by HAMPTON, Ga. — Since 2014, Joey Logano has reached the championship four times in even-numbered years, winning the championship in 2018 and 2022.
Logano moved one step closer to his unique streak in even-numbered years on Sunday with an overtime victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway to advance to the second round.
The victory comes a year after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Logano, who earned his second win of the season, thrived on a day when some playoff contenders struggled, including Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin.
NASCAR Cup Race Results, Driver Points Report: Joey Logano Wins Playoff Opener
Joey Logano earned his second win of the season.
Ty Gibbs is 12th in points – the final transfer spot in the second round – with 2,027 points.
The four drivers below the cutoff line are Brad Keselowski (-1 point), Harrison Burton (-15), Martin Truex Jr. (-19) and Chase Briscoe (-21).
What the drivers said after Joey Logano’s playoff win in Atlanta
Joey Logano advances to the second round of the playoffs with his victory.
Larson, who entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, and Chase Briscoe, who won last weekend’s Southern 500 to earn a playoff spot, both left after a violent crash on Lap 56.
The rear of Larson’s car broke away and his car went airborne on the track at the end of the first stage. After hitting the wall with the right front, Larson’s car went down the track and was hit in the rear by Briscoe.
“I’m fine,” Larson said after leaving the care center from the inside. “Thankfully, everything held up well inside the car. It was a huge shock. I don’t really know what caused it. I was actually a little tight in the turn. It was pretty far out of the turn and I took a step back. I don’t know. It all happened really fast.”
Truex was one of three Joe Gibbs Racing cars that started from the rear after changing spark plug wires before the race. He was penalized for speeding in pit lane and his car was damaged when he hit Ryan Blaney’s car after Chris Buescher hit Blaney on Lap 206.
Hamlin also started from the rear due to a spark plug wire issue, rode in the rear most of the day and had his car damaged in a final-lap crash.
Stage 1 Winner: Ryan Blaney
Stage 2 Winner: Austin Cindric
Following: The series will take place on September 15 at Watkins Glen International (3:00 p.m. ET on USA Network)
