NASCAR Atlanta live updates: Highlights and results from Sunday’s playoffs

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 battle it out against the rest of the field for a chance to take the checkered flag and earn an automatic advancement to the second round.

Atlanta offers every driver a chance to win, as the action on the 1.5-mile circuit resembles the superspeedway races made famous by Daytona and Talladega. February’s race at Atlanta was a prime example, as Daniel Suarez won in a photo finish to earn just his second career Cup Series victory and clinch a playoff spot.

Will Sunday’s race be another thrilling one? Follow all the news, action and highlights from race #1 of the 10 heats:

Green flag flying for NASCAR playoff race in Atlanta

The green flag has been raised for the first NASCAR Cup Series playoff race of the 2024 season. Pole position winner Michael McDowell and the defending series champion are on the front row to start the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

What time does the NASCAR playoff race in Atlanta start?

The Quaker State 400 begins at 3 p.m. ET Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race in Atlanta on?

USA Network broadcasts the Quaker State 400 and has a pre-race show starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race in Atlanta?

The Quaker State 400 can be streamed live on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo.

What is the weather forecast for the NASCAR race in Atlanta?

It’s going to be a great day for racing! According to AccuWeather, the weather forecast for the track is for sunny to partly cloudy skies with temperatures reaching 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit by the time the race starts.

How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race in Atlanta?

The Quaker State 400 consists of 260 laps of the 1.54-mile track, for a total of 400.4 miles. The race will consist of three segments (laps per stage): Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 100 laps; Stage 3: 100 laps.

Three of four JGR drivers to start at back of Atlanta playoff race

Three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers — Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs — will start at the back of the Quaker State 400 grid on Sunday in Atlanta after changing spark plug wires. Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota had a spark plug wire issue Saturday and was off the pace in qualifying. The issue with Truex’s No. 19 Toyota and Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota was discovered after qualifying. All three JGR drivers are in the playoffs, as is Christopher Bell, who had no issues.

Who will start on pole position in the NASCAR playoff race in Atlanta?

Michael McDowell will start on pole Sunday after claiming the top spot in Saturday’s qualifying. Defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney will start alongside Ford on the front row as Ford drivers claimed the top five spots in qualifying and six of the top seven spots.

What is the schedule for the Quaker State 400 in Atlanta?

Car number in parentheses; (P) = playoff driver

• 1. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford

• 2. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford

• 3. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford

• 4. (4) Josh Berry, Ford

• 5. (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford

• 6. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet

• 7. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford

• 8. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

• 9. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet

• 10. (14) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford

• 11. (48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet

• 12. (21) Harrison Burton (P), Ford

• 13. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford

• 14. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet

• 15. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet

• 16. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet

• 17. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford

• 18. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

• 19. (6) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford

• 20. (54) Ty Gibbs (P), Toyota

• 21. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford

• 22. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota

• 23. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota

• 24. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota

• 25. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet

• 26. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota

• 27. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet

• 28. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet

• 29. (51) Justin Haley, Ford

• 30. (99) Daniel Suarez (P), Chevrolet

• 31. (15) Cody Ware, Ford

• 32. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet

• 33. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota

• 34. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet

• 35. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota

• 36. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet

• 37. (44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet

• 38. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota

Who won the last NASCAR Cup races in Atlanta?

Daniel Suarez led nine laps before edging Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in a photo finish to take the checkered flag on Feb. 25, 2024.

And at last year’s Quaker State 400, William Byron led the final 19 laps before the race was stopped due to rain after 185 laps on July 9, 2023.

What are the driver standings heading into the NASCAR playoff race in Atlanta?

1. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports…2040

2. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing … 2032

3. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing…2028

4. William Bryon, Hendrick Motorsports … 2022

5. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske… 2018

6. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing … 2015

7. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports…2014

8. Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing…2008

9. Joey Logano, Team Penske … 2007

10. Austin Cindric, Team Penske … 2007

11. Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing…2006

12. Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports…2005

13. Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing…2005

14. Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing … 2005

15. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing…2004

16. Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing…2004

How do the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs work?

Sixteen drivers earned a spot in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs – 14 based on a regular-season victory and two winless drivers who entered the playoffs based on points.

The playoffs consist of a total of 10 races, including the championship race at Phoenix Raceway on November 10. The playoffs consist of three rounds with three races per round before the final race. The four drivers with the lowest points will be eliminated after the third, sixth and ninth races, leaving four final contenders for the title.

If a playoff driver wins a race in any of the three rounds, he will automatically advance to the next round. However, if non-playoff drivers win those races, the playoff drivers will advance based on the points accumulated in each of the three rounds.

What is the full NASCAR Cup Series playoff schedule?

Here’s the schedule with dates, tracks, times and TV for each of the 10 NASCAR Cup Series playoff races. (All times are Eastern Time)

• Sunday September 8: Atlanta Motor Speedway, USA, 3:00 p.m.

• Sunday September 15: Watkins Glen International, USA, 3:00 p.m.

• Saturday September 21: Bristol Motor Speedway, USA, 7:30 p.m.

• Sunday September 29: Kansas Speedway, USA, 3:00 p.m.

• Sunday October 6: Talladega Superspeedway, NBC, 2 p.m.

• Sunday October 13: Charlotte Roval, NBC, 2 p.m.

• Sunday October 20: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NBC, 2:30 p.m.

• Sunday October 27: Homestead-Miami Speedway, NBC, 2:30 p.m.

• Sunday, November 3: Martinsville Motor Speedway, NBC, 2 p.m.

• Sunday, November 10: Phoenix Circuit, NBC, 3 p.m.

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This article was originally published on USA TODAY: NASCAR Atlanta live updates: Results, highlights from today’s race