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Category: NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series

Logano prevails in overtime to win 2024 Cup Playoff opener at Atlanta

Joey Logano commenced the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on a high note by fending off the field in overtime to win the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 8.

The two-time Cup Series champion from Middletown, Connecticut, led twice for nine of 266 over-scheduled laps in an event where he qualified in seventh place and survived a war of attrition amongst his fellow Playoff contenders and non-Playoff contenders through a series of stacked racing through multiple lanes and keep up to pace with the draft from start to finish.

After being drafted into the lead by teammate and Playoff contender Ryan Blaney with three laps remaining, where he would then battle Playoff contender Daniel Suarez for the lead, a caution for Noah Gragson wrecking during the following lap sent the event into overtime. In overtime, Logano received another strong push from Blaney to muscle ahead of Suarez. With the clean air, Logano would maintain the top spot and fend off a host of Playoff contenders for two final laps amid a multi-car wreck erupting on the final lap to claim his second checkered flag of the 2024 Cup Series season under caution and race his way into the Playoff’s Round of 12.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, September 7, Michael McDowell notched his fifth pole position of his Cup Series career and of the 2042 season after posting a pole-winning lap at 179.267 mph in 30.926 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Playoff contender Ryan Blaney, who clocked in the second-fastest qualifying lap at 178.844 mph in 30.999 seconds.

Prior to the event, Playoff contenders and teammates Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. started at the rear of the field due to a plug wire change to their respective Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota entries.

When the green flag waved and the 2024 Cup Series Playoff commenced, Michael McDowell gained an early advantage from the inside lane as he had teammate Todd Gilliland drafting him through the first two turns and the backstretch while Ryan Blaney was trying to maintain ground from the outside lane. As the field returned to the frontstretch stacked in two lanes, McDowell led the first lap in his pole-winning No. 34 B’laster Work It Like A Pro Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

For the following four laps and with the front-runners trying to remain within reasonable reach of the lead with the preferred drafting lane towards the outside lane and behind the leader McDowell, Blaney retained second ahead of rookie Josh Berry, Playoff contender Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon while Playoff contender Chase Briscoe, Todd Gilliland and a trio of Playoff contenders that included Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and William Byron were in the top 10.

Through the first 10 scheduled laps and with the front-runners running in a long single-file line, McDowell retained the lead ahead of Blaney, Larson, Berry and Briscoe as Austin Dillon, Logano, Cindric, Gilliland and Byron were scored in the top 10 ahead of Playoff contenders Harrison Burton and Alex Bowman, with Daniel Hemric, Ross Chastain and Playoff contender Chase Elliott rounding out the top 15 and all trailing the lead by less than two seconds. Meanwhile, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Daniel Suarez and Denny Hamlin were trailing in 18th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 26th, 27th and 36th, respectively.

Just past the Lap 20 mark, the field fanned out to two scattered, drafting lanes as McDowell continued to hold the top spot ahead of Blaney, Berry, Larson and Logano while Bowman, Cindric, Byron, Harrison Burton and Chastain were battling within the top 10 mark. By then, the top 16 competitors were separated by less than two seconds while the top 20 were separated by less than three seconds.

At the Lap 30 mark and with the top-nine competitors separated by less than a second, Blaney made a move beneath McDowell through the first two turns to assume the lead in his No. 12 Dent Wizard Ford Mustang Dark Horse as Larson followed suit in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Larson would then challenge Blaney for the top spot from the outside lane during the following lap before Cindric shoved teammate Blaney back out in front through the backstretch. Behind, McDowell dropped to fourth while Logano, Bowman and Byron closed in for the spot. Amid the jostling of spots within, the top 31 competitors were separated by less than five seconds as Blaney led at the Lap 35 mark ahead of Playoff rivals Larson, Cindric, Byron, Bowman and Logano.

By Lap 40, the top 31 competitors were separated by less than five seconds as Blaney retained the lead ahead of Playoff contenders Larson, Cindric, Byron, Bowman and Logano while Chastain, McDowell, Elliott and Daniel Hemric followed suit in the top 10 ahead of Burton, Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Berry, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Truex, Austin Dillon, Gilliland, Justin Haley and Bubba Wallace. Meanwhile, Hamlin was mired back in 34th place and trailing the lead by more than eight seconds while Suarez, Reddick, Bell and Keselowski were mired back in 21st, 23rd, 24th and 25th, respectively, all while trailing the lead under three seconds.

Ten laps later, Blaney continued to lead by a tenth of a second in front of Larson, Cindric, Bowman and Chastain as the top nine competitors were separated by less than a second. Behind, the top 20 competitors were separated by less than two seconds while the top 25 were separated by less than three.

Another five laps later, the event’s first caution flew when Larson, who was running in third place, briefly got loose, shot up the track and took a vicious head-on hit into the SAFER barrier in Turn 2. Then as the field scattered to avoid Larson’s wrecked car entering the backstretch, Larson shot into the rear of Briscoe, winner of last weekend’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway who was left with a crumbled front nose to his No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse while Larson was left with heavy damage to his right front and rear end of his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Amid the hard accident, Larson, who came into the Playoff opener with the top seed in the Playoff standings and having a steady cushion above the top-12 cutline, was left puzzled over the hard incident that ended his strong run early.

“I’m OK,” Larson said after exiting the infield care center. “Thankfully, everything held up well inside the car. That was a huge hit. I’m not really sure what caused it. I was actually sort of tight and loaded in the corner. And then I was pretty far around the corner and it just stepped out. I don’t know. It all just happened really fast.”

The multi-car wreck that knocked both Larson and Briscoe out of the Playoff opener was enough for the first stage period scheduled to conclude on Lap 60 to officially conclude under caution as Blaney captured his fourth Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Teammate Cindric settled in second ahead of Bowman, Logano and Stenhouse while Chastain, Elliott, Byron, Truex and Ty Gibbs were scored in the top 10. By then, the remaining Playoff contenders on the track that included Suarez, Reddick, Bell, Keselowski and Hamlin were mired back in 15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd and 32nd, respectively.

Under the stage break, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Blaney pitted for a first round of service while BJ McLeod and JJ Yeley remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Bowman exited pit road first as Cindric, Stenhouse, Blaney, Logano, Byron, Chastain, Ty Gibbs, Elliott and Truex followed suit in the top 10. McLeod and Yeley would then pit during the proceeding caution laps as Bowman cycled into the lead. By then, Truex and Shane van Gisbergen were both penalized for speeding on pit road. In addition, Bell, who was among six competitors who returned to pit road to top off on fuel, made another trip to pit road to have his car fully loaded with fuel after he had fire coming out of his pit stall and his No. 20 pit crew was unable to fill the car up with fuel during the first service.

The second stage period started on Lap 67 as Bowman and Cindric occupied the front row. At the start, Cindric had drafting help from teammate Blaney to muscle ahead from the inside lane and he would manage to move ahead of Bowman’s No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to lead the following lap. The field then started to fan out to three stacked lanes amid the draft as Cindric and Bowman dueled for the lead in front of Blaney, Stenhouse and the rest of the field by Lap 70.

Through the Lap 80 mark and with the field scattered amid the draft, the top 19 competitors were separated by less than two seconds as Cindric maintained the lead ahead of teammate Blaney, Bowman, Byron and Chastain while Suarez occupied sixth ahead of Stenhouse, Elliott, Logano and Kyle Busch. Meanwhile, Playoff contenders Ty Gibbs, Truex, Reddick and Burton were mired within the top 16 on the track while Bell, Keselowski and Hamlin trailed in 21st, 26th and 34th, respectively.

Ten laps later, Cindric continued to lead the race ahead of two stacked lanes, with teammate Blaney following suit on the inside lane while Bowman led a long parade of competitors from the outside lane. By then, the top 14 competitors were separated by less than a second while the top 26 were separated by under two seconds.

By the Lap 100 mark, Cindric maintained a steady advantage over Bowman, teammate Blaney, Byron, Chastain and the rest of the field that was jostling for spots amid two and three stacked lanes within the draft. With the top-24 competitors separated by less than two seconds, Haley was scored in 10th place behind Stenhouse, Suarez, Truex and Elliott while Erik Jones, who was trying to mount a charge from a third drafting lane towards the outside wall, was racing within the top-15 mark.

Thirteen laps later and with Cindric maintaining the lead in front of two stacked lanes, the caution flew due to debris spotted in the frontstretch. During the caution period, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Cindric returned to pit road for service, primarily for fuel, while the rest including Ryan Preece, Hamlin, McLeod and Yeley remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Cindric exited pit road first as he was followed by Bowman, Blaney, Suarez, Byron, Elliott, Logano, Bubba Wallace, Keselowski and Haley. Amid the pit stops, Reddick made contact with rookie Carson Hocevar while trying to exit his pit stall. In addition, Wallace was penalized for speeding on pit road while Bell was also penalized for pitting outside his pit box. Shortly after, Preece, Hamlin, Yeley and McLeod pitted and handed the lead back to Cindric.

The start of the following restart period on Lap 119 featured Cindric and Bowman dueling for the lead in front of two stacked lanes through the first two turns and the backstretch before Cindric received another strong push from teammate Blaney to muscle his No. 2 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse ahead of the pack. With Cindric leading the field back to the frontstretch and having both lanes under his control, teammate Blaney, Bowman and Byron followed suit in the top four while Suarez muscled his way into the top five.

At the halfway mark on Lap 130, Cindric was leading ahead of Playoff rivals Bowman, Blaney, Byron, Suarez, Logano and Elliott, all of whom were among 12 competitors separated by less than a second while the top 23 competitors were separated by less than two seconds. With the field fanning out to three lanes amid the draft, the remaining Playoff contenders that included Keselowski, Burton, Truex, Ty Gibbs, Reddick, Bell and Hamlin were running 10th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 25th and 32nd, respectively, while Stenhouse and Gilliland were the top-two non-Playoff contenders on the track in eighth and ninth, respectively. Within the battles, non-Playoff contenders Kyle Busch, Erik Jones and Chastain were mired in the top 15.

Fifteen laps later, Cindric continued to lead ahead of the field that was stacked through two and three lanes, with teammate Blaney, Bowman, Byron and Suarez battling within the top five ahead of Erik Jones, Chastain, Elliott, Gilliland and Logano. By then, the top 23 competitors were separated by under two seconds. In addition, Suarez dodged a pass-through penalty from NASCAR despite having advanced his position under the backstretch’s double white line a few laps earlier but was ruled to have been forced down as a reactive move to avoid Logano.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 160, Cindric fended off two stacked lanes to notch his third Cup stage victory of the 2024 season. Teammate Blaney, Bowman, Suarez and Byron were scored in the top five while Stenhouse, Chastain, Elliott, Ty Gibbs and Bell were scored in the top 10. Meanwhile, Logano, who made contact with Gilliland through the backstretch, dropped to 12th behind Reddick while Keselowski, Truex, Burton and Hamlin were mired back in 14th, 17th, 22nd and 29th, respectively. By then, Haley was penalized for blocking and forcing Reddick below the double white line.

During the stage break, a majority of the lead lap field led by Cindric pitted for service while select names including Ty Dillon, Haley, Josh Berry, Wallace, Preece, McLeod and Yeley remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Chastain exited pit road first ahead of McDowell, Stenhouse, Ty Gibbs, Byron, Blaney, Bell, Bowman, Corey LaJoie and Suarez. Amid the pit stops, van Gisbergen was penalized a second time for speeding on pit road. During the continuous caution laps, the select competitors who remained on the track led by Ty Dillon pitted as Chastain cycled into the lead.

With 94 laps remaining, the final stage commenced as Chastain and McDowell occupied the front row. At the start, Chastain and McDowell dueled for the lead in front of a stacked field running two lanes. Chastain proceeded to lead the following lap while Stenhouse battled McDowell for second in front of Ty Gibbs and Byron. McDowell, who led the following lap, and Stenhouse would make slight contact exiting the backstretch with nearly 90 laps remaining, but both kept their cars running straight as the field continued to run in two stacked lanes and while Chastain reassumed the lead.

The caution would then return with 86 laps remaining when John Hunter Nemechek, who was running in 23rd place, got aero loose as Burton slid in front of him entering the backstretch, which resulted in Nemechek spinning his No. 42 Olipop Toyota Camry XSE below the track and making head-on contact in the inside wall.

During the caution period, a majority of the field led by Chastain returned to pit road for service while the rest led by Ty Gibbs and Wallace remained on the track. Amid the pit stops, Suarez and Logano made contact on pit road as they both collected Reddick while LaJoie made door contact with Elliott, who had made contact with Cindric earlier, and Stenhouse while exiting pit road.

As the event restarted under green with 79 laps remaining, Wallace received a shove from Blaney on the inside lane to assume the lead by a hair over Ty Gibbs through the first two turns before Gibbs fought back on the outside lane with drafting help from Chastain. Both Gibbs and Wallace would continue to duel for the lead in front of two stacked lanes with 75 laps remaining.

With 65 laps remaining the majority of the field migrated toward the outside lane as select drivers tried to expand the pack to three-wide action. Ty Gibbs was leading ahead of Wallace, Chastain, Kyle Busch and McDowell while Bowman, Byron, Blaney, Bell and Elliott trailed in the top 10 ahead of Chris Buescher, Logano, Gilliland, Erik Jones, Truex, Keselowski, Cidnric, LaJoie, Reddick and Daniel Hemric. Playoff contenders Suarez, Reddick, Burton and Hamlin were mired outside the top 20 on the track.

Nine laps later, the caution flew when Chris Buescher, who was running in the top 10, slipped up the track entering the backstretch and clipped Blaney, which sent both sideways and touching the outside wall. Blaney was then hit by Truex while Truex was trying to dodge the chaos. By then, Wallace, who assumed the lead eight laps earlier, was leading ahead of Ty Gibbs, Kyle Busch, Byron and Chastain. During the caution period, select names led by Wallace and including Playoff contenders Gibbs, Bell, Blaney, Keselowski, Burton, Hamlin and Truex pitted while the rest led by Kyle Busch and Byron remained on the track. By then, Blaney managed to continue and remain on the lead lap while Truex dropped out of the lead lap category to have his No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry XSE repaired.

The start of the next restart period with 49 laps remaining featured Kyle Busch being drafted into the lead from Byron as he transitioned from the inside to the outside lane through the backstretch. With Busch leading the next lap ahead of Byron, Chastain was trying to close in from the inside lane as the field behind fanned out to four lanes. With the field stacked up between three and four tight lanes around every corner and straightaway, Busch maintained a steady lead ahead of Byron, Chastain, Elliott, Bowman and Suarez with less than 45 laps remaining.

With 35 laps remaining, the top 18 competitors were separated by less than a second and the top 28 were separated by less than two seconds. Kyle Busch retained the lead in front of Byron, Chastain, Elliott, Ty Gibbs, Bowman, Gilliland, and McDowell, as Logano and Suarez were mired within the top 10, ahead of Reddick, Logano, Cindric, Austin Dillon, Burton, Noah Gragson and Keselowski while Blaney and Bell were racing within the top-20 mark. Meanwhile, Hamlin was mired in 31st place and was not gaining any ground towards the lead pack.

Down to the final 25 laps of the event, the intensity at the front of the pack increased as Gibbs, who drafted Byron past Kyle Busch for the lead three laps earlier before he assumed it a lap later, returned atop the leaderboard. As the field continued to fan out aggressively to three drafted lanes, Suarez was in second behind Gibbs while Busch settled in third ahead of Logano, Byron, Chastain, Gilliland, Bowman, Elliott and Cindric.

Ten laps later and with fuel becoming a slight concern amongst the field, the top 14 competitors were separated by less than a second while the top 27 were separated by less than two seconds as Ty Gibbs continued to lead in front of Suarez, Kyle Busch, Logano and Byron. With the field fanning out to three lanes two laps later, Suarez muscled his No. 99 Quaker State Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the lead.

Then with 11 laps remaining, the caution flew due to a Walmart sign falling onto the frontstretch. By then, Suarez was scored the leader in front of Ty Gibbs, Busch, Logano, Byron and Chastain while Blaney, Bell, Elliott and Reddick were in the top 10. During the caution period, some including Keselowski pitted while the rest led by Suarez and including a host of Playoff contenders remained on the track.

With the race restarting under green with five laps remaining, Suarez briefly launched ahead from the outside lane exiting the frontstretch before Ty Gibbs rocketed back on the inside lane through the first two turns. Then as Gibbs attempted to move in front of Suarez through the backstretch, Suarez veered left and made his move beneath Gibbs in a battle for the lead while Logano bumped into the rear of Gibbs exiting the backstretch. A three-wide action for the lead then ensued entering the frontstretch as Busch made his move beneath both Suarez and Gibbs, who led the following lap.

Then as Gibbs and Suarez continued to battle against one another for the lead in front of a stacked field, Logano, who launched a third drafting lane towards the outside wall, received a draft from teammate Blaney’s damaged No. 12 Ford to muscle his No. 22 AutoTrader Ford Mustang Dark Horse into the lead through the backstretch with three laps remaining. Logano, however, would end up being deadlocked with Suarez through the frontstretch and with two laps remaining.

Then, with two laps remaining, and as a stack-up ensued at the front of the field, the caution flew and the event was sent into overtime due to Noah Gragson, who was running in 16th place, getting hit by Burton and sent for a spin before he hit the backstretch’s inside wall. At the moment of caution, Logano was ruled the leader ahead of Suarez, Blaney, Chastain, Elliott and Bell while Gibbs had dropped to ninth.

The start of the first overtime attempt featured Logano and Suarez dueling for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch, with both having their respective teammates drafting them. Despite Chastain losing ground of teammate Suarez entering Turn 3, the latter managed to remain dead even with Logano approaching the frontstretch.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Logano was leading by a hair over Suarez and Blaney tucked in behind teammate Logano while the field behind began to fan out to three lanes. With a push from Blaney, Logano muscled ahead and cleared Suarez entering the first two turns as Suarez was left to battle Blaney for the runner-up spot through the backstretch.

Then through Turns 3 and 4, a multi-car wreck erupted that started when Chastain got bumped into the outside wall by Elliott entering Turn 3. With a stack-up ensuing, Stenhouse turned Wallace as multiple competitors including Playoff contenders Hamlin and Burton were collected. The wreck was enough for the event to conclude under caution as Logano, who was inches away from reaching the finish line prior to the caution, crossed the finish line to claim the victory.

With the victory, Logano, who won a Cup Series Playoff opener for the first time in his career, notched his 34th career win in the NASCAR Cup Series level, his second at Atlanta, his second of the 2024 season and his first since winning at Nashville Superspeedway in late June. The victory was also the eighth of the season for the Ford nameplate, the manufacturer’s third in a row in recent weeks and the fifth of the season for Team Penske. Notably, Logano joins William Byron as two Cup competitors to win on Atlanta’s reconfigured layout since it debuted at the start of the 2022 season.

Logano’s Playoff opener victory at Atlanta served as an automatic pass to the Round of 12 for the Connecticut champion and his No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse team, with the driver commencing his pursuit for a third Cup Series championship.

Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“[It was an] Incredible execution from the team,” Logano said on USA Network. “When it’s Playoff time, it’s out time. That’s what I said. We got to always level up when it comes to Playoff time and [the team] gave me a great AutoTrader Mustang. [The car] was fast all day. We got stuck in the back a little bit. It was hard to get track position back. We had a good restart and got towards the front. [I] Had my teammate [Ryan] Blaney behind me. It really helped out in that last lap to be able to make sure [a] Penske car won and ultimately, move on to the next round. Good day for all the Penske cars. Pretty good day today. There’s a lot of memories right here on this start/finish line for me racing Legends cars as a kid, so this is a really cool feeling to be out here in a Cup car again.”

With Logano winning, Daniel Suarez, who won at Atlanta by 0.003 seconds earlier in February, commenced his second appearance in the Playoffs by notching a strong second-place result after he too led nine laps. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney commenced his pursuit to defend his Cup title by finishing third in an event where he led 33 laps, won the first stage period and nursed his damaged car to a strong result.

“I would have to rewatch everything again,” Suarez, who is 22 points above the top-12 cutline in the Playoff standings, said. “I was pretty confident that the top [lane] was going to be better with [Logano] and he was going to be able to push me like [Chastain] did that last restart being on the outside. We got a great lounge, but we just got disconnected too early and that obviously hurt us and [Kyle Busch] and [Ty Gibbs], they were able to get connected for longer and beat us. It’s a little painful. I feel like we were in position and sometimes it’s very difficult to predict who is going to get the best push and for how long you’re going to get it, but it’s part of the game, right? We were in contention. The team did an amazing job. We’re happy with [the result], but not satisfied.”

“I can’t believe we got back up where we did,” Blaney, who is 45 points above the cutline, said. “[The] No. 12 boys did a really good job fixing [the car]. I’m surprised it didn’t have more damage than what it did because for my seat, I got drilled in the left rear or the door where [Buescher] hit me and then the right rear got off the fence. I didn’t know how damaged we were, but I was able to carve up through traffic and could get through the middle [lane] pretty good. Really good day. Move on to Watkins Glen.”

Playoff contenders Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman finished in the top five while Tyler Reddick, the 2024 Cup Series Regular Season Champion, made a late charge to finish sixth. Kyle Busch along with Playoff contenders Chase Elliott, William Byron and Austin Cindric completed the top 10 in the final running order.

Notably, Brad Keselowski fell back to 19th place while Martin Truex Jr., who retired late due to a suspension failure, ended up in 35th place. Following their involvement in the final lap accident, Denny Hamlin, whose strategy to run towards the rear of the field the entire event with no stage points and which did not pay off, limped across the finish line in 24th place while Playoff rookie Harrison Burton ended up in 31st place after he was unable to nurse his damaged No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang Dark Horse across the finish line to complete the final lap.

There were 24 lead changes for 14 different leaders. The race featured eight cautions for 44 laps. In addition, 30 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.

Results.

1. Joey Logano, nine laps led

2. Daniel Suarez, nine laps led

3. Ryan Blaney, 33 laps led, Stage 1 winner

4. Christopher Bell

5. Alex Bowman, five laps led

6. Tyler Reddick

7. Kyle Busch, 24 laps led

8. Chase Elliott

9. William Byron, two laps led

10. Austin Cindric, 92 laps led, Stage 2 winner

11. Daniel Hemric

12. Justin Haley

13. Ross Chastain, 13 laps led

14. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

15. Corey LaJoie

16. Carson Hocevar, one lap led

17. Ty Gibbs, 37 laps led

18. Ryan Preece, two laps led

19. Brad Keselowski

20. Austin Dillon

21. Zane Smith

22. Michael McDowell, 30 laps led

23. JJ Yeley

24. Denny Hamlin

25. BJ McLeod, one lap led

26. Erik Jones

27. Todd Gilliland

28. Josh Berry

29. Bubba Wallace, eight laps led

30. Cody Ware

31. Harrison Burton – OUT, Accident

32. Shane van Gisbergen, two laps down

33. John Hunter Nemechek, four laps down

34. Noah Gragson – OUT, Accident

35. Martin Truex Jr. – OUT, Suspension

36. Chris Buescher – OUT, Accident

37. Kyle Larson – OUT, Accident

38. Chase Briscoe – OUT, Accident

*Bold indicates Playoff contenders

Playoff standings

1. Joey Logano – Advanced

2. Ryan Blaney +45

3. Christopher Bell +40

4. Tyler Reddick +33

5. William Byron +33

6. Alex Bowman +27

7. Austin Cindric +27

8. Chase Elliott +24

9. Daniel Suarez +22

10. Kyle Larson +15

11. Denny Hamlin +2

12. Ty Gibbs +1

13. Brad Keselowski -1

14. Harrison Burton -16

15. Martin Truex Jr. -19

16. Chase Briscoe -21

With the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs underway, the second event in the Round of 16 is set to occur at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, for the Go Bowling at The Glen. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, September 15, and air at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 8, 2024
NASCAR Weekend Schedule for Atlanta – September 2024

NASCAR heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend as the 2024 Cup Series Championship Playoffs begin. William Byron is the defending race winner.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series will also compete at Atlanta, one of three races remaining in the series regular season.

NASCAR Press Pass will be available after Cup Series qualifying and post-race. It will also be available after the Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 race.

Notes: There will not be any practice sessions this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Playoff Drivers/Points:
Kyle Larson – 2,040 points
Christopher Bell – 2,032 points
Tyler Reddick – 2,028 points
William Byron – 2,022 points
Ryan Blaney – 2,018 points
Denny Hamlin – 2,015 points
Chase Elliott – 2,014 points
Brad Keselowski – 2,008 points
Joey Logano – 2,007 points
Austin Cindric – 2,007 points
Daniel Suárez – 2,006 points
Alex Bowman – 2,005 points
Chase Briscoe – 2,005 points
Harrison Burton – 2,005 points
Ty Gibbs – 2,004 points
Martin Truex Jr. – 2,004 points

All times are Eastern.

Saturday, September 7
11:00 a.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying
(Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds
USA/NBC Sports App

12:30 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying
(Impound) Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds
USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App

3:00 p.m.: Xfinity Series Focused Health 250
Stages 40/80/163 Laps = 251.02 Miles
USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
Purse: $1,480,058

Sunday, September 8
3:00 p.m.: Cup Series Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart
Stages 60/160/260 Laps = 400.4 Miles
USA/MRN/SiriusXM/NBC Sports App
Purse: $7,801,384

September 5, 2024
Larson aiming for survival throughout 2024 Cup Series Playoffs and second title bid

The first 26 races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season generated its fair share of ups and downs for Kyle Larson. But he enters the 2024 Cup Playoffs as a prime candidate to reclaim the coveted prize within the sport he once achieved three seasons ago and nearly reclaimed a year ago.

The 2021 Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, commenced his fourth consecutive season driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry for Hendrick Motorsports by finishing 11th and 32nd, respectively, within the first two scheduled events. Then during the following weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Larson notched his first victory of the 2024 season after leading a race-high 181 of 267 laps while fending off a late challenge from Tyler Reddick.

Since the Vegas victory, Larson proceeded to record five top-five results over his next ninth starts. During his ninth start within the span, he edged Chris Buescher by 0.001 seconds at Kansas Speedway during an overtime shootout to etch the closest-recorded finish in the Cup Series history books.

Larson would then hit a snag for the remainder of May that started when he finished 34th at Darlington Raceway due to being involved in a late single-car incident. Over the next two weekends, he proceeded to pull double-duty roles. While preparing for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 with Arrow McLaren and also navigating through the upcoming Cup Series North Carolina events at North Wilkesboro Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Despite having time to travel and navigate between qualifying for the Indy 500 and competing in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, the Californian was left with a 50/50 option to compete in either the Indy 500 with Arrow McLaren or the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte due to Mother Nature stalling his travel plans for both. Ultimately, Larson would opt to start in the Indy 500, where he finished 18th. He then traveled back to Charlotte, to climb back aboard his No. 5 Chevrolet that was being piloted by veteran Justin Allgaier.

By then, however, Mother Nature interfered once again by placing the event in an extensive rain delay period before being made official. As a result, Allgaier, who started the Coke 600, was credited with a 13th-place result while Larson was unable to turn in a single lap of the event.

Larson rallied two weeks later by notching a late victory at Sonoma Raceway, his home track, in early June. By then, he was granted a waiver from NASCAR to be eligible to make the 2024 Playoffs despite missing the Coke 600. Then after finishing no higher than four during his next five events, Larson triumphed at Indianapolis by leading through two overtime attempts and achieving his first Brickyard 400 victory.

With four regular-season victories under his belt, Larson would come within striking distance of toppling Tyler Reddick for the regular-season title as he notched two additional top-10 results during the remaining four regular-season events. Despite leading a race-high 263 of 367 laps and finishing fourth during the regular-season finale at Darlington, Larson would fall short of winning his second regular-season title by a single point to Reddick.

Nonetheless, Larson will commence the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs in first place in the Playoff standings with 2,040 points. In a season where he has recorded an average-finishing result of 13.6, led 1,088 laps and recorded 13 top-10 results to go along with his current four victories, Larson strives to navigate his way through each venue and each round methodically while keeping his car both intact and competitive that would enable him to make his third Championship 4 round and join an elite class of competitors to win multiple championships in NASCAR’s premier series.

“Hopefully, I can make it through each [Playoff] round as well as the car,” Larson said after the regular-season finale at Darlington. “Just proud of my team. Proud of the pit crew today and proud of the race car. You work hard all year long to get stage wins, get race wins to position yourself well in the Playoffs, to not necessarily allow yourself a mistake, but I think I saw where we’re 35 points above the cutline right now, so that’s nice, especially when you go to a track as scary as Atlanta, but they could be wiped out in an instant. I could be below the cutline after Atlanta. That’s just kind of the craziness of this system, so just keep doing what we’ve been doing. Our car’s been really fast and our team’s been executing great, so just keep it up and hopefully, we can advance on through.”

Kyle Larson’s pursuit for his second NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2024 commences at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 and the start of the 2024 Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 5, 2024
Elliott, Bowman pleased with Playoff return, poised for improvements for 2024 title bid

After early season injuries plagued any comeback hopes of making the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs a year ago, both Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports thrusted themselves back into the postseason battle for a championship in 2024 following a decent regular-season stretch highlighted with both achieving a single, respective victory and snapping a one-year winless drought.

For Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion from Dawsonville, Georgia, fired off on all eight cylinders by finishing no lower than the top-20 mark through the first eight-scheduled events. During the stretch, he logged in back-to-back top-five results, where he finished fifth at Richmond Raceway before settling in third place at Martinsville Speedway after leading 64 laps.

Then at Texas Motor Speedway in April, Elliott survived two overtime attempts to notch his first Cup victory of the 2024 season and snap a 42-race winless drought since winning at Talladega Superspeedway in late 2022. The victory also automatically guaranteed himself and his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team a spot back into the Playoffs.

Following the Texas victory, Elliott would endure a roller coaster adventure for the remaining 17 events of the 2024 regular-season stretch. With four top-five results and eight top-10 results recorded during the stretch, the Georgian remained in contention for the regular-season title. Ultimately, he would cap off the regular season in third place in the standings.

Overall, Elliott’s 2024 regular-season points and Texas victory were enough for him to be slated in seventh place with 2,014 points come the start of this year’s Playoff battle, which will mark his eighth appearance in the postseason battle for a title.

Despite expressing his excitement over his return to the Playoffs, however, Elliott, a three-time Championship 4 qualifier, emphasized the goal for both himself and his team to set aside any potential on-track mistakes while remaining focused towards being competitive and in contention to win the title like in 2020.

“[I am] Excited to have [Darlington Raceway] over with and looking forward to getting the Playoff started,” Elliott said following this past weekend’s regular-season finale at Darlington. “These next 10 [races], they’re intense, so we’re gonna have to, myself and our entire NAPA team, we’re gonna hit the reset button in a big way. Go to Atlanta and try to get things rolling in the right direction and see where we end up.”

Like Elliott, Alex Bowman was also left with mixed feelings over his regular-season stretch despite rallying from being plagued by injuires and a concussion that ended his title hopes early and forced him to sit out for select events during the previous two seasons.

The 31-year-old Bowman from Tucson, Arizona, commenced his fourth season driving the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports by finishing in second place in the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway after being edged by teammate William Byron at the moment of caution on the final lap.

Bowman would proceed to finish in the top eight three times over his next eight starts before he notched five consecutive top-nine finishes at the conclusion of May. The following five events on the schedule throughout June saw Bowman finishing no higher than eighth, but finishing outside the top 25 twice.

Then during the series’ rain-shortened, second annual event at the Chicago Street Course, Bowman executed a late pit strategy to return to Victory Lane in the Cup Series for the first time in 80 starts as he leapt into the Playoff picture. Bowman’s victory at Chicago marked a pivotal moment for Hendrick Motorsports, with the Arizona native enabling all four Hendrick competitors into the Playoffs as he also delivered the first victory for sophomore crew chief Blake Harris.

Following the Chicago victory, Bowman would steer his way to finish third at Pocono Raceway before capping off the regular-season stretch by finishing no higher than 16th on the track.

As the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs approaches, Bowman will commence his first title pursuit in 12th place in the Playoff standings with 2,005 points. Having made the Playoffs a total of five times, including this season, Bowman has yet to make an appearance in the Championship 4 round as a finalist, with his closest opportunity occurring in 2020 after he was eliminated from the Playoffs following the Round of 8’s finale.

As Bowman shared teammate Elliott’s excitement over his Cup Series Playoff return and the opportunity to race for a title, he also shared identical sentiments towards addressing the regular-season struggles and improving the on-track performance for more consistency that would enable him to transfer through each round of the Playoffs.

Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“We got to get our stuff together,” Bowman added. “It’s been a rough month. Excited for the Ally No. 48 team to be back in the Playoffs, but at the same time, we have a long way to go after how we performed for the last month. We got to be on our A game for all [the Playoff races], so just got to go execute.”

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and battle for a championship for teammates Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott are set to commence at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 5, 2024
Suarez “excited” with recent on-track surge entering the 2024 Cup Playoff opener at Atlanta

After a one-year absence, Daniel Suarez returns to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2024 with early excitement and anticipation as he strives to keep pace with the competition and allow both himself and his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team the opportunity to contend for a Cup Series championship.

Suarez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, commenced the 2024 season by finishing 34th in the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway despite contending for the victory in the closing laps. He then rebounded during the following weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway by edging Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in a three-wide photo finish, including 0.003 seconds over runner-up Blaney, to emerge victorious overall for the second time in his career and to notch his first oval/superspeedway victory in the Cup circuit. The victory was also his first with new crew chief Matt Swiderski and the driver’s first since winning at Sonoma Raceway in 2022.

Since the Atlanta victory, which was an automatic, guaranteed ticket into the Playoffs, Suarez would proceed to finish in the top 10 five additional times, but would end up with 15 finishes of 18th or worse throughout this year’s 26-race regular-season stretch.

Amid the on-track struggles, Suarez, who will line up in 11th place in the Playoff standings with 2,006 points, remains pleased with a recent surge in on-track progress made by his No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team, during which the Mexican finishing in the top 10 three times throughout the final five regular-season events. He also generated a strong run at Richmond Raceway last August, where he led 93 laps before finishing 10th.

In addition to expressing his excitement about returning to Atlanta, the track where he recorded his recent Cup Series victory, to commence the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs, Suarez, who is set to remain at Trackhouse Racing in 2025, strives to extend his recent momentum that would enable him to surpass each Playoff round and have a chance to make the Championship 4 round at Phoenix Raceway in November.

During Suarez’s first Playoff campaign in 2022, he transferred from the Round of 16 to 12 and was in contention of advancing into the Round of 8 before a power steering issue during the round’s finale at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course drained his championship hopes as he settled in a career-best 10th place in the final standings.

“Starting the Playoffs in Atlanta is always pretty sweet, but in reality, the No. 99 team has got some good things going our way the last couple of months,” Suarez said after this past Sunday’s regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway. “We have built some good energy, some good momentum. We have had a good streak of top 10s, good speed in some race tracks. We just continue to get better. I’m very excited to see what we can do over the first [Playoff] round. The first couple rounds are a little crazy, so I think if we execute, we clean (up) a couple things, we’re going to have a pretty good shot at [the title].”

Daniel Suarez’s pursuit for his first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2024 commences at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 and the start of the 2024 Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 5, 2024
Logano: “It’s game time now” for 2024 Cup Series Playoff battle and third title pursuit

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season stretch was a stretch that generated a roller coaster ride for Joey Logano, who managed to thrive late in the season and when it mattered most ultimately enabled him and his No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse team to make the Playoffs and have another opportunity to add another title to the driver’s successful racing resume in stock car competition.

The two-time Cup Series champion from Middletown, Connecticut, roared out of the gate by winning the pole position for the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. He would then finish 32nd in the main event after he was collected in a late multi-car wreck while contending for the victory. Including the 500 result, Logano would finish no higher than ninth once, but get strapped with four finishes of 22nd or worse before he recorded a strong runner-up result at Richmond Raceway in late March.

With six results of 16th or worse and only three top-10 results accumulated over his next 11 starts, Logano’s 2024 Cup Series Playoffs hopes were within reach as he was mired towards the top-16 cutline in the Playoff standings. Then, Logano’s championship hopes of the season were resurrected after the Connecticut veteran withstood five overtime attempts and a fuel tank that was on the verge of being dry to grab his first elusive victory of the season at Nashville Superspeedway in late June.

Since the Nashville victory, Logano has only finished in the top eight twice but has finished 19th or worse five times during a seven-race stretch. As a result, Logano’s points and results, including the Nashville victory, were enough for him to be strapped into ninth place in the current Playoff standings with 2,007 points.

Currently, Logano’s eight top-10 results he accumulated throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch are the lowest he has accumulated and his average-finishing result of 18.3 is low, both occurring in 2011. Nonetheless, the Connecticut native, who will square off against teammates Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric along with Penske-affiliated teammate Harrison Burton, remains poised to transfer his way into the finale a year after being eliminated following the first round and raise the championship trophy as he did in 2018 and again in 2022.

“It’s nice to have all our [Team Penske] cars and you having four in [the Playoffs], even with the Wood Brothers car [and driver Harrison Burton], which is pretty much under our roof here,” Logano said following the regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway. “It’s nice to have them all in there. It’s game time now, right? This is the time to shine and the cream always rises at the top through the Playoffs, so got to be able to execute through all these races. Got to go fast through them. The first round is obviously pretty crazy with the racetracks that are involved there. It’s no smooth ride from here. It’s not a simple way of getting [to the finale], so got to be solid here. We don’t have a whole bunch of Playoff points on our side, but we got a couple. We’ll fire away and see what we got.”

Joey Logano’s pursuit for his third NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2024 commences at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 and the start of the 2024 Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 5, 2024
Cindric remaining confident ahead of 2024 Cup Series Playoffs amid regular-season struggles

For a second time in his career, Austin Cindric will be one of 16 competitors vying for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship throughout this year’s 10-race, elimination-style Playoff battle. Compared to his first Playoff battle as a rookie competitor, Cindric enters this season as a junior competitor striving to set aside a difficult regular-season stretch and be in title contention by the time the finale at Phoenix Raceway occurs.

Cindric, the 2022 Daytona 500 champion from Mooresville, North Carolina, commenced his third consecutive season driving the No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry for Team Penske by finishing 22nd in the 66th running of the Daytona 500 after he was sent for a spin with Ross Chastain on the final lap by Corey LaJoie while battling for the victory. He would rally the following weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway by leading 32 laps and finishing in a strong fourth place.

The next 12 regular-season events on the schedule generated a difficult stretch for Cindric, who finished no higher than 15th while being mired with 10 results of 20th or worse. By then, his 2024 Playoff hopes were dim and in need of a regular-season victory to be guaranteed a legitimate spot into the postseason.

Then at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway in early June, a miracle was awarded to Cindric as he took advantage of teammate Ryan Blaney running out of fuel on the final lap to achieve an upset victory and leap his way into the Playoff picture. For Cindric, the Gateway victory marked his second in the Cup Series as he also snapped a one-year winless drought for Team Penske’s No. 2 team and delivered the first victory for crew chief Brian Wilson, whom Cindric celebrated an Xfinity Series championship in 2020.

The remaining 12 events on this year’s regular-season stretch would see Cindric record an extra top-10 result in the form of a seventh-place run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, but mired with seven results of 18th or worse. With his Gateway victory in the early summer stretch, Cindric is set to commence the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs in 10th place in the Playoff standings with 2,007 points.

Amid his difficult regular-season period, Cindric remains confident over his team’s ability to run upfront and garner more victories throughout the Playoffs, starting with the postseason’s opening round consisting of three distinct venues. This season also marks an opportunity for the North Carolinian to heighten his title hopes to new heights and advance as far as possible within the Playoffs after transferring as high as the Round of 12 two years ago.

“I feel like we’re playing with house money,” Cindric said after the regular-season finale at Darlington. “It’s an awesome opportunity to be in the Playoffs. Being able to sneak some stage points in is gonna be huge, but also just not having blowups. I feel like the first races of the Playoffs are two races that we can, honestly, win, with Atlanta and Watkins Glen. We are capable of doing those things, but yeah, still some stuff to clean up. Really excited to do it with the [No. 2] guys. A lot of first-time Playoff guys on my team, so put our best foot forward and have a great time with it.”

Austin Cindric’s pursuit for his first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2024 commences at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 and the start of the 2024 Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 5, 2024
Ty Gibbs set for first Cup Series Playoffs in 2024

In his second full-time campaign at the NASCAR Cup Series level, Ty Gibbs has a new title to add to his young career: 2024 Cup Series Playoff candidate, a feat he accomplished by points and through steady consistency after falling short of the cutline during last year’s rookie season.

Gibbs, grandson of championship-winning team owner Joe Gibbs and the 2023 Cup Series Rookie-of-the-Year recipient from Charlotte, North Carolina, commenced his sophomore Cup season in 17th place during the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February but rallied by finishing in the top 10 during his next five starts. He would then finish no higher than 10th throughout his next six starts before he notched a career-best runner-up result at Darlington Raceway in May.

Two weeks after recording his best on-track result in a Cup Series event, Gibbs notched his first career pole position for this year’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he would proceed to finish sixth. He would then finish no higher than third following his next six scheduled starts before he rallied by fishing third at the Chicago Street Course.

For the remaining six regular-season events in 2024, Gibbs recorded two top-five results despite being mired with four results of 20th or worse, including this past weekend’s Cook Out Southern 500. While he continues his pursuit of his first Cup Series career race victory, Gibbs will commence the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs in 15th place in the Playoff standings with 2,004 points. He will also square off against his three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., for the title.

Amid the disappointment of his 20th-place run this past weekend at Darlington due to being collected in a late multi-car wreck, Gibbs was left satisfied with making his first postseason appearance as a Playoff contender as he strives to add a Cup Series championship trophy next to his Xfinity Series title hardware achieved two years ago.

“[I] Wish we could have finished better [at Darlington], but most importantly, we made the Playoffs and that’s what we came here to do,” Gibbs said at Darlington on USA Network. “We accomplished that, so I’m very happy to being able to make it and we’ll go see what we can do in 10 weeks. We got to get through next week first. Atlanta is a tough one, but I feel like we’re really strong in the races for the rest of the season and we’ll see what we can do and go out there and give it our best shot. I’d love to win at all of [the Playoff races].”

Ty Gibbs’ pursuit for his first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2024 commences at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 and the start of the 2024 Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 5, 2024
Hamlin emphasizes winning as key to success entering 2024 Cup Series Playoffs

In his 19th consecutive season as a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Cup Series level, Denny Hamlin will continue his quest to have the final word over his competition and critics by etching a first-time championship in NASCAR’s premier series when the final checkered flag of the 2024 season waves.

The three-time Daytona 500 champion from Chesterfield, Virginia, roared out of the gates by winning the non-points Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in early February before finishing 19th during the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Four races later, he notched his first Cup points victory of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, an event mired with a pyramid of tire issues.

The early momentum for Hamlin and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE team continued two races later at the Virginia veteran’s home track in Richmond Raceway as Hamlin muscled away from teammate Martin Truex Jr. to double up his win column in 2024. Despite finishing no higher than 11th during his next three starts, Hamlin responded by fending off fellow rival Kyle Larson to win at Dover Motor Speedway in late April for the second time in his career.

Since his latest series’ victory at Dover, Hamlin recorded a total of six top-five results and eight top-10 results despite getting mired with six results of 24th or worse during the remaining 15 events on this year’s regular-season stretch. He was also in contention for the regular-season championship until he was assessed an L2 penalty from NASCAR for an engine rules violation that involved his race-winning car from Bristol in March and that Toyota admitted to causing. The penalty resulted in Hamlin losing 75 points and 10 Playoff points, which dropped him out of contention for the regular-season title.

Nonetheless, Hamlin is set to commence the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs in sixth place in the Playoff standings with 2,015 points as he bids for his first elusive championship in the series. To do so, however, he will attempt to make his fifth Championship 4 round after missing the cutline to the finale by a single point position over the last two seasons.

When asked about his approach to tackling the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs following this past Sunday’s regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway, Hamlin echoed the term “win” as his key to success to transfer to the finale and contend for the title.

“[I] Just got to execute races and just win,” Hamlin said at Darlington. “I think that’s the key in the Playoffs is winning so you don’t put yourself in a bad point position. With some of the crazy tracks that we’ve got in the Playoffs this year, it’s going to try to avoid those 25th or worse finishes. That’s gonna be the key for us.”

Denny Hamlin’s pursuit for his first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2024 commences at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 and the start of the 2024 Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 5, 2024
Bell poised for more consistency, Championship 4 return in 2024 Cup Playoffs

Having mounted his way all the way to the Championship 4 round only to fall short of reaching the pinnacle and claiming the covenant prize in NASCAR’s premier series over the last two seasons, Christopher Bell has an opportunity to make his third consecutive appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs be an appearance where he can reach the pinnacle and etch his name as a Cup Series champion for the first time.

Thus far, the 2017 Truck Series champion from Norman, Oklahoma, is coming off a decent 26-race regular-season stretch that started by finishing third in this year’s 66th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Then after finishing outside the top 30 during his next two starts, Bell struck early by recording his first Cup victory of the season at Phoenix Raceway in March.

Over his next nine starts, Bell would finish in the top 10 four times but would get mired with four results of 17th or worse. He would regain his momentum by grabbing a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. Following the Charlotte victory, Bell finished no worse than ninth over his next three starts before he capitalized on an overtime shootout to add a third Cup victory of the season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Then after accumulating a single top-five result over his next four starts before a two-week summer break amid the Summer Olympics in Paris, Bell would be paired with his car chief Chris Sherwood calling the shots atop the No. 20 pit box due to veteran crew chief Adam Stevens recovering from a double knee injury during the break.

Thus far, Bell has recorded three top-six results, including back-to-back third-place finishes in his latest four races with Sherwood. With the Playoff points he has accumulated along with his regular-season victories, Bell is set to commence the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs in second place in the Playoff standings with 2,032 points.

Using mountainous terms to characterize his 2024 regular-season stretch, Bell was not shy to identify the difficulties he experienced thus far on the track but remained confident towards his goal to return to the Championship 4 round and contend for the title come the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November.

“The regular season was just like mountains,” Bell said following the regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway. “It was the tallest of tall and then all the way to the bottom there. [I] Got to clean that up. Got to get a little bit more consistency, but the strength is obviously the car speed and the potential in our team. I feel like everywhere we go, we’re a contender. We can be a contender if everyone does their jobs. If we can eliminate our lows, I think we’ve got everything we need to go for a title run here.”

Christopher Bell’s pursuit for his first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2024 commences at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 and the start of the 2024 Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

September 5, 2024