While EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway) is set to become the first track on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule to host its second race this year, it will not become the first track to host its second qualifying session.
The qualifying session for February's race at the four-turn, 1.54-mile (2.478-kilometer) high-banked Hampton, Georgia oval was rained out, and that started somewhat of a trend for the Cup Series this season. A total of four oval qualifying sessions have been rained out so far in 2026.
Saturday's qualifying session for Sunday's 260-lap race is scheduled to take place at 4:40 p.m. ET, and there's a chance that it could become the second Atlanta qualiyfing session of the year to be rained out.
According to AccuWeather, there is a 58% chance of precipitation in Hampton on Saturday, with a thunderstorm predicted to develop during the afternoon.
If NASCAR once again needs to cancel qualifying, the 38-car starting lineup would be determined by the two-variable metric that has been in place since the 2025 season began.
That formula, which is based on each car's finish in the most recent race and each team's rank in the owner standings, is generally used to determine qualifying orders. The qualifying order is simply reversed when it needs to be used to determine a starting lineup.
Thanks to his P1 position in the point standings and his P3 finish in the series' most recent race at Chicagoland Speedway this past Sunday, Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin would be on pole at Atlanta if qualifying is once again rained out.
Here's how the full Atlanta starting lineup would look.
NASCAR Cup lineup at Atlanta if qualifying is canceled
Order | Driver |
|---|---|
1 | Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
2 | Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
3 | Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
4 | Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford |
5 | William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
6 | Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
7 | Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota |
8 | Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
9 | Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
10 | Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
11 | Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford |
12 | Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford |
13 | Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota |
14 | Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford |
15 | Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
16 | A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
17 | Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
18 | Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
19 | Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
20 | Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford |
21 | Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
22 | Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
23 | John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
24 | Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
25 | Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
26 | Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota |
27 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet |
28 | Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
29 | Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
30 | Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford |
31 | Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
32 | Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet |
33 | Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet |
34 | Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford |
35 | Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
36 | Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
37 | Chad Finchum, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford |
38 | B.J. McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet |
TNT Sports' live coverage of the Quaker State 400 is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, July 12. Don't miss any of the action from EchoPark Speedway's second race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season!
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