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.
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:
o In 2004 (inaugural Cup Playoffs), Kurt Busch won the opening race of the Playoffs at New Hampshire and went on to win the title.
o 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.
o In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the opening Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to win the title.
o 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).