“That’s how we start the playoffs”: Joey Logano reacts after winning the Atlanta playoff race

Joey Logano held off Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez to register an emphatic victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With this, the Team Penske driver took a step forward in his quest for a third Cup Series championship.

Logano used a shove from his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney during the late restart at the Quaker State 400 and kept his lead till the end to claim the playoff opener at Atlanta. This was the #22 driver's second victory of the season and 34th in his Cup Series career.

Following the thrilling overtime finish, Logano took to his team radio and screamed his heart out in joy. The Penske driver said:

"That's how we start the playoffs, boys!"

Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman completed the top five. Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch, and Chase Elliott came home in sixth, seventh, and eighth places, respectively. William Byron and Austin Cindric wrapped up the top 10 positions at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Thanks to this victory, Logano can see himself in the Round of 12 of the playoffs, along with 11 other drivers. Brad Keselowski, Harrison Burton, Martin Truex Jr., and Chase Briscoe are currently in danger of missing the top 12 cut-off.

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Joey Logano replaces Kyle Larson as the top contender for 2024 NASCAR championship

Kyle Larson speaks to media members during the NASCAR Playoffs Media Day at the Charlotte Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Prior to the Quaker State 400 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson was the number one contender for the 2024 Cup Series championship. However, the tables turned once Logano crossed the Checkered Flag after Larson crashed out earlier.

The #5 driver lost control of his Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 during Stage 1 and collected Chase Briscoe in the process. Both the drivers escaped unscathed. Speaking about his crash, Larson said to the media:

“It just caught me way off guard. I was never once loose, even in that corner. And then, it just started stepping out. I corrected it and overcorrected it, I guess. I feel fine. Thankfully, everything held up great in the car.”

The two drivers were immediately out of the race. The Hendrick Motorsports driver's cushion in terms of points helped him survive for another day, while Briscoe is in real danger of missing out on a spot in the next round of the playoffs.