After barely advancing into the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Bubba Wallace finds himself in a much better position to open the ‘Round of 12’, winning the pole for Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Driving the No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing, Wallace scored his second career pole at NASCAR’s top level with a blazing lap in the final round of Saturdya’s single-vehicle qualifying session.
With a 28.672-second time (equivalent to 188.337mph), the Mobile, Alabama-native put his entry at the top of the speed charts, narrowly defeating RFK Racing teammates Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski.
It’s the third-ever pole position for 23XI Racing throughout the organization’s three-year tenure in the NASCAR Cup Series. Tyler Reddick, Wallace’s teammate, scored the team’s last pole at Richmond Raceway earlier this year.
Chris Buescher, a native of Prosper, Texas, will start from the outside of the front row for Sunday’s 400-mile contest at the 1.5-mile facility, with teammate and team boss Brad Keselowski slotting in just behind him in third.
Ty Gibbs, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year, will start Sunday’s race from fourth place in his No. 54 Interstate Batteries Toyota, while Ross Chastain rounds out the top-five fastest cars in fifth place.
AJ Allmendinger places Kaulig Racing inside the top-10 to start Sunday’s event, boasting a sixth-place run in the No. 16 Chevrolet, while Kyle Busch was seventh, and Daniel Suarez eighth.
Christopher Bell, who had won the last three poles in the NASCAR Cup Series, will start a respectable ninth in Sunday’s race, while his teammate Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-10, after choosing to abort his lap in the final round of qualifying.
Kyle Larson barely missed out on advancing to the final round of qualifying, and as a result, will start from 11th place. Tyler Reddick (15th), Martin Truex, Jr. (16th), William Byron (18th), and Ryan Blaney (23rd) will also be starting outside the top-10.
Chase Elliott, driving the owner’s playoff-eligible No. 9 for Hendrick Motorsports, will also start deep in the field for Sunday’s 400-miler at Texas Motor Speedway, posting a starting position of 29th.
Other non-playoff notables starting outside the top-10 include Erik Jones (12th), Michael McDowell (17th), Carson Hocevar (19th), Joey Logano (20th), Kevin Harvick (22nd), and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (24th).
Qualifying Results – AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas
Qualifying Results: NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas
