The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin this weekend at Darlington Raceway and Ryan Blaney is on the pole for Sunday’s (Sept. 5) race.
The No. 12 Team Penske pilot is riding the momentum train after winning the past two races at Michigan International Speedway and Daytona International Speedway.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin joins Blaney on the front row, while Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott make up the second row. Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman rounds out the top five.
Regular season champion Kyle Larson begins sixth, Tyler Reddick is seventh and Aric Almirola starts eighth. Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. complete the top 10 in the lineup.
The rest of the playoff contenders — Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Michael McDowell and Brad Keselowski — slot in positions 11 through 16.
The performance metrics formula that adds four weighted categories was used to set the lineup, with the playoff drivers taking the first 16 spots. These categories are driver’s and car owner’s finishing position (weighted 25% each), fastest lap from Daytona (15%) and rank in team owner points (35%).
Cup Lineup for Darlington
The Cook Out Southern 500 is set to air Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.
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.