The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs officially begin today. Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts the first race on the road to the 2024 championship, as 16 playoff drivers race against the rest of the field seeking to take the checkered flag and gain automatic advancement to the second round.
Atlanta presents a wide-open opportunity for any driver to speed to victory as the action on the 1.5-mile track has come to resemble the superspeedway pack racing made famous at Daytona and Talladega. The February race at Atlanta provides an excellent example as Daniel Suarez prevailed in a photo finish to score just his second career Cup Series win and clinch an early berth in the playoffs.
Will Sunday prove a thrilling repeat? Follow along for all the news, action and highlights from race No. 1 of the 10-race playoffs:
Austin Cindric takes the lead in opening laps of Stage 2 at Atlanta
Austin Cindric, who finished second in the opening stage, took the lead in the early laps of Stage 2 following a strong push from teammate Ryan Blaney, who won Stage 1. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Willam Byron run third and fourth on Lap 80. The second stage is 100 laps, following a 60-lap opening stage.
Ryan Blaney wins Stage 1 at Atlanta under caution
Following Kyle Larson’s huge crash on Lap 57, which also collected Chase Briscoe, the opening stage of the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway ended under caution. Ryan Blaney won the stage followed by his Team Penske teammate Austin Cindric, Hendrick…
