Kyle Larson wasn’t even supposed to be in Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Darlington Raceway, as he serves as a fill-in for Alex Bowman, who is dealing with symptoms of vertigo, but he’ll lead the field to green.
The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion was the final driver to hit the racetrack in qualifying and went to the top of the board, beating one of his biggest rivals in the Cup Series, Christopher Bell, for the top spot.
Carson Kvapil put in an impressive lap to qualify in third-place, with Justin Allgaier and Parker Retzlaff rounding out the top-five.
Sam Mayer, William Sawalich, Brandon Jones, Ross Chastain, and Jesse Love rounded out the top-10.
Matt DiBenedetto, driving the No. 35 for Joey Gase Motorsports, failed to qualify for the event.
Photo: Jonathan McCoy, TobyChristie.com
STARTING LINEUP:
| ROW | # | Driver | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 88 | Kyle Larson | JR Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet |
| 1 | 2 | 19 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing SportClips Haircuts Toyota |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | Carson Kvapil | JR Motorsports Champion Irrigation Products Chevrolet |
| 2 | 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports BRANDT Chevrolet |
| 3 | 5 | 99 | Parker Retzalff | Viking Motorsports South Carolina Outcast Chevrolet |
| 3 | 6 | 41 | Sam Mayer | Haas Factory Team Audibel Chevrolet |
| 4 | 7 | 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing SoundGear Toyota |
| 4 | 8 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing Menards / Pelonis Toyota |
| 5 | 9 | 9 | Ross Chastain | JR Motorsports Jarrett Logistics Chevrolet |
| 5 | 10 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing Whelen Engineering Chevrolet |
| 6 | 11 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing 1-800-PACK-RAT Chevrolet |
| 6 | 12 | 17 | Corey Day | Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet |
| 7 | 13 | 00 | Sheldon Creed | Haas Factory Team Ollie's Chevrolet |
| 7 | 14 | 24 | Harrison Burton | Sam Hunt Racing DEX / Sharp Toyota |
| 8 | 15 | 54 | Taylor Gray | Joe Gibbs Racing Operation 300 Toyota |
| 8 | 16 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing Night Owl Companies Chevrolet |
| 9 | 17 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing Down Syndrome Foundation of FL Chevrolet |
| 9 | 18 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports Allstate Peterbilt Group Chevrolet |
| 10 | 19 | 32 | Rajah Caruth | Jordan Anderson Racing Black Effect Chevrolet |
| 10 | 20 | 5 | JJ Yeley | Hettinger Racing Victory Custom Trailers Ford |
| 11 | 21 | 96 | Anthony Alfredo | Viking Motorsports DUDE Wipes Chevrolet |
| 11 | 22 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing Sci Aps Chevrolet |
| 12 | 23 | 44 | Brennan Poole | Alpha Prime Racing CWSons.com / Clark's Chevrolet |
| 12 | 24 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | SS-GreenLight Racing Knight Fire Protection Chevrolet |
| 13 | 25 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing State Water Heaters Chevrolet |
| 13 | 26 | 31 | Blaine Perkins | Jordan Anderson Racing Capital City Towing Chevrolet |
| 14 | 27 | 25 | Nick Sanchez | AM Racing Payunity / Travel Curious Ford |
| 14 | 28 | 48 | Patrick Staropoli | Big Machine Racing SYFOVRE Chevrolet |
| 15 | 29 | 45 | Lavar Scott | Alpha Prime Racing Sunoco Chevrolet |
| 15 | 30 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing Fly and Form Structures Chevrolet |
| 16 | 31 | 87 | Austin Green | Peterson Racing Group 3-Dimensional Services Chevrolet |
| 16 | 32 | 07 | Josh Bilicki | SS-GreenLight Racing Rita's Italian Ice Chevrolet |
| 17 | 33 | 26 | Dean Thompson | Sam Hunt Racing Thompson Pipe Group Toyota |
| 17 | 34 | 91 | Alex Labbe | DGM Racing Larue Snowblowers Chevrolet |
| 18 | 35 | 30 | Myatt Snider | Barrett-Cope Racing Barrett Wines / Proof Ice Cream Chevrolet |
| 18 | 36 | 02 | Ryan Ellis | Young's Motorsports Sweetwater Construction Chevrolet |
| 19 | 37 | 55 | Joey Gase | Joey Gase Motorsports NFPA.org Chevrolet |
| 19 | 38 | 42 | Nathan Byrd | Young's Motorsports Randco Chevrolet |
| DNQ | 39 | 35 | Matt DiBenedetto | Joey Gase Motorsports ACE Hardware Chevrolet |
QUALIFYING RESULTS:
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Diff | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Kyle Larson | JR Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet | 29.994 | 0.000 | 163.953 |
| 2 | 19 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing SportClips Haircuts Toyota | 30.041 | 0.047 | 163.696 |
| 3 | 1 | Carson Kvapil | JR Motorsports Champion Irrigation Products Chevrolet | 30.180 | 0.186 | 162.942 |
| 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports BRANDT Chevrolet | 30.220 | 0.226 | 162.727 |
| 5 | 99 | Parker Retzalff | Viking Motorsports South Carolina Outcast Chevrolet | 30.299 | 0.305 | 162.302 |
| 6 | 41 | Sam Mayer | Haas Factory Team Audibel Chevrolet | 30.307 | 0.313 | 162.260 |
| 7 | 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing SoundGear Toyota | 30.338 | 0.344 | 162.094 |
| 8 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing Menards / Pelonis Toyota | 30.355 | 0.361 | 162.003 |
| 9 | 9 | Ross Chastain | JR Motorsports Jarrett Logistics Chevrolet | 30.400 | 0.406 | 161.763 |
| 10 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing Whelen Engineering Chevrolet | 30.411 | 0.417 | 161.705 |
| 11 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing 1-800-PACK-RAT Chevrolet | 30.436 | 0.442 | 161.572 |
| 12 | 17 | Corey Day | Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet | 30.447 | 0.453 | 161.513 |
| 13 | 00 | Sheldon Creed | Haas Factory Team Ollie's Chevrolet | 30.467 | 0.473 | 161.407 |
| 14 | 24 | Harrison Burton | Sam Hunt Racing DEX / Sharp Toyota | 30.481 | 0.487 | 161.333 |
| 15 | 54 | Taylor Gray | Joe Gibbs Racing Operation 300 Toyota | 30.507 | 0.513 | 161.196 |
| 16 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing Night Owl Companies Chevrolet | 30.513 | 0.519 | 161.164 |
| 17 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing Down Syndrome Foundation of FL Chevrolet | 30.621 | 0.627 | 160.596 |
| 18 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports Allstate Peterbilt Group Chevrolet | 30.644 | 0.650 | 160.475 |
| 19 | 32 | Rajah Caruth | Jordan Anderson Racing Black Effect Chevrolet | 30.683 | 0.689 | 160.271 |
| 20 | 5 | JJ Yeley | Hettinger Racing Victory Custom Trailers Ford | 30.707 | 0.713 | 160.146 |
| 21 | 96 | Anthony Alfredo | Viking Motorsports DUDE Wipes Chevrolet | 30.736 | 0.742 | 159.995 |
| 22 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing Sci Aps Chevrolet | 30.761 | 0.767 | 159.865 |
| 23 | 44 | Brennan Poole | Alpha Prime Racing CWSons.com / Clark's Chevrolet | 30.769 | 0.775 | 159.823 |
| 24 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | SS-GreenLight Racing Knight Fire Protection Chevrolet | 30.809 | 0.815 | 159.616 |
| 25 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing State Water Heaters Chevrolet | 30.841 | 0.847 | 159.450 |
| 26 | 31 | Blaine Perkins | Jordan Anderson Racing Capital City Towing Chevrolet | 30.873 | 0.879 | 159.285 |
| 27 | 25 | Nick Sanchez | AM Racing Payunity / Travel Curious Ford | 30.874 | 0.880 | 159.280 |
| 28 | 48 | Patrick Staropoli | Big Machine Racing SYFOVRE Chevrolet | 30.910 | 0.916 | 159.094 |
| 29 | 45 | Lavar Scott | Alpha Prime Racing Sunoco Chevrolet | 30.924 | 0.930 | 159.022 |
| 30 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing Fly and Form Structures Chevrolet | 30.955 | 0.961 | 158.863 |
| 31 | 87 | Austin Green | Peterson Racing Group 3-Dimensional Services Chevrolet | 30.966 | 0.972 | 158.806 |
| 32 | 07 | Josh Bilicki | SS-GreenLight Racing Rita's Italian Ice Chevrolet | 31.008 | 1.014 | 158.591 |
| 33 | 35 | Matt DiBenedetto | Joey Gase Motorsports ACE Hardware Chevrolet | 31.063 | 1.069 | 158.311 |
| 34 | 26 | Dean Thompson | Sam Hunt Racing Thompson Pipe Group Toyota | 31.14 | 1.146 | 157.919 |
| 35 | 91 | Alex Labbe | DGM Racing Larue Snowblowers Chevrolet | 31.225 | 1.231 | 157.489 |
| 36 | 30 | Myatt Snider | Barrett-Cope Racing Barrett Wines / Proof Ice Cream Chevrolet | 31.254 | 1.260 | 157.343 |
| 37 | 02 | Ryan Ellis | Young's Motorsports Sweetwater Construction Chevrolet | 31.297 | 1.303 | 157.127 |
| 38 | 55 | Joey Gase | Joey Gase Motorsports NFPA.org Chevrolet | 31.507 | 1.513 | 156.080 |
| 39 | 42 | Nathan Byrd | Young's Motorsports Randco Chevrolet | -- | -- | -- |
