For the second time in the first three races of the NASCAR Chase, Cup Series drivers will start a race without getting the opportunity to qualify.
NASCAR canceled Cup Series qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday after lightning and inclement weather disrupted the afternoon schedule. With qualifying unable to be completed, the starting lineup for Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race was determined by NASCAR’s metric.
Kyle Larson will start from the pole, putting the Hendrick Motorsports driver at the front of the field for one of the biggest races of the season.
Joey Logano will join Larson on the front row, while Denny Hamlin, William Byron and Carson Hocevar complete the top five.
The cancellation adds another wrinkle to a Bristol weekend that has already been affected by weather. O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying was also canceled Friday.
The lightning hold was eventually lifted, allowing NASCAR to salvage a shortened Cup practice session from 6 to 6:40 p.m. ET. Cup qualifying, however, will not be rescheduled.
Kyle Larson Leads NASCAR Cup Field at Bristol
Larson couldn’t have asked for a much better starting position as NASCAR arrives at Bristol for the third race of the Chase.
He will have plenty of other title contenders around him when the green flag falls.
Logano starts second, followed by Hamlin in third, Byron in fourth and Hocevar in fifth. Austin Cindric starts eighth, Bubba Wallace 10th, Christopher Bell 12th and Ty Gibbs 13th.
Several Chase drivers face a much different challenge.
Tyler Reddick will roll off 20th, Chris Buescher 23rd and Chase Briscoe 26th. Chase Elliott starts 27th, Daniel Suarez 28th and Ryan Blaney 29th.
With 500 laps scheduled around Bristol’s 0.533-mile concrete oval, starting deep in the field does not end anyone’s night before it begins. But at a track where traffic, pit-road position and track position can become major factors, the canceled qualifying session created a dramatically different starting point for several championship contenders.
Full NASCAR Cup Series Starting Lineup for Bristol
Here is where all 37 drivers will start Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race:
- Kyle Larson
- Joey Logano
- Denny Hamlin
- William Byron
- Carson Hocevar
- Alex Bowman
- Ross Chastain
- Austin Cindric
- Austin Dillon
- Bubba Wallace
- Brad Keselowski
- Christopher Bell
- Ty Gibbs
- Erik Jones
- Connor Zilisch
- Ryan Preece
- Cole Custer
- AJ Allmendinger
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Tyler Reddick
- Michael McDowell
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Chris Buescher
- Todd Gilliland
- Austin Hill
- Chase Briscoe
- Chase Elliott
- Daniel Suarez
- Ryan Blaney
- Cody Ware
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Josh Berry
- Ty Dillon
- Riley Herbst
- Zane Smith
- Noah Gragson
- Josh Bilicki
The starting grid also creates an interesting divide among the championship field. Five Chase drivers occupy the first five positions, while five more will start 20th or worse.
That puts immediate pressure on Reddick, Buescher, Briscoe, Elliott, Suarez and Blaney to work forward once the race begins.
Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Bristol Motor Speedway. The race will air on USA Network and HBO Max, with radio coverage available through PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
NASCAR Bristol Starting Lineup: Where Every Driver Will Start After Qualifying Canceled