitting the vehicles of Blaney and Suarez like a wedge. It ought to have resulted in calamity, however all three drivers saved their wits about them. 

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing, Freeway Insurance coverage Chevrolet Camaro and Ryan Blaney, Group Penske, BodyArmor Zero Sugar Ford Mustang

Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photographs

“High three! High three! High three!” shouted Suarez’s spotter, Frankie Kimmel. Busch was pulling air off the right-rear of Blaney getting into Flip 3 and Suarez was doing the identical to Busch from the third lane. This introduced all three collectively in a spectacle for the ages. They have been deadlocked exiting the ultimate nook with nobody pushing them. 

It seemed like fighter pilots in formation as they drag-raced to the road. Because the checkered flag flew, nobody might really inform who gained. FOX commentator and former NASCAR Cup Sequence driver Clint Bowyer initially referred to as it for Blaney, however officers instantly positioned the end beneath assessment. 

“Uh, I don’t know…” mentioned Busch’s spotter, Derek Kneeland.

“Everybody was wanting round,” mentioned Suarez’s crew chief, Matt Swiderski. “The crew members have been wanting again up at me like I knew what the reply was at that time.”

However what about what the drivers noticed? Seems it wasn’t a lot. “From my view on the underside, I knew I bought Kyle as a result of I’m wanting proper (as we race) down the frontstretch,” mentioned Blaney. “However I could not see Daniel so I had no concept.”

Replied Suarez: “It was precisely the identical. I used to be simply inching the 8 [Busch] however my spotter was saying ‘two inside’ and I mentioned: ‘The place the heck is the opposite man?’ I couldn’t see something.”

Ryan Blaney, Group Penske, BodyArmor Zero Sugar Ford Mustang Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing, Freeway Insurance coverage Chevrolet Camaro

Picture by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Photographs

After about thirty seconds, the No. 99 of Suarez was lastly declared the winner and celebrations erupted from the pits. Even his teammate, Ross Chastain, pulled as much as the beginning/end line to supply his congrats.

“It was so rattling shut,” grinned Suarez, who might hardly imagine it whilst he was being interviewed following the win.

Suarez bested Blaney by simply 0.003s in one of many 5 closest finishes within the historical past of NASCAR. Busch in third was solely 0.007s again, making it the closest three-wide end ever. Historical past made. 

Whereas they will chortle about it now, the frustration in being so shut was palpable within the post-race radio communication.

“Rattling it man. Ahhhh,” radioed Blaney.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Wouldn’t have it some other made,” radioed Busch sarcastically.

Watch: Alternate angle: Atlanta’s 0.003 photograph end in gradual movement

Atlanta: Dwelling to among the most iconic photograph finishes in NASCAR

Now, Atlanta isn’t any stranger to photograph finishes, even earlier than NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports Inc. utterly overhauled the design of the observe in 2021 reconfiguration. Previous to that, in 2000, Dale Earnhardt beat Bobby Labonte by simply 0.010s. A yr later in an emotional end involving the late Earnhardt’s substitute, Kevin Harvick, the then-rookie defeated Jeff Gordon by simply 0.006s. In 2005, NASCAR Corridor of Famer Carl Edwards did his first victory backflip as a Cup driver when he bested Jimmie Johnson for his first profession win. However 2024 was one thing else totally, partly as a result of it was a really completely different observe regardless of bearing the identical title.

When NASCAR determined to make Atlanta into some type of superspeedway-intermediate observe hybrid with pack racing round a 1.5-mile speedway, it raised some eyebrows and for apparent causes. Whereas a far cry from the outdated Atlanta, this new model has already solidified its place within the pages of NASCAR historical past after simply three years.

“The outdated Atlanta possibly didn’t placed on the most effective present for watching, sitting on the sofa,” admitted Blaney. Busch, who’s all the time been supportive of the outdated worn out surfaces attributable to how a lot enjoyable they’re to drive, even admitting that the brand new Atlanta “produces among the finest motion” for the followers.

NASCAR additionally moved Atlanta as much as the follow-up present to the five hundred in 2024, for back-to-back pack races to kick off the season. It makes for an costly two weeks, with the inevitable multi-car crashes which are born from such shut quarters racing. However Atlanta stunned everybody, drivers included.

“It might have been simply that every one three of us simply pancake, sandwiched collectively and induced a giant s***present on the finish of this factor,” Blaney mentioned. “It stinks you don’t win the race, however I could not be that upset about it. I’ve gained Talladega by a mixed quantity of like eight toes like 3 times. I’ve been on the great facet of it a couple of occasions, so if I misplaced one by a foot, I can’t be too upset about it … it was a cool end.”

And that proper there’s why this specific end is held in such excessive regard — it wasn’t the Atlanta we had come to know and love with large tire fall-off and drivers slipping and sliding with a ridiculous quantity of horsepower that left skid marks down the straights.It was nonetheless one thing not often seen in fashionable NASCAR. 

Even in a pack race like that the place an early season win meant no playoff worries for months, all the drivers raced with respect. Suarez, probably determined for a victory, did not simply slam the door on Busch and wreck everybody getting into Flip 3. Blaney did not push up the observe and shove the opposite two out of the best way both. It was a good battle to the checkered flag — a far cry from the wreckfests that repeatedly plague the finishes of different pack races. Simply take a look at this week the place we transfer on from a Daytona 500 that ended with the top-five finishers all crashing into one another on the ultimate lap. It is the anticipated end result lately, which is what makes the 2024 Atlanta end so particular. Hopefully, we get to see a sequel on Sunday.