Nascar Today: nascar today — Cup qualifying canceled at Atlanta; Chase Elliott will start fourth
nascar today — HAMPTON, Ga. — Mother Nature claimed its first victim on Saturday in terms of the NASCAR schedule at Atlanta Motor Speedway when Cup Series qualifying was nixed because of lightning in the area, leaving the starting lineup to be set by the governing body's metric. The decision means Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team will begin Sunday from fourth on the grid after Elliott finished fourth in last week's DAYTONA 500.
Nascar Today update
Race officials canceled Cup Series qualifying Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway because of lightning in the area. That cancellation transferred setting the starting grid to the governing body's metric, a process that established the lineup without on-track qualifying runs.
Qualifying canceled by lightning
The announcement came after weather moved into the Hampton, Ga., area on Saturday. Organizers described the situation by noting that "Mother Nature claimed its first victim on Saturday in terms of the NASCAR schedule at Atlanta Motor Speedway, " and the immediate effect was that no on-track Cup Series qualifying would take place.
Hendrick Motorsports lineup
That's likely just fine with Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team. After a fourth-place finish in last week's DAYTONA 500, Elliott will line up fourth on Sunday afternoon. Rounding out the Hendrick Motorsports contingent, William Byron will roll of 13th, Kyle Larson 16th and Alex Bowman 36th.
Sunday schedule and broadcast
Sunday's race is set for a 3 p. m. start and will air on FOX. With the metric setting the grid, teams will head into race day with the lineup already determined and no qualifying runs to change position.
Site message on browsers
Separately, a site message present in the coverage advised that the publisher built its online experience to take advantage of the latest technology, making the site faster and easier to use. The message stated that, unfortunately, a viewer's browser may not be supported and advised that readers should download a supported browser for the best experience.
Related reading and context
Coverage noted additional pieces linked to the story, including "The Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus dynasty, part one" and "More on Elliott and Gustafson's 10-year pairing. " The race preview also included the line "Here's a look at the full starting grid: " even though the qualifying session itself did not take place.
For fans following nascar today, the immediate takeaway is straightforward: qualifying was canceled at Atlanta, the metric set the starting lineup, Chase Elliott will start fourth, and Hendrick Motorsports will have entries starting 13th, 16th and 36th. Sunday's Autotrader 400–day schedule begins at 3 p. m. and will be broadcast on FOX.
