NASCAR at Atlanta: Start time, lineup, TV, streaming schedule and more for Quaker State 400
The NASCAR Cup Series will hold its 115th race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, but for the first time in 11 years, it will race at Atlanta twice in the same season.
The Hampton, Georgia track hosted two Cup races a season every year since its opening in 1960, when Fireball Roberts won on July 31, through 2010, when Tony Stewart took the checkered flag on Sept. 5.
Since 2011, Kentucky Speedway has hosted the Quaker State 400 until that race was moved this year. Now, Cup drivers will contest a 400-mile race at Atlanta for the first time since 1966.
Drivers will also be racing on the current configuration of the oval for the last time. The asphalt surface at Atlanta — last paved and reconfigured in 1997 — is the second-oldest in the series behind the concrete at Dover International Speedway. But following Sunday's race, construction will begin immediately on a makeover for the 2022 season, despite drivers consistently lobbying to keep the old surface. So, enjoy it while you can.
Here is all the information you need to get ready for Sunday's Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway:
START TIME: 3:30 P.M. ET.
TV: NBCSN. Pre-race broadcast begins at 3 p.m. ET.
RADIO: Peformance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
STREAMING: NBC Sports website (for those who sign in with their cable/satellite provider) and NBC Sports app.
RACE DISTANCE: 260 laps around the 1.54-mile course for a total of 400 miles.
STAGE LENGTHS (laps per stage): Stage 1: 80, Stage 2: 80, Stage 3: 100.
LAST TIME: Ryan Blaney passed Kyle Larson lap 317 of 325 before pulling away to win by 2.083 seconds in the 2021 spring race on March 21. Blaney led a total of 25 laps for his fifth career Cup Series win and first at Atlanta. And one year ago, Kevin Harvick dominated, leading 151 of 325 laps in June 2020 for his third carer win at Atlanta. Harvick led the final 55 laps, running away from the field and beating Kyle Busch by 3.527 seconds.
QUALIFYING: There was no on-track qualifying for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. Instead, the lineup was determined by using NASCAR’s new competition-based formula: :
Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
Team owner points ranking
Fastest lap from the previous race
LINEUP: Chase Elliott, who won last weekend's race at Road America, will start on the pole alongside Kyle Busch on the front row. Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell make up the second row, followed by JGR's Martin Truex Jr.
Here is the lineup for the Quaker State 400 (with car number in parentheses):
1. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
2. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota
3. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
4. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
5. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
6. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
7. (8) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet
8. (1) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
9. (42) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
10. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
11. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
12. (21) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford
13. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
14. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford
15. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
16. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
17. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
18. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
19. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
20. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
21. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
22. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
23. (41) Cole Custer, Ford
24. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
25. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
26. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
27. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
28. (77) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
29. (6) Ryan Newman, Ford
30. (52) Josh Bilicki, Ford
31. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet
32. (38) Anthony Alfredo, Ford
33. (15) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet
34. (37) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet
35. (00) Quin Houff, Chevrolet
36. (78) BJ McLeod, Ford
37. (53) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR Cup at Atlanta 2021: Start time, lineup, TV, streaming schedule
