CONCORD, N.C. - With the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season in the rearview mirror, Hendrick Motorsports has its sights set on Atlanta Motor Speedway.
This season, the 1.54-mile facility will host the opening race in the Round of 16, marking the first time two drafting tracks will fall in the postseason. Since the track's reconfiguration in 2022, exciting finishes have been seen at nearly every event. That said, those often come at the expense of other competitors while racing in the draft. There is potential for a huge points day at Atlanta but disaster is never far away.
Hendrick Motorsports has 17 wins at Atlanta, most of any team and the fifth-most of any track for the organization. That includes a record eight winners: Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson each have five victories in Hampton, Georgia with William Byron claiming two and Chase Elliott, Darrel Waltrip, Jerry Nadeau, Kasey Kahne and Ken Schrader each winning once.
Where is the NASCAR race this weekend?
The NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener is scheduled for Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54-mile oval located in Hampton, Georgia.
NASCAR TV schedule this weekend
Saturday, September 7
12:30 p.m. ET: Qualifying - USA Network
All cars will make a qualifying run with the top 10 advancing to the final round to run for pole position. Alex Bowman will be the 26th car to qualify followed by Byron in 27th. Elliott will the go out in the 34th position with Kyle Larson the final car to qualify in the first round.
Sunday, September 8
3 p.m. ET: Cup Series main event - USA Network
STAGE LENGTHS
STAGE 1: LAP 60
STAGE 2: LAP 160
END OF RACE: LAP 260
WILL THE RACE BE ON THE RADIO?
Yes, listeners can find the race on PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
CAN I STREAM ONLINE?
Yes. Download the NBC Sports App for online coverage. Fans can also keep up with the action on X by following @TeamHendrick.
Driver averages, statistics for Hendrick Motorsports drivers
Data provided by Racing Insights
Larson, No. 5 team
The No. 5 HendrickCars.com team enters the run to the title holding the No. 1 seed with 40 playoff points. These came in part due to Larson's consistent presence at the front of the field. In the regular season, he led in wins (four), stage points (255), laps led (1,089) and was tied for the most stage wins (10). While Larson has yet to win at a drafting track in his career, his 106 points earned at drafting tracks this season is the ninth-best of all drivers. The No. 5 group will aim to steer clear of trouble on Sunday.
Elliott, No. 9 team
Back in the driver's portion of the postseason is Elliott for 2024. While Atlanta is certainly a wildcard, Elliott has found success here in the past. He won at the Georgia-based facility in 2022 and has the third-best average finish in the five Cup Series races on the new configuration at 8.75. That said, there is not much room for error in the points. With an even playing field, Elliott enters nine markers above the cutline. The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team will aim to extend this advantage at the end of Sunday's main event.
Byron, No. 24 team
Heading into the weekend, Byron is the only repeat Atlanta winner since the reconfiguration. Success at this style of racetrack is not guaranteed but the stats should instill confidence into fans of the No. 24 entry. Since 2022, Byron has spent 668 laps inside the top 10 and 38 laps inside the top five at Atlanta. His three drafting track victories tie him with Elliott for the most within the Hendrick Motorsports stable. Currently sitting with a 17-point cushion to the cutline, the Charlotte, North Carolina native will have his sights set on growing this number on Sunday.
Bowman, No. 48 team
The No. 48 Ally Racing team returns to the playoffs this weekend and while Atlanta certainly has the potential to stunt title aspirations, Bowman has excelled at drafting tracks this season. With a runner-up finish at the DAYTONA 500 and a top-five result at Talladega Superspeedway, the Tucson, Arizona, native has found a way to be in the mix late. His 114 points scored at drafting tracks this season is the sixth-best in the Cup Series. Entering on the projected cutline, the group will look to avoid the chaos grow a gap to the bottom four playoff drivers.
Hendrick Motorsports
The Rick Hendrick led group has won three of the five races held at Atlanta since the reconfiguration. In total, the team's 17 triumphs between eight drivers are both Cup Series-leading marks. As for the run to the championship, 2024 will be the sixth time that the team brings four drivers into the postseason.
Did you know?
Hendrick Motorsports leads the Cup Series in playoff victories with 58.
Tune in this Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET to catch all the racing excitement from The Peach State.