In a sketchy qualifying session at WWT Raceway (Gateway), Joey Logano planted his No. 22 Group Penske Ford atop the pace charts with a 32.817s lap, a full 0.276s sooner than Kyle Larson within the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
How spectacular was that run by Logano? It was the largest pole margin in any Cup qualifying session since Chicagoland 2017, when Kyle Busch beat Denny Hamlin by 0.277s.
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“This can be a race observe we had circled, figuring out we have to capitalize on it,” mentioned Logano. “We have to rating max factors right here and beginning up entrance will assist that for positive. Simply gotta handle the technique. We positively have a quick automotive, although. In race trim, it is actually good — brief run and future. Clearly, qualifying was spectacular. I even felt like my lap was common”
Ryan Blaney will begin third, Christopher Bell fourth, and Chase Briscoe fifth. Carson Hocevar, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs, and championship chief Denny Hamlin stuffed out the rest of the highest ten.
Alex Bowman would be the highest-starting driver not within the Chase, qualifying eleventh.
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Different Chase drivers beginning deeper within the discipline: Austin Cindric in thirteenth, Ryan Preece 14th, Daniel Suarez fifteenth, Tyler Reddick 18th, Chris Buescher twenty first, and William Byron twenty fourth.
Qualifying recapJoey Logano, No. 22 Group Penske Ford
Joey Logano, No. 22 Group Penske Ford
Connor Zilisch set the early tempo, however by the midway level of the session, it was Zane Smith main the way in which with 33.420s lap.
Shane van Gisbergen and Michael McDowell had large wiggles on their laps, costing them dearly.
Because the back-half of qualifying bought underway, Alex Bowman instantly went to the highest as a number of the sooner automobiles within the discipline bought their shot.
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Josh Berry completely may have gone to the highest of the charts, however he almost misplaced management by way of Turns 1 and a pair of. There have been a number of different shut calls and large lifts, with William Byron and Ryan Preece giving up a while as they slid up the observe in Flip 4. Surprisingly, there have been no incidents regardless of the difficult observe circumstances.
Hamlin was the following driver to go quickest of all, a couple of tenth away from Bowman. Nevertheless, it did not final lengthy as Elliott changed him atop the pace charts, additional elevating the bar. Hocevar was the following to go P1 regardless of working very excessive by way of Turns 1 and a pair of.
As anticipated, Penske was supremely robust, and Logano went over 4 tenths sooner with a surprising 32.817s lap. Nobody may contact that, not even his teammate Blaney. Larson bought to only inside three tenths, however that was all the sphere had for the three-time champion and 2022 Gateway race winner.
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NASCAR Cup beginning lineup — 2026 WWT Raceway
cla#drivermanufacturertimegapmph
1
22
Joey Logano
Ford
32.817
137.124
2
5
Kyle Larson
Chevrolet
33.093
0.276
135.980
3
12
Ryan Blaney
Ford
33.113
0.296
135.898
4
20
Christopher Bell
Toyota
33.145
0.328
135.767
5
19
Chase Briscoe
Toyota
33.199
0.382
135.546
6
77
Carson Hocevar
Chevrolet
33.236
0.419
135.395
7
23
Darrell Wallace Jr
Toyota
33.246
0.429
135.355
8
9
Chase Elliott
Chevrolet
33.259
0.442
135.302
9
54
Ty Gibbs
Toyota
33.261
0.444
135.294
10
11
Denny Hamlin
Toyota
33.312
0.495
135.086
11
48
Alex Bowman
Chevrolet
33.407
0.590
134.702
12
38
Zane Smith
Ford
33.420
0.603
134.650
13
2
Austin Cindric
Ford
33.441
0.624
134.565
14
60
Ryan Preece
Ford
33.487
0.670
134.381
15
7
Daniel Suarez
Chevrolet
33.492
0.675
134.360
16
21
Josh Berry
Ford
33.503
0.686
134.316
17
16
AJ Allmendinger
Chevrolet
33.547
0.730
134.140
18
45
Tyler Reddick
Toyota
33.557
0.740
134.100
19
88
Connor Zilisch
Chevrolet
33.572
0.755
134.040
20
1
Ross Chastain
Chevrolet
33.583
0.766
133.996
21
17
Chris Buescher
Ford
33.607
0.790
133.901
22
3
Austin Dillon
Chevrolet
33.624
0.807
133.833
23
6
Brad Keselowski
Ford
33.689
0.872
133.575
24
24
William Byron
Chevrolet
33.700
0.883
133.531
25
43
Erik Jones
Toyota
33.713
0.896
133.480
26
41
Cole Custer
Chevrolet
33.725
0.908
133.432
27
33
Austin Hill
Chevrolet
33.768
0.951
133.262
28
42
John Hunter Nemechek
Toyota
33.810
0.993
133.097
29
71
Michael McDowell
Chevrolet
33.878
1.061
132.830
30
51
Cody Ware
Chevrolet
33.926
1.109
132.642
31
4
Noah Gragson
Ford
33.934
1.117
132.610
32
10
Ty Dillon
Chevrolet
33.943
1.126
132.575
33
35
Riley Herbst
Toyota
34.062
1.245
132.112
34
34
Todd Gilliland
Ford
34.065
1.248
132.100
35
97
Shane van Gisbergen
Chevrolet
34.186
1.369
131.633
36
47
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Chevrolet
34.215
1.398
131.521
Learn Additionally:
“Convey it” — Calculated Brad Keselowski remains to be annoyed with Carson Hocevar
Two automotive chiefs ejected from Gateway after NASCAR Cup inspection failures
Hendrick Motorsports particulars ‘The Corey Day Plan’
Watch: Keselowski candid on upping the depth with Hocevar: ‘Convey it, I am going to struggle again’
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