Joey Logano Punches His Ticket to the Round of 12 in Chaotic Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs got off to a thrilling and chaotic start at the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart, held at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Team Penske’s Joey Logano emerged victorious in a tightly contested race, securing his spot in the Round of 12 and continuing his impressive record of playoff success in even-numbered years.
Logano, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, has a reputation for excelling in the postseason. Despite a relatively quiet regular season where he finished 15th in the point standings, Logano clinched his playoff spot with a pivotal win at Nashville Superspeedway in late June. His playoff position was bolstered by the reset of points before the Round of 16, which tied him for ninth in the standings. However, with his win at Atlanta, Logano not only advances to the next round but also keeps his hopes alive of making it six consecutive Championship 4 appearances in even-numbered years since the current playoff format was introduced in 2015
NASCAR’s playoff format involves a points reset at the start of each playoff round. As of the beginning of the Round of 16, all drivers saw their point totals reset to 2,000, with additional points added based on their performance throughout the regular season. These playoff points are crucial for giving top-performing drivers an advantage in the elimination rounds.
Despite winning the opening race of the playoffs, Logano finds himself in fifth place in the standings, as stage points and other variables come into play. While his victory guarantees his progression to the Round of 12, other drivers are vying to build a cushion with strong performances in the remaining two races of the Round of 16: Watkins Glen International and Bristol Motor Speedway.
Logano’s Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney also had an outstanding day at Atlanta, finishing third and, after a post-race review, emerging as the new points leader. Blaney, who briefly held second place before being moved behind Trackhouse Racing Team’s Daniel Suarez, now leads Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell by five points in the standings.Blaney’s race performance at Atlanta was impressive, as he scored the most points of any driver, 53 in total, largely due to his win in Stage 1 and second-place finish in Stage 2. This kind of consistency is crucial for drivers looking to survive each playoff round, where even a bad finish can be offset by accumulating stage points throughout a race.Logano’s history in the NASCAR playoffs is unique. Since 2014, he has never failed to advance to the Championship 4 in even-numbered years. He won titles in 2018 and 2022, and with his victory in the playoff opener this year, he seems poised to keep this trend going.
The reigning series champion has also proven that starting the playoffs lower in the standings does not necessarily mean a driver is at a disadvantage. Logano, who won last year’s championship despite finishing the regular season in 13th place, knows how to leverage the format to his advantage, and his experience in navigating the playoffs is invaluable.
Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson continues to hold the most playoff points with 40, and if the Round of 12 started today, he would lead the standings with 3,040 points. Larson’s consistency and playoff point accumulation during the regular season position him as a strong contender, but with two races left in the Round of 16, anything can happen. Watkins Glen International, a road course where strategy plays a huge role, and the always-unpredictable Bristol Motor Speedway will be key in determining which drivers move on and which fall short.
The next two races in the Round of 16 will be pivotal for drivers trying to punch their tickets to the Round of 12. Watkins Glen International’s road course offers unique challenges, as it demands both skill and strategy to navigate the technical turns while managing tire wear and fuel mileage. Meanwhile, Bristol Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR’s shortest tracks, is known for its intense close-quarters racing, where tempers flare and any mistake can lead to disaster. Both tracks will test the mettle of the playoff drivers as they fight to stay alive in the postseason.Ryan Blaney’s journey to the playoffs has been one filled with ups and downs. Early in the regular season, he led the standings following the fourth race at Phoenix Raceway, only to slump to 12th by late May.
Ryan Blaney’s journey to the playoffs has been one filled with ups and downs. Early in the regular season, he led the standings following the fourth race at Phoenix Raceway, only to slump to 12th by late May. However, Blaney managed to turn his season around with wins at Iowa Speedway and Pocono Raceway, putting him in a solid position entering the playoffs.Last season, Blaney’s playoff run ended with a career milestone when he advanced to the Championship 4 for the first time. Though he finished second in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, Blaney was able to clinch the championship, making history as the first driver to win the Cup Series title without winning the final race.
As the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs roll on, Joey Logano has once again proven his mastery of the postseason format with his win at Atlanta, while Ryan Blaney has taken control of the standings in the early going. With Watkins Glen and Bristol on the horizon, the fight for playoff survival is only intensifying. Drivers will need to bring their best performances as they aim to join Logano in the Round of 12, while Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and others look to cement their positions in this thrilling chase for the Cup Series championship.
