Two years after making a last-minute NASCAR Cup Series debut at Pocono Raceway, Ty Gibbs is returning to the racetrack looking for his first career victory, which he’ll attempt to hunt down from a first-place starting spot.
The 21-year-old driver dethroned William Byron late in Saturday’s qualifying session to earn his second career pole in the NASCAR Cup Series, posting the second lap of the weekend in the 52-second bracket at 52.929 seconds (170.039mph).
As the second-fastest driver in the final round, and the quickest from Group A, Byron will start alongside Gibbs on the front row for Sunday’s The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway.
Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex, Jr. and Denny Hamlin will occupy the second row together, with both drivers ending up second-quickest in their respective groups. Josh Berry will round out the top-five, as the only Stewart-Haas Racing driver to be present in the first 12 rows of the starting lineup for Sunday’s event.
After posting the fastest time all afternoon during the first round of qualifying, Bowman was only able to muster a sixth-place qualifying effort. Tyler Reddick, who led Saturday’s practice was seventh, with defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney in eighth.
For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, Zane Smith advanced to the final round of qualifying, ending up in ninth place. It’s a career-best starting spot for the Spire Motorsports driver, beating out a 14th-place start in the 2024 Daytona 500. Joey Logano completed the top-10.
STARTING LINEUP: NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400
With only the top five from each group advancing into the final round of qualifying, several heavy hitters will be relegated to starting spots outside the top-10, including former series champions Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, who will start 11th and 12th for Hendrick Motorsports.
Other notables failing to advance to the second round of qualifying include Christopher Bell (13th), Brad Keselowski (14th), Daniel Suarez (16th), Chris Buescher (18th), Ross Chastain (19th), Kyle Busch (24th), Chase Briscoe (28th), and Bubba Wallace (29th).
While nobody crashed in qualifying on Saturday, several drivers had close calls, which will relegate them to starting spots further back in the field than they were hoping. Bubba Wallace bottomed out in the second corner and will start 29th, after being a top-five car in practice.
Corey LaJoie was another driver who found issues in qualifying on Saturday, brushing the wall at the exit of the ‘Tunnel Turn’ with his No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro. As a result, the Spire Motorsports driver will start Sunday’s The Great American Getaway 400 in 30th place.
A pair of winners this season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick, each found minor issues in Saturday’s practice session, with single-car spins in their respective groups. Neither driver sustained damage and both continued with no adverse effects.
