HAMPTON, GA – September 9, 2024 – Joey Logano won Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, advancing to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Round of 12. The victory marks Ford’s third straight victory and Logano’s second of the season, not including his All-Star race win.
“Congratulations to Roger, Tim, Paul, Joey and everyone at Team Penske on the race win at Atlanta,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “All three of Team Penske’s cars were fast and raced well together throughout the race to secure valuable playoff points and Logano’s win.”
“We didn’t (advance out of the first round) last year and it hurt a lot, but they just give me really fast cars on superspeedways and we always find ourselves towards the front of them, we just end up wrecking more times than not. So, to be able to finally capitalize on a fast race car and win here in Atlanta again, I lived right over there in condo 805 for a long time, waking up dreaming of just racing on this racetrack, so pulling into Victory Lane here is always a special one. We had such a really good team here today,” commented Logano.
Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell started Sunday’s race from the pole position, completing an Atlanta sweep after winning the pole earlier in the season. Ford has now won the last four NASCAR Cup Series poles at Atlanta (Logano, Almirola, and McDowell twice), and had at least seven drivers qualify in the top-10 in each of the last four Atlanta races. Along with McDowell, six other Ford Performance drivers started in the top-10: Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in P2, Front Row Motorsports’ Todd Gilliland in P3, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry in P4, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric in P5, Team Penske’s Joey Logano in P7, and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe in P10.
The first caution of the race came at the end of stage 1, and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney won under caution. Team Penske’s Austin Cindric led most of the second stage to take the stage win with teammate Ryan Blaney in P2. The end of the race came down to a battle between playoff drivers. As the drivers were approaching the start/finish line to take the white flag, a caution came out extending the race into overtime. During the overtime restart, Joey Logano picked the inside and Daniel Suarez decided on the outside, while both of their teammates restarted behind them. As the drivers came to the start/finish line to take the checkered flag after the two-lap shootout, several cars wrecked behind them, causing a multi-car accident. Joey Logano had the lead by over a car-length when NASCAR called the caution, winning the race and advancing to the playoffs Round of 12.
All three Team Penske cars finished in the top-10: Joey Logano in P1, Ryan Blaney in P3, and Austin Cindric in P10.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series also raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday. AM Racing’s Lawless Alan finished P13 in his second Xfinity Series start.
The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series both compete this weekend at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.
39 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 469 WINS – 435 POLES
*Photos courtesy of NASCAR Media & Getty Images