Michael McDowell earned his fifth pole of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Season for the Quaker State 400 on Saturday (Sept. 7) after posting a speed of 179.261 mph.
The Front Row Motorsport driver has won each of his five poles this season, four of them earned at drafting-style race tracks. The other pole came at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney join will join McDowell on the front row, falling short with a speed of 178.839 mph. Blaney is the highest qualifier of the playoff drivers.
Todd Gilliland will line up behind his FRM teammate in third and Josh Berry will line up fourth tomorrow. Austin Cindric swept the top five for Ford.
Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, William Byron and Chase Briscoe rounded out the top 10.
Denny Hamlin was off the pace during his qualifying lap, lapping approximately 11.5 mph off the pace from Blaney, the fastest in round one. Hamlin will start in the rear of the 38-car field. Hamlin reported over team radio that he heard a popping sound when he started the car on pit road.
All 38 drivers qualified for tomorrow’s race as the field came up two entries short of the maximum 40-car field.
The first race of the NASCAR Playoffs will go green at 3 p.m. ET Sunday (Sept. 8) with the broadcast provided by USA Network.
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