If you’re lucky enough to call Jordan Taylor a friend, there’s a chance you’ve worn one of his Rolexes, hard-won from three trips to the podium at the 24 Hours of Daytona. “My buddy Mark has probably worn one of my Rolexes more than I have,” he laughed. “I’ll bring one out if we’re on vacation or maybe on a date night, but for the most part, they just sit in my closet.”

It’s a fitting glimpse into Taylor’s character: generous, a little understated, and perfectly fine letting someone else bask in the spotlight. That is, unless he’s dressed as Rodney Sandstorm.

This weekend, as the four-time IMSA champion returns to NASCAR with Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series race at Lime Rock Park, so does his infamous alter-ego. The jorts-wearing, mullet-sporting, colorful-jacketed caricature of a Jeff Gordon superfan is back — and even has his name emblazoned on the side of the No. 7 truck. “People ask about Rodney all the time,” Taylor told me back in the spring. “It’s been quiet the last couple of years, but maybe this year he’ll make a comeback.” 

Rodney Sandstorm is an outlandish character: loud, quirky, and the center of attention. So it’s no surprise that people are often thrown off by the contrast with Taylor’s quiet confidence. “People meet me at the track and are surprised — I’m actually pretty introverted,” he said. “They expect this loud guy from social media, and that’s just not me.”

The early years

Brian Frisselle, Burt Frisselle, Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

At 34, very few experiences in the racing world are new to Taylor (though this weekend marks his first Truck Series start). He first raced the Rolex 24 — a gruelling 24 hour challenge at the Daytona International Speedway — when he was just 16 years old. His first outing was under the gaze of a familiar, and somewhat skeptical, figure: his dad, Wayne Taylor. “I remember him leaning into the car before first practice and telling me I wasn’t ready,” Jordan recalled. “He was probably right.” Still, being thrown into the deep end, as he puts it, forced him to sink or swim, and ultimately accelerated his development.

But when it came time to build a professional career, he and his older brother Ricky Taylor were adamant that they didn’t want to be seen as kids coasting by on their dad’s name.

#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP Chevrolet: Max Angelelli, Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor

Photo by: Rainier Ehrhardt

“You see father-son teams, and people assume the son is only there because of his dad,” Jordan said. “So we wanted to prove ourselves first.” The Florida native drove for Corvette, while Ricky raced with Penske, and only after finding success on their own terms did they return to the family-run Wayne Taylor Racing.

Now, they’re back under the same umbrella, and they’re stronger for it. “We’ve both had success in other places, so it feels like we’ve earned it. We’re not just hired for our last name,” Jordan said. “And honestly, it’s more special to win as a family.”

The birth of Rodney Sandstorm

#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi: Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli, Jeff Gordon

Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images

As his confidence grew behind the wheel, it paved the way for the unexpected birth of Rodney Sandstorm in 2017. “We were at dinner with Jeff Gordon, and he was constantly being approached by fans — it caught me off guard just how famous he was. So I had the idea to create a fake Jeff Gordon superfan and surprise him at Daytona,” Jordan recalled. 

Ricky Taylor, Jeff Gordon, Wayne Taylor Racing

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

The prank flopped — Gordon recognized him immediately — but the character resonated with fans.

“Rodney took on a life of his own,” he said. The costume was cobbled together from Walmart and eBay: homemade jorts, velcro Dr. Scholl’s sneakers, and a vintage jacket that “smelled heavily of cigarettes.” But behind the absurdity was something real. “The character and the mullet actually probably did help me come out of my shell,” Jordan said. “It made me more comfortable being myself.”

Brotherly bond

#101 Cadillac WTR Cadillac V-SeriesR: Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Jordan and Ricky are less than two years apart, and they’ve been best friends since childhood. “When I was younger I was extremely shy, and he was also quite shy,” Jordan recalled. “I didn’t start showing more personality — at least publicly — until around 2013, but I’m still quite introverted in-person.” 

While Jordan has his Rodney Sandstorm persona, the elder Taylor brother keeps things a little more low-key. “Ricky has both sides too. He just doesn’t show that side on social media at all,” Jordan explained.

“He’s super funny at home, and has all these funny things he’s got going on, but most of the world doesn’t see it. He just likes to keep things a little bit more private.” 

On-track, the pair are “still super close.” Jordan added, “We were teammates for a few years, which was great, and now that we’re in different cars, we still support each other and help each other when we can.”

Chase Elliott passed Brad Keselowski on the last lap and held on for a win in the Atlanta NASCAR race, his home race, on June 28.

Elliott was one of only four drivers who was not involved in a crash in the action-packed Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Raceway.

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Elliott, a Dawsonville, Georgia native, led 39 laps earlier in the race before rejoining the leaders in the final five laps and passing Keselowski, who led for 45 laps, at the end.

Elliott secured a spot in the playoffs by claiming his first victory since April 14, 2024 at Texas. It was Elliott’s 20th career Cup victory.

Keselowski finished second and Alex Bowman was third followed by Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones.

There were 45 lead changes and 10 cautions during the race.

This was the first race of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge.

Here are the unofficial results for the Atlanta NASCAR race.

ATLATNA NASCAR CUP RACE HIGHLIGHTS: NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta: Live updates, highlights, leaderboard for the Quaker State 400

Who won NASCAR Atlanta race? Winner, race results for Quaker State 400 Cup Series race

Here are the unofficial results for the NASCAR Pocono at EchoPark Speedway:

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1. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

2. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford

3. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

4. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota

5. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet

7. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

8. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

9. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

10. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

11. Connor Zilisch, No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

12. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

13. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford

14. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

15. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford

16. BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet

17. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

18. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

19. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford

20. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

21. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

22. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

23. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

24. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

25. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford

26. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

27. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

28. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota

29. David Starr, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford

30. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

31. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

32. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford

33. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

34. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

35. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

36. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford

37. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

38. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

39. Corey Lajoie, No. 01 Rick Ware Racing Ford

40. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Atlanta results: Chase Elliott winner Saturday

HAMPTON, Ga. – There’s no place like home. 

That’s true for the second time for Chase Elliott. 

Riding a massive push from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott surged into the lead past Brad Keselowski getting into turn one on the final lap and held off the field to roll to a victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

It marked the second win at Atlanta for the native of Dawsonville, Georgia, and it came at the end of yet another frantic, chaotic, and dramatic race at the 1.54-mile quad-oval that was reconfigured before the 2022 season. 

“Unbelievable. How about that? Are you kidding me? I’ve never in my life,” Elliott gushed in front of a roaring crowd. “Thanks to all you guys because this right here, you can’t dream of this.” 

Bowman came home third. 

Making the win even more special, Elliott was driving a car designed by 11-year-old Rhealynn Mills, a pediatric cancer patient at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. As part of the DESI9N TO DRIVE program, Mills’ design was selected from dozens of submissions in the ninth edition of the collaboration with the Chase Elliott Foundation. 

“Just what a special car and just a huge thanks to NAPA Auto Parts and everything they do for me and to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” Elliott said. “Rhealynn Mills designed a fast NAPA Chevrolet tonight. It was a lot of fun. This right here is something I’ll never forget.” 

It was an unforgettable event for most involved as races at Atlanta in recent memory have tended to be.

Most notably, a massive crash broke out at the beginning of stage two, involving 29 of the race’s 40 cars. Elliott was in the lead and clear of the calamity, but the other three Hendrick Motorsports entries weren’t as lucky. Bowman was the most fortunate of those three, avoiding major damage and continuing to contend for the win. Kyle Larson was able to continue the race but battled through minor damage the rest of the way. 

However, William Byron was swept up in the heart of the fracas and suffered too much damage to soldier on. He went on to finish 37th but added seven stage points in the race’s first segment. 

Meanwhile, Elliott and Bowman continued to be fixtures at the front of the field. Elliott led 41 laps and made a move on leader Tyler Reddick on the final lap of the race’s second segment but came up inches short of a stage win in a photo finish. He settled for second and nine points while Bowman was fourth, earning seven markers. 

Five more caution flags would wave over the course of stage three with both Bowman and Elliott continuing to battle for the lead. Justin Haley crashed with 34 circuits remaining, bringing out what would be the evening’s final stoppage. With Elliott in second and Bowman in fourth, both chose to stay out while most of the field from ninth place on back pitted for tires. 

FROM WINNER TO CHAMPION, PART 6: Winning the War

Despite the tire disadvantage, Bowman wouldn’t relent, leading twice in the final 16 laps. He was out front for 32 circuits total. 

Elliott meanwhile was shuffled back early in the final run but as the laps ticked down, the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet slowly marched forward. Keselowski took the lead with six laps to go and was still out front as the white flag flew but finally, the two Hendrick Motorsports Chevies were lined up and Bowman came up with the race’s most pivotal shove. With the momentum, Elliott dove to the bottom and wedged Keselowski up the track. 

Then, on the backstretch, Bowman pulled to the inside of Keselowski, stalling his momentum and aiding Elliott in holding on for the win. 

“Our car was really good, but I was pretty bottom dependent with how our handling was,” Bowman said. “Congrats to the nine team and Chase, proud of those guys and glad to have a Hendrick car in victory lane. Wish it was but had a really fast Ally 48.”

Larson was able to keep his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet out of further trouble and finished 17th, on the lead lap.

The NASCAR Cup Series will return next week with a race at the Chicago Street Course. Green flag is set for 2 p.m. 

No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Matt Mills Racing
@MattMillsRacing
@MattMillsRacing
Website
Start: 21st
Stage 1: 23rd
Stage 2: 24th
Finish: 26th
Driver Points: 19th
Owner Points: 24th

• Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team fought hard all afternoon at Lime Rock, but lost all their track position after going off course at the end of the race. Mills started the 100-lap event in 21st, and battled a tight-handling truck in the opening two stages. After making wholesale changes to the setup ahead of the final stage, the J.F. Electric Chevy gained speed. Unfortunately for Mills, once he locked up the brakes and slid off in turn one, his results were shot down, finishing in 26th.
• Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: “By the end there, I felt like we made up some ground. The first two stages, we were struggling being really tight. The third stage, we actually made some adjustments that seemed to really make the truck react to it a lot better. Turn one just kept kicking my butt all weekend. I went off once in practice and three more times in the race and then back. The third time we got stuck. We couldn’t get pulled out and lost a couple of laps, and that just kind of killed our day. It was so hard to pass, but I felt like we don’t have that moment, we’re right there with the No. 44. We were running with them all day. I should have ended up the top 10, but we’ll just move onto IRP.”

About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.

About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners.
No. 44 Trim-Tex Drywall Solutions Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Josh Bilicki | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Josh Bilicki Racing
@JoshBilicki
@JoshBilicki
Website
Start: 18th
Stage 1: 21st
Stage 2: 18th
Finish: 7th
Driver Points: N/A
Owner Points: 17th

• Key Takeaway: Josh Bilicki and the No. 44 team successfully parlayed a mid-range day into a top-10 finish. Bilicki qualified 18th and noted that his truck lacked front end grip in the opening two stages, but the team made big swings on adjustments to make it better. Not afraid to think outside the box, Wally Rogers called for a four-tire pit stop with five laps left in the race. Once chaos ensued on the opening lap, Bilicki maneuvered his way around the carnage to sneak away in seventh-place.
• Josh Bilicki’s Post-Race Thoughts: Interviewer: You made a nice run in the final five laps to finish seventh out here today. The key was that final caution out there for you. You guys came in, took some fresh tires. What was it like over the final five laps out there?

“Yeah, we needed that. You know, we made a lot of changes throughout the race and still were tight. We were probably a 15th-place race car. It was hard to pass, so we were running in 19th when that caution came out. We were the first ones to come in, so props to Wally (Rogers) and our guys to making that call because that saved our race. We were the first ones on fresh tires, so I kind of knew that we’d get a good restart, but I didn’t expect to go from 19th to seventh in a lap.

We definitely could have had more there at the end, but I’m not the guy to go run over people. But we were definitely fast and in the game. We were faster than the next couple trucks in front of us. I played it smart, because if I move these guys and they come back on track behind me, who’s to say they’re not going to move me back and we go from sixth to 20th? So, I just wanted to play smart; It was a good point to say for us. Again, props to these guys for making that call because I don’t think we would have gotten to seventh had not happened.”

About Trim-Tex: Trim-Tex Drywall Solutions, a world recognized manufacturer of drywall corner bead and accessories, is no stranger to the motorsports industry. Along with their CEO, Joe Koenig, Trim-Tex has been involved in the motorsports industry as a sponsor, team owner, and a competitor for nearly three decades.

About Lemons of Love: Lemons of Love is a nonprofit organization that delivers care packages to individuals undergoing cancer treatment to provide comfort and support. Each package is thoughtfully filled with items that help ease the side effects of chemotherapy and remind recipients they’re not alone. In addition to care packages, Lemons of Love offers free programs and resources to build community and spread hope.
No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Kaden Honeycutt Racing
@KadenWHoneycutt
@KadenHoneycutt10
Website
Start: 6th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 6th
Finish: 12th
Driver Points: 5th
Owner Points: 5th

• Key Takeaway: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team had impressive speed all throughout the day in Lime Rock, but were collected in a crash on the final restart. Honeycutt started sixth and finished there in both stages, earning a total of 10 extra points. The team appeared to be en route to a top-five there at the end, but were punted off the race track and had to settle back in 12th-place.
• Kaden Honeycutt’s Post-Race Thoughts:

“We were pretty solid the whole day, man. We were in fifth to sixth all day and I couldn’t be more proud of my team. I’m proud of Phil, everyone at Niece Motorsports, DQS, Precision, AutoVentive, J.F. Electric, and Utilitra. I just got cleaned out on the last restart. We’re running top-five all the way going to turn one, and the end was just a typical truck road course race. You just get plowed into, and this stuff happens. Thankfully, we finished sixth in both stages and got points and finished 12th. So, it wasn’t a terrible day, but I put a lot of time and effort into this, and to not have the result like we were supposed to, it’s really frustrating. Going onto IRP, we got some weeks off for my guys to go and chill and just have a good couple weeks to themselves and come back swinging. Only three races left to keep in the Playoffs.”

Niece Motorsports PR

Nick Sanchez charged to the front after a restart with seven laps left in Friday night’s Focused Health 250 and held off fellow Sunoco rookie Carson Kvapil to secure his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory.

Sanchez, who rallied from a spin through the frontstretch grass at EchoPark Speedway on lap 68, lost the top spot to Jesse Love on the final restart on lap 157 of 163, but regained it on the following circuit.

Sanchez spent the next five laps doing everything in his power to keep Kvapil behind him. The win earned the 24-year-old from Miami, Fla., a berth in the Xfinity Series Playoffs.

“It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders, that’s for sure,” Sanchez said after climbing from his car on the frontstretch. “Now we can go chase checkered flags.”

Kvapil was lined up in front of third-place finisher Sam Mayer, fourth-place Connor Zilisch and fifth-place Taylor Gray as he chased Sanchez over the closing laps, trying to find a way around the race winner.

“To be that close really does sting,” said Kvapil, who started from the rear of the field after unapproved adjustments to his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. “I couldn’t really generate a run there. I didn’t feel like we had enough cars nose-to-tail and organized.

“We were all kind of just too far away from each other. I tried backing up on the last lap… I probably could have made a move earlier. I just felt like, if we got side-by-side, we’d get swallowed up by somebody.”

For his part, Sanchez was fortunate his No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet sustained minimal damage on the slide through the grass, which caused the fourth of nine cautions.

“I’m still a little embarrassed about that,” Sanchez said. “It was certainly a rookie mistake, but we rebounded.”

It was after midnight when Sanchez took the checkered flag, thanks to some threatening weather near the 1.54-mile track. Lightning forced NASCAR to halt the race after 36 laps.

After a delay of one hour, 18 minutes, 55 seconds, the race resumed. Sheldon Creed, who led the first 37 laps from the pole, tried to flip the stage by pitting under caution after the resumption, but the strategy backfired.

Creed was one of 10 drivers involved in a massive wreck on the backstretch moments after a restart on Lap 41. Contact from Sanchez turned Jesse Love across traffic near the front of the field.

Love’s Chevrolet collided with Ryan Sieg’s Ford, turning it into the outside wall. A broken axle eliminated Sieg’s No. 39 RSS Racing Ford. Other victims included series leader Justin Allgaier, who exited the race in 31st place, Sammy Smith, Katherine Legge, Patrick Staropoli, Jeb Burton and Christian Eckes.

Creed, credited with 32nd place, suffered his fifth DNF in the last nine races and sixth of the season.

“It was probably the best car I’ve had all year,” Creed said ruefully after leaving the infield care center. “Just really fast, could control lanes and felt really good up front. So we were just trying to keep ourselves up front by short-pitting there, and it didn’t work out.”

Notes: Sanchez led 32 laps to Aric Almirola’s 48 and Creed’s 37… The nine cautions put the race under yellow for 58 laps… Mayer was the only non-rookie to finish in the top five… Love, Almirola, Daniel Dye, Kyle Sieg and Jeremy Clements finished sixth through 10th, respectively… Austin Hill, trying for his fourth straight win at EchoPark Speedway, lost six laps early with fuel pickup issues and finished 26th.

RESULTS

HAMPTON, Ga. — A big wreck has taken out major contenders for the win in stage two of the NASCAR Cup Series’ Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta.

The big one collected involved seven of the top-10 drivers in the first stage, including stage one winner Austin Cindric. Follow here for live race updates on the NASCAR Cup Series’ Quaker State 400.

STAGE TWO

LAP 123: Alex Bowman is now battling Chris Buescher for the lead. TNT reports Bowman has had pain on the side of his body from his back down his leg after his crash at Michigan earlier this month.

LAP 120: Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick are trading the lead back and forth.

LAP 115: Ty Gibbs lost a lot of ground on pit road. Tyler Reddick emerged with the lead.

CAUTION, LAP 111: Riley Herbst has crashed and collected Todd Gilliland. Everyone can make it to the end of stage on fuel from here. Carson Hocevar is now back on the lead lap after almost unlapping himself.

TOP-10: Gibbs, Buescher, Reddick, Elliott, Bowman, Zane Smith, Ty Dillon, Haley, John Hunter Nemechek, Keselowski.

LAP 104: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. gets into Erik Jones in the middle of turns three and four and hits the wall. Stenhouse has a bent toe link now.

LAP 93: Ty Gibbs goes back to the lead. He and Chris Buescher are trading the lead with Tyler Reddick in tow.

Connor Zilisch runs 10th in just his third career start.

LAP 91: Only two winners this season are running on the lead lap — Shane van Gisbergen and Kyle Larson. The chance of this race producing a new winner this season is 92% with 25 lead-lap cars.

LAP 86: Riley Herbst goes to the lead over Ty Gibbs. Tyler Reddick takes it two laps later.

LAP 82: Ty Gibbs goes to the lead ahead of Chris Buescher. Chase Elliott is up to the top-5. Tyler Reddick is up to third after a pit road penalty.

TOP-10, LAP 76 RESTART: Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Riley Herbst, Shane van Gisbergen, Chase Elliott, Justin Haley, Zane Smith, Todd Gilliland, Connor Zilisch, Austin Dillon.

The big one has struck! Seeing Austin Cindric, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Daniel Suarez, Corey LaJoie, Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, John Hunter Nemechek, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Carson Hocevar, Cody Ware, Connor Zilisch, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, Riley Herbst, Erik Jones, BJ McLeod involved in the wreck on lap 70.

Chastain, Logano, Byron, Hamlin, Cindric, Suarez, Briscoe, Berry and LaJoie are in the garage getting repairs. Wallace, McDowell and Hocevar are off of the lead lap after getting damage.

LAP 68: Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, Justin Haley, Ty Gibbs, John Hunter Nemechek, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Zane Smith and Todd Gilliland stayed out and now comprise the top-nine spots. Shane van Gisbergen, who came off pit road first, is 10th. Stage one winner Austin Cindric is outside of the top-15.

The second stage is 100 laps and will end on lap 160. Ryan Blaney won’t contest the stage win after crashing at the end of the first stage.

“I couldn’t see much. I tried to get to the apron and by the time I got there, I was blocked. Story of my year, get caught up in someone’s garbage. Whenever we get something going, we have something like that happen. That’s the way it goes sometimes,” Blaney said after his sixth DNF of the 2025 season.

STAGE ONE WINNER: Austin Cindric

STAGE ONE TOP-10 (LAP 60): Austin Cindric, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, William Byron, Carson Hocevar, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Josh Berry, Bubba Wallace, Shane van Gisbergen, Chase Elliott. Cindric took the lead on lap 49 and led three times for eight laps at the end of the stage to claim the 10 bonus points and a playoff point.

LAP 57: Brad Keselowski goes for the lead and takes it briefly but Austin Cindric gets out in front as Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney and Austin Dillon crash in turn four. A.J. Allmendinger, Kyle Larson and Connor Zilisch also got in the crash. Blaney is likely done for the day after a hard hit.

LAP 49: Austin Cindric takes the lead from Joey Logano to take the lead away from him for the first time all day. Logano led the first 48 laps. Cindric leads for three, Logano takes it back as they jostle for the lead.

Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson stayed out from first and seventh. Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also stayed out and round out the top-10. They ran 13th, 31st and 32nd before this.

The red flag is lifted and the field is back under caution. Here are the biggest movers so far:

• Carson Hocevar +24 to 6th
• Christopher Bell +19 to 9th
• William Byron +13 to 5th
• Shane van Gisbergen +12 to 23rd
• Chase Briscoe -29 to 39th
• Cole Custer -27 to 34th
• Justin Haley -13 to 35th
• Zane Smith -10 to 18th

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Full running order under red flag, lap 43 of 60 in the first stage.

1. Joey Logano
2. Austin Cindric +2 positions since the start
3. Josh Berry -1 position since the start
4. Brad Keselowski +2
5. William Byron +13
6. Carson Hocevar +24
7. Kyle Larson +4
8. Ryan Preece -3
9. Christopher Bell +19
10. Ryan Blaney -7
11. Chase Elliott +4
12. Alex Bowman -3
13. Austin Dillon -1
14. Ty Gibbs +2
15. John Hunter Nemechek +3
16. A.J. Allmendinger +5
17. Ty Dillon -3
18. Zane Smith -10
19. Todd Gilliland -2
20. Chris Buescher -7
21. Bubba Wallace +3
22. Daniel Suarez +9
23. Shane van Gisbergen +12
24. Ross Chastain +10
25. Kyle Busch +4
26. Tyler Reddick -3
27. Erik Jones -1
28. Riley Herbst -8
29. Noah Gragson -2
30. Corey LaJoie -5
31. Michael McDowell +1
32. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +5
33. Denny Hamlin
34. Cole Custer -27
35. Justin Haley -13
36. BJ McLeod +2
37. Connor Zilisch -1
38. Cody Ware +1
39. Chase Briscoe -29
40. David Starr (-2 laps)

LAP 37: Caution flies for rain. Joey Logano leads Austin Cindric, Josh Berry, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Carson Hocevar, Ryan Preece, Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney.

NASCAR officials: “Light rain all the way around the track but no change to the surface.”

Chase Briscoe fell back to 39th with a tight-handling car. He says, “The spike is worse on the bottom but the rest of the corner is variable. As soon as I get to throttle, the load feels like a broken toe link.” Briscoe reports he hit the wall on the first lap and is struggling with the bumps.

LAP 32: Joey Logano has led every lap but Josh Berry and Brad Keselowski are all over Logano. One lap, it’s Berry going to the inside of Logano. One lap, it’s Keselowski. Another lap, it’s one of them going to the outside. It’s a close battle for the lead.

LAP 25: No one has moved through the field more than Carson Hocevar. Hocevar started 30th and has moved up to sixth.

Brad Keselowski caught up to the top-four driver and is trying to break them up. He is somewhat successful and looks for second.

Tyler Reddick reports he is, “really tight,” along with other drivers.

Ryan Blaney clears Brad Keselowski from the inside lane. the charge from Keselowski on back is dying out. Cole Custer challenges Ryan Preece for position and Preece takes it. Everyone is spaced out some but still racing closely. Handling is a clear factor.

TOP-10, LAP 10: Joey Logano, Josh Berry, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece, Zane Smith, Alex Bowman, Cole Custer, Chris Buescher.

Justin Haley dropped back to 36th from 22nd. TNT revealed radio transmission that Haley drank an energy drink before getting in the car.

LAP 1: Joey Logano leads with Josh Berry and Austin Cindric in tow. Ryan Blaney runs behind his teammates but Brad Keselowski is challenging with help from teammate and driver Ryan Preece.

The engines are fired and drivers are ready to roll for the NASCAR Cup Series’ Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway Atlanta. The first stage is 60 laps in length.

On average, there is at least one caution in stage one. Three of the seven stage one winners on this configuration of Atlanta have gone on to win the race. There is an average of around 9-10 cautions in Cup races at Atlanta.

RACE START

Joey Logano and Josh Berry tied for the pole but Logano won the tiebreaker to lead eight Ford drivers to the green flag. Alex Bowman and Chase Briscoe start ninth and tenth as the only non-Ford drivers in the top-10.

Joey Logano has won seven NASCAR Cup Series races from the pole — most recently in March 2023 at this track. Logano has won a pole in 14 of his 17 seasons.

NASCAR provided TRE with the following information the 2025 Quaker State 400 at EchoPark:

• Broadcast: TNT Sports, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 260 laps / 400.4 miles
• Stages: 60 / 160 / 260
• Average time of race: 3:14:15
• Pit road speed: Sections 1 and 2: 90 mph / Other sections: 45 mph
• Caution car speed: 55 mph
• Fuel Window: 65 laps

Here is when everything will start:

• Invocation: 7:00:20 p.m.
• National Anthem: 7:01:00 p.m.
• Command: 7:08:00 p.m.
• Green Flag: 7:19:00 p.m.

The track was under a 30-minute lightning hold as of 5:36 p.m. ET. However, this isn’t expected to bleed into the scheduled start of the race.