Thanks to NASCAR's qualifying metric, which is based on each driver's most recent race finish and their position in the point standings, Team Penske's Joey Logano started Sunday's Autotrader 400 on the front row at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.
He led the first lap after taking the lead from 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick, and with that, he broke a 47-year-old NASCAR Cup Series record that was set by Richard Petty back in 1978.
From the July 1974 race at Daytona International Speedway to the 1979 Daytona 500, Petty led at least one lap in 19 consecutive superspeedway races. He won four of those races. His streak ended when he did not lead a lap at Talladega en route to his fourth place finish in May 1979.
Joey Logano breaks Richard Petty's record
During Petty's era, only the races at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway were considered drafting tracks, whereas Atlanta has been considered a drafting track since 2022 following its repave.
Of the 19 consecutive races led by Petty, 10 came at Daytona and nine came at Talladega. He won three of the races at Daytona and one at Talladega.
Logano has now led at least one lap in 20 consecutive superspeedway races, dating back to the 2023 Daytona 500. He hasn't failed to lead a lap in a drafting race since the October 2022 race at Talladega.
His 20-race streak includes seven races at Daytona, seven at Atlanta, and six at Talladega. He has two victories to his name during this streak, with both coming at Atlanta. He finished Sunday's race in 18th.
The next NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway race is the 10th race on the 2026 schedule, with that being the Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 26. Seven races are scheduled to take place between now and then, so start a free trial of FuboTV and catch all of the action as the season progresses!