Zane Smith will lead the NASCAR Cup Series field to green at Talladega Superspeedway after turning the fastest lap in qualifying on Saturday (April 26) with a speed of 182.174 mph.
The pole for Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 marks the first of Smith’s young Cup Series career.
Kyle Busch will start alongside Smith on the front row. He will be followed by a pair of Fords in row two, with Joey Logano on the inside and Ryan Preece on the outside. Busch’s Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon completes the top-five starters. He and Busch were the only Chevrolets to qualify in the top 10.
Next on the grid is a string of Fords, led by Chris Buescher in sixth. A pair of Team-Penske-affiliated Fords occupy row four, as Austin Cindric and Josh Berry will start seventh and eighth, respectively. The Penske car of Ryan Blaney rolls off ninth, while Ty Gibbs completes the top-10 starters and was the highest-qualifying Toyota driver.
NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500 Lineup
Anthony Alfredo was the best of the three unchartered cars competing in this race; he’ll start 31st for Beard Motorsports driving their No. 62 Chevrolet. BJ McLeod in 38th and J.J. Yeley in 39th complete the “extra” drivers in this weekend’s lineup.
The NASCAR Cup Series will take the green flag for the Jack Link’s 500 from Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 27, with coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.
