NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta: Starting lineup, TV schedule for Sunday's race
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to an oval track with Sunday's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Last week's Chicago street race was won by Supercars driver Shane Van Gisbergen in a Trackhouse Racing car on his debut at the end of a rainy weekend. SVG passed Justin Haley in the final laps and withstood a couple late restarts to shock the NASCAR world. But given it was a street race in the rain, two important parts of the equation that most Cup teams and drivers do not have much experience in a live setting, SVG's upset is simply surprising but not shocking.
The series now shifts to Atlanta, a pack racing track that opens up the possibilities for winners on Sunday night. Chase Elliott, the race's defending champion, is closing in on the outskirts of the wild card playoff picture. But a win will lock him into a playoff spot and relieve some of the building pressure for NASCAR's star driver. Elliott is currently 55 points behind 16th place Ty Gibbs.
In this space each week, we'll update with the playoff picture from the winners who have clinched a playoff berth to the wild card race.
Here's what you need to know about Sunday's race:
NASCAR Cup Series at Atlanta schedule
Green Flag Time: 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, July 9
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.540 mile oval) in Hampton, Georgia
Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. CT qualifying on Saturday (on USA Network)
Length: 260 laps, 400 miles
Stages: 60 laps, 100 laps, 100 laps
TV coverage: USA Network
Radio: PRN (102.5 FM in Nashville)
Streaming: NBC Sports app (subscription required); GoPRN.com and SiriusXM for audio (subscription required)
Xfinity Series this week: Alsco Uniforms 250 (163 laps, 251 miles) at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, 7 p.m. CT Saturday on USA Network
Quaker State 400 starting lineup
Row 1
1. Aric Almirola, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
2. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Row 2
3. Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Row 3
5. Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
6. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Row 4
7. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
8. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Row 5
9. Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
10. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Row 6
11. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
12. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Row 7
13. Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
14. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Row 8
15. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
16. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Row 9
17. Justin Haley, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
18. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Row 10
19. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
20. Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Row 11
21. Cole Custer, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
22. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Row 12
23. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
24. JJ Yeley, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Row 13
25. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
26. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Row 14
27. Ty Dillon, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
28. Corey Lajoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Row 15
29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
30. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Row 16
31. Noah Gragson, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
32. Austin Hill, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet
Row 17
33. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
34. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Row 18
35. BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet
36. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Row 19
37. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
NASCAR Cup Series points standings and playoff picture
Before Atlanta; 8 regular season races remaining; a win clinches a playoff berth
Clinched playoff berth
1: William Byron (3 wins)
2. Kyle Busch (3 wins)
3. Martin Truex Jr. (2 wins; regular season points leader)
4. Kyle Larson (2 wins)
5. Ross Chastain (1 win)
6. Denny Hamlin (1 win)
7. Christopher Bell (1 win)
8. Ryan Blaney (1 win)
9. Joey Logano (1 win)
10. Tyler Reddick (1 win)
11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1 win)
Wild card picture
Currently in on points
12. Kevin Harvick, +151 points ahead of 17th place
13. Chris Buescher, +104
14. Brad Keselowski, +91
15. Bubba Wallace, +15
16. Ty Gibbs, +6
Outside looking in
17. Daniel Suarez, -6 points behind 16th place
18. Michael McDowell, -10
19. AJ Allmendinger, -24
20. Alex Bowman, -26
21. Justin Haley, -45
22. Austin Cindric, -45
23. Corey Lajoie, -47
24. Chase Elliott, -55
25. Ryan Preece, -66
26. Todd Gilliland, -79
27, Aric Almirola, -81
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Atlanta: Starting lineup, TV schedule for Sunday's Cup Series race
