Mady Mertens-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
EchoPark Speedway hosted the second points race of the 2026 NASCAR season for the Cup Series on Sunday, with Atlanta delivering another great race. With a winner declared, we\u2019re looking back at what happened during Sunday\u2019s race for some of the top drivers.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s dive into our winners and losers from the NASCAR race today at the EchoPark Speedway, with key takeaways and standouts from the Autotrader 400.<\/p>\n
Mady Mertens-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Tyler Reddick is the first driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win the first two races of the season. Even with front-end damage to the car, which the broadcast crew thought would give him no chance at winning, Reddick worked his way from the middle of the pack after sustaining damage in the Denny Hamlin crash to be in the top four when overtime began. Then, when Bubba Wallace moved up to try and get into the top lane, Reddick took advantage of his teammate\u2019s mistake and sped his way off to victory. Heading into COTA, Reddick has a 40-point lead over his teammate in second place.<\/p>\n
Related: NASCAR Results for O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at EchoPark Speedway<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Nadia Zomorodian \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n What was he thinking? Heading into the final turn of Stage 2, Kyle Larson came all the way down from the top with Shane van Gisbergen already there and ran right into him. The contact turned the No. 5 car around and sent it up slamming into the wall for race-ending damage. The wreck falls squarely on Larson\u2019s shoulders and the move was completely reckless with no upside since he was too far back of Bubba Wallace and William Byron to win the stage. Trying to fight for a few points, Larson cost himself double-digit points. Credit to Larson, though, he at least took full accountability in the post-wreck interview\u2026unlike someone.<\/p>\n Related: NASCAR Results Today for Cup Series, NASCAR Stage Results for Atlanta<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Because qualifying got rained out on Saturday, Austin Cindric\u2019s poor showing at Daytona caused him to start the NASCAR race today in 30th. Credit to Cindric and the No. 2 team, as he had the fastest car in Stage 1 and it showed as he worked his way to the front of the field. Fighting off Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson at the finish, Cindric won Stage 1 and picked up 10 much-needed points. Given he got caught up in a late-race wreck that ruined his finishing position (26th), those 10 points were even more crucial today. <\/p>\n Related:\u00a0NASCAR Truck Race Today, Stage Results and Fr8 Racing 208 Full Results<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Kyle Busch was already going to be a loser on this list for the Autotrader 400 after wrecking out, finishing the day with single-digit points. He only added to that by suggesting in his interview outside the care center that Noah Gragson was to blame. Busch, who now hasn\u2019t won a Cup Series race in 94 consecutive starts, tried to move up the racetrack quickly into a tight hole, and his nose lifted. That\u2019s why, when Gragson made only light contact as the No. 8 came back down, Busch got loose and crashed. Gragson wasn\u2019t to blame for what happened, but it seems like Busch wanted to point fingers.<\/p>\n Related: NASCAR Points Leaders after AutoTrader 400<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Make it consecutive races to start the season with a Stage 2 win for Bubba Wallace. Now, he wouldn\u2019t have had it in the NASCAR race today in Atlanta if not for Kyle Larson\u2019s wreck, but all that matters are the 10 points and a Cup Series-leading two stage wins through two races. Wallace secured 19 stage points on Sunday and has come out of these two superspeedways with two outstanding points days. The No. 23 seemed like a safe bet to make The Chase this season under the 16-driver format, and he\u2019s an even stronger bet now.<\/p>\n Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n When\u2019s the talent worthy of driving for a top-flight team going to show up for Ty Gibbs? After finishing 23rd in the Daytona 500, three spots worse than his starting position, the No. 54 again finished behind its starting spot when the race began. Early in Stage 2, Gibbs tried to cut down from the top to get ahead of Josh Berry \u2014 but he was never clear. Unfortunately, Gibbs not only took himself out but also collected Berry in the process. He\u2019ll now head to COTA near the bottom of the standings.<\/p>\n Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Evidently beating NASCAR in court wasn\u2019t enough for 23XI Racing. Michael Jordan got that familiar sweet taste of victory on the big stage and it\u2019s carried over into the 2026 season. 23XI\u2019s top two drivers lead the Cup Series in points right now and even Riley Herbst (23rd) is doing reasonably well. It feels like a lock at this point that 23XI will have Reddick and Wallace in The Chase. At this rate, the team might have a regular-season champion for the second time in three years.<\/p>\n Mady Mertens-Imagn Images<\/p>\n That\u2019s twice now in February that Denny Hamlin has been near the front of the field in the final stage when he\u2019s been involved in a wreck. After reporting that his No. 11 car was loose, Joey Logano\u2019s No. 22 got tight, the wheel locked and he moved up into Hamlin\u2019s lane. When Hamlin tried to correct, his car wiggled into the wall and then spun into the middle of the field. The one saving grace for Hamlin is that wrecks in the final laps allowed him to finish the day in 13th, but he\u2019s still 27th in points right now.<\/p>\n Mady Mertens-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Zane Smith is off to the best start of his young Cup Series career. A week after he finished sixth in the Daytona 500, snagging 41 points and his first Cup stage win, Smith proved that was no fluke on Sunday. He avoided the major wrecks, allowing him to finish seven in the Autotrader 400. After recording five top-10 finishes in 2025 across 36 races, Smith already has two in the first two races of the season.<\/p>\n Related Headlines<\/strong><\/p>\n NASCAR Points Standings Today: Cup Series Points Leaders after Atlanta<\/a>NASCAR Results Today: Autotrader 400 Results, NASCAR Stage Results for Cup Series<\/a>NASCAR Results Today: O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series Winner, Stage Results from Atlanta<\/a><\/p>\nLoser: Kyle Larson<\/h2>\n
Winner: Austin Cindric<\/h2>\n
Loser: Kyle Busch<\/h2>\n
Winner: Bubba Wallace<\/h2>\n
Loser: Ty Gibbs<\/h2>\n
Winner: 23XI Racing<\/h2>\n
Loser: Denny Hamlin<\/h2>\n
Winner: Zane Smith<\/h2>\n