Two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano began his try for a third title in strong fashion with a win in Atlanta and advanced him into the round of 12 as the next leg of the postseason goes north to Watkins Glen, New York. 

Logano got a push from Team Penske teammate and defending champion Ryan Blaney on a final restart and took the checkered flag in overtime when a crash on the last lap ended the race with Logano out front. Daniel Suarez was second, Blaney third and Christopher Bell fourth.

Blaney’s strong showing put him atop the driver standings after Atlanta. Bell is second with regular-season champion Tyler Reddick third. 

2022 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson led in playoff points entering Atlanta, but he was involved in an early wreck with another playoff participant, Chase Briscoe, and finished 35th in the race. Larson is 10th in the playoff standings, 15 points above the cut line. 

Those on the wrong side of the bubble include past champions Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. Keselowski is one point in back of 12th-place Ty Gibbs. Truex, retiring after this season, is 19 points behind Gibbs.

Practice and qualifying is at 10:30 am Saturday and race time is 2 pm Sunday afternoon.

Two races remain in the regular season, with Bristol following Watkins Glen to set the 12-team playoffs and the Xfinity Series' postseason starts in Kansas on Sept. 28 with Talladega and the Charlotte Roval making up the rest of the first round. 

Justin Allgaier hold the regular-season points lead by 34 points over defending Xfinity champ Cole Custer. Chandler Smith is third and Austin Hill fourth. Sammy Smith has the 12th and final playoff spot, leading Ryan Sieg by 44 points. A pair of first time winners, though, in the final two regular-season races could push Smith outside the postseason.

Hill grabbed the lead 11 laps from the end to sweep both Xfinity races in Atlanta this season. It was his fourth Xfinity win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his home track. 

Hill received a push on the final lap from Corey Heim, who was making his first superspeedway start in the Xfinity Series. Chandler Smith tried to pass Hill low on the last lap and nosed in front of Hill’s bumper. But Heim stayed high behind Hill and both cleared Smith. Heim tried a pass of his own before brushing the wall to lose momentum.

Practice and qualifying is 8:30 am on Saturday and race time is 2 pm Saturday afternoon. 

The Craftsman Truck Series returns next week when they race at Bristol Motorspeedway Thursday night, Sept. 19.