Kyle Larson has secured the Busch Pole Award for Sunday’s South Point 400 (7 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
RELATED: Las Vegas weekend schedule | Cup Series standings
Larson — winner of the most recent NASCAR Cup Series event, at Bristol Motor Speedway — will start his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from the first spot for the fourth time in the last six races. The 400-miler is the opening race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 12.
Austin Cindric claimed the pole for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 302 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the opening race in that circuit’s postseason. John Hunter Nemechek earned the No. 1 starting spot for Friday’s Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts (9 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Round of 8 opener.
Larson, Cindric and Nemechek are all the current points leaders in their respective series.
As NASCAR adapted to COVID-19 protocols last season, practice and qualifying were eliminated at a majority of national-series events to limit at-track time, exposure and to cut race weekend costs. To determine starting lineups, competition officials used grouped draws, added inversions for weekend doubleheaders, and eventually adopted a performance-metrics formula. That metrics format remains in place this season, drawing on performance from both individual races and season-long results.
NASCAR’s metrics formula for 2021 weighs:
-
25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
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25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
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35 percent: Team owner points ranking
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15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
See the full lineup for Saturday night’s Cup Series race below.
Start pos. |
Driver |
Car # |
Team |
1 |
Kyle Larson |
5 |
Hendrick Motorsports |
2 |
Ryan Blaney |
12 |
Team Penske |
3 |
William Byron |
24 |
Hendrick Motorsports |
4 |
Martin Truex Jr. |
19 |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
5 |
Kevin Harvick |
4 |
Stewart-Haas Racing |
6 |
Denny Hamlin |
11 |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
7 |
Alex Bowman |
48 |
Hendrick Motorsports |
8 |
Brad Keselowski |
2 |
Team Penske |
9 |
Joey Logano |
22 |
Team Penske |
10 |
Kyle Busch |
18 |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
11 |
Chase Elliott |
9 |
Hendrick Motorsports |
12 |
Christopher Bell |
20 |
Joe Gibbs Racing |
13 |
Tyler Reddick |
8 |
Richard Childress Racing |
14 |
Matt DiBenedetto |
21 |
Wood Brothers Racing |
15 |
Austin Dillon |
3 |
Richard Childress Racing |
16 |
Erik Jones |
43 |
Richard Petty Motorsports |
17 |
Aric Almirola |
10 |
Stewart-Haas Racing |
18 |
Ross Chastain |
42 |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
19 |
Chase Briscoe |
14 |
Stewart-Haas Racing |
20 |
Kurt Busch |
1 |
Chip Ganassi Racing |
21 |
Bubba Wallace |
23 |
23XI Racing |
22 |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
47 |
JTG Daugherty Racing |
23 |
Michael McDowell |
34 |
Front Row Motorsports |
24 |
Ryan Preece |
37 |
JTG Daugherty Racing |
25 |
Chris Buescher |
17 |
Roush Fenway Racing |
26 |
Daniel Suarez |
99 |
Trackhouse Racing |
27 |
Corey LaJoie |
7 |
Spire Motorsports |
28 |
Cole Custer |
41 |
Stewart-Haas Racing |
29 |
Ryan Newman |
6 |
Roush Fenway Racing |
30 |
Garrett Smithley |
53 |
Rick Ware Racing |
31 |
Josh Bilicki |
52 |
Rick Ware Racing |
32 |
Anthony Alfredo |
38 |
Front Row Motorsports |
33 |
Justin Haley |
77 |
Spire Motorsports |
34 |
BJ McLeod |
78 |
Live Fast Motorsports |
35 |
Cody Ware |
51 |
Petty Ware Racing |
36 |
Quin Houff |
00 |
StarCom Racing |
37 |
Joey Gase |
15 |
Rick Ware Racing |
38 |
JJ Yeley |
66 |
Motorsports Business Management |
Practice and qualifying are tentatively scheduled for eight Cup Series races this year. Just one race remains with Busch Pole Qualifying on the schedule — the season-ending championship race Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway.