NASCAR National Series News & Notes - Atlanta Motor Speedway

09/05/2024 10:22 AM

NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart
The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, September 8
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
The Purse: $7,801,384
TV: USA, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400.4 miles (260 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 160), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 260)

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Focused Health 250
The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, September 7
The Time: 3 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,480,058
TV: USA, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 251.02 miles (163 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 163)

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
The Date: Thursday, September 19
The Time: 8 p.m. ET
The Purse: $720,063
TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 106.6 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 55),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 110), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

NASCAR Cup Series

Atlanta Motor Speedway to jump start 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

Last time the NASCAR Cup Series came to Atlanta Motor Speedway, it set the closest top-three finish in series history with Daniel Suarez scantly beating Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch to the line in a photo-finish for the ages.

Now, with all the mounting pressures of the Playoffs, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the 1.54-mile track to break-open the postseason with some high-speed, close drafting action in this Sunday‘s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart (3 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — the first race of the 2024 Playoffs.

Atlanta Motor Speedway is the fifth different track to host the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosted the first race of the Playoffs from 2004—2010, then Chicagoland Speedway held the first race of the Playoffs from 2011—2017, followed by Las Vegas Motor Speedway from 2018-2019 and then Darlington Raceway from 2020-2023. Prior to the 2024 season, Atlanta Motor Speedway has hosted five other Playoff races – the first event of the Playoffs‘ Round of 8 (Race No. 33 of 36) from 2004-2008.

The 16-driver Cup Series Playoff field was set last weekend in the regular season finale at Darlington Raceway, and in impressive fashion Stewart-Haas Racing‘s Chase Briscoe won the race earning his spot in the postseason, joining Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Daniel Saurez and Alex Bowman as the drivers that won their way into the Playoffs this season. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs grabbed the final two postseason spots on points.

All the NASCAR Cup Series on-track action gets underway this weekend with Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 12:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Quick Rundown: NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Format

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs format is competed over the final 10 races and includes 16 drivers and four rounds — the Round of 16, the Round of 12, the Round of 8 and the Championship 4 Round.

An overview:

• A victory in the first 26 races all but guarantees a berth in the 10-race Playoffs.
• The number of Playoff drivers in contention for the championship will decrease after every three Playoff races, from 16 to start; 12 after race No. 3; eight after race No. 6; and four after race No. 9.
• The first three races (27-29) will be known as the Round of 16; races 30-32 will be known as the Round of 12; races 33-35 will be Round of 8; and race No. 36 will be the Championship 4 Round.
• A win by a championship-eligible driver in any Playoff race automatically clinches the winning driver a spot in the next Playoff round.
• Four drivers will enter the Championship Race with a chance at the title, with the highest finisher among those four capturing the prestigious NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Eligibility For The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

• The top 15 drivers with the most wins over the first 26 races will earn a spot in the Playoffs — provided they have attempted to qualify for every race (except in rare instances).
• The 16th Playoff position will go to the points leader after race No. 26 if he/she does not have a victory. In the event that there are 16 or more different winners over 26 races, the only winless driver who can earn a Playoff spot would be the points leader after 26 races.
• If there are fewer than 16 different winners in the first 26 races, the remaining Playoff positions will go to those winless drivers highest in points. If there are 16 or more winners in the first 26 races, the ties will first be broken by number of wins, followed by points.
• Prior to the start of the Playoffs, all Playoff drivers will have their points adjusted to 2,000, with all Playoff points added to their total. Those Playoff points will stay with the driver as long as he/she remains in the Playoffs (except for the Championship 4 Round race).

Playoff Structure

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs are an elimination-style format that is broken up into four rounds. After the third Playoff race, there will be 12 drivers. After the sixth Playoff race, the field will drop to eight drivers, and following the ninth Playoff race, only four drivers will remain in championship contention.

• Round of 16: The first round (races 27-29 at Atlanta, Watkins Glen, Bristol) is the Round of 16. If a Playoff driver wins a race in this round, the driver automatically advances to the next round (Round of 12). The remaining available positions 1-12 that have not been filled based upon wins will be based on points. Each driver will then have their points reset to 3,000, with any awarded Playoff points added.
• Round of 12: The second round (races 30-32 at Kansas, Talladega, Charlotte RC) is the Round of 12. Likewise, if a driver in the top 12 in points wins a race in this round, the driver automatically advances to the next round (Round of 8). The remaining available positions 1-8 that have not been filled based upon wins will be based on points. Each driver will then have their points reset to 4,000, with any awarded Playoff points added.
• Round of 8: The third round (races 33-35 at Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami, Martinsville) is the Round of 8. If a driver in the top eight in points wins a race in this round, the driver automatically advances to the next round (Championship 4). The remaining available positions 1-4 that have not been filled based upon wins will be based on points. Each will then have their points reset to 5,000.
• Additionally, drivers who are eliminated in the Round of 16, Round of 12 and Round of 8 will have their points readjusted. Each eliminated driver will return to the Playoff-start base of 2,000 with any awarded Playoff points and any accumulated points starting with race No. 27 added. This will allow all drivers not in contention for the title to continue to race for the best possible season-long standing, with final positions fifth-through-16th still up for grabs.

Championship Finale

• The 36th and final race of the season will be the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway, which will feature the Championship 4 Round. Simply stated, the highest finisher in that race among the remaining four eligible drivers will win the NASCAR Cup Series title.
• Playoff points for stage wins will not apply in the season finale, so the official finishing position alone will decide the champion.
• Note:  All rules outlined above also apply to the owner championship structure.

Things to know about the first race of the Playoffs

Below are some quick facts and stats about the first race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs:

• Four times the winner of the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has gone on to win the championship — 2004, 2011, 2012, and 2017:
• In 2004 (inaugural Cup Playoffs), Kurt Busch won the opening race of the Playoffs at New Hampshire and went on to win the title.
• In 2011 (race was delayed until Monday due to rain), Tony Stewart won the first race of the Playoffs at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to set the record for the most wins in a Playoff run with five victories and the title.
• In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the opening Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to win the title.
• In 2017, Martin Truex Jr. won the opening Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to win the title.
• The worst finish in the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs by a driver that went on to win the title was Jimmie Johnson‘s 39th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the 2006 postseason.
• The worst finish in the opening NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway for a driver that went on to win the title was Jimmie Johnson‘s 12th-place finish in 2016.
• The worst finish in the opening race of the Playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by a driver that went on to win the title was Kyle Busch‘s 19th-place finish in 2019.
• The worst finish in the opening race of the Playoffs at Darlington Raceway by a driver that went on to win the title was Chase Elliott‘s 20th-place finish in 2020.
• Last season, Ryan Blaney finished ninth at Darlington Raceway to open the Playoffs and went on to win the title.
• Since the inception of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs in 2014, entering the Playoffs as the No. 1 seed has been the most successful seeding, producing four championships among three drivers — Kyle Larson (2021), Kyle Busch (2019, 2015) and Martin Truex Jr. (2017).
• The deepest seeding an eventual champion has started the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with is 12th – by Ryan Blaney (2023). Blaney entered the 2023 Playoffs with just eight Playoff points.
• Prior to last season, the deepest seeding an eventual champion had started the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs was seventh and it had happened twice – by Kevin Harvick (2014) and Joey Logano (2018).

Scouting the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field

Atlanta Motor Speedway is set to kick off the 21st running of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004-2024) with this Sunday‘s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at 3 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Since the inception of the postseason in 2004, 49 different drivers have qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs; including this season‘s 16-driver field.

Two drivers this season are making their Playoff career debuts in the NASCAR Cup Series — Harrison Burton and Ty Gibbs.

Veteran Denny Hamlin is making his NASCAR Cup Series record 18th Playoff appearance — the most all-time.

Six former NASCAR Cup Series Champions have qualified for the Playoffs this season — Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr.

A total of eight different organizations are represented in this season‘s NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoffs — Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, RFK Racing, Trackhouse Racing, 23XI Racing, Team Penske, Wood Brothers Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing.

All three NASCAR Cup Series official engine manufacturers have qualified for the Playoffs as well, led by Ford with six entries into the postseason, followed by Chevrolet and Toyota with five each.

Clinch Scenarios: Atlanta Motor Speedway

Below are the clinch scenarios heading into this weekend‘s Playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Already Clinched

• No drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver field of the next round.

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

• Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Harrison Burton, Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs

Quick Look: NASCAR Cup Playoffs‘ 16 Challengers

Drivers are listed below by seeding heading into Atlanta Motor Speedway — Playoff Race 1 of 10:

Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 1 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,040 points.
• Up +35 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his eighth postseason appearance (2024, '23, '22, ’21, ’19, ’18, ’17, ’16).
• Has made 13 series starts at Atlanta posting two top fives and four top 10s.

Christopher Bell (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 2 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,032 points.
• Up +27 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his fourth consecutive postseason appearance (2024, '23, '22, ‘21).
• Has made eight series starts at Atlanta posting one top five and two top 10s.

Tyler Reddick (No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 3 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,028 points.
• Up +23 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his fourth consecutive postseason appearance (2024, '23, '22, ‘21).
• Has made eight series starts at Atlanta posting one top five and two top 10s.

William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 4 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,022 points.
• Up +17 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his sixth consecutive postseason appearance (2024, '23, '22, ’21 ’20, ’19).
• Has made 10 series starts at Atlanta posting two wins, two top fives and three top 10s.

Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 5 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,018 points.
• Up +13 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his eighth consecutive postseason appearance (2024, '23, '22, ’21 ’20, ’19, ’18, ’17).
• Has made 12 series starts at Atlanta posting one win, five top fives and seven top 10s.

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 6 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,015 points.
• Up +10 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his 18th postseason appearance — most all-time (2024, '23, '22, ’21, ’20, ’19, ’18, ’17, ’16, ’15, ’14, ’12, ’11, ’10, ’09, ’08, ’07, ’06).
• Has made 28 series starts at Atlanta posting one win, six top fives and 10 top 10s.

Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 7 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,014 points.
• Up +9 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his eighth postseason appearance (2024, ’22, ’21 ’20, ’19, ’18, ’17, ’16).
• Has made 11 series starts at Atlanta posting one win, two top fives and seven top 10s.

Brad Keselowski (No. 6 RFK Racing Ford)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 8 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,008 points.
• Up +3 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his 12th postseason appearance (2024 ’23, ’21 ’20, ’19, ’18, ’17, ’16, ’15, ’14, ’12, ’11).
• Has made 19 series starts at Atlanta posting two wins, five top fives and 11 top 10s.

Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 9 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,007 points.
• Up +2 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his 11th postseason appearance (2024 ’23, ’22, ’21 ’20, ’19, ’18, ’16, ’15, ’14, ’13).
• Has made 21 series starts at Atlanta posting one win, three top fives and seven top 10s.

Austin Cindric (No. 2 Team Penske Ford)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 10 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,007 points.
• Up +2 points on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his second postseason appearance (2024, '22).
• Has made six series starts at Atlanta posting two top fives and two top 10s.

Daniel Suarez (No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 11 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,006 points.
• Up +1 point on the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his second postseason appearance (2024, '22).
• Has made 11 series starts at Atlanta posting one win, three top fives and five top 10s.

Alex Bowman (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 12 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,005 points.
• Up +0 points from the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his sixth postseason appearance (2024, ’22, ’21 ’20, ’19, ’18).
• Has made 12 series starts at Atlanta posting two top fives and three top 10s.

Chase Briscoe (No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 13 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,005 points.
• Back +0 points from the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his second postseason appearance (2024, '22).
• Has made seven series starts at Atlanta posting a best finish of 15th (2022).

Harrison Burton (No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 14 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,005 points.
• Back +0 points from the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his first postseason appearance (2024).
• Has made five series starts at Atlanta posting one top-10 finish.

Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 15 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,004 points.
• Back +1 point from the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his 11th postseason appearance (2024, ’23, ’21 ’20, ’19, ’18, ’17, ’16, ’15, ’12, ’07).
• Has made 29 series starts at Atlanta posting six top fives and 13 top 10s.

Ty Gibbs (No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

• Heads to Atlanta as the No. 16 seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 2,004 points.
• Back +1 point from the Round of 12 cutoff.
• This is his first postseason appearance (2024).
• Has made three series starts at Atlanta posting two top-10 finishes.

Trackhouse Racing‘s Daniel Suarez looks for Atlanta season sweep

Earlier this season, Trackhouse Racing‘s Daniel Saurez scored his first and only win of the 2024 season at Atlanta Motor Speedway locking the Mexican-born driver into the Playoffs for the second-time in his Cup career.

Fast forward several months and the 32-year-old, Suarez returns to the 1.54-mile track this weekend with the opportunity to become the 12th different driver to win consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway; joining Marvin Panch (1965 sweep), Bobby Allison (1972 sweep), David Pearson (1973 sweep), Richard Petty (1974-75), Cale Yarborough (1980-81), Bill Elliott (1985 sweep, 1992 sweep), Dale Earnhardt (1989-90; 1995-96), Bobby Labonte (1997-98), Jeff Gordon (1998-99), Carl Edwards (2005 sweep) and Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep; 2015-16).

Suarez has made 11 Cup Series starts at Atlanta posting one win (2024), three top fives, five top 10s and has led 23 laps.

NASCAR Cup Series is ready to turn-up the heat at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Originally it was named Atlanta International Raceway, and the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway, and it hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series race on July 31, 1960. The event was won from the pole position by NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts in a 1960 Pontiac.

Much like we all evolve over time, Atlanta Motor Speedway has undergone a few reconfigurations since opening its doors. The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970, and it was purchased by Speedway Motorsports and renamed to Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990. The track layout was reversed, and the track was reconfigured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997. Then in the offseason prior to 2022, the track was again reconfigured by narrowing the racing surface and raising the degree of banking in the Turns to 28 degrees.

From 1960 — 2010, Atlanta Motor Speedway hosted multiple NASCAR Cup Series races during each season; starting in 2011 the series began only visiting Atlanta once a year (2011-2020). The 2021 season marked the first time since 2010 that the series visited the facility more than once a year. Also worth noting, from 1987 to 2000 Atlanta Motor Speedway hosted the final championship race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. In total, there have been 120 NASCAR Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the first race there in 1960.

Hot-Lanta: Drivers to watch at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend

The 120 NASCAR Cup Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway have produced 53 different pole winners and 49 different race winners.

Buddy Baker (1968, 1971, 1976, 1979 sweep, 1980, 1984) and Ryan Newman (2003 sweep, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep, 2007) are tied for the NASCAR Cup Series most poles at Atlanta Motor Speedway with seven each. Joey Logano (2015, 2023) leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Atlanta poles with two. Aric Almirola won the pole for this race in 2023, and Michael McDowell is the most recent pole winner, grabbing the front starting spot back in February.

This weekend, six of the 53 NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway pole winners are entered in the event.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway with nine victories (1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2000). William Byron (2022, 2023), Brad Keselowski (2017, 2019) and Kyle Busch (2008, 2013) lead all active NASCAR Cup Series winners at Atlanta Motor Speedway with two victories each. William Byron is the defending winner of this race (July 2023), and Daniel Suarez is the most recent winner, grabbing the checkered flag back in February.

This weekend, eight of the 49 NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway race winners are entered in the event.

Seven of the eight active NASCAR Cup Series Atlanta Motor Speedway winners this weekend are Playoff drivers this season.

Below The Cutline: Who is making it out of the first round?

Following the reseeding of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff point standings at the end of the regular season, four drivers find themselves below the next round‘s (Round of 12) cutline in the standings — Chase Briscoe, Harrison Burton, Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs. So, who has the best stats of the four at the next three tracks?

Chase Briscoe

Atlanta: Has made seven series starts at Atlanta posting a best finish of 15th (2022).

Watkins Glen: Has made three series starts at Watkins Glen posting one top-10 finish.

Bristol: Has made four series starts at Bristol posting two top-15 finishes.

Harrison Burton

Atlanta: Has made five series starts at Atlanta posting one top-10 finish.

Watkins Glen: Has made two series starts at Watkins Glen posting a best finish of 28th (2022).

Bristol: Has made three series starts at Bristol posting a best finish of 16th (2022).

Martin Truex Jr.

Atlanta: Has made 29 series starts at Atlanta posting six top fives and 13 top 10s.

Watkins Glen: Has made 17 series starts at Watkins Glen collecting one win, seven top fives and 11 top 10s.

Bristol: Has made 34 series starts at Bristol putting up three top fives and five top 10s.

Ty Gibbs

Atlanta: Has made three series starts at Atlanta posting two top-10 finishes.

Watkins Glen: Has made two series starts at Watkins Glen posting one top-five finish.

Bristol: Has made three series starts at Bristol putting up one top five and two top 10s.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

Crew Member Spotlight: Atlanta Motor Speedway — This weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway we wanted to highlight several of the team‘s crew members that are from the surrounding areas of the track in Georgia.

Milestone Watch: Atlanta Motor Speedway – Below are the possible milestones that can be achieved this weekend at Atlanta or in coming weeks in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Starts

• Harrison Burton is expected to make his 100th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Austin Dillon is expected to make his 400th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Watkins Glen International.

• Brad Keselowski is expected to make his 550th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Bubba Wallace is expected to make his 250th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Talladega Superspeedway.
• William Byron is expected to make his 250th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Poles

• Kyle Busch currently has 34 NASCAR Cup Series poles, if he were to win another pole, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett for 21st on the all-time pole winners list with 35 poles each.
• Joey Logano currently has 31 NASCAR Cup Series poles (tied with Kevin Harvick), if he were to win another pole, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famers Fireball Roberts and Fred Lorenzen for 24th on the all-time pole winners list with 32 poles each.
• Martin Truex Jr. currently has 23 NASCAR Cup Series poles (tied with Ken Schrader and Jack Smith), if he were to win another pole, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki for 33rd on the all-time pole winners list with 24 poles each.

Wins

• Denny Hamlin currently has 54 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for 11th on the all-time wins list with 55 victories each.
• Brad Keselowski currently has 36 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie Bobby Isaac for 23rd on the all-time wins list with 37 victories each.
• Joey Logano currently has 33 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. for 25th on the all-time wins list with 34 victories each.
• Kyle Larson currently has 27 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie Carl Edwards and Rex White for 30th on the all-time wins list with 28 victories each.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series sets its eyes on Atlanta Motor Speedway

After dancing with the Lady in Black last weekend, the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to its second drafting track race in three weeks at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Focused Health 250 on Saturday, September 7 at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, the NBC Sports App, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The 1.54-mile track will be hosting its sixth race since its reconfiguration in 2022. Since then, Atlanta has produced five different pole winners but just three different race winners, none of which came from the first starting position.

Superspeedway ace Austin Hill has won half of the Xfinity races at Atlanta over the last three seasons, capturing the checkered flag at least once in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Across the track‘s entire history, Kevin Harvick reigns supreme on the grounds of Hampton, GA. He holds the record for the most wins (five), most top fives (11), most top 10s (13), laps led (973), and race record speed (149.813 mph on 2/28/2015).

Kyle Busch holds the record for the most pole awards won at Atlanta with six, while Greg Biffle recorded the fastest qualifying lap in track history with a speed of 192.300 mph on Oct. 25, 2003.

As per standard superspeedway race procedures, drivers will not have any practice and will make their first laps during qualifying at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 7.

Can anyone dethrone RCR‘s Austin Hill at Atlanta?

Since moving to the drafting track configuration in 2022, Richard Childress Racing‘s Austin Hill has won three of the five races at his home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway. And with the other two winners not being on the entry list (NASCAR Cup Series regulars Ty Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek), this opens a door for a brand-new winner at the track if Hill is unable to repeat his result from February.

Hill‘s teammate Jesse Love put on a show in his last outing in Atlanta. In his first visit to the track and his second weekend running in the Xfinity Series, Love earned the pole and led 157 of the 169 total laps ran in the race before running out of fuel at the end. He‘ll want to return with a result more indicative of his performance and will most certainly be fast once again alongside his dominant running mate.

Statistically, the driver most poised to knock Hill out of Victory Lane this weekend would be Stewart Haas Racing‘s Riley Herbst. The pilot of the No. 98 Ford Mustang is only second to Hill as it pertains to points accumulated at the track over the last five races. This is mightily impressive when considering Herbst acquired a DNF in one of those races and still has garnered more points than any other fulltime Xfinity series driver below him. Add in two top fives and three top 10s in that span, Herbst could be in the mix to cash in another win on the season.

It seems it‘s only a matter of time before JGR‘s Sheldon Creed grabs that elusive checkered flag. And with the third most points acquired and having led 55 laps in the last five races at Atlanta, it certainly wouldn‘t be out of the question for it to happen this weekend. Acquiring another top-five finish at Darlington after leading the race prior to a late-race caution, Creed‘s appetite for a win could not be any higher than it is heading into Saturday‘s event. A fourth-place finish in the spring is certainly a result to be confident toward building off of, and he‘ll look to do just that to reach Victory Lane by the end of 250 miles.

Creed‘s teammate and the most recent winner at a superspeedway, Ryan Truex, could play spoiler once again and grab his third win of the season on a part-time schedule. Aside from Austin Hill and Riley Herbst, Truex has more top fives at Atlanta since its configuration than any other fulltime Xfinity Series driver (two) with just three starts. And with an average finish of 5.0, no other driver in the field holds a better value in that regard than the three-time winner in the field Hill (3.4)

Xfinity Series Playoff outlook following Darlington

With NASCAR Cup Series star Christopher Bell earning the win for Joe Gibbs Racing in last weekend‘s race at Darlington, four spots still remain for the taking in the NASCAR Xfinity Playoff with only three races left in the regular season.

Eight drivers have secured their spot in the Playoff grid by virtue of wins, including Shane van Gisbergen, Justin Allgaier, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, Sam Mayer, Cole Custer, Jesse Love, and Riley Herbst.

Currently, Sheldon Creed (+109), AJ Allmendinger (+105), Parker Kligerman (+44), and Sammy Smith (+10) occupy the final four spots that would place them into the Playoffs based on points accumulated over the season.

Ryan Sieg (-10), Brandon Jones (-132), and Anthony Alfredo (-149) stand as the first three drivers out of the Playoff picture, with the latter two likely needing a win in order to clinch a berth in the postseason.

Here is the Playoff picture heading into Atlanta:

Xfinity Series Clinch Scenarios: Atlanta Motor Speedway

Here the Playoff clinch scenarios for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Already Clinched

The following 8 drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver postseason field: Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, Riley Herbst, Jesse Love, Shane Van Gisbergen, Sam Mayer.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the 3rd winless driver in the standings.  The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Sheldon Creed or AJ Allmendinger.

• Sheldon Creed: Could only clinch with help
• AJ Allmendinger: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

• Sheldon Creed, AJ Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman, Sammy Smith, Ryan Sieg, Brandon Jones, Anthony Alfredo, Brennan Poole, Josh Williams, Leland Honeyman, Parker Retzlaff, Jeb Burton, Jeremy Clements, Kyle Weatherman, Ryan Ellis, Blaine Perkins

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Brandon Jones to move to Joe Gibbs Racing full-time in 2025 — Brandon Jones will return to Joe Gibbs Racing in a multi-year agreement to drive for their Xfinity Series team beginning in 2025. Jones is no stranger to Joe Gibbs Racing or Toyota Racing after being a part of the team from 2018-2022.

Jones enjoyed a successful five-year run with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota that included Xfinity Series wins at Darlington Raceway, Kansas Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway. He qualified for the Playoffs all five years he was with JGR‘s Xfinity Series program and finished a career-best sixth in the overall standings in 2020 on the strength of a three-win season.

The Atlanta native has won while driving a Toyota in multiple series. Jones scored three ARCA Menards Series wins and an ARCA Menards Series East victory driving for JGR. He also earned his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win driving a Toyota Tundra at Pocono Raceway in 2020.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

'The Last Great Colosseum‘ up next in the Round of 10

For the second-time this season, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will head to Bristol Motor Speedway, but first the competitors will get two more weekends off to prepare and go over strategy for the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics (Thursday, September 19 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio).

In total, this will be the sixth time Bristol has hosted a CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Race (2019-2024). This season marks the second time that Thunder Valley will host an event in the Round of 10. Previously, the half-mile track in the mountains served as the elimination race in 2021.

To date, the legendary short track has hosted 27 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races at Bristol, producing 22 different winners and 19 different pole winners. The winningest driver in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Kyle Busch, holds the most wins at the 'Holy Grail of Short Tracks‘ with five (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017).

Eight races have been won from the pole, most recently by Christian Eckes earlier this season.

Practice for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at the Bristol Motor Speedway kicks off at 3 p.m. EST on Thursday, September 19, followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 3:35 p.m. EST.

Trio of Playoff drivers hungry for more

Three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff drivers are previous Bristol winners, and all are looking to double down to secure their spot in the Round of 8.

Christian Eckes: The 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Regular Season Champion has made four starts at the 0.533-mile track. Behind the wheel of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet, Eckes has posted one win (Spring 2024), two top fives, three top 10s, and has led 294 laps. The 23-year-old has the opportunity to be the first driver to post back-to-back wins at Bristol since Kyle Busch in 2010.

Ty Majeski: In three starts, the driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford has posted one win (2022), one top five, and one top 10. He‘s also led 45 laps. The 29-year old‘s win in 2022 was his first in his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career.

Corey Heim: The driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota has made three starts at 'The Last Great Colosseum‘. In those three starts, the Marietta, Georga native has posted one win (2023), one top five, three top 10s, and has led six laps.

Eckes with potential to continue historic run

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing‘s Christian Eckes continues his breakout year with arguably a historic run. This season the 23-year-old became the eighth different driver to win the regular season title: joining Christopher Bell (2017), Johnny Sauter (2018), Grant Enfinger (2019), Austin Hill (2020), John H. Nemechek (2021), Zane Smith (2022) and Corey Heim (2023).

Eckes has led the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series point standings following 10 of the 17 races this season — series-most in 2024. Through the first 17 races of the 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule, there have been five lead changes among four leaders in the point standings.

Over the weekend, the driver of the No. 19 collected his fourth pole of the 2024 season. This is the second consecutive season he has posted three or more poles (2023-2024). Eckes also leads the series in laps led this season with 833 through 17 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races. Milwaukee was the fifth time this season that he led the most laps of the field.

Following Milwaukee, the Middletown, New York native has led 18 consecutive races — the third longest in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history. Kyle Busch holds the series record with 28 races. If Eckes finds himself at the front of the pack at Bristol, he will tie Mike Skinner with the second longest run in CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoff Outlook Following Milwaukee Mile (August 25, 2024)

Playoff Bubble: Rhodes, Caruth on the outside looking in

Following the LiUNA! 175 at the Milwaukee Mile, ThorSport Racing veteran Ben Rhodes and Spire Motorsports Rajah Caruth find themselves below the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Round of 8 cutline.

Last weekend, 2021 and 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Champion Ben Rhodes had to battle all afternoon and managed to finish ninth at the Milwaukee Mile and left the 1.015-mile paved oval just two points back from the Round of 8 cutline. The 2024 season is the 26-year-old‘s seventh Playoff appearance.

The contenders will head to Bristol Motor Speedway in a few weeks where Rhodes previously finished 16th In 11 starts at the 0.533-mile oval, the Louisville, Kentucky native has one top-five finish, six top-10 finishes and a total of one lap led. His best finish in Thunder Valley was fifth in 2017.

Unlike the vast Playoff experience Rhodes has, Rajah Caruth is in his first appearance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs. It‘s been 14 races since Caruth‘s first (and last) visit to Victory Lane (Las Vegas), but the Washington, D.C. native knows how to race his way into the top 10 — he‘s recorded eight top-10 finishes so far this season, the most in his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career. The driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet had a decent day at the Milwaukee Mile, finishing 18th, but is now just twenty points back from the Round of 8 cutline and the final transfer position.

Currently, CR7 Motorsports‘ Grant Enfinger is in the eighth and final position to transfer to the next round in the Playoffs on points. Just ahead of Enfinger in seventh is McAnally-Hilgemann Racing‘s driver Daniel Dye, up nine points on the Round of 8 cutline.

Clinch Scenarios for Bristol Motor Speedway:

Already Clinched

None of the Playoff drivers have clinched a spot in the 8-driver field of the next round.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 8th winless driver in the standings.  The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Corey Heim or Nicholas Sanchez.

• Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 49 points
• Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
• Corey Heim: Could only clinch with help
• Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
• Taylor Gray: Could only clinch with help
• Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help
• Daniel Dye: Could only clinch with help

The following drivers could clinch on points with a win by Taylor Gray or Tyler Ankrum:

• Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 51 points
• Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
• Corey Heim: Could only clinch with help
• Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
• Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help
• Daniel Dye: Could only clinch with help

The following drivers could clinch on points with a win by Daniel Dye:

• Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 52 points
• Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
• Corey Heim: Could only clinch with help
• Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
• Taylor Gray: Could only clinch with help
• Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Grant Enfinger or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 7th winless driver in the standings.

• Christian Eckes: Would clinch with 54 points
• Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
• Corey Heim: Could only clinch with help
• Nicholas Sanchez: Could only clinch with help
• Taylor Gray: Could only clinch with help
• Tyler Ankrum: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

• Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski, Corey Heim, Nicholas Sanchez, Taylor Gray, Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Dye, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes, Rajah Caruth

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc.

2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year breakdown — Layne Riggs continues to dominate the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings following 13 races in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

The driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford collected his first win this past weekend at the Milwaukee Mile and now sits 249 points over Connor Jones and 277 points over Thadd Moffitt.

— NASCAR —