If you're good, you're lucky. And William Byron is plenty good.
The Hendrick Motorsports star picked up his fourth win of the season Sunday night, surviving a hectic Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He nabbed the checkered flag after rain brought the race to a premature close.
Byron's win wasn't a foregone conclusion by any stretch. His car was fast, yes. But in a field full of speed, Byron's car didn't stand out.
Then, the cautions happened. Yellow fever washed over the track as the flags came out in droves. Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson were knocked out after mid-race snafus. Things remained chaotic as drivers tried to get to the front as quickly as possible before rainfall.
Ultimately, it was Byron who capitalized. The No. 24 driver captured the lead after staying out ahead of the start of the final stage. He rocketed through the pack during the restart and kept his edge after Ryan Preece and Bubba Wallace went spinning for the eighth caution of the night.
That was all he would need. The rain came and NASCAR called the race shorty thereafter. Byron was declared the winner. This is his second career Cup Series victory at Atlanta, an impressive feat for a driver who is just 25.
MORE: Watch NASCAR races with Fubo (free trial)
The Sporting News tracked live updates from Sunday's Quaker State 400 at Atlanta. Check out below for highlights, live results and more as the Cup Series race ended early in Stage 3 because of rain.
NASCAR at Atlanta results
(All results are unofficial)
| Place | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 3 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 4 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 5 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 7 | J.J. Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 8 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 9 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 10 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
NASCAR at Atlanta live updates, highlights from 2023 race
(All times Eastern)
10 p.m.: Checkered flag is out. Byron is declared the winner. That's victory No. 4 of the season for the Hendrick Motorsports star. He's in serious contention for a Cup Series crown.
9:50p.m. : RED FLAG! Cars are brought to pit road as rain finally makes its way onto the track. William Byron out in front as cars line up in the pits.
9:40 p.m.: CAUTION! Ryan Preece goes spinning, making contact with Wallace in the process. Unlucky for the No. 23, who found himself in pretty good shape after a less-than-ideal start.
9:30 p.m.: Green flag out at Atlanta as we start the final stage. Lots of drivers stayed out, so it will be interesting to see if wrecks happen.
9:21 p.m.: Stage 2 ends under yellow as it's Keselowski who captures the victory. However, a bit of uncertainty making it's way across the track as the No. 6 tries to figure out whether to come into pit road or stay out. Looks like he'll get some fuel and new tires alongside the likes of Blaney and Buescher. Wallace is the fastest off the blocks in pit road. Impressive showcase by the No. 23 car thus far.
9:15 p.m.: CAUTION! Hamlin goes twirling after taking a shot from Bowman. The No. 11 spins right in front of the No. 48 as both cars look worse for the wear. It just hasn't been Bowman's year, has it?
9:14 p.m.: Special mention for Bubba Wallace, who has raced himself just outside the Top-10; he started the day at the rear.
9:00 p.m.: Race just went official. It's Brad Keselowski at th front, with Blaney just behind him. Elliott, Cindric and Chris Buescher — all seeking their first win of the season — find themselves in the mix in the top five.
8:53 p.m.: CAUTION! Gnarly wreck involving Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs and Corey LaJoie. Plenty of debris left on the track. Could be a problem for Chastain, who looks to have taken the brunt of the damage.
8:30 p.m.: CAUTION! Larson spins out! He took serious damage after twirling like a top on the turn! Looks like he suffered a flat right tire. Things aren't looking too good for the 2020 Cup Series winner.
7:43 p.m.: Back to green. Perhaps more interestingly, though: severe weather appears prepared to spill over the track in about an hour to an hour and a half. That should make things more tightly contested as drivers prepare for lengthy delay, if not a shorter race entirely.
7:33 p.m.: CAUTION! First wobble of the day and it belongs to Harrison Burton. No. 21 car wiggles going around the bend. However, wonderful save to avoid a major wreck. The likes of Hamlin and Todd Gilliland did brilliantly to avoid the carnage as well. Burton didn't look to incur too much damage after making contact with the wall. Could've been a lot different, though
7:30 p.m.: Almirola continuing to hold firm at the top. Looks like Toyota drivers are making a concerted effort to work with one another in an effort to get themselves up the field. Tyler Reddick partnering with Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs to jump the queue. Hasn't been the greatest of returns so far, but plenty of stage to go.
7:27 p.m.: Outside lane seems to be the way to go at the moment. Almirola leading the pack on that outside line. Joey Logano inching closer in second, followed by Blaney in third.
7:23 p.m.: And we're off from Atlanta! Aric Almirola and Ryan Blaney leading the line to start!
6:45 p.m.: Corey LaJoie posted a career-best fourth place finish in Atlanta in March. Could he shock the world and nab a win this time around?
6:30 p.m.: Some issues with Christopher Bell's crew ahead of the race. He'll start in P34 after his crew chief was ejected for getting too close to the car while it was under impound. Yikes.
6:20 p.m.: Any concerns of storms seem to be overblown. Rain showing up south of the track. But it looks like we're prepping for a dry day at Atlanta.
What channel is the NASCAR race on today?
- TV channel: USA (U.S.) | TSN5 (Canada)
- Live stream: Peacock, Fubo
The Quaker State 400 will be broadcast on USA in the United States. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN5.
MORE: Why NASCAR is on NBC, USA instead of Fox
Veteran broadcaster Rick Allen will lead USA's coverage, serving as the race's lap-by-lap announcer. He'll be joined in the booth by Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte.
Fans can watch online via Peacock or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
NASCAR start time today
- Date: Sunday, July 9
- Start time: 7 p.m. ET
Sunday's race has a 7 p.m. ET listed start time, but pre-race activities are expected to push the waving of the green flag back to 7:20 p.m. ET.
NASCAR at Atlanta starting lineup 2023
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 3 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 4 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 5 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 6 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 7 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 8 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 9 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 10 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 11 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 12 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 13 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 14 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
| 16 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 17 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 18 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 19 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 20 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 21 | Cole Custer | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 22 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 23 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 24 | JJ Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 25 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 26 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 27 | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 28 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 29 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 30 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 31 | Noah Gragson | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 32 | Austin Hill | 62 | Beard Motorsports |
| 33 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Raacing |
| 34 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 35 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 36 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 37 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |