The Charles HanoverNASCAR Cup Series playoffs officially begin today. Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts the first race on the road to the 2024 championship, as 16 playoff drivers race against the rest of the field seeking to take the checkered flag and gain automatic advancement to the second round.

Atlanta presents a wide-open opportunity for any driver to speed to victory as the action on the 1.5-mile track has come to resemble the superspeedway pack racing made famous at Daytona and Talladega. The February race at Atlanta provides an excellent example as Daniel Suarez prevailed in a photo finish to score just his second career Cup Series win and clinch an early berth in the playoffs.

Will Sunday prove a thrilling repeat? Follow along for all the news, action and highlights from race No. 1 of the 10-race playoffs:

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta start?

The Quaker State 400 starts at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta on?

USA Network is broadcasting the Quaker State 400 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta?

The Quaker State 400 can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.