NASCAR has a new points leader after Atlanta, and it's not Joey Logano

A chaotic Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Atlanta Motor Speedway got the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs underway on Sunday, and it was Team Penske's Joey Logano who took the checkered flag to punch his ticket to the round of 12.

Logano only finished the regular season in 15th place in the point standings, securing his playoff spot with a victory at Nashville Superspeedway in late June, and he only entered the playoffs tied for ninth in points following the pre-playoff points reset.

But since the current playoff format was implemented in 2014, the two-time series champion has never failed to advance to the Championship 4 in an even-numbered year. He is one step closer to making it six for six.

Points resets occur at the start of each round of the playoffs. At the start of the round of 16, all 16 playoff drivers had their point totals reset to 2,000, plus the playoff points they scored during the 26-race regular season. So despite winning the playoff opener, Logano only finds himself in fifth place in the standings, albeit as the only driver locked into the second round.

Sunday's third place finisher, Team Penske's Ryan Blaney, is the new points leader.

Blaney, who was initially scored in second place before a post-race review placed Trackhouse Racing Team's Daniel Suarez ahead of him, owns a five-point lead over Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell, who finished Sunday's 266-lap race in fourth.

Blaney scored more points (53) than all other drivers, including Logano (47), during the race. He won stage one and finished in second place in stage two.

The reigning series champion, who won last year's championship despite only finishing the regular season in 13th place in the point standings, starting the playoffs in an 11th place tie following the opening points reset, and finishing the season sixth in total points scored, finished this year's regular season in sixth in points, and he started the playoffs in fifth following the reset.

Blaney did lead the point standings during the regular season, but that was all the way back in March after the year's fourth race at Phoenix Raceway. He fell to as low as 12th place during a rough stretch in late May and early June, but it was after that rough stretch when he scored victories at both Iowa Speedway and Pocono Raceway to earn 10 much-needed playoff points.

Last year, Blaney advanced to the round of 12 on points, and he advanced to the round of 8 with a win at Talladega Superspeedway. He advanced to the Championship 4 for the first time in his career with a win at Martinsville Speedway, overcoming a disqualification earlier in the round of 8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

He then became the first driver in Championship 4 history (2014 to present) to win the championship without winning the season finale. He placed second in the season finale at Phoenix, but race winner Ross Chastain at Trackhouse Racing Team was no longer in the playoffs.

Logano won titles in both 2018 and 2022.

Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson still leads all drivers with 40 playoff points and would be the points leader with 3,040 points if the round of 12 started today. Races at Watkins Glen International and Bristol Motor Speedway remain on the round of 16 schedule.

Race two of the four-round, 10-race postseason is scheduled to take place at Watkins Glen International this Sunday, September 15. USA Network is set to provide live coverage of the Go Bowling at The Glen beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron won this race a year ago, though it was contested during the regular season. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action!