Ryan Preece saved the best for last. He was the last car on track and the only driver to break 19 seconds in the final round of qualifying. The Connecticut driver won his first NASCAR Cup Series pole Saturday (April 15) with a lap of 94.780 mph.
Preece outran Daniel Suarez, who will start on the outside of the front row.
Aric Almirola will start third and Chase Briscoe qualified fourth. Three Stewart-Haas Racing drivers are starting in the top four. The organization has yet to win a Cup event in 2023. Martin Truex Jr. completed the top five in fifth.
Circuit of the Americas winner Tyler Reddick qualified sixth. Kevin Harvick, the fourth Stewart-Haas driver in the top 10, qualified seventh. William Byron, the reigning Martinsville spring winner, will start eighth. Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10 in ninth and 10th place, respectively.
Truex ran the fastest lap in group A qualifying. Preece topped the charts in group B qualifying. Chase Elliott, returning for his first race in six weeks, qualified 24th. All 36 drivers will make the field.
The Cup Series race will take place Sunday (Apr. 16) at 3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
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