Joey Logano took a dramatic win in overtime in Atlanta to open the 2024 NASCAR Series Cup playoffs, as a number of cars wrecked on the final lap.
The top six finishers were all playoff cars, with Logano winning from Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez, but a number of post-season qualifiers had rougher afternoons.
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A race which had been touted as a 'wildcard' in shaking up the playoff field showed its teeth at the end of the first stage when Kyle Larson, leading his nearest challenger by eight points coming into the race, overcorrected a skid and veered into the wall – wrecking his car and coming back into the path of Chase Briscoe, who was also wiped out.
Briscoe, already on the outside of the last 12 looking in after the regular season, now faces an early exit from postseason contention.
Some more hits were taken and given out, taking Martin Truex Jr. out of the race and, like Briscoe, right to the very fringe of contention for the round of 12.
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"That's how we start the playoffs, boys!" @joeylogano is an Atlanta winner! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/iSQyXzY3UW
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 8, 2024
HUGE WRECK FOR KYLE LARSON AND CHASE BRISCOE! Both #NASCARPlayoffs contenders are out before the end of Stage 1. pic.twitter.com/UJsGpF097O
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 8, 2024
Official NASCAR Quaker State 400 results
1. Joey Logano, #22 Team Penske Ford [Playoffs]
2. Ryan Blaney, #12 Team Penske Ford [Playoffs]
3. Daniel Suarez, #99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet [Playoffs]
4. Christopher Bell, #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota [Playoffs]
5. Alex Bowman, #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet [Playoffs]
6. Tyler Reddick, #45 23XI Racing Toyota [Playoffs]
7. Kyle Busch, #8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
8. Chase Elliott, #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet [Playoffs]
9. William Byron, #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet [Playoffs]
10. Austin Cindric, #2 Team Penske Ford [Playoffs]
11. Daniel Hemric, #31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
12. Justin Haley, #51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
14. Ross Chastain, #1 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
15. Corey LaJoie, #7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
16. Carson Hocevar, #77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
17. Ryan Preece, #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
18. Ty Gibbs, #54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota [Playoffs]
19. Brad Keselowski, #6 RFK Racing Ford [Playoffs]
20. Austin Dillon, #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
21. J.J. Yeley, #44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet
22. Michael McDowell, #34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
23. Zane Smith, #71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
24. Denny Hamlin, #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota [Playoffs]
25. B.J. McLeod, #78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
26. Erik Jones, #43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
27. Todd Gilliland, #38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
28. Josh Berry, #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
29. Bubba Wallace, #23 23XI Racing Toyota
30. Cody Ware, #15 Rick Ware Racing Ford
31. Harrison Burton, #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford [Playoffs]
32. Shane van Gisbergen, #16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
33. John Hunter Nemechek, #42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
34. Noah Gragson, #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
35. Martin Truex Jr., #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota [Playoffs]
36. Chris Buescher, #17 RFK Racing Ford
37. Kyle Larson, #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet [Playoffs]
38. Chase Briscoe, #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford [Playoffs]
