Michael McDowell will start Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway from the pole after a blistering 52.609 sec. lap time in the final round of qualifying on Saturday. Austin Cindric will start alongside on the front row.
Kyle Larson wasn’t permitted to take a qualifying lap due to his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet being found to have an unapproved adjustment to the roof rail.
Here are the official starting lineup and complete qualifying results for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, race 10 of 36.
GEICO 500 Starting Lineup
| Row | Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Lap time | Diff | Speed | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROW 1 | 1 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports Love's Travel Stops Ford | 52.609 | -- | 182.022 | 2 |
| ROW 1 | 2 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske Menards / Richmond Water Heaters Ford | 52.691 | 0.082 | 181.739 | 2 |
| ROW 2 | 3 | 38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports Ford | 52.789 | 0.180 | 181.401 | 2 |
| ROW 2 | 4 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing Cheddar's Chevrolet | 52.863 | 0.254 | 181.147 | 2 |
| ROW 3 | 5 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet | 52.969 | 0.360 | 180.785 | 2 |
| ROW 3 | 6 | 19 | Martin Truex, Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing Bass Pro Shops Toyota | 52.992 | 0.383 | 180.707 | 2 |
| ROW 4 | 7 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske Shell-Pennzoil Ford | 53.044 | 0.435 | 180.529 | 2 |
| ROW 4 | 8 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing Fastenal Ford | 53.119 | 0.510 | 180.274 | 2 |
| ROW 5 | 9 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet | 53.122 | 0.513 | 180.264 | 2 |
| ROW 5 | 10 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing Mobil 1 Toyota | 53.198 | 0.589 | 180.007 | 2 |
| ROW 6 | 11 | 41 | Ryan Preece | Stewart-Haas Racing United Rentals Ford | 53.175 | -- | 180.085 | 1 |
| ROW 6 | 12 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports Ally Financial Chevrolet | 53.183 | 0.008 | 180.058 | 1 |
| ROW 7 | 13 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports Liberty University Chevrolet | 53.185 | 0.010 | 180.051 | 1 |
| ROW 7 | 14 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing Leidos Toyota | 53.186 | 0.011 | 180.047 | 1 |
| ROW 8 | 15 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing Monster Energy Toyota | 53.208 | 0.033 | 179.973 | 1 |
| ROW 8 | 16 | 21 | Harrison Burton | Wood Brothers Racing Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford | 53.211 | 0.036 | 179.963 | 1 |
| ROW 9 | 17 | 16 | Shane Van Gisbergen | Kaulig Racing Wendy's Chevrolet | 53.226 | 0.051 | 179.912 | 1 |
| ROW 9 | 18 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing Jordan Brand Toyota | 53.262 | 0.087 | 179.790 | 1 |
| ROW 10 | 19 | 31 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing Cirkul Water Chevrolet | 53.298 | 0.123 | 179.669 | 1 |
| ROW 10 | 20 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB AdventHealth Toyota | 53.306 | 0.131 | 179.642 | 1 |
| ROW 11 | 21 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske Wabash Ford | 53.320 | 0.145 | 179.595 | 1 |
| ROW 11 | 22 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing Castrol Edge Ford | 53.322 | 0.147 | 179.588 | 1 |
| ROW 12 | 23 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing FedEx Ultimate Fan Contest Toyota | 53.407 | 0.232 | 179.302 | 1 |
| ROW 12 | 24 | 62 | Anthony Alfredo | Beard Motorsports DUDE Wipes Chevrolet | 53.411 | 0.236 | 179.289 | 1 |
| ROW 13 | 25 | 99 | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevrolet | 53.414 | 0.239 | 179.279 | 1 |
| ROW 13 | 26 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing Mahindra Tractors Ford | 53.455 | 0.280 | 179.141 | 1 |
| ROW 14 | 27 | 51 | Justin Haley | Rick Ware Racing Ford | 53.478 | 0.303 | 179.064 | 1 |
| ROW 14 | 28 | 43 | Erik Jones | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Family Dollar Toyota | 53.480 | 0.305 | 179.058 | 1 |
| ROW 15 | 29 | 4 | Josh Berry | Stewart-Haas Racing Overstock.com Ford | 53.487 | 0.312 | 179.034 | 1 |
| ROW 15 | 30 | 71 | Zane Smith | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 53.532 | 0.357 | 178.884 | 1 |
| ROW 16 | 31 | 7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 53.543 | 0.368 | 178.847 | 1 |
| ROW 16 | 32 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing Jockey Outdoors by Luke Bryan Chevrolet | 53.590 | 0.415 | 178.690 | 1 |
| ROW 17 | 33 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing Boost/Thomas'/Philadelphia Chevrolet | 53.686 | 0.511 | 178.371 | 1 |
| ROW 17 | 34 | 15 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing Monster Energy Ford | 53.720 | 0.545 | 178.258 | 1 |
| ROW 18 | 35 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet | 53.767 | 0.592 | 178.102 | 1 |
| ROW 18 | 36 | 10 | Noah Gragson | Stewart-Haas Racing Overstock.com Ford | 53.811 | 0.636 | 177.956 | 1 |
| ROW 19 | 37 | 78 | BJ McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet | 54.290 | 1.115 | 176.386 | 1 |
| ROW 19 | 38 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet | 0.000 | -- | 0.000 | 1 |
Round 2 Qualifying Results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Lap time | Diff | Speed | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports Love's Travel Stops Ford | 52.609 | -- | 182.022 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske Menards / Richmond Water Heaters Ford | 52.691 | 0.082 | 181.739 | 1 |
| 3 | 38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports Ford | 52.789 | 0.180 | 181.401 | 1 |
| 4 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing Cheddar's Chevrolet | 52.863 | 0.254 | 181.147 | 1 |
| 5 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet | 52.969 | 0.360 | 180.785 | 1 |
| 6 | 19 | Martin Truex, Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing Bass Pro Shops Toyota | 52.992 | 0.383 | 180.707 | 1 |
| 7 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske Shell-Pennzoil Ford | 53.044 | 0.435 | 180.529 | 1 |
| 8 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing Fastenal Ford | 53.119 | 0.510 | 180.274 | 1 |
| 9 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet | 53.122 | 0.513 | 180.264 | 1 |
| 10 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing Mobil 1 Toyota | 53.198 | 0.589 | 180.007 | 1 |
Round 1 Qualifying Results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Lap time | Diff | Speed | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports Love's Travel Stops Ford | 52.741 | -- | 181.567 | 1 |
| 2 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing Cheddar's Chevrolet | 52.970 | 0.229 | 180.782 | 1 |
| 3 | 38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports Ford | 53.000 | 0.259 | 180.679 | 1 |
| 4 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske Menards / Richmond Water Heaters Ford | 53.020 | 0.279 | 180.611 | 1 |
| 5 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske Shell-Pennzoil Ford | 53.027 | 0.286 | 180.587 | 1 |
| 6 | 19 | Martin Truex, Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing Bass Pro Shops Toyota | 53.048 | 0.307 | 180.516 | 1 |
| 7 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet | 53.086 | 0.345 | 180.387 | 1 |
| 8 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing Mobil 1 Toyota | 53.120 | 0.379 | 180.271 | 1 |
| 9 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing Fastenal Ford | 53.122 | 0.381 | 180.264 | 1 |
| 10 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet | 53.168 | 0.427 | 180.108 | 1 |
| 11 | 41 | Ryan Preece | Stewart-Haas Racing United Rentals Ford | 53.175 | 0.434 | 180.085 | 1 |
| 12 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports Ally Financial Chevrolet | 53.183 | 0.442 | 180.058 | 1 |
| 13 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports Liberty University Chevrolet | 53.185 | 0.444 | 180.051 | 1 |
| 14 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing Leidos Toyota | 53.186 | 0.445 | 180.047 | 1 |
| 15 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing Monster Energy Toyota | 53.208 | 0.467 | 179.973 | 1 |
| 16 | 21 | Harrison Burton | Wood Brothers Racing Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford | 53.211 | 0.470 | 179.963 | 1 |
| 17 | 16 | Shane Van Gisbergen | Kaulig Racing Wendy's Chevrolet | 53.226 | 0.485 | 179.912 | 1 |
| 18 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing Jordan Brand Toyota | 53.262 | 0.521 | 179.790 | 1 |
| 19 | 31 | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing Cirkul Water Chevrolet | 53.298 | 0.557 | 179.669 | 1 |
| 20 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB AdventHealth Toyota | 53.306 | 0.565 | 179.642 | 1 |
| 21 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske Wabash Ford | 53.320 | 0.579 | 179.595 | 1 |
| 22 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing Castrol Edge Ford | 53.322 | 0.581 | 179.588 | 1 |
| 23 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing FedEx Ultimate Fan Contest Toyota | 53.407 | 0.666 | 179.302 | 1 |
| 24 | 62 | Anthony Alfredo | Beard Motorsports DUDE Wipes Chevrolet | 53.411 | 0.670 | 179.289 | 1 |
| 25 | 99 | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevrolet | 53.414 | 0.673 | 179.279 | 1 |
| 26 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing Mahindra Tractors Ford | 53.455 | 0.714 | 179.141 | 1 |
| 27 | 51 | Justin Haley | Rick Ware Racing Ford | 53.478 | 0.737 | 179.064 | 1 |
| 28 | 43 | Erik Jones | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Family Dollar Toyota | 53.480 | 0.739 | 179.058 | 1 |
| 29 | 4 | Josh Berry | Stewart-Haas Racing Overstock.com Ford | 53.487 | 0.746 | 179.034 | 1 |
| 30 | 71 | Zane Smith | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 53.532 | 0.791 | 178.884 | 1 |
| 31 | 7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 53.543 | 0.802 | 178.847 | 1 |
| 32 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing Jockey Outdoors by Luke Bryan Chevrolet | 53.590 | 0.849 | 178.690 | 1 |
| 33 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing Boost/Thomas'/Philadelphia Chevrolet | 53.686 | 0.945 | 178.371 | 1 |
| 34 | 15 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing Monster Energy Ford | 53.720 | 0.979 | 178.258 | 1 |
| 35 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet | 53.767 | 1.026 | 178.102 | 1 |
| 36 | 10 | Noah Gragson | Stewart-Haas Racing Overstock.com Ford | 53.811 | 1.070 | 177.956 | 1 |
| 37 | 78 | BJ McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet | 54.290 | 1.549 | 176.386 | 1 |
| 38 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet | 0.000 | -- | 0.000 | 0 |
