The 2021 Quaker State 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on July 11, 2021, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Contested over 260 laps on the asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway, it was the 21st race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Kurt Busch, driving the No. 1 car for Chip Ganassi Racing, held off his younger brother Kyle to secure what would ultimately be CGR's final win in NASCAR. This was also the last race held at the track before it was re-configured into a superspeedway in 2022.
Report
Background
Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta International Raceway) is a track in Hampton, Georgia, south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of 111,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval. The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Bayley Currey (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team ChevroletOfficial entry list
Qualifying Chase Elliott was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.
Starting Lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 4 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 6 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 8 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 11 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 12 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 13 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 14 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 15 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 16 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 17 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 18 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 20 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 21 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 22 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 23 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 24 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 25 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 26 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 27 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 28 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 29 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 30 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 31 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 32 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 33 15 Bayley Currey (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 34 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 35 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 36 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 37 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing ChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 80
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 102 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 93 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 84 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 66 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 48 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 210 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 80
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 102 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 93 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 84 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 57 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 48 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 39 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 210 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 100
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 8 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 260 592 2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 260 543 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 260 374 17 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 260 485 15 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 260 366 7 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 260 427 1 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 260 308 4 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 260 299 12 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 260 2810 14 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 260 3011 21 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 260 2712 13 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 260 2713 3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 260 3814 24 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 260 2315 11 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 260 2216 18 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 260 2117 23 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 260 2018 6 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 260 3119 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 259 2220 19 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 259 2021 9 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 259 1622 26 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 258 1523 20 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 258 1424 22 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 258 1325 34 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 258 1226 32 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 257 1127 25 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 256 1028 29 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 256 929 28 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 255 030 36 78 B.J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 254 031 37 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 253 032 33 15 Bayley Currey (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 253 033 31 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 253 034 30 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 248 335 35 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 248 236 27 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 243 137 16 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 178 1Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 10 among 7 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 4 for 21 Red flags: 1 for 19 minutes and 4 seconds Time of race: 2 hours, 50 minutes and 8 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and 2004 Atlanta winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Dillon Welch handled the pit road duties from pit lane. Rutledge Wood handled the features from the track.
NBCSNBooth announcersPit reportersFeatures reporter Lap-by-lap: Rick AllenColor-commentator: Jeff BurtonColor-commentator: Steve LetarteColor-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dave BurnsMarty SniderDillon Welch Rutledge Wood
Radio The race was broadcast on radio by the Performance Racing Network and simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice and Mark Garrow called the race from the booth when the field raced down the front stretch. Rob Albright called the race from atop a billboard outside of turn 2 when the field raced through turns 1 and 2 & Brad Gillie called the race from a billboard outside of turn 3 when the field raced through turns 3 and 4. On pit road, PRN was manned by Alan Cavanna, Brett McMillan and Doug Turnbull.
PRNBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Doug RiceAnnouncer: Mark Garrow Turns 1 & 2: Rob AlbrightTurns 3 & 4: Brad Gillie Doug TurnbullBrett McMillanAlan Cavanna
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Denny Hamlin 836 2 Kyle Larson 826 (–10) 1 3 Kyle Busch 739 (–97) 1 4 William Byron 733 (–103) 1 5 Chase Elliott 704 (–132) 1 6 Joey Logano 700 (–136) 7 Martin Truex Jr. 671 (–165) 8 Ryan Blaney 639 (–197) 9 Kevin Harvick 626 (–210) 10 Brad Keselowski 623 (–213) 11 Alex Bowman 609 (–227) 12 Austin Dillon 571 (–265) 13 Tyler Reddick 563 (–273) 14 Kurt Busch 530 (–306) 15 Christopher Bell 492 (–344) 16 Chris Buescher 467 (–369)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 782 1 2 Toyota 720 (–62) 1 3 Ford 718 (–64)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings. . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
References