CONCORD, N.C. - This evening, the NFL draft will take place in Green Bay Wisconsin, where several stars of college football will fulfill lifelong dreams of being invited into the ranks of professional football.
Similarly, this weekend, Hendrick Motorsports will utilize a different form on drafting. One that Rick Hendrick's team has been successful at throughout the team's history.
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On the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, there are three tracks that are classified as drafting tracks: Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022, Hendrick Motorsports has won at all three.
Drafting success in the Next Gen car
The winning trend on drafting tracks started at the first race on the newly repaved and reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was William Byron scoring the victory while leading 111 of the 325 laps. Later that summer, Chase Elliott would claim his first career victory at his home track, giving Hendrick Motorsports a sweep in the Peach State.
The drafting track momentum continued that season where Elliott was victorious again, this time at Talladega. The win would contribute to a deep playoff run into the 2022 Championship 4.
While 2023 was not as fruitful on drafting tracks for the group, Byron was able to score his second Atlanta victory as he claimed the track's summer race. The following season ended with the same number of drafting track wins but this time, a DAYTONA 500 championship as Byron narrowly overcame teammate Alex Bowman for the win.
And then 2025 rolled around. Once again, Byron was victorious in the DAYTONA 500. And while you might not see Kyle Larson on this list, a near miss at Atlanta earlier this year proved to be his best career finish at a drafting track.
But all in all, it's safe to say that Hendrick Motorsports has found the success on draft(ing) day.
Where is the NFL Draft this year?
The NFL Draft is in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
What time is the NFL Draft today?
If you want to see this other form of drafting, the first round of the NFL Draft takes place at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN.
What time does NASCAR race this weekend?
The Cup Series will race at Talladega at 3 p.m. ET this Sunday.
NASCAR TV schedule for Talladega this week
Friday, April 25
4 p.m. - ARCA practice, no TV
5:30 - Xfinity Series qualifying, CW
Saturday, April 26
10:30 a.m. - Cup Series practice, Prime Video
12:30 p.m. - ARCA race, FS1
4 - Xfinity Series race, CW
Sunday, April 27
3 p.m. - Cup Series race, FOX