Quaker State 400:
Drama to end the regular season put Chase Briscoe into the Cup Championship Playoffs and left Kyle Busch out, as Busch finished second for the second week in a row and did not have enough points to get in as a wild card for this weekend’s Quaker State 400.
In all, 15 different drivers won a race, but only 14 of those wins led to playoff spots, as Austin Dillon’s tainted win at Richmond did not count. The playoff field is set and bonus playoff points have been tallied as we head to Atlanta.
How to Watch The Quaker State 400
When: Sunday, September 8, 2024
Where: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, GA
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Channel: USA
2024 NASCAR Cup Series Standings
Sixteen drivers qualified for the playoffs. Everybody’s counter was reset back to 2,000 and the bonus points accumulated during the regular season were then added to that total.
Here are the drivers by standings order (bonus points in parentheses):
- Kyle Larson (40)
- Christopher Bell (32)
- Tyler Reddick (28)
- William Byron (22)
- Ryan Blaney (18)
- Denny Hamlin (15)
- Chase Elliott (14)
- Brad Keselowski (8)
- Joey Logano (7)
- Austin Cindric (7)
- Daniel Suarez (6)
- Alex Bowman (5)
- Chase Briscoe (5)
- Harrison Burton (5)
- Ty Gibbs* (4)
- Martin Truex Jr.* (4)
2024 NASCAR Cup Championship Playoffs Format
There are 10 races in the playoffs, with the first nine grouped into sets of three. A win in one of those races automatically clinches a berth in the next set of races.
The bottom four drivers after each set of three will be eliminated from contention for the championship. Bonus points continue to matter and will be accumulated through the postseason.
Here are the playoff races:
Round of 16
Quaker State 400 (Atlanta) – Sunday, September 8
Go Bowling at The Glen (Watkins Glen) – Sunday, September 15
Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Bristol) – Saturday, September 21
Round of 12
Hollywood Casino 400 (Kansas) – Sunday, September 29
YellaWood 500 (Talladega) – Sunday, October 6
Bank of America Roval 400 (Charlotte) – Sunday, October 13
Round of 8
South Point 400 (Las Vegas) – Sunday, October 20
Straight Talk Wireless 400 (Homestead-Miami) – Sunday, October 27
Xfinity 500 (Martinsville) – Sunday, November 3
Championship
NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race (Phoenix) – Sunday, November 10
Quaker State 400 Winners
This particular race at Atlanta is only three years old. Kurt Busch, Elliott, and Byron are the winners in that span, though Byron won a cut-down version shortened by rain. This year’s early-season race was the Ambetter Health 400, which Suarez won for his only victory of the season. Byron also has a recent win in that race. Logano and Blaney are the other active drivers with a victory at Atlanta in the early portion of the season.
The only other active driver with a win at Atlanta is Keselowski, who won here back in 2017 and 2019.
Quaker State 400 Predictions
For the latest odds and VSiN’s NASCAR Best Bets, head to our NASCAR Hub to see Steve Makinen’s simulation results and more stats on the drivers.
