Chase Elliott on Darlington Cup Pole

It’s throwback week, and Chase Elliott will display his Jimmie Johnson throwback on the front row in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Cook Out Southern 500 Sunday (Sept. 6) at Darlington Raceway.

Elliott nabbed the Busch Pole Award after finishing second last week at Daytona International Speedway.

NASCAR adjusted the formula and the starting lineup order after the regular season ended. The driver’s finishing position from last race is weighted 25%, owner’s finishing position 25%, fastest lap 15% and owner points 35%. Playoff drivers will be in the front of the lineup, and will make up the first 16 positions in the round of 16.

Denny Hamlin will drive his No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing alongside Elliott, while Elliott’s fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman make up the second row. Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski rounds out the top five positions.

Hamlin’s JGR cohort Martin Truex Jr. is sixth, while Keselowski’s Penske teammate Ryan Blaney starts seventh. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Aric Almirola fill up the rest of the top 10.

Cup Starting Lineup: Cook Out Southern 500

The Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington will air at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on NBCSN and Motor Racing Network

Joy Tomlinson

Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.