NASCAR has a new points leader after Atlanta, and it’s not Joey Logano

NASCAR has a new points leader after Atlanta, and it's not Joey Logano

As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for NASCAR, I must say that this year’s Quaker State 400 has been quite the rollercoaster ride! The chaos at Atlanta Motor Speedway was electrifying, and it’s clear that Team Penske is still a force to be reckoned with. Joey Logano, the two-time series champion, snatched the checkered flag once again, securing his spot in the round of 12.

In a disorganized Quaker State 400 race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway, sponsored by Walmart, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs commenced on Sunday, with Team Penske’s Joey Logano crossing the finish line first to secure his spot in the round of 12.

As a gamer in this race series, I managed to squeeze into the playoffs after wrapping up the regular season in 15th place, thanks to my triumph at the Nashville Superspeedway back in late June. Heading into the playoffs, I was tied for ninth in points following the points reset before the real competition began.

Since the introduction of the current playoff format back in 2014, this two-time series champion has consistently moved on to the Championship 4 in years ending with ‘2’. If he manages to do so again, it will mark his sixth consecutive advancement.

At the onset of each playoff round, all drivers’ point totals are reset. In the Round of 16 specifically, each driver started with a total of 2,000 points, supplemented by the playoff points they earned during the regular season’s 26 races. Logano, who triumphed in the playoff opener, now ranks fifth overall. However, he is the sole driver currently eligible for the next round.

Sunday’s third place finisher, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, is the new points leader.

Initially, Blaney ended up in second place after the race, but later a review moved Trackhouse Racing Team’s Daniel Suarez ahead of him, giving Blaney a five-point advantage over Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell who finished the 266-lap event in fourth position.

In the race, Blaney accumulated a total of 53 points, outscoring every other driver, including Logano who had 47 points. Notably, he triumphed in stage one and ended up finishing runner-up in stage two.

The current series champion, who managed to secure last year’s championship despite ending the regular season in 13th place in the overall standings, found himself tied for 11th position after the initial points reset at the start of the playoffs, and ultimately finished sixth in total points scored throughout the season. This year, he concluded the regular season in sixth place in points, but improved his starting position for the playoffs to fifth following the reset.

During the initial part of the season, Blaney topped the point standings following the fourth race in March at Phoenix Raceway. However, things took a turn for the worse during a challenging period from late May to early June, causing him to drop down to 12th place. Remarkably, after this tough phase, he managed victories at Iowa Speedway and Pocono Raceway, which netted him crucial playoff points (10 in total).

In the previous year, Blaney managed to reach the round of 12 based on points, and he progressed to the round of 8 following a victory at Talladega Superspeedway. Remarkably, he qualified for the Championship 4 for the very first time in his career after triumphing at Martinsville Speedway. This advancement came despite an earlier disqualification during the round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In the period from 2014 to the present, he was the first driver ever to claim the championship in Championship 4 without winning the final race of the season. Despite finishing second in the season finale at Phoenix, Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing Team) had already been eliminated from the playoffs prior to this race, which allowed our original driver to secure the title.

Logano won titles in both 2018 and 2022.

Currently, Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports maintains the highest playoff points total at 40. If the playoffs’ Round of 12 were to begin immediately, he would be in the lead with a score of 3,040 points. The races yet to come in the Round of 16 are at Watkins Glen International and Bristol Motor Speedway.

This coming Sunday, September 15, two out of the four-round, ten-race postseason will unfold at Watkins Glen International. The action-packed Go Bowling at The Glen, covered live by USA Network starting from 3:00 p.m. ET, is not to be missed! Last year, William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports triumphed in this race, but it was held during the regular season. To catch all the excitement, sign up now for a free trial of FuboTV and stay tuned!

2024-09-09 16:02