In a sketchy qualifying session at WWT Raceway (Gateway), Joey Logano planted his No. 22 Workforce Penske Ford atop the velocity 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.
“This can be a race observe we had circled, realizing 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 — quick 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 crammed out the rest of the highest ten.
Alex Bowman would be the highest-starting driver not within the Chase, qualifying eleventh.
Different Chase drivers beginning deeper within the subject: Austin Cindric in thirteenth, Ryan Preece 14th, Daniel Suarez fifteenth, Tyler Reddick 18th, Chris Buescher twenty first, and William Byron twenty fourth.
Qualifying recap
Joey Logano, No. 22 Workforce Penske Ford
Photograph by: Amy Kontras through Getty Photographs
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 massive wiggles on their laps, costing them dearly.
Because the back-half of qualifying acquired underway, Alex Bowman instantly went to the highest as a number of the sooner vehicles within the subject acquired their shot.
Josh Berry completely might have gone to the highest of the charts, however he almost misplaced management via Turns 1 and a couple 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 subsequent driver to go quickest of all, a couple of tenth away from Bowman. Nonetheless, it did not final lengthy as Elliott changed him atop the velocity charts, additional elevating the bar. Hocevar was the subsequent to go P1 regardless of operating very excessive via Turns 1 and a couple of.
As anticipated, Penske was supremely robust, and Logano went over 4 tenths sooner with a shocking 32.817s lap. Nobody might contact that, not even his teammate Blaney. Larson acquired to simply inside three tenths, however that was all the sphere had for the three-time champion and 2022 Gateway race winner.
NASCAR Cup beginning lineup — 2026 WWT Raceway
Learn Additionally:
Watch: Keselowski candid on upping the depth with Hocevar: ‘Carry it, I am going to battle again’
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