TALLADEGA, Ala. — Front Row Motorsports and driver Michael McDowell continued a superspeedway qualifying mastery with McDowell claiming the pole position for Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
McDowell’s No. 34 FRM Ford turned a lap of 183.063 mph in Saturday’s final qualifying session around the 2.66-mile high banks, besting Austin Cindric’s lap in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford by less than two-tenths of a second.
It was McDowell’s sixth pole position of his career — all six coming this year — and five of them consecutively on superspeedways, also including a sweep at both Talladega and Atlanta Motor Speedway as well as the top starting position at Daytona International Speedway this summer.
“We knew coming here we’d have a shot at the pole and it’s a priority for us, so you feel that pressure of not making any mistakes and screwing it up,” McDowell said. “I’m really proud of the effort. We sort of had this in mind that today would be a day to come here and get the rest of the superspeedways locked down.”
Cindric, a Playoff contender and the 2022 Daytona 500 winner, smiled following qualifying and offered, “His right foot must be heavier than mine.”
Ford drivers claimed six of the top-10 starting positions Saturday. McDowell’s teammate Todd Gilliland was third fastest in the No. 38 FRM Ford Mustang. Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch, a two-time Talladega winner, was fourth fastest in the No. 8 RCR Chevrolet.
Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano were fifth and sixth fastest followed by RCR’s Austin Dillon in the No. 3 Chevy. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin was the only Toyota to make the 10-car final round and he’ll roll off sixth in the No. 11 JGR Supra. Wood Brothers Racing’s Harrison Burton and Kaulig Racng’s Daniel Hemric rounded out the fast-10.
The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Blaney is the defending race winner and has three Talladega trophies to his credit. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick — the regular season champion — will roll off 14th.
Cindric, Blaney, Logano and Hamlin are all current Playoff drivers, as are Blaney and Reddick. Hendrick teammates Chase Elliott, a two-time Talladega winner and Kyle Larson will start 11th and 12th. Their teammate William Byron will roll off 16th.
Christopher Bell, who will start 21st, Alex Bowman (23rd), Daniel Suarez (31st) and Chase Briscoe (36th) round out the Playoff lineup.
–By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media