On a weekend marked by inclement weather, driver Kyle Larson has been selected to lead the starting grid of the NASCAR Cup Series in Bristol, thanks to the cancellation of qualifications due to rain and lightning. This decision is made for the second time in the last three races of the Chase phase.
The grid has been determined using a metric system that combines the owner’s points position (30%) with performance in the last race (70%). Larson, who was victorious last weekend at Gateway, sits second in the championship standings and will start in the first position. To his right, Joey Logano will occupy the second position after finishing third also at Gateway.
On the other hand, the championship leader, Denny Hamlin, will start the race from the third position, followed by William Byron and Carson Hocevar in fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Drivers Alex Bowman and Ross Chastain will be the best-placed non-Chase participants, in sixth and seventh spots.
The weekend prior to Gateway was tough for many Chase drivers. There was a record of 18 yellow flags, and five drivers competing for the championship standings did not manage to reach the checkered flag, which will affect their starting positions in Bristol.
Among the Chase drivers starting from the back of the grid, Tyler Reddick stood out in 20th position, Chris Buescher in 23rd, Chase Briscoe in 26th, Chase Elliott in 27th, Daniel Suarez in 28th, and Ryan Blaney, who will start from the 29th position, being the farthest among the title contenders.
Next, the list of starting positions for the NASCAR Cup Bristol Night Race:
- 1. Kyle Larson (C)
- 2. Joey Logano (C)
- 3. Denny Hamlin (C)
- 4. William Byron (C)
- 5. Carson Hocevar (C)
- 6. Alex Bowman
- 7. Ross Chastain
- 8. Austin Cindric (C)
- 9. Austin Dillon
- 10. Bubba Wallace (C)
- 11. Brad Keselowski
- 12. Christopher Bell (C)
- 13. Ty Gibbs (C)
- 14. Erik Jones
- 15. Connor Zilisch
- 16. Ryan Preece (C)
- 17. Cole Custer
- 18. AJ Allmendinger
- 19. John Hunter Nemechek
- 20. Tyler Reddick (C)
- 21. Michael McDowell
- 22. Shane van Gisbergen
- 23. Chris Buescher (C)
- 24. Todd Gilliland
- 25. Austin Hill
- 26. Chase Briscoe (C)
- 27. Chase Elliott (C)
- 28. Daniel Suarez (C)
- 29. Ryan Blaney (C)
- 30. Cody Ware
- 31. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- 32. Josh Berry
- 33. Ty Dillon
- 34. Riley Herbst
- 35. Zane Smith
- 36. Noah Gragson
- 37. Josh Bilicki
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
