NASCAR Cup points updated after first Playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway

The NASCAR Cup Series playoff points have been updated following the opener of the chase for a championship at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In a raucous event in Georgia, it was Joey Logano who shined through, advancing to the Round of 12 via his win on Sunday. Others drivers put themselves in a great spot with their finish, like Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez, while Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe are in a precarious position after a wreck.

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Next weekend, the Cup Series will take their show on the road to Watkins-Glen. The road course will push drivers to the limit, and continue to separate the best of the best in the Round of 16. Before it boils down to that, check out how the playoff standings shook out after Atlanta on Sunday afternoon.

Updated NASCAR Playoff Standings after Atlanta

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano captured his second win of the season at the perfect time, as teammate Ryan Blaney pushed him to the win in overtime. Daniel Suárez made it a battle, but the Trackhouse Racing star can rest easy at least, as he put himself 22 points to the good with his runner-up finish in Georgia.

Rank	Driver	+/-
1	Joey Logano	0 (1 Win)
2	Ryan Blaney	+45
3	Christopher Bell	+40
4	Tyler Reddick	+33
5	William Byron	+33
6	Alex Bowman	+27
7	Austin Cindric	+27
8	Chase Elliott	+24
9	Daniel Suarez	+22
10	Kyle Larson	+15
11	Denny Hamlin	+2
12	Ty Gibbs	+0
13	Brad Keselowski	-0
14	Harrison Burton	-15
15	Martin Truex Jr.	-18
16	Chase Briscoe	-20

As you can tell, the real losers from Sunday’s race are easy to pinpoint, as Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe brought up the rear of the field after a wreck. Briscoe is now 20 points below the cut-line, and likely will need a miraculous run over the next two weeks to make it to the Round of 12.

As for Larson, he went from the top dog in the playoffs to P10, only 15 points to the good. That goes to show you how much one bad afternoon can change your standing in the Cup Series when it comes to the playoffs.

Another wheelman who didn’t have a great time in Georgia was Denny Hamlin. The veteran didn’t receive any stage points throughout the afternoon, and a late crash had him end up P24 on the afternoon. Now, Hamlin’s only a measly two points above the cut for the Round of 12.

Alas, Atlanta dampened the hopes of a couple playoff drivers, but it was a tremendous day for Team Penske in Georgia. Now, we’ll see who can change their fortunes at Watkins-Glen, and if any playoff drivers run into trouble in New York.